Clouds of Doubt

Its with a heavy heart that I write this entry about my experience at Rolex. I've gone to the XC day for over a decade now and I've just never felt this way before. For those that don't know, two horses were euthanized after crashing on course Saturday. I witnessed one of them (Sarah & The Quiet Man). It was horrific. I missed Laine & Frodo's horrid spill at the Flower Basket by moments. On our way up the hill towards that area of the course, we decided to head back down to the Head of the Lake (primary water complex) instead. Laine was severely injured and had to be airlifted to a nearby trauma center. She is okay, but still on a respirator with multiple jaw, collarbone and rib fractures.

The Rolex has always been one of the highlighting events of my spring. However, I just don't know if I can support a sport that has cost the lives of 4 horses and 1 rider in the last 3 months. Some serious changes need to be made to the sport -- perhaps taking it back to the LONG version, when it truly was about endurance. I'm seriously doubting whether I will go back next year.

Here is a peek at a shot from Saturday. The rest can be found in the proofs.


Karen O'Connor and Hugh Knows
The Footbridge - Rolex 2008

The Rolex

I'll be heading down to Lexington, KY tomorrow for the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event. Attending cross country day has become an annual pilgrimage since I moved to Indianapolis. Its hard to stay away from such world class riding, not to mention photo ops, when its only about 3 hours down the road. Dave and I are planning to ride the bike down tomorrow. Hopefully the weather holds out. We've got rain gear if not. He's never been to the Rolex before and I'm really looking forward to him experiencing it. :) Check back here for a pic or two over the next couple of days.

Photo Tips: Knowing Your Equipment

A lot of people ask what simple steps they can take to get better pictures of their horses. What's the single thing you can do to improve your pictures?
The single most important thing you can do to improve your pictures is know your equipment. Whether you're shooting with a fully automated point-and-shoot, a digital camera or an SLR, knowing the capabilities of your camera and lenses (if shooing with SLR) will help you know when and how to capture a great moment. Okay...so there is ANOTHER thing -- practice. Practice makes perfect. Get out there and take pictures. If you're shooting with a digital camera, make sure to look at the settings on each file. Things to take note of:

- type of lens
- ISO
- Shutter Speed
- Aperture Value

Be sure to look at these settings for both the pictures that you DO like and the pictures that you don't. If you're shooting with film, you can still do this, you just need to take notes while you do it so that you know what your camera settings were when its time review your photos.

Pretty soon, you'll start to understand what settings will work best for the environment you're shooting in. In other words, you'll be able to see the end product image before you even snap the shutter. :) Plus, not only will you learn how to utilize the manual functions of your camera by doing this, but you'll also learn what the limitations of your equipment are.

Fun in Findlay

Aside from my truck having issues requiring a visit to the Dodge Dealership and an extra night's stay in Findlay, I had a wonderful time shooting the IHSA show and visiting with friends Liz and John who live in the area. More pics like the one below are available for viewing in the proofs area of the website.

Back to My Roots

This weekend I'm heading to Findlay, OH to shoot the IHSA Hunt Seat Zone 6 Championships. In a way, this is going back to my roots as I was a founding member of the University of Wisconsin's Hunt Seat IHSA team. Its been a long time since I've been to one of these shows, but the riders that will be represented there are the best of the best for this zone. They represent schools in OH, KY and WV. I'm looking forward to watching the rides and capturing some great memories for the students that will be riding. Look for proofs next week on the website!