Sarah Dickerson Photography

Goodbye, Old blog!!

2009-08-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's time to go. You've served me well, Blogspot Blog, but it is time for a newer, sleeker, sexier blog to take your place. I know you won't take it personally.

Seriously - update your bookmarks! The new SDP blog is nice and easy to remember:
www.sarahdickersonblog.com

What's new? Well, it just LOOKS better. But now, you will be able to download pricing and product guides (the latter still in progress), read a FAQ on portrait sessions, read about me and my work (like you REALLY want to do that..) as well as easily link to my main site, Facebook page and Twitter for those of you who do that. Plus the usual blog stuff.

There will not be any further posts to this blog. I've imported over the summer's posts to the new blog (from mid-May onward) and all new posts will be to the new blog from now on. So....as I said..change your bookmarks! And enjoy! (and let me know what you think....)

oops.

2009-08-11T18:15:00.001-07:00

If anyone has recently tried to contact me through my email link on the right side of this blog, I didn't get it. It's because I'm so hopelessly bad at writing HTML, I put my own email address in wrong. Soooooo....if you are wondering why I'm ignoring you, I'm not. Your email went to that big internet wasteland in the sky. Try your request again! We're now good to go.... :)

Lindsey G: senior

2009-08-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Meet the adorable Lindsey. This was an easy shoot because I'd direct her a bit and she'd just go for it! And she hung in there despite the fact it was a bit toasty out. We had fun with this one (um, at one point I was laying on my stomach in the middle of the street in a skirt??!?) and I left with hundreds of images to go through (!) but I've pulled a few favorites here for you all!

this image looks so Hollywood!

Volker Farm Shoot

2009-08-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Jim and I had the pleasure of photographing the equine members of the Volker family - all five of them. We took the Bonanza and flew up to Tarkio, Missouri - just south of the Iowa border - where Marvetta and her husband Steve picked us up at the airport and took us to their gorgeous farm, surrounded by a golf course - I had it easy in finding good areas to shoot on their property! We did portraits of each horse individually, and then turned them loose in the pasture to get some "action shots" of them playing. After we were done, Jim and I were treated to two HEAPING bags of sweet corn, which we are STILL enjoying every night! Thanks you guys for your hospitality and I hope you LOVE the photos! Here is but a snippet of the nearly 500 shots I fired off in the matter of about 4 hours....

Shots of hubby Jim assisting (note the "attention getter" broom...)- I am very lucky to have a husband that supports my business like he does :)

Awww.

Bev + Jason: engaged

2009-08-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Bev and Jason are getting married in just a couple of weeks now, so we scoped out their wedding and reception site at Shawnee Lake in Topeka, Kansas to go over last minute details and, since I'd not been there before, get some ideas for the day of the wedding. The pergola at the lake, which is where the ceremony will be, is completely surrounded by all kinds of incredible floral landscaping. We definitely will not be short on color in our photos on their wedding day! While we were there, we did some impromptu shots - I don't know that I'd call this a full-fledged "engagement" session, but in any event, here are a few! Bev and Jason - looking forward to photographing your wedding in two weeks!

GKCAHA Pony Express Horse Show

2009-08-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

I brought my wedding photography game to this show at Longview Horse Park last weekend and played around with the amazing light! For the exhibitors that were showing around sunset, there are some fun photos in the galleries (of course there are great photos from ALL of the classes! :) ) Here are a few quick highlights as I get on to several portrait sessions (both equine and human) that need to be edited.

We'll next be at the KCRFTHA show at Longview this Saturday night - you can order photos from the GKCAHA show and even Pony Express shows from earlier in the season right at the show so be sure to stop by our booth (most likely in the gazebo) and say hi to Nancy!

Also. A side note: I am working on a massive blog redesign that will be launched as soon as I catch up on orders and editing (so basically, when pigs fly) and the new interface will be much more segmented so you can search out the posts YOU want to see - whether it be my equine work, weddings, or whatever. Right now, my posts are all mixed in. For those of you who ARE looking to see some of my work in a particular area, visit the tags in the column on the right and click on the subject you're interested in. That's the easiest way to see what you want! (either that, or visit the galleries on my main site, though they are in need of updating AGAIN.)

Thanks to everyone for your patience with emails, phone calls, orders, and session editing. This studio has grown WAY faster than I ever anticipated - and with a full-time job, I spend my evenings - my ENTIRE evenings, playing catch up with the SDP side of things. So PLEASE bear that in mind if I don't get back to you right away - I'm doing the best I can and clawing my way out of a HUGE July and early August! (which means THANKS to all of you for your business and support!)

So....here's the pics!

Hello, cute kid and pony alert! I mean, cutest. pony. ever.

A mildly photogenic pair :)

the kids got even cuter. I'm a sucker for leadline classes!

looove the sheriff's hat!!

the light. it got better and better.

Oak Knoll Farm shoot

2009-07-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I had a farm shoot during a dressage clinic at Oak Knoll Farm with judge and clinician Maryal Barnett of Michigan. Numerous clinic participants signed up to have portrait sessions done of their horses...and even dogs! I am uber backed up on editing right now and trying to claw my way out of the hole (can you say late nights?), so while I'm working my way towards catching up and getting the entire farm shoot edited, here's a sneak preview for you all!

Briana + Dennis: Married

2009-07-23T18:42:00.001-07:00

Briana and Dennis were the third of my weddings last weekend. They were married on Sunday at the Great Overland Station in Topeka, Kansas. Briana and Dennis are both in the Air Force and are presently based in Alaska. So they traveled a long way home for their wedding! Just like the entire weekend, they had beautiful sunny weather on their big day. Briana told me before the ceremony that she was told it is good luck if a train passes when you are getting married (the Great Overland Station being Topeka's historic rail station with tracks passing immediately behind the building) - sure enough, right in the middle of the ceremony, a train rumbled by!

Briana's mother gave her pearls after she got her dress on

This kid looooooved the camera. And wanted to see his pictures in the camera when I was done! :)

...another evening of gorgeous light

an appropriate backdrop for Briana and Dennis (have to give props to Lyn Scardina of Events! for this idea, though!)

Whew! caught up on wedding blogging. Now to my mountains of editing for these three ladies! :) Next up are some equine shoots at Oak Knoll Farm this weekend.

Sally + Derek: Married

2009-07-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of shooting Sally and Derek's wedding in Warrensburg, Missouri. Luck was on their side from the start - they had perhaps the most beautiful day all summer to get married. Below is a chronicle of the day - Sally is a classically beautiful bride, and Derek reminds me much of my own husband Jim - fun-loving with a bit of a mischievous streak. (ok Jim has a LOT of a mischievous streak!)

Thank you to the two of you for allowing me to be a part of your day. I hope you enjoy your photos as much as I enjoyed creating them!

sneaking a peek during a prayer - love it!

wanna dance?

We stole a few minutes to go outside for some shots. The light was SO golden...

father/daughter...

and husband/wife. love, LOVE this shot.

Amanda + Drew

2009-07-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

I've known Amanda for a while through a mutual friend. Naturally, I was super flattered when she asked me to shoot her wedding. I met Drew a while later at a restaurant while at (imagine that!) my best friend's rehearsal dinner. I thought "what a cute couple!" I think you all will agree as you browse through the images from their wedding last Friday. Not only will you agree with that, but I think you will agree that Amanda is a SMOKING hot bride. I mean, I took one glance at some of the images below and thought to myself, "shut up!" Amanda you looked gorgeous! The venue was the Uptown Theater, which was uber photogenic. I hope to shoot at this venue much more in the future!

Lots more wedding blog lovin' coming your way as I had THREE weddings last weekend. Next up - Sally and Derek!

so gorgeous.

one of my favorites.

Amanda and Drew decided to see each other before the ceremony - a first for me as a photographer! Love it!

We then went outside for a few bride and groom shots.

(by the way there was a ceremony...)

Missouri Dressage Classic - complete!

2009-07-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

I have all exhibitors posted to my proofing site, including the Prix St. Georges and Missouri State Games awards presentations (those folders are at the very end of the gallery). Thanks to everyone who has already placed orders, and for those of you who haven't been to the proofing site yet, go take a look! This was a fun, albeit large show and it is going back on our calendar for 2010. And speaking of calendar - show managers, if you are interested in booking me for your show in 2010, give me a shout. I will be sending out packets to a few show managers shortly with 2010 information, but the wedding inquiries are rolling in at a steady pace for next year already, so act now to secure your date if you want it!

Below are a few images from the show. I couldn't even begin to select ALL of my favorites for the blog, as there were a LOT of images to sort through from the weekend.

On to the first of THREE weddings this weekend at the Uptown Theater tonight with Amanda and Drew!

Missouri Dressage Classic - some brief notes

2009-07-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about my photography is the wide variety of subjects I photograph. As you can see from the posts below this one, I've been on a tear with weddings and human portrait sessions lately. Well, this past weekend I had to shift gears back to equine work with the Missouri Dressage Classic.

I just literally got home and am already beginning editing - so exhibitors, be patient and keep checking my main website (click the proofing link!) regularly as I will be posting riders by alphabetical order, last name. I should have all riders up no later than Thursday evening - as I have three, count 'em THREE weddings next weekend!

I hope I was able to photograph all of the exhibitors who wished to be photographed. I'll have a full-blown blog on the show up shortly with some of my favorite shots from the weekend, but here's a sneak preview for you of Nicole Bellah and the lovely Sydney, winners of Saturday night's Prix St. Georges Jackpot. More to come shortly!!

Audrey + Jordan: After the Wedding

2009-07-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

You all might remember Audrey and Jordan's wedding photos from two weeks ago. They were married on the hottest day of the year so far, in an unairconditioned chapel. Everyone was toast after the formals - so we spent a few minutes on bride and groom shots, but I wanted them to have a lot more than the oppressing heat would allow. We agreed to do an "after-shoot" of sorts here in KC, and that was accomplished last night in much more temperate weather. We had INcredible light to work with so I have an over-abundance of shots to go through. Here's a little something to show you the fun we had...

Married: Rebekah + Chris

2009-07-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Rebekah and Chris were married on an overcast 4th of July that threatened rain off and on all afternoon. However, other than one very brief downpour while waiting for the (surprise!) limo, it held off! I'm absolutely burning the midnight oil right now editing...full time job and a completely packed photo schedule? No sweat! (pshaw!)
So...here's the nitty gritty of the day. Congrats to you all!!! :)

Can't figure out which dress shot is my fave? Post both!

Married: Audrey + Jordan

2009-06-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

You saw the sneak preview this morning, here's the whole story this evening! As usual, I had an incredibly hard time narrowing down images for the blog. So you are getting a whole 30 of them - and I don't even feel these tell the whole story! Audrey, Jordan and the whole wedding party were real troopers for dealing with the hand that was dealt them last Saturday in the weather department - heat indices reaching 110 with actual temperatures topping 100. No sweat you say? Yeah right! The ceremony venue was the incredibly gorgeous but unairconditioned Cottey College Chapel in Nevada, Missouri. Thank you, Audrey, for putting on your game face for a handful of bridal shots and some shots with Jordan in the kick butt Cougar convertible after the ceremony. I know it was miserable but you could never tell looking at the pictures!

Congratulations, you two.

This picture just looks HOT to me!

The super sweet gift exchange

love LOVE this series. The realization hits when the veil and dress goes on -
I'm getting married!

Sorry, Audrey, couldn't resist posting another one of these. So gorgeous.

Here we go!

Love the way you two look at each other!

Well, hello there gorgeous...

Not to be outdone by the "grownups"...

...she even had to get in on the "dollar dance"! :)

Audrey + Jordan

2009-06-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of narrowing down some favorites for the blog, but in the meantime, here's a sneak peek from last Saturday....a shot of GORGEOUS Audrey! More to come... :)

More of Red Sunset

2009-06-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

I've finished editing Red Sunset's shoot (see below for some of the early highlights!) and here are a few more images. Interested in having a shoot done for your horse? Give me an email! The cost is a lot more reasonable than you may think to have photos of your favorite equine like these below.

Carriage and Driving Club of Greater Kansas City Driving Trial

2009-06-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Next to be completed and added to my proofing site this week is the Carriage and Driving Club's Driving Trial, held Sunday June 21st. It was the second of two events held by the club last weekend, the first being their Pony Express show on Saturday. Although I have seen a CDE before (even scribed for the dressage!), I've never photographed a driving event before. THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. The first thing I noticed was the camaraderie and FUN between the competitors. So much so that I wish some other horse sports would follow suit. Maybe the larger competitions aren't like this...I would not know...but I can say it was a breath of fresh air!

And speaking of air...and breath...during the afternoon obstacle runs, it got HOT. I mean dead-still-take-your-breath-away HOT. Yours truly started getting that tingly-nauseous I'm about to get heat exhaustion feeling with that black camera smashed against my face! But it didn't stop me from getting the below photos. As usual, the complete event is posted in my proofing galleries.

Aaaand...that's all folks on the equine photography blogging until I join you from the Columbia Dressage and Combined Training Association's Missouri Dressage Classic in Columbia, Missouri July 10-12, which I will be photographing. In the meantime...I have 5 weddings in the next month! So wedding photography fans...stay tuned, as the blog will take a shift here starting next week!

Red Sunset

2009-06-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Monday I had the pleasure of paying a visit to Red Sunset, a 17 year old thoroughbred gelding, for a photo shoot. Initially, he had other ideas....namely, eating grass...instead of strutting his stuff for the camera. After paying a visit to the side of the property where the neighbor horses reside, however, we had him at attention! Cynthia and Peter - I know you are dying to see images so I wanted to take a break from my insane editing and get a few on the blog for you as a sneak preview!

Carriage and Driving Society of Kansas City Driving Trial

2009-06-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

Having finished editing 41 classes from last Saturday's CDSGKC Pony Express Show, I'm now hastily embarking on the same for Sunday's driving trial. So driving trial participants, be patient! Here's a sneak peek to keep you excited. :)

I will be posting each event (dressage, cones, obstacles) as I complete them, so keep checking the galleries. I hope to have dressage up by late this evening.

Carriage and Driving Society of Kansas City Pony Express Show

2009-06-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

It rained. No, it poured. The sun came out. It got steamy. The exhibitors handled it all, though, and everyone's spirits weren't dampened by the early afternoon rainstorm at all! This show was large both in number of entries and in number of classes - a whopping 41 in total, ranging from miniature horse halter to several driving classes to arabian native costume to stock seat equitation. This show had it ALL. The show staff was on the ball and super friendly, and muchas gracias goes to both Bobbi Wojtowicz and Mary Loy Brown for their help throughout the day. That being said, proofs are all posted in the show gallery and happy viewing and ordering! Here are some highlights. I've got to get back to editing Sunday's driving trial as well as a private shoot - and I have weddings galore coming up starting Saturday....back to work!

I could post a couple hundred highlights...but I figured 20 will do. Back to editing!

Carriage and Driving Society Events at Longview this Weekend!

2009-06-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've got a weekend super duper chock-full of equine photography goodness! I'll be at Longview Horse Park both days, on Saturday shooting the Carriage and Driving Society of Greater Kansas City's 26th Annual Pony Express Show. It's a jam-packed schedule of 41 classes! As such, we will NOT be doing win photos at this show in the interest of getting you all out of there before everyone misses dinner and starts getting hungry and grumpy. If you'd like a shot with your blue ribbon (or blue ribbonS if you're super cool), grab me during a break and I'd be more than happy to oblige!

Sunday we'll be doing a new event for the Carriage and Driving Society, a one-day driving trial. This is like a super-condensed and watered-down-into-one-day combined driving event. I am very excited to be able to shoot this!

We will be set up in the gazebo with our proofing monitor so at ANY time during either show, feel free to stop by and view and even order your enlargements! Saturday's photos will be up during the event Sunday as well. We also have photos from prior Pony Express Shows I've shot, so don't be shy in asking to see them! I just ask that you realize that in my over-zealous attempts to provide supercool customer service, the photos from Saturday and Sunday as you see them are unretouched, un-color-corrected, not rotated...in other words, I have not sprinkled them with magic photo powder yet. :) To see photos that look a bit tidier, go to my proofing site after the show and there they will be! I will put the Pony Express show photos up first, so driving trial competitors, be patient - it may be towards weeks' end before you see yours. I promise as usual I will work as fast as I can!

See you tomorrow morning at Longview!
Sarah

image ownership

2009-06-07T15:50:00.001-07:00

As I take a short break before my personal busy season kicks into gear (3 horse shows, 5 weddings and a farm shoot in 6 weeks!), I thought I'd post a bit about photo copyrights.

I work very hard at what I do. I put in incredibly long hours photographing horse shows and weddings. I earn part of my living taking and selling images - and my livelihood depends on fair compensation for the images that I take.

Lately, as I am an avid Facebook user, I have come across not one, not two, but several instances of my images being used on Facebook, with my watermark on them. If you are using an image of mine from my proofing site that you have not purchased, in any way, you have committed a violation of copyright law.

If you have purchased a print from me and would like a small electronic copy for internet/Facebook/Twitter/email usage, just let me know. I'll size one and send it to you. If you have booked a wedding, engagement, senior, or any other shoot with me, the same applies. I will be more than happy to provide you small electronic images for sharing on Facebook and other social networking sites - if you have purchased images or booked a shoot with me.

I hate to go be Negative Nellie, but what was a one time occurrence has turned into a bit of an epidemic. If the copyright abuse continues, I will have no choice but to enforce my rights in a more strict manner. My husband, who works in law, is having his firm draft a copyright agreement to go on the front end of my proofing site; in the meantime, please realize this is my livelihood and although I love photography more than just about anything else (except maybe Jim!), I have to be compensated for the time I put into what I do, or else I'd go hungry. Do you ask the guy at Sonic for a free Route 44 limeade? Would you feel awkward doing so? Think about that when you take copyrighted photos. It's just not cool.

UPWHA Pony Express Show photos are up

2009-06-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

All photos from the UPWHA Pony Express Show at Lone Star Ranch are now in my proofing gallery! I love shooting the Pony Express shows as it challenges my versatility as a photographer - Missouri Foxtrotters, Tennessee Walking Horses, western pleasure, hunter pleasure, saddleseat, halter classes, driving classes - these shows have it all and sometimes in the same class! It can get confusing going from a walking horse class to a foxtrotter class and remembering the correct timing for each breed! But it is a blast.

We were blessed with wonderful light for this show - although the dust proved problematic for a few of the classes (in between arena waterings), the light made up for that difficulty. Here are a few images. Well, more than a few. I had a very hard time narrowing them down!

The vintage costume class was fun!

UPWHA Pony Express Show

2009-05-31T11:55:00.001-07:00

I will be posting images from this show starting Sunday late afternoon. They will be going up by class number, in order from class number 1. I am still organizing images from this very large Pony Express Show so be patient! I'll have images going up steadily starting tonight. Thanks! :)

High Point Farm Dressage - photos are up!

2009-05-27T19:23:00.001-07:00

All exhibitor photos are posted on my proofing site as of tonight! If you have special requests or questions about ordering, please do let me know. Here are a few shots I quickly grabbed for the blog!

High Point Farm Dressage

2009-05-26T11:03:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I photographed the High Point Farm Dressage Schooling Show in Paola, KS. Exhibitor photos are going online as we speak on my proofing site. I am just over halfway through posting photos, which are going up in alphabetical order by exhibitor last name as I complete them.

A big thanks to John and Nina Fricke for allowing me to come photograph the show. As always, some highlights will be posted here after I finish editing. Next up for SDP will be the United Pleasure Walking Horse Association Pony Express Show in Lee's Summit, Missouri this Saturday the 30th!

Airline History Museum Spring Hangar Dance

2009-05-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

You've got the down-low on this event from the post below, so I'll let the pictures do the talking on this one.

Isn't this couple absolutely ADORABLE? Both in their 90s. Both come to every hangar dance in town (there are 4 a year, between the museum and the Commemorative Air Force's dances at New Century Aircenter)

Airline History Museum Hangar Dance - pics coming!!

2009-05-19T09:41:00.001-07:00

The second event I shot last Saturday was the Airline History Museum's spring hangar dance. This dance is held twice per year and as I've gushed in previous blog postings (such as here), is SO much fun. The dances feature the big band and swing sounds of the Moonlight Serenade Orchestra - a band that's near and dear to my heart as they played at our wedding reception - and are increasingly well-attended, with an estimated 500 in attendance at Saturday's event.

I shot the event and am working on photos as we speak. They will be on my proofing site this week and may be purchased. As advertised at the dance, 50% of all proceeds from the sales of these images will be donated directly back to the museum - I'm basically covering my costs and donating the rest. If you aren't a member and are an airplane buff, I HIGHLY recommend joining the organization and becoming a volunteer -they need more help! You can stay up-to-date on museum happenings on their blog.

Here's a sneak preview. I'm hurrying!

UPDATE Wednesday 5/20: The first section of photos are up here! The rest should be up by the end of the evening.

A Country Wedding

2009-05-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

This was not only a departure from the types of weddings that I usually shoot, it was SO unique (and that's saying a lot for me, I got married on an airplane!). It was held on a farm, at the backside of the couple's property, in the most beautifully wooded area you have ever seen. Not completely shaded - but incredibly green with dappled sun everywhere. It was a coolish day but as sunny as could be, and the setting could not have been more perfect for a wedding. But it doesn't stop there - the bride rode down the aisle on her horse, led by her father! This couple enjoys showing Missouri Foxtrotters - so horses and a western theme were the rule for this small, informal affair.

It was awesome being a part of the ceremony. The surroundings (I mentioned they were beautiful, right?), the low-keyness of it all (did I just make up a word?) and most of all, the LOVE that was everywhere. Love and laughter and smiles and even the dog (who was part of the ceremony as well!) loved it. Congratulations, Teresa and Junior, and best wishes for many years of happiness!

Wow. The day. Incredible.

Wow. The setting. Kansas is beautiful in spring, isn't it?

This kid loved his sunglasses!

The horses arrive for the ceremony. This is Teresa's arabian, Samurai.

This is going down the "aisle" in style!

Kisses everywhere! :)

...aaand they rode off into the sunset together, happily ever after.

SDP is looking for a few good seniors!

2009-05-11T10:43:00.001-07:00

It's here. Senior photo season is kicking into high gear and SDP is launching full-bore into the senior photo market! What does that mean for you, the 2010 senior?

It means that SDP is building a portfolio of Kansas City area high school seniors over the summer to help us launch into this new market - and we need YOU to help us do that! Four lucky seniors will get a complimentary style session and some wallets for friends. If you are interested in being one of our senior models and getting an incredible shoot, please email me at sdickersonphoto@gmail.com or contact me through the contact form on our website.

The rules: you MUST be a 2010 senior. I will have a short questionnaire for you to fill out, and hopefully you'll be one of the four who get this shoot! If you miss the boat, and aren't one of the four, can you still get a special deal? YOU BET! All seniors responding to this offer will get a special rate on their style session if they book by June 30 - so tell your friends!

I hope I can help you start your senior year off on an awesome note, and you can end up with some shots that will make all your friends jealous! :)

William Woods Spring Dressage Show

2009-04-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

Exhibitor proofs are finally, completely up on my proofing site. This was a really fun show for me despite shooting for 12 hours + each day and dealing with difficult lighting at times. The weather was gorgeous, first of all, and the show was just very laid back and fun. Everyone, from show management to the exhibitors, were super friendly and relaxed. Lots of smiles were captured on "film" (or compact flash card!) Please let me know if you have any ordering questions or special requests.

Below are a few images from the weekend. These by no means are all my favorites...I had to keep the number somewhat within reason. :)

The next dressage event I'll be photographing is the High Point Farm Schooling Show in Paola, Kansas on May 23.

William Woods Spring Dressage in progress

2009-04-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

The William Woods Dressage Show proofs are in progress right now! I am working as fast as I can and your images will be going up as I complete them, in alphabetical order based on rider's last name. Keep checking back at the proofing site (www.sarahdickersonphoto.exposuremanager.com) as I'll be constantly adding riders.
I will send out an email to the exhibitor list once the show is completely uploaded, which should be by mid-week. Thanks for your patience in waiting on your proofs - right now, I'm juggling a full-time job with this part-time business and combine that with showing my own horse next weekend (!) and you've got one crazy schedule!

The show was a lot of fun and I hope to be back next year. The weather was wonderful and it's looking like everyone is going to have some great shots to choose from. I hope you enjoy them!!

Thanks!
Sarah

William Woods Dressage this weekend plus new show on schedule

2009-04-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Sarah Dickerson Photography will be covering the William Woods Spring Dressage Show at the William Woods University Campus in Fulton, Missouri this weekend (the 25th/26th of April). We will have proofs available for viewing at our table (in the show office area) beginning Saturday afternoon. This show is very full and very hectic, with a start at 7am and going until 7pm (or later) each day with no lunch break and one 10 minute break every two hours. Therefore, it is understandably going to be very hectic for us as I will be in the arena almost that entire time. Please be patient when it comes to your proofs - we will get them onto the computer and ready for you to view as quickly as possible, but especially Saturday there may be a fairly good lag time in getting them up for you. Don't forget, all proofs will be online as soon as possible after the show as well - so if your show schedule precludes you viewing proofs at the show, never fear, as proofs will be on my proofing site (www.sarahdickersonphoto.exposuremanager.com) for at least the rest of 2009. As I am showing my own horse at the KCDS show the following weekend, you can be sure I am motivated to get your proofs online as quickly as possible!! :)

Please note I've also added another dressage show to my calendar - I will be photographer for the Iowa Dressage Classic to be held at the beautiful just-opened facility, the Maffitt Lake Equestrian Center in Cumming, Iowa on October 3rd and 4th.

See you in Fulton this weekend!

Nelson, Nevada

2009-04-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

While in Las Vegas last week Jim and I took a side trip to a "ghost town" of sorts, Nelson, Nevada. Nelson is located about an hour southeast of Las Vegas, past Boulder City and down a two lane highway that has absolutely NOTHING along it but open land and mountains for 10 miles, and leads down into a canyon...eventually dead-ending at the Colorado River. Nelson was originally a mining town in the 1800s up through around 1945. It was known as being a very rough and lawless town in the Civil War era. Not much is left of the original Nelson, other than the entrances to the mine and a few still-standing outbuildings. Part of it has been preserved as a mine tour and canoeing company, and is home to a lot of vintage architecture, derelict cars, and just plain old cool junk. In other words, an absolute photographer's haven.

We wandered around and took pictures at the old Texaco station and other buildings for about an hour (the gas station was featured in the Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell movie 3000 Miles to Graceland). Afterward, we drove on down into El Dorado Canyon, eventually ending up at a breathtaking overlook of the Colorado River.

We ended our adventure by witnessing a HUGE dust devil (see last picture!)WOW....it was spinning as fast and violently as a tornado!

looking down the road leading into El Dorado Canyon

Nelson

El Dorado Canyon and the Colorado River

Derelict T-28s sit across the road from the old Texaco station. 65 of these were purchased from the military and 32 of them are sitting here and being sold off as kits to be restored to flying condition.

a dust devil west of Boulder City, Nevada on the way back from Nelson. The power and speed of this thing was impressive!

FEI Rolex World Cup Dressage, Las Vegas

2009-04-19T18:14:00.001-07:00

Jim and I just returned from our first vacation in a while, and he was game enough to accompany me to Las Vegas for World Cup dressage. What a weekend it was! Of all the years to go, this was the one and I feel very fortunate. Steffen Peters wowed the crowd and took the Grand Prix on Thursday, and went one step further and won the freestyle last night with a 84.9%. Both of his rides on Ravel were phenomenal and a joy to watch. So much so, that I didn't even THINK to take a picture during either performance. I was absolutely mesmerized. He and Ravel beat the two biggest names in dressage, Isabell Werth and Anky Van Grunsven, and one can't help but think this might be a harbinger of things to come for international dressage and more specifically, US dressage.

Here are a handful of shots, for what they're worth - shot from the "cheap seats" of the Thomas and Mack Arena with the only lens I bothered to pack.

Guenter Seidel and Elizabeth Ball do a pas de deux to Phantom of the Opera. It was amazingly well done! (and they managed to hold the rose together all the way down centerline in passage!)

Sabine Schut-Kery brings in the flag for the opening ceremonies

Brentina's retirement ceremony, not a dry eye in the house!

From bottom, Isabell Werth (GER, 3rd place on Satchmo), Steffen Peters (USA, 1st place on Ravel) and Anky Van Grunsven (NED, 2nd place on Painted Black) during Saturday night's freestyle awards ceremony.

Steffen Peters, winner of the 2009 FEI Rolex World Cup Dressage!

Steffen and Ravel take a victory lap to an absolutely thunderous roar from the audience!

Shortly I will post pictures from a VERY COOL side trip Jim and I took on Saturday....

A bit about what I do when I'm not photographing stuff....

2009-04-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Three main hobbies/passions pretty much take up every spare second I have - my photography, my horse, and flying. I'm not only a pilot, but I'm also a flight instructor. Through some strange stroke of luck (or a cruel joke, I've not figured it out yet), my flight review and my flight instructor recertification both come due in April, every other year. Last Saturday I got part 1 taken care of - the flight review. This is required of all pilots every other year to maintain currency. I called up good friend Steve Johnson in hopes of taking our 120 out and doing some work on things I've been struggling with, but alas, the annual inspection on the plane wasn't complete yet. Not wanting to wait (my schedule starts getting crazy in oh, 3 days?), Steve suggested we take his Super Cub. This didn't take much convincing on my part, as if I were independently wealthy I'd like to OWN Steve's Super Cub.

I met Steve at Noah's Ark Airport at the crack of dawn Saturday....yes, 8am is the crack of dawn for me....and we prepared to do some takeoff and landing work. Noah's Ark is a quaint private strip in the Missouri River bottoms west and north of Kansas City - tucked at the base of the bluffs by the city of Waldron, just at the edge of Kansas City International Airport's "don't dare go there without permission" airspace. It's a rare breed of airport, seeping nostalgia from every outbuilding. You sense a real close-knit community - one where everyone knows everyone else, and summer weekends are filled with flying, socializing, and hangar flying, the way it used to be. Not a big metropolitan airport where pilots show up to fly their Malibus and Barons off to weekend getaways, to be seen 3 days later as they offload gear and family and head home - no, Noah's Ark is full of older tailwheel aircraft such as Aeroncas and Piper Cubs and people who love their airplanes and just BEING at an airport. In other words, my kind of setting.

Steve and I took off for a few practice landings on the grass runway at the airport, and I couldn't help but notice that every time I turned onto final approach a few heads would peer out of hangars, a few folks would stray out to watch. No pressure, right? Luckily I took to the Super Cub fairly quickly and had a few nice landings before we headed north to St. Joseph for breakfast. We landed at Rosencranz Field during a flurry of activity - being the first REALLY nice flying day in quite some time, there were airplanes everywhere. Pulling up to the base of the control tower, we met several friends as well as Jim, who had flown up separately from the Downtown Aiport. After stuffing ourselves full of some not-so-healthy breakfast fare, it was back to Noah's Ark and the all-too-soon completion of my flight review.

Steve, thanks for the tag-along in your GREAT airplane and it is always fun to fly. And most of all...I've now got spring flying fever and look forward to a summer of fun in our little Cessna 120, whenever I can sneak a flight into my crazy schedule!

Coming soon - a FEI Dressage World Cup update (Jim and I leave for Vegas Wednesday!) followed the next weekend by the official start of "busy season" with the William Woods Dressage Show, which I'll be photographing!

Steve and I at St. Joseph with Four Charlie Charlie (yes, the tires are THAT big!)

Four Charlie Charlie sitting on the ramp - the tires are called "tundra tires" and are meant for landing in rugged backcountry, rocky riverbeds, sandbars, etc.

Jim arriving in the Bonanza for breakfast.

Jessica

2009-04-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday I did Jessica's senior shoot. She wanted them taken with her 3 year old Quarter Horse gelding, Goliath. We had some challenges - with gale-force winds and Goliath's occasional lack of patience (he is still a kid, after all!) - but it was all in a day's work and we got some great shots of the two of them! Jessica, and best of luck with Goliath when he goes into training this summer!

What Goliath thought of the proceedings by the time we were finishing up! :)

New online proofing galleries are UP!

2009-03-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Goodbye, old online event galleries, hello, new!

Sarah Dickerson Photography has upgraded our online galleries, which means you will have a much easier proofing and ordering experience along with expanded print options!

Our new galleries are located at:
http://www.sarahdickersonphoto.exposuremanager.com

I have uploaded the entire KCDS March show to this site. You may order images from the show on EITHER proofing site. The old one (http://sarahdickerson.instaproofs.com) is still up and will remain up until the posted events on that site expire in a few months. You may still order on this site.

From now on, all events will be posted to the new proofing site. The new site is now linked from my home page. What does this mean to you?

- higher-quality viewing. I was quite disappointed in the uploaded image quality in my old galleries - images tended to look a bit soft and muddy.
- More ease of use. The new interface for ordering is VERY simple, with options and prices right next to each print.
- More products and prints to choose from. More sizes, the introduction of metallic prints (VERY cool on black and whites!), and products such as mugs, notecards, even a puzzle!

I hope you enjoy the new gallery. Please do comment and let me know what you think.

want more than just a photo?

2009-03-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've been collecting textures lately, I've even made a few of my own - both handmade and photographed. I've been experimenting with some photos as I've done this. While I believe they certainly can be overdone - I've seen some photographers use them on most of their work - or at least most of the work they're putting up, I think it does have a place in certain applications. I've also found it can do a lot in hiding an ugly background! Below are a few of my projects. This is definitely a work in progress, but in my quest to provide clients with some really neat ideas, I'm excited to be able to offer one-of-a-kind type pieces like these.

More from KCDS

2009-03-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm finished with the KCDS photos - earlier than expected as I've been home sick from work! Everything is on my proofing site except the Saturday night freestyle awards, which I'll have up this evening. Below are a select few images (ok, a select LOT of images) from the show. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

For those of you who are interested in my work, please stop by my booth at the following upcoming dressage shows in 2009. I will be at numerous Pony Express Horse Show Circuit shows this season as well - see my calendar on the website for updates.

April 25-26 William Woods Spring Dressage, Fulton, MO
May 23 High Point Farm Dressage Schooling Show, Paola, KS
July 9-11 Missouri Dressage Classic, Columia, MO
October 4 KCDS Championship Schooling Show, Lee's Summit, MO

If you're a show organizer and interested in my services, please shoot me an email or give me a call. Although I'm getting relatively booked for the year between shows and weddings, I do have a few slots open in the very late summer and fall.

Enjoy the photos!

KCDS March Competitions

2009-03-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

Photos are slowly going up on my proofing site! I want to thank each and every competitor who signed up to have their rides shot. I really appreciate your interest in my work and hope that you are pleased with the results. In case you've forgotten, you can access my proofing page by going to my main site www.sarahdickersonphoto.com, entering the "equine" portion of the site, and clicking on "proofing". Then select the competition name. The direct URL to proofing can be reached by going here as well.

Please note that when viewing your photos, the slideshow feature is best. However, DO NOT maximize the slideshow to full-screen. I size my photos fairly small for uploading, and if you view the slideshow larger than the normal size, the photos will look fuzzy. You can save your favorites right from the slideshow!

I will be continuing to get photos up throughout today and the next couple of days. Riders are being posted in alphabetical order (last name) as I finish each rider. So keep checking back! I have the first four up, and the two photos above were quickly pulled from those first four that I've done so far.

Also, a BIG congratulations to Colleen Church McDowall on winning my raffle prize at the show! Colleen took home a $75 Dressage Extensions gift certificate.

I've got even more exciting news on the equine photography front, but I'll save those for another post. I need to get back to editing so everyone can see their shots!

It's horse show season!

2009-03-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you all how excited I am for the KCDS Kickoff Competitions next weekend! I have a brand new display, tons of cool new ideas, and lots and LOTS of fun stuff planned! If you are showing, here are a few things to note:

- If you want your rides photographed by SDP, you WILL need to sign up with us. This can be done anytime there's someone at our booth (which should be just about any time you're around!) Sign up is free.
- We have LOTS and LOTS of cool stuff planned. Stop by our booth and find out exactly what! I promise everyone will like! :)
- We have a backdrop available to us for still shots with your ribbons, or just a portrait of your horse. If you'd like SDP to take one of these shots, just stop by and ask! Even if I'm shooting in the arena, we have back-up gear (and a back-up person) that can handle these shots.
- Have a young greenie and worry about a photographer scaring him/her, but still would like pictures? Never fear! I am open to all kinds of requests, such as shooting only when you're at the opposite half of the arena from me (minimizing shutter noise), or even shooting from the stands if you have rides in Hale arena! Your horse will never even know I'm there.
- Did I say we have lots of COOL things planned?

I'll see you next weekend!

more from the Shoot Day

2009-02-26T17:51:00.000-08:00

Here's the other half of my shots - these being of the other model, Kristin. For some reason, I have WAY more natural light shots of her vs. the off-camera lighting on Jessica. Nevertheless, here they are...I can't wait to go to another one of these events!

Ta-da!

Shoot Day!

2009-02-25T20:04:00.000-08:00

Today I headed to the River Market to participate in a shoot day with Kelley Walker-Chance of Kelley Photo and Josh Solar. There were about 16 of us participating and we went out and worked with two models in natural and off-camera lighting. I have had a super hectic week and took some time out to pull a few of one of our models, Jessica. She had it going on!

Much more to come!

New SDP identity

2009-02-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

Ever since I decided to sit down and file paperwork to become Sarah Dickerson Photography, LLC, I've been struggling with my identity. No, not my PERSONAL identity...the business identity. I'm a graphic designer by education and a marketer by profession...so creating collateral and marketing myself is second nature. I have been STRUGGLING with a logo though...I've not been happy with anything I've done. The business grew in 2008 way more than I ever thought too - many more shooting opportunities than I ever thought I'd had - so I kind of had to band-aid my marketing and promotion as I went along. Now, as I have two weddings behind me, have my first horse show of the season in two weeks then kick into full swing, I'm more organized.

Here's the new SDP logo. Below are business cards for my two distinct ventures - my "people" photography and my equine photography. PLEASE..let me know what you think!

The website remodel and expansion is coming along VERY well and about all that is left is to set up the galleries for the equine portion - I really have just a bunch of random photos thrown in as placeholders and not necessarily the ones I'd choose for portfolio representation.

Here we are:

From collateral

Next up? Finishing event display system design! No, I'm not staying busy at all!

soooooo excited!

2009-02-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going on a shoot day with two of my favorite local photographers (bet they didn't know they had a stalker!), Kelley Walker-Chance of Kelley Photo and Josh Solar.

We'll be wandering around the River Market area and doing some fun shooting with a few models and playing around with off-camera lighting. Something I love and want to learn more about.

I'll post my pics here after we are done! I can't wait!

Christina + Charlie part 2

2009-02-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here are more images from Christina and Charlie's wedding. What a week of editing it has been!

From Christina + Charlie 2

Christina + Charlie

2009-02-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Christina and Charlie were married on Valentine's Day. This wedding was particularly fun for me because Christina is one of my dearest friends. Of course, with that comes a lot of pressure! This was the longest day I've ever shot - a solid 12 hours. With that came over 1500 images! My husband Jim was a huge help in assisting with equipment and even second shooting when I needed it. Below are the candids from before the ceremony. Later this week I'll have some ceremony and reception shots up. Congrats, guys! As usual, click on the photos to see larger images.

From Christina + Charlie

Kara + Andrew

2009-02-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

I've officially completed the first wedding of the 2009 season. Well, I've completed SHOOTING it - I'm only halfway through post-processing. Kara and Andrew were wed at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka, Kansas on an unseasonably BEAUTIFUL day - temps topped out at 70+ degrees! They are a super cute couple who contacted me LAST WEEK when their photographer backed out on them. I was happy to step in and shoot their day. Here are a few select shots...and I haven't even gotten to the "getting ready" and reception shots yet! I'll post a few of those in a day or two, so stay tuned! (as usual, click on the images if you'd like to see them larger)

Award time!

2009-01-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to find out that SD Photo won numerous awards in the Iowa Department of Transportation's photography contest. I was in Iowa several times last year for fly-ins and airshows and had a lot of really great shots from those events. So I figured awards, great, good for the studio, publicity, etc. right? But then they sent me a huge stack of these really cool calendars, which had several of my shots within including this one on the cover:

Sarah

Happy New Year!

2009-01-08T19:10:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. A new year brings lots of new and exciting things to Sarah Dickerson photography. The calendar is filling up - actually better than I had hoped for! If you are interested in booking a horse show or wedding, please inquire for rates and availability - my Saturdays are starting to fill!

I'm very excited about some of the things we have in store for this year. I will be bringing at-show proofing on the road in 2009 to a horse show near you - meaning you can see and order proofs right at the show, schedule permitting. This will be available at all shows longer than one day, and available at one day shows subject to show scheduling. Look for our booth and stop by! As per usual, we also will offer online proofing after the show - and we get those photos up QUICKLY so check back often if you don't see them yet!

In an effort to do our part during the hard economic times our country is facing right now, I've kept prices down this year. What that means is that you will find print prices that are well below industry average. We will also be offering some at-show specials and periodic email specials.

If you're curious as to where we are headed, check the calendar section on our website. Oh and did I mention website? I'm SUPER excited about the website as it will be expanding dramatically in the next few weeks. I will be adding two distinct sites - an equine site and a wedding/people photography site - both linked from my main "splash" page. So my address will remain the same for all of my work - you'll just choose where to head from there - equine, people, or this blog.

And last but certainly not least, I've made it a point to upgrade equipment this winter. I won't get into tech-speak, but in layman's terms I've upgraded my Canon equipment to the best of the best, both in camera bodies and in lenses. I really look forward to giving it a good workout this year.

I'll have some more updates in the coming days, until then, stay warm!

BA Foxfire+++//

2008-10-31T09:12:00.001-07:00

Last night my sister, Stacey, and I got her retired mare Foxfire out for a shoot at sunset. Foxy already has a lot of her winter coat, so we just wanted to play with light and get some artsy shots that didn't draw attention to the fact she's really fuzzy! Here's some of our results. As usual...a ton of fun!

Airline History Museum Fall Hangar Dance

2008-10-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

The catch-up continues. The Airline History Museum held their fall hangar dance on October 11th. This dance was roughly double the size of the spring dance! It is getting wildly popular, and I can't get over how many people get totally into the evening and dress up in 1940s/WWII-era regalia.

Here are some highlights!

can you believe this great couple is in their 90s?

Blakesburg, Iowa Antique Fly-In

2008-10-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Jim and I made the trip up to Blakesburg, Iowa Labor Day weekend (told you I was behind!) with the 1947 Cessna 120 to the annual National Antique Aircraft Association Fly-In. This is the largest fly-in of its kind and well over 300 aircraft from all over the nation were in attendance. This was an aviation photographer's dream. Some of these planes are so rare there are only a handful still flying. Rather than trying to come up with words to describe the event, I'll let the pictures below tell the story. Jim and I pitched a tent and stayed one night....plan is to stay for two next year.

Long Hiatus

2008-10-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have let my blog go. I have SO MUCH to share with you all. In the coming days, I'll get up some shots from the following:

Greater Kansas City Arabian Horse Association Pony Express Show
Kansas City Regional Foxtrotting Horse Association Pony Express Show
Antique Aircraft Association National Fly-In
Airline History Museum Fall Hangar Dance
...and some photos from my vacation to Washington, DC!

I've got a few shoots coming up as well so now that life has slowed a bit for me, I'll have some time to share what I've been working on, and update the galleries on my website as well. They are long overdue for it, in all categories!

Hang tight!

Sarah

2008-08-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer for me. My photography business has been much more successful than I ever anticipated. This was to be a season of gaining experience - and did I ever. I never thought I'd shoot a few horse shows and such, but the stars aligned and I do thank everyone for the opportunities I've had this year. I can't wait to see what next year has in store.

I finally have time to catch my blog up. There will be a lot of posts in the next week. The first is a shoot I'm particularly proud of. The subject is near and dear to my heart. Meet Val-Dron, my mother's 27 year old arabian horse. She wanted to make sure to get some really good photos of him, and he was the perfect subject - boy did he ham it up for the camera! We shot in late evening and the lighting was perfect for us. Unfortunately, where we shot was very large and we didn't want to turn him loose, and that is why you do not see any full body shots. We hope to get some here shortly before fall hits and his winter coat starts coming in.

Clinton County Horse Show

2008-07-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

More practice....Jim, my mother and I headed to Plattsburg last Saturday so I could work on gaited horse photos. I also snapped some candids, and here are a sampling. These were taken from the stands, while consuming some good old homemade nachos and pork burgers!

I'll be official photographer at the next two Pony Express Horse Show Circuit shows, both held at Longview Horse Park in Lee's Summit, August 2nd and 9th.

Nirvana Farms photo shoot

2008-07-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

I recently did my first equine farm shoot at Nirvana Farms in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. I was a bit nervous but the morning went very smoothly and I think we got some good shots. Thank you to Ray, Jamie and Donna - I hope you like your images! The babies are gorgeous!

Orlando, Florida

2008-07-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm way behind on blogging. You will probably see a lot of posts from me in the coming days in an attempt to catch up. So watch for lots of photos! This group is from a quick weekend trip Jim and I took to Orlando. One of our stops was the world-famous Jack Brown's Seaplane Base, known for training more seaplane pilots (approx. 11,000 to date) than anywhere in the world. I can't tell you how awesome Jack Brown's is. I got my Single-Engine Sea rating there back in 2002, as a fresh Private Pilot with a grand total of 50 hours of total time to my credit. I survived.

I've always wanted to go back and jumped at the chance. I bought Jim and myself each a lesson. These first three photos were taken while Jim was off flying - in fact, the shot of the Piper Cub taxiing away from me was Jim heading out for his lesson. The last shot was taken by Jim, and is of me and my wonderful British instructor, Brian, heading back in at the end of our lesson. It's a good thing I don't live closer to Orlando...Winter Haven, specifically...or I'd be more broke than I am already!

Airline History Museum Hangar Dance

2008-06-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from the 40s-era-esque hangar dance down at the Airline History Museum, Kansas City Downtown Airport. Seriously, what a fun evening. This setting evoked SO much nostalgia. There were retired flight attendants wearing their uniforms from bygone eras, and dancing to a swing/big band orchestra right beside a stunning TWA DC-3? Seriously, how cool is that?

I'd like to pimp the AHM's fall hangar dance Oct. 11. Watch their website for updates as the event gets closer. In the meantime, here are some photos from the May event to entice you to attend in October!

While I spent too much time dancing and not much photographing (will change that in October!) I did also snag some shots of our Cessna 120 - that Jim and I flew in to put on display under the Connie. Just when I think I have every shot possible of this airplane, I get it underneath a Lockheed Constellation. How cool is that?!?

KCDS Dressage Show - more learning

2008-05-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was exhibiting a horse at the Kansas City Dressage Society show at Longview Horse Park in Kansas City. While my schedule was quite hectic, and the weather was super chilly (meaning, I went home for the afternoon on Saturday between my morning and late day ride, because it was THAT COLD), I did find time to sit in the stands for a small handful of rides and practice.

Every time I've shot equines, I've worked very hard on getting my timing exact so that I frame the horse's stride exactly as I want - in other words, I don't like having to "ride the shutter" (depress the shutter so it is shooting several frames per second) to get the photo I want. I want total control over what I am trying to achieve, at all times, and not relying on the camera to do it for me.

For sure, I had some flubbed shots (the point of practice is to learn!), but I really was starting to get some good timing down. Here are a few of my shots from Sunday.

Stonewall Farms Schooling Show

2008-05-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Stonewall Farms in Kearney, Missouri hosted a dressage schooling show in late April. I was lucky to be able to shoot the show. It proved to be challenging, especially in the morning, as the sky outside was murky, dreary and drizzly and provided little ambient light inside the indoor arena. Since there were small children riding and some very young horses, I did not want to use flash. I learned a TON about low-light action shooting this day. And I'm very glad that Stonewall asked me back to shoot their show on June 21st!

Good Morning!

2008-05-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

...from Longview Horse Park. It was a windy, cold, actually...no....FRIGID morning...but I snapped this sunrise before heading to ride. I was at my car getting some of my gear, and literally took my camera out of my bag in the trunk and snapped this and put it back away.

Fly-in season is here!

2008-05-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

Jim and I attended our first fly-in of 2008 last weekend in Warrensburg, Missouri. While I'm working on sorting out the GREAT shots from my first official horse show of the year to post, I thought I'd throw up a photo from the fly-in. This is Jim Burr's Christen Eagle - which he built himself and finished last year. It was a textbook perfect day for flying - sunny and almost calm winds - and this photo really reflects the beauty of the day! (and of the airplane!)

It's been a long winter. :)

I have been a bad blogger.

2008-04-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

I promised wedding shots a LONG time ago from my first wedding booking...and then fell down on the job. I've been so busy working on other things I have neglected to post anything here. That will end! I am shooting a schooling dressage show on Saturday, so will have more horsey photos soon. I've also been mounting a marketing campaign to get my name out there. I'm back on here, and will be back to posting new shots regularly!

Here is Heather and Jeff. They were such a cute young couple and it was a wonderful first wedding for me. The whole event was very laid back and that allowed me to settle in and just do my job. So, without further ado...Jeff and Heather. Congrats guys!

Website is UP!

2008-03-30T18:01:00.001-07:00

My new website is now officially live. Please check out http://www.sarahdickersonphoto.com/ and let me know what you think, good, bad...and ugly. You'll see lots of changes to the galleries throughout the year, and increased information on the site as I get things up and running. Enjoy!

And, since I promised ages ago to get the photos up from my first wedding, here's a teaser to prove I'm not lying. :) Heather was a gorgeous bride, and she was just so happy.

Website up soon!!

2008-03-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

My new website will be up within about 2-3 days I am told. The URL will be www.sarahdickersonphoto.com. I'll of course post here when it is up...and my blog is linked from my website. I would love to have comments, suggestions, and critiques from everyone on how I can make it better!

I'll let ya all know when it's live! :)

...and more from the show

2008-03-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some more photos from the show in St. Louis. Photos from my first wedding coming very soon...promise!

First Horse Show of the Season

2008-03-23T19:05:00.001-07:00

Long time no blog. I promise it has not been without good reason - I shot my first wedding, which required post-processing of over 800 images, and also brought home a couple of cards full of images from my first horse show of the year. While I was exhibitor and not official photographer at this show, in St. Louis, I took my down time as an opportunity to seat myself in the stands and get some good practice in, especially since the show was indoors and presented a bit of a challenge from a lighting standpoint. Here are some of the photos - more to come tomorrow...and I promise the wedding shots are forthcoming!

(as an aside, the almost-four-year-old I was riding got great scores in the mid sixties for those of you familiar with horses and dressage...it was her first outing in the show arena ever!)

Horsin' around

2008-03-10T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went out to practice with action flash photography, and used my sister and her horse as my subject. While I was at the barn, I caught a few other candids as well. Here are a few! I'm headed to St. Louis to a horse show this weekend, and when I return I'll have a ton of new horse shots to share!

New Website

2008-03-07T10:39:00.000-08:00

I'm still in the very preliminary stages, but I'm in the process of putting together a really nifty Flash-based website to promote my work. Originally, I'd slated a new website to go up sometime over the summer. However, I really need to have business cards on hand soon and obviously, a website is going to need to go on there!

Stay tuned. I hope to have it go live in about two weeks, and I'll have a whole handful of new images by then as well. I'm very excited! My blog, of course, will link through the site and I will continue to update it constantly!

Lunar Eclipse

2008-03-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

I was all geared up to see if I could photograph the recent lunar eclipse. It was so freaking cold outside, I questioned my sanity in doing so...but faithfully lugged the tripod and camera into the snow-covered backyard with Jim shaking his head. Just as I got set up, a high thin overcast drifted right in front of the moon. So much for that.

Still decided to play around a bit, at least until I'd had enough of the cold. Maybe next time, in oh, what, 10 years?

Playing Around with the 120

2008-03-04T19:04:00.001-08:00

The weekend before last Jim and I headed to Midwest National Air Center to play around with "our" airplane, a 1947 Cessna 120. (we own a 1/3 of the plane.) It was a rare nice flying day in late February. I got some vanity ramp shots of the plane and then after we flew, I got some great shots of a rare bright blue sky behind the plane as we were refueling it. Not a half hour later, the sky went totally overcast so my timing was great!

I enjoy photographing airplanes so much I'm planning to devote a lot of time this year taking shots at the various fly-ins we attend of some unique and gorgeous planes. I hope to share them with their owners as well!

click for larger image

A Thunderbird Comes to Town

2008-03-03T18:51:00.001-08:00

In early February, two members of the Air Force Thunderbirds arrived at the Kansas City Downtown Airport for a press conference concerning this summer's airshow at the field, at which the Thunderbirds are performing. They arrived on a FRIGID, windy Wednesday afternoon - Jim and I both scooted out of work (me, coming straight from the "other" airport after getting back in town from Atlanta) to see them arrive. We've been asked to be on the hospitality committee for the Thunderbirds during the airshow this year, and it's an understatement to say we're super excited!
I was huddling inside and missed the landing, but caught some shots of the jet taxiing up to the Airline History Museum. It wasn't a great day to shoot outside anyhow - snow, lots of brown everywhere, and a low, dingy, grey sky. I can't wait for color to return to the landscape...

click to enlarge

New York City

2008-03-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

About three weeks ago I had the chance to travel to Manhattan for work. I was excited about the photographic opportunities. While my coworker and I spent much of our free time shopping (what girls wouldn't? :) ), I did have a chance to take a few pictures the second evening, when it was snowing, but warmer. The first night the wind chill was not fit for human nor beast. It was horrible!

I loved the city. The people, contrary to the stereotype, are wonderful. We'll be back for subsequent business trips, and I hope to have much more opportunity, and better weather, to spend some more time taking pictures.

click to see larger image

Jim's Band Plays A Gig

2008-02-29T20:54:00.001-08:00

My husband's band was performing for a birthday party at a local bar, and at the same time they were working on creating a website. So, I headed out to take some shots of Archive, tasking myself with the challenge (as I do often so I learn) of shooting with available light only. Tall order, since this was a very dark bar. I managed to come out with some useable shots, here are a few!

Click on image to enlarge

Baby Molly

2008-02-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

Last post for the day! I've got a backlog of images to get posted, so everyone will see a lot of posts coming over the next week...that way, I can free up preparing new material. These were taken when Jim's brother and sister-in-law, Brad and Allie, were in town the week after Christmas with their daughter Molly, who just celebrated her first birthday a couple of weeks ago. I loved following her around the house and taking pictures, although I ended up with tons to weed through after they left town.

click any of these for larger image.

Greenfield, Iowa Fly-In

2008-02-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a horrible, stormy, windy winter and flying has been largely not possible. When the annual chili fly-in in Greenfield, Iowa came around at the end of January this year, I didn't hold out much hope of making this rare wintertime flying event, as the last four years in a row had been weathered out. Imagine my surprise when the weather was clear. Jim and I could not take our 120, as it was too breezy, but we headed north in the Bonanza. Of course, I had my camera in hand and was anxious to get a few test shots with my new 80-200 f2.8L lens - well, it's not new, but it's new to me. The new 70-200 is out of my price range as of now, so I found a good copy of the "Magic Drainpipe" and I'm hoping it gives me at least a few good years of service!

Here are a few shots I took throughout the day. The beautiful Cessna 195 belongs to Rick Case, and it is hangared at Midwest National Air Center along with our 120.

click any of these for a larger image.

Hello there.

2008-02-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

As my profile states, I love photography. Actually, I've become quasi-obsessed and have spent the equivalent of the GNP of a small country on camera equipment recently. In about a year, I hope to roll out a part-time business. I've always wanted to do it (I almost switched majors from graphic design to photography in college, but for some reason balked), and now's the time. 2008 will be spent building experience and a portfolio. I'll post photos of stuff I shoot along the way. I hope you'll follow my progress over the coming year.

People ask me all the time what type of photography I'd like to concentrate on. I think it's safe to say you'll see a lot of horses and other pets, airplanes, and of course people on here. As my husband, Jim, will attest, I usually don't go far without my camera in hand.

I'll try in the coming days to catch up what I've been doing over the winter. These three shots are of our dog, Xena, and my sister's cat, Callie. These were taken the week of Christmas, right after I got my 40D.

click any of these for a larger image.