Riding an Irish Cobb-cross in Ireland.
I hope the luck o’ the Irish falls on you in March! This month is one of my favorites for many reasons—the bluebonnets are starting to bloom in Texas, the weather shifts to more photoshoot friendly, and it is the month I always remember my trips to Ireland.
A summer study abroad at The Darkroom School of Photography in Florence, Italy, led to much more than only an Italian experience. My friends and fellow students ventured to many countries, including Ireland. It was on a guided tour to Poulnabrone Dolmen in County Clare I snapped a photo that would be one of my first published images. Though shot in 2007, it wasn’t published until I was then working as Assistant Editor at Western Horseman and include in the Norman Borlaug Institute’s 2010-2011 calendar. That shot, though, continues to inspire me.
Poulnabrone Dolmen, County Clare, Ireland
Publishing the image of the tomb was a spark to my dual passions, travel and photography. Since then, I’ve returned to Ireland twice. Once for the fame Saint Patrick’s Day and again for a work trip that included articles gathered for AQHA’s America’s Horse, Chrome magazine and Horse Illustrated.
Traveling to photograph places and subjects became a theme for me as a writer / photographer in the publishing world. I was unattached and eager to work, so Western Horseman sent me to many, many states to gather stories. I learned to create a travel itinerary based on story ideas and set it up so I could gather 6-10 stories in a 7–10-day trip. It was often exhausting but it led to wonderful memories, and a better understanding of how to solve any photo or travel issue on my own.
I still love travel, especially riding in new country. I still love photography and appreciate all the doors it has opened for me. This year, I hope my camera and keyboard take me on more adventures, and maybe even brings back that luck o’ the Irish once again!