This Photographer Has a Ticket to Ride

Elizabeth Foy Petersen feels that she has the best of both worlds: horses and photography.

“The photographers I meet at horse shows say they either don’t have the time or the money to ride. So there they are, looking at horses through a lens and never getting to enjoy them,” she said.

Petersen, who lives in Huntington Beach, gets plenty of time to indulge in both her interests. On weekends she is often shooting photos on the Orange County horse show scene. And during the week, she spends several hours a day at the Orange County Fairground Equestrian Center in Costa Mesa, where she boards her horse.

She trains Angel, her 16.1-hand gray thoroughbred mare, under the supervision of dressage trainer Sidley Payne, in whose training barn she boards her. Petersen received her dressage background years ago at a riding club in Stuttgart, West Germany, where her then-husband was stationed with the military.

“In Germany we mostly rode in an indoor riding hall because the land was planted with crops,” she recalled. “But for one month each year, when the farmers brought the crops in, we were allowed to hunt. It was great fun, and nothing like fox hunting in the States. It was more like a steeplechase. You didn’t have to worry about (your riding) form--just surviving and following the rules.”

During that time, Petersen was an artist in Europe. When she found she didn’t have enough time to continue painting, she switched to photography as a creative outlet. A year ago, after she bought her horse, her photography interest turned to horses.

Using a Nikon F-3 and an 80-200-millimeter zoom lens, Petersen has photographed nearly every equestrian discipline, including Western riding, dressage, jumping, polo, driving and draft horse events. Her photos have appeared in equestrian magazines, including the international Chronicle of the Horse, and in two local calendars: West Coast Equestrians 1988 Calendar and the Show Horse Calendar 1988.

Petersen works both at horse shows and on private farms. She began by taking complimentary photos at a small show in Huntington Beach and at the Orange County Fair. Exhibitors began ordering copies of her photos, and soon Petersen found herself being hired as an official horse show photographer.

Although she enjoys the challenge of capturing horses in motion, covering the show circuit is demanding. A three-day show often results in a full week of work, what with shooting the photos, identifying them, addressing envelopes and mailing proofs to exhibitors. Luckily, she says, her husband, Eigil Petersen, also loves horses and often assists her at shows.

Petersen says she particularly enjoys private farm assignments because they allow her more time to “capture the mood” of her subjects than horse shows do.

“I really like the personal touch,” Petersen said. “Having been an artist, my eye is very important in the composition of the picture. I like to spend time in the surroundings and get to know the person and the horse before I photograph them.”

Her tips for those who want to get good shots of their horses:

For moving shots, use fast film (400 ASA) and shoot at 1/1000 of a second to freeze the action.

For portraits showing the entire body, be sure the horse is “standing square” (solidly on all four feet), without one foot askew.

At horse shows, try to find a clean background--not one that shows a crowd of spectators leaning on the railings.

Try to get the horse’s ears forward. Rattle an empty soft drink can with some pebbles in it, throw a handful of dirt into the air, or wave a sweater to catch his attention--but be careful not to spook him.

The most difficult part of photographing horses at shows, Petersen said, is knowing when to click the shutter.

“You have to be ahead of what you want on film,” she said. “If you shoot when you see the leg placement you want, it will be gone. It takes practice. Riders usually have a better feel for it. Knowing horses is a definite plus.”