Almost everyone knows that photography was one of the precursors of cinema. What not many know is that the horse was the inspiration and the challenge necessary to obtain the first moving image. That is why today we will talk about the most famous horse photographers in the world.

Some of these photographers were born in the world of photography, but others have come to it for the love of horses. The truth is that everyone who has been captured by the beauty of horses has fallen in love for life. Today we will discover the path of some of these horse lovers.

No doubt there have been many famous horse photographers. Some are still alive and others their legacy lives on. These artists of the gaze have left us memories that transcend time and space. His special look transports us to other times. That is why today we decided to pay tribute to the most famous horse photographers in the world.

Let us then discover these great exponents of photography, whose gaze had special emphasis on the horse.

Eadweard Muybridge: The first moving image

Eadweard Muybridge was a photographer who did not devote himself expressly to horses. However, a gamble put him on the list of the most famous horse photographers. We owe this to a challenge imposed by the horse lover named Leland Stanford.

But here are the sides in question:

• On the one hand, there was Leland Stanford, he was president of one of the most important rail network companies in the United States. Leland and his group claimed that for a moment the horses in the race had all four legs without contact with the ground.
• On the other side was James Keene, who was president of the San Francisco Stock Exchange. His group claimed that at all times the horses kept at least one leg in contact with the ground.

To elucidate the answer Leland Stanford proposed to an already famous photographer named Eadweard Muybridge an experiment. Muybridge had to capture through several photographs the moving horse to determine if its legs touched the ground.

It was 1972 and Eadweard Muybridge accepted the challenge. However, the technology used at that time was based on the wet collodion process. This process required a sufficiently prolonged exposure time of the image. This prevented Muybridge from capturing a sufficiently clear image. Although I knew that I could not do it then the idea remained in the mind of this fabulous photographer until it gave results.

Muybridge’s persistence makes him one of the most famous horse photographers

Abandoning the challenge, he decided to take a trip to continue with his photographs. Meanwhile he continued to improve his technique and advance technology. With different experiments he improved until he began to achieve acceptable results.

In April 1973 he managed to obtain better results in fast photographs and resumed the challenge of Leland Stanford. Although he could only capture the silhouette of the horse, this was enough to take pictures with the clarity needed to solve the bet. Leland and his group were right, horses at some point in their career keep their all four legs in the air.

This technique required taking several quick photographs and putting them together in sequence to give the illusion of movement. To achieve the photos, he invented a mechanical shutter that would make the photos taken instantly. This earned him an incredible reputation.

Later he created the zoopratoscope, a device that allowed static images to be placed in sequence to project them in motion. In this way, Eadweard Muybridge left his legacy through the most famous horse photographs in history. This device would be one of the precursors of cinema.

He also contributed to the locomotion of animals and humans.

Muybridge left a legacy that transcended the horse and photography but began with these.

Wojtek Kwiatkowski:

Poland’s Wojtek Kwiatkowski is considered by some to be the best horse photographer in the world. Born in 1954 in Poland’s capital, Warsaw, this photographer has dedicated his life to horse photography. However, initially his passion was architecture. He studied architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology, from which he graduated.

It was during his architectural studies that he discovered his passion for horses. Kwiatkowski began to practice dressage while studying architecture, and gradually fell in love with these beautiful animals. Thanks to this passion he even became a dressage trainer.

His passion for horses as we see was not only limited to photography, but also did not stay in dressage. Thanks to his rapport with horses he wrote several books on horses, specifically on the breeding of Arabian horses. These books are world famous and have been published in several languages. In addition, thanks to his scholarship on horses he works as a consultant of genealogy of horse breeds, especially on the Arabian breed.

After accumulating all this experience and love for horses, the inevitable happened. His eye caught the beauty of horses and he decided to capture it artistically, initiating this personal journey. The artistic photography of horses was the result of a passion that transcended the scientific and concrete. In his photographs he tries to capture what he sees in horses, the soul and beauty of horses. His photographs capture something indescribable; they capture the essence of the horse. His photographs captivate viewers, whether they are animal lovers or not.

His photographs are highly sought-after, and he exhibits his work frequently in art galleries. Wojtek success and fame have multiplied.

Justyna Anna Samek

Also known simply as Justyna Samek. This Polish artist is residing in the principality of Asturias in Spain. She is a model, photographer and an entrepreneur dedicated to the world of photography.

We can find her on Instagram through her @justynasamekfotografia account.

Justyna Anna Samek is a multifaceted woman. Academically Justyna has a higher professional degree in business administration and management and a bachelor’s degree in pedagogy. On the other hand, she has worked as a Polish teacher, interpreter, and Spanish-Polish translator and vice versa.

He has also worked as a sales and customer service representative. He has mainly worked in companies of coatings for kitchens and bathrooms, porcelain, and granite.

In addition, she works as a model and promoter at Broadway Model.

Her facet as a model brought her closer to photography and she currently exercises it in the following sectors:

• Portrait photography and for professionals.
• Commercial photography, events and shows: Among these we can find the photography of weddings and equestrian shows.
• Photo Editing and Restoration
• Graphic design of banners and web pages.

But one of the facets that has made it better known is equestrian photography in all its forms. This began when thanks to the practice of horseback riding, she became an equestrian model. With this was born a passion for equestrian photography in which he participates in front of and behind the lens of the camera. He has several horses available for photo shoots.

This multifaceted woman has shown that we can stand out in multiple facets of our lives.

The multiplicity of disciplines that Justyna Samek dominates makes Gustavo Mirabal feel identified. To be sure, great minds have a lot in common.

Raphael Macek

“A good photograph is more than a beautiful image; encompasses a wide range of emotions that tell the full story of a moment frozen in time” Raphael Macek

Raphael Macek (born August 1981) is an American photographer. His family environment was full of love for animals. His father was a veterinarian and horse breeder so the love for horses was in his blood. But not only in the blood because from a very young age he was instilled with love and respect for animals.

His life experience has made him one of the most respected and recognized photographers today. While photography started out as a hobby, he quickly realized that he could turn it into a profession.

He graduated from a New York University with a Master of Fine Arts. His work has been published in the United States of America, Belgium, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Germany. One of his most interesting works was the one he did photograph safaris in Africa.

His style is hyper-realistic. Despite this, he manages to capture the spiritual essence of horses through this style.

His style and mink have opened the doors of the best private and public exhibitions. She is currently dedicated to personal projects such as the so-called “Equine Beauty”.

Carol J. Walker

Photographer Carol J. Walker is an American photographer who is passionate about horses and photography. From a young age he had contact with animals and they gave him their raison d’être. Her passion has made her one of the most famous photographers in the world.

Although the horse is the animal for which she is known, Carol J. Walker got her start in photography with all kinds of animals as her favorite subject.

His photography privileges the role of the horse as a wild, free and beautiful animal. He transmits a mystical and poetic element through his photography to try to capture the essence of horses

His training has been continuous as we will see below.

Carol J. Walker’s Academic Background

Carol J. Walker studied literature and photography at Smith College in college. Smith College is a private, women-only college located in the city of Northhampton in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Located in a small city of less than 30 thousand inhabitants, it retains traditional values.

The university where Carol J. Walker studied is part of the Seven Sister, a group of universities that only accept women among their students. However, its graduate programs are open to men.

Smith College ranks 11th among the best liberal arts colleges in the world.

With this training Carol J Walker has had the opportunity to show all her talent. Thanks to his training Carol J Walker has become one of the most famous photographers in the world

Additionally, Carol has not been satisfied with it and has remained in permanent training through the study of portraits and photographs of nature. Thanks to this, he currently teaches photography courses around the world.

The work of Carol J Walker, one of the most famous photographers in the world.

Something that has cemented Carol J Walker’s work is the breadth of her work. It provides its services for horse photography, to sell the images either for digital work or prints in high quality.

From the pedagogical point of view for more than 10 years he has been teaching photography courses all over the world, including countries such as the United States, Dubai, Germany, and France.

In addition, he exhibits his photographs in some of the best galleries in the world and they are also sold.

If we want to see her wonderful photographs, we can follow her on Carol J Walker’s social networks or visit her websites which are:

• Personal website: https://www.livingimagescjw.com
• Commercial website to buy your images: https://www.livingimagescarolwalker.com

Her 30 years of experience make her one of the greatest experts in horse and wildlife photography.

His passion for wild horses was born 17 years ago. Realizing the poor situation of horses on public lands, he decided to make his photograph a form of education and denunciation.

Tony Stromberg

This American photographer began his career as a photographer for the advertising sector. He worked for the best magazines and companies. However, after spending 20 years in this sector he felt empty and disenchanted. He felt that his work did not feed his spirit.

He had a successful career, money, and material goods but his spirit was dry and sad. It took a couple of years for me to discover in horses their opportunity to heal my heart. He discovered his connection with horses was almost instantaneous and gave a new direction to his life.

The nobility of the horses and their spirit helped him to direct his life to a better perspective. The horses taught him the values that were not present in the advertising sector and that he needed as much as they are:

• Integrity
• Honesty
• Authenticity
• Leadership
• Connection and relationship.
• Collaboration and community

Advertising is about selling and competing, life is about being and connecting, and this was taught to him by horses. The work seeks to honor the master of life who has been a horse for Tony Stromberg.

Tony likes to photograph horses in full freedom, without mounts, implements or riders. He likes to perceive the essence of the horse.

Tony has published two books called “The Forgotten Horses” and “Spirit Horses.” His latest book is called “Horse Medicine” which shows horses as a cure for us. No doubt Tony’s spirit is dedicated to horses and their beauty.

Wiebke Haas

For Germans the horse has a very special meaning. Not for nothing some of the best riders in history are of German nationality. They also have some of the best riders today.

Likewise, the Germans have among their ranks some of the best horse photographers in the world.

This is how we came to the famous photographer Wiebke Haas.

Wiebke Haas is a German photographer who has become very famous for her photographs of horses.

For some, Teutonic photography has some of the best photos of horses to its credit.

Some horse photography critics say that Wibke Haas manages to capture “the soul of the horse”.

Without a doubt, the photos of Wiebke Haas are exceptional and move the soul of the viewer.

Gustavo Mirabal Castro is a great admirer of the work of Wiebke Haas, both for his professionalism and for his art.

But let’s see below what makes the photos of this wonderful photographer so special.

The photography of Wiebke Haas.

Seeing the photographs captured by the Haas lens, we can observe two recurring themes. The themes that can be seen in his photographic portfolio are fundamentally:

• The Horse as the center and only element of the photo: In these photos we can see how all the elements that set the photo are dispensed with. Unicolor backgrounds, usually black, make up a composition where the horse in its entirety or emphasizing some features are the only element of the photo. With great emphasis on contrast, these photos seek to highlight and focus only one aspect of the horse to extract and reflect the inner world of the horse. These photos of the Wiebke Haas portafiolio are arranged and arranged with great precision. They are meditative and highly introspective photos.
• The horse as a free and wild being: In the photos that make up this theme they show the horse in its natural environment. They are spontaneous photos that are opposed to the previous theme. If those were instrospective, they are contemplative. If those were meditative, they seek action and emotion. These photos are radically opposite to those of the first theme

Both types of photography complement each other and are part of a whole, the horse. Some photos form the spiritual body of the horse while others reflect its physical body and its interaction with the environment.

Wiebke Haas through his photography shows us the external and internal beauty of horses. Without a doubt, the mastery of this German photographer shows the great passion of the German country for horses

The passion of the most famous horse photographers

All these photographers have a special look for these wonderful animals. Horses with their nobility and sensitivity are special animals to be photographed. Most horse photographers seek not only to capture their physical entity but the soul of the horse. That is why his photographs really are special.

Gustavo Mirabal Castro, a horse lover, perfectly understands the admiration and love that famous horse photographers feel for these animals. He himself feels that unconditional love. That is why he has been enchanted with the wonderful images of horses and provides a space to make the world of horses known to all. A world full of beauty and talented photographers.