Monday, April 4, 2011

Keeneland Spring and My Copilot Dog

I've been on the road for work, have come home and am jumping straight into the Keeneland Spring meet.  My job with the USGA has ended after 20 yrs and I'm doing a perfect swan dive into the photography world.

Matt and I headed out for a pretty morning at Keeneland.  It was gorgeous!



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And we hunted around for some horses that will be racing in the big upcoming races for opening weekend.  Here is one of the top canadian fillies, Delightful Mary, working in preparation for the Ashland Stakes.



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and this is Sour...



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I love his name -He's by Lemon Drop Kid - very clever!  Sour is prepping for the Illinois Derby.  He's a very good horse but his connections don't care to race him in the typical Derby trail races including the Kentucky Derby because he's a gelding.  So keep your eye on him this summer.  He's a good one even though he's not running in those triple crown races!!

It's great fun to be back at Keeneland shooting.  I've started a gallery of photos for the 2011 Spring at Keeneland.  Keep checking it out since I'll be continuously adding photos to it throughout the month of April.

And now that I can focus on my photography (pun intended) I'm thinking of branching into pet photography.  Amos is my test subject for many of my creative ideas.



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Amos, is extremely difficult to photograph because he's absolutely black.  The camera has a tough time focusing on him.  By working on him, I should become very good!


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And my other problem with him is that he's extremely F-A-S-T and obsessive about fetching...



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He's loving that I take him to the dog park all the time although he wishes I wouldn't take pictures of the other pups playing...



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and he never wants to go back home...


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6 comments:

  1. Breathtaking photos, as usual! I LOVE the name Sour, especially as I used to ride a little palomino QH school horse whose show name was Lemon Drop Kid. (Wasn't there a filly by that same name who won the Oaks a few years ago??)
    And Amos is adorable!

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  2. These photos are ohsofabuloso! I am sure that THIS is the life (career) you were born for. Also looking forward for the text and chronicle on the blog. These horses CAN excel after racing. It WOULD take an FOB to prove it. Yay Wendy!

    Your FOB Fren, O

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  3. Wendy: I loved these shots, especially "Sour" and the 4 feet of you & your co-pilot. My neighbor has a Lab & I do know how stubborn they can be!!!! Abigail (Anderson) of THE VAULT

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  4. If these photos of Amos are your "practice shots," you are going to be the most awesome pet photographer EVER! I can't IMAGINE you getting even better!

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  5. Frizzle: The filly that won the KY Oaks in 2006 was Lemons Forever. I watched that race and LOVED how she came from behind, had the worst odds of the fillies in the field (and she broke from the far outside). Her jockey, Mark Guidry, had never ridden her in a race before (and her owners and trainer had lost everything in Katrina). She won and boy, howdy! I'm a Lemon Drop Kid fan myself. He sure makes some stunning lookers. If anyone bet her for the Oaks-Derby Double, a $2 bet with her and the winner of the Derby would have netted just under $1,000. That year Barbaro won the Derby and he wasn't even the favorite that day.

    Wendy, great pics! I agree with Michelle--best pet photographer EVER ;o)

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  6. I love Amos's pictures. We have two Labs - a chocolate and a yellow (rescued and the sweetest dog on earth). The pictures are just stunning. Sure wish you were close enough to photograph ours.

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