Wonder Woman

Yesterday I took a moment to introduce myself to new followers on my photography Instagram page @lizstoutphotography and realized that the photo I chose to share was one I never really got around to sharing on my social media pages. It had been my every intention to share several photos from that day on this blog, but then the barn project took off and - like so many things this summer - my plan to share the photos was forgotten amidst the chaos.

Now that things have settled though, I'm looping back around. It's fun to find time to share and do all of those forgotten things.

In the spring of this year, I was contacted by a popular magazine in West Virginia, WV Living with news that I had been chosen as one of the recipients of the WV Wonder Woman award for 2019. It came as a complete surprise!

I was interviewed over the phone for 30 minutes and asked a slew of questions about what I love about West Virginia, why I chose to remain in my home state, and what motivations lie behind my love of photography. At the conclusion of the interview, I was asked to provide a few headshots so they could select one for my bio that would run in the fall magazine when the cohort of 2019 WV Wonder Women were announced.

I asked the interviewer what she had in mind so far as a headshot. Did she want one of me with my camera in action? Or maybe one of me partaking in one of my outdoors pursuits in one of my favorite WV places? Or something with one of the horses (which she'd asked me quite a lot about over the course of the interview)?

Her preference was for several options with the horses.

While I knew I had several competition ones, I realized I didn't have any portrait-style shots of me with the horses. I'd always wanted to take some, but just never got around to it. However, with a reason to take some now, I took the initiative to get some.

And so, with the help of a barnmate from my previous barn, these images were captured. Thanks again, Chelsey!

Of course I had to use a western headstall for the only QH!

Griffin's blowing forelock kills me. I love that each of them has their ears up for this photo!

My favorite of the bunch.

I'm only just noticing (literally 5 months after the fact) that Q has grass in her mouth in many of these. D'oh!

I only cleaned their faces for the photos LOL.
There is a ditch drainage through their favorite pasture at their old barn that they love to stand around in like hippos. I never realized how much iron was in the wet soil around that drainage until I brought them home and all of the red-orange staining from the mud on their legs disappeared for good. I also love that they're basically never muddy like this any more! Dry lots for the win.

This frame immediately followed the one above. I am howling with laughter because Q was SO mad at Griffin because he was standing so close to her. She stomped her foot in agitation and gave one of her best mare glares. Stan took the same moment to also express his displeasure that he had to share such close space with Grif. Meanwhile, poor Grif is simply happy to be in the moment, oblivious to why the others are grumpy.
This photo encompasses all of their personalities in a nutshell and it makes me laugh so, so much. It's also photographic evidence for why Grif is sectioned away from the other two in the dry lot. Q and Grif just can't handle sharing closed quarters with him!

My boys <3

The very best boys

Stanley is such a ham!

And a few shots with my lady

Such a good girl

I didn't know which of the images the magazine would select, but was excited to see the final article when it ran.

It was an honor to be one of this year's WV Wonder Woman recipients. Doubly so because I had a good excuse to finally take some photos with all three horses!