Michelle Wrighton Fine Art and Photography

There is nothing quite like the power and majesty of a Thoroughbred Race Horse, and this digital painting is the first in a series of Racing Paintings that I have planned (for both Standardbreds and Thoroughbred race horses).  Thanks to photographer Cathy Sheeter for the wonderful reference photo.

Ready to Run Race Horse painting by Michelle Wrighton

100% crop of Ready to Run detail

Greeting Cards, laminated, matted, canvas and framed prints of “Ready to Run” can be purchased from Redbubble

Digital Painting of an Eventer.

Eventer - Horse sport painting by Michelle Wrighton

Greeting cards, laminated, matted, canvas and framed prints of “Eventer” can be purchased from my Redbubble shop:

Sometimes life just gets a little bit too stressful, and the best way to deal with it is a few hours in the country re-connecting with nature and the beautiful land that we live in.  Yesterday was one of those days, and what a joy to just take a few hours and enjoy the sunshine and the beauty of our South West.  I rarely go anywhere interesting without my camera in hand, so I do have a few of my favourite shots to share with you all:)

I’m very happy with these for several reasons, firstly every single shot was taken in full manual, and while I have always been pleased with the 50D’s output in the other creative settings that I normally use with changing light/movement situations, I can honestly say that nothing beats pure manual for getting the best images!  Secondly, and this is a biggie for me, I was shooting with the beast (70-200mm 2.8L), but every shot was hand held – the monopod didn’t go on the camera once!  This is truly amazing (to me anyway) as after my first attempt at shooting handheld with the beast when I first got the 50D was a disaster, it was so heavy it made my wrists hurt and every photo had severe camera shake and I never thought I would be able to use it handheld.

Purple Flowers at Harvey ©2009 South West Photography

Rustic Farm Building ©2009 South West Photography

One Tree Hill Boyup Brook ©2009 South West Photography

"panoRAMa" Boyup Brook ©2009 South West Photography

Boyup Brook Farmland in July ©2009 South West Photography

Scarlet Breasted Robin Boyup Brook ©2009 South West Photography

"Bird on a Wire" Boyup Brook ©2009 South West Photography

Donnybrook to Boyup Brook Landscape © 2009 South West Photography

Scarlet Robin, Boyup Brook © 2009 South West Photography

"Flight" Birdwatching in Boyup Brook ©2009 South West Photography

Blackwood River, Boyup Brook ©2009 South West Photography

Boyup Brook at Dusk © South West Photography

Little Lamb backlit by the Sun ©2009 South West Photography

The Golden Hour ©South West Photography

I have to say that I was really pleased with the last two – the little lamb was shot through a ringlock fence and I wasn’t sure if my settings where correct for the lens to blur out the wire strands, but obviously they were (yay for me).  I had to jump out of the car, over a muddy ditch and up a hill to say hi to three very friendly horses that came over to the fence when I called them.  It was the golden hour and the light from the sinking sun behind them was just magnificent while this big bay gelding happily posed for me to practice my silhouette shots:) In the full size, his chin whiskers look like threads of pure gold.

Ok, I think thats more than a few photos (I know, I just can’t help myself)…although I do have heaps more that I will add at some stage when I get time to process them.  I’d love to know which of the photos is your favourite and why, so please feel free to leave me a comment:)

Cheers

Michelle

South West Photography

Today was a blast from the past, my first time at Orange Grove for many many years!  Only got time to share a few images from today:)

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

All photographs from this and other equestrian and canine events can be viewed and prints purchased online at South West Photography.

What a fantastic turn-out there was the the Summer Show Offs Horse Breed Show at Gosnells!  So many beautiful horses it was hard to know where to point my camera!

The full set of proofs can be viewed at South West Photography but here are a few of my favourites from the day:

Andalusian horse - © 2009 South West Photography

Andalusian © South West Photography

A bow for the paparazzi - © South West Photography

Black Andalusian © South West Photography

Bay portrait - © South West Photography

Clydesdale - © South West Photography

© South West Photography

© 2009 South West Photography

The full set of proofs for both the In Hand and Ridden competition at the Gosnells Summer Show Offs 2009 can be viewed and print purchase at South West Photography

I have finished a new artwork today, this is my first piece of digital art, created from one of my origial photographs, and altered using filters and my wacom tablet.  I’m very pleased with the results of this,

LOL I only wish I could remember all the steps that I took to create it:)

“Equus Dreaming”

Digital Art

by Michelle Wrighton

2009

There is nothing better on a hot summer’s day than taking the ponies for a swim down the beach!  Ok, well I didn’t take my horse, but I did take my camera and got some very lovely shots!

The Black Stallion - in miniature © 2009 South West Photography

Chestnut by the sea © 2009 South West Photography

Chestnut horse Portrait © 2009 South West Photography

What was that? © 2009 South West Photography

© 2009 South West Photography

© 2009 South West Photography

Images from this photo session are available for viewing and purchase in the events section of my South West Photography website.

After many, many years without a horse in sight, I have finally ventured back into the saddle after a lovely bay mare unexpectedly came into my life:)  Her name is Flicka, and she is an 18yo Standardbred…I know I couldn’t help myself, but she is fit, sound and you know what happens to 18yo horses that no-one wants:(  Poor girl has had a very hard life until six months ago, but her luck has changed now and she has a home for life.

LOL, although it dosn’t look like it in this first image, she is one of the most un-photogenic horses that I have ever met!  Of course my itty bitty point and shoot camera dosn’t compare to my dslr either, so I will have to take the big camera out to get some decent shots.

Flicka © 2008 South West Photography

Funny Face!

Flicka in Western

This is another quick experiment on drafting film, in this one I have pushed the drafting film to the limit to see how much pigment it will hold and I have also experimented with a more painterly approach and burnished the whole lot thoroughly!

Its not quite the result I was aiming for (it needs more layers but there is no more tooth left in the film), but at least my eight year old horse mad daughter loves it:)

I actually completed this one before starting the Weimaraner pet portrait, so I hope I learned enough from doing this one to get the result I am aiming for with the Weim. I did enjoy doing this one and the journey is sometimes more important than the destination, so it was worth it.

I keep getting asked asked to do more horse art, so keep an eye out for them in the future!

Cheers

Michelle