Andalusia On Focus

1^st International Horsephotographers Seminar in Montenmedio Golf and Country Club

“Andalusia On Focus”

The seminar will be held in the Region of Vejer de la Frontera – Cadiz, Spain which is known for its natural Splendor and the the typical Spanish “white Village look”. The Seminar will take place in the Dehesa Montenmedio Golf and Country Club which was voted as one of Spain’s most beautiful Golf  Course  and it is Internationally famous  for its Horseshows.

Location:Montenmedio Country Club (ph Michael Steiger)

The Seminar  will be limited to a Maximum of 12 Professional Horse Photographers or Advanced Amateurs. Minimum will be 9 for the seminar to be held.

Needed equipment : a DLSR with a 70-200 telezoom,  a Laptop and 16gb of Memory card.  If you own other lenses and more memory all the better.

IMPORTANT: Deadline for booking a place will be the 15^th of February 2010

Booking Fee will be 30 % of the Seminar Fee

The Seminar Fee will include pick up at the Airport, 5 nights in a  double Bedroom , with a sharing Toilet/ Bath and Living room Bungalow. Also included in the Fee are Breakfast (Spanish Style), a 3 course Lunch with Wine or Soda , and on Request it will be available a Vegetarian menu.The Fee will also comprehends a typical Spanish Paella Dinner, free WIFI at the Restaurant, and a trip to Gibraltar for Duty free Shopping.

Total cost for the Seminar is 850 euros.

There is a page with an album of photos of the bungalows, restaurant and facilities in Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vejer-De-La-Frontera-Spain/1st-International-Seminar-on-Horsephotography/256995046048

You can subscribe to it and get all the updates.

SCHEDULE

April 20th

Arrival at Jerez de La Frontera’s Airport. There are several flights from Madrid, the list is available from the Organisers.

Pick up will be arranged and then Welcome Dinner – with the Traditional Paella.

Day one  April 21ST

9:30-13:00

In the morning  meeting in Montenmedio and classroom

LUNCHBREAK

14:30 till finished

Afternoon shooting: conformation, driving and “concept” .

Location:  Montenmedio

Day two April 22nd

In the early morning after breakfast  visit to  PRE Breeding Farm

LUNCHBREAK

Afternoon shooting on the same or on a different nearby breeding farm

Day 3 April 23th

Early morning shooting  with a few horses and riders  in Vejer  or on the  Beach

LUNCHBREAK

That day there will be the April Spring Feria , a very traditional event, with riders and all sorts of colored and joyful occasions for good shots

Day 4 April 24th

Duty free Shopping in Gibaltar.

About Gibraltar: First time visitors will be pleasantly surprised by the diverse range of attractions on offer in Gibraltar. Steeped in a history that has evolved from its strategic location at the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, where Europe meets Africa, visitors are assured of breathtaking scenery, wildlife and architecture, that captures the unique flavour of this Mediterranean City and its inhabitants. As a VAT free jurisdiction, Gibraltar’s popularity with visitors is enhanced by its value added shopping experience in famed Main Street.

In the evening  Goodbye Dinner with a  BBQ and some great Andalusian red wine and Flamenco Music

April 25th

Return to Airport after hopefully a beautiful Seminar

Dear Santa

Dear Santa

Please bring us a new government that works in the interest of the people in this country and not against us, and a proper Prime Minister.

Thanks so much,

Paula

The Gift of Horses

The gift of horses

Everything changes. Even Christmas?

To send a  greeting card with sleighs and snowbells to friends in Australia, Brazil and Mexico doesn’t seem to fit somehow.

Paper cards would by now probably be perceived as cumbersome, and even environmentally aggressive, by most people. So a virtual greeting it is.

And what about permanency? A year-old notebook is outdated, an older cell phone frowned upon. Even knowledge wanes, because what we had to learn yesterday will need updates by tomorrow.

Friends speed through our lives – either because they go elsewhere (globalization again!) or because we all are simply too busy.

Yet I do believe that the Holidays still are the solace of quiet, peaceful joy and of reflecting on the real meaning of life: on permanent values. This is what Christmas is all about, regardless of who you are or what you believe in.

And once again, our horses come to our rescue, teaching us to be more human – and to enjoy the Holidays better.

The “gift of horses” is manyfold. More than freedom, strength and happiness. More than closeness to nature, excellence in sports, helpfulness in work.  Above all, horses help us find the way to our own selves – to what we were meant to be, or to what we may become.

This evening or tonight, stop by the stables, turn off your cell phone, tune out time. Stand by your horse (or any horse), and look at it without wanting anything from him or her, without planning what to do next. (Had you ever done so before?)

Marvel at it as if it is the first time in your life you see a horse. (And perhaps it is?) Be amazed at the pattern of its coat, wonder at its neck perfect curving, caress the landscape of its back. Look in its eyes – do you see it? Do you see yourself? Become lost there, knowing that it is safe, because the horse will guide you safely back. Horses’ greatest gift is that they have given themselves to us fully, and those of us who honor this offer fully will become better people through it.

Perhaps not by coincidence, this is very much like the gift to mankind of Him whose birthday we now celebrate…

Let’s all live up to the gifts in our lives, during the Holidays, throughout all of 2.010 and many years to come!

text   © Claudia Leschonski, photo © Paula da Silva

SUMMER FLIGHT INTO FREEDOM

I want to share with you something from last week’s trip to  Germany, a lovely text by  Claudia who kindly helped me there with all the photo shoots and  one of the photos of a nude rider in the beach,   inspired by a storm of swans showing us the way to summer freedom…

quoting:

SUMMER FLIGHT INTO FREEDOM

Flying into northern summer

Where sun’s reign is brief and precious

And free creatures dive into dawn

With easy, unrestrained confidence.

Did any proud swan ever peer down

Instead of ahead?

What would tempt him to seek grace

Also in nether dimensions?

Perhaps to spy a creature

Dancing with water and foam and light

Endowed with legs and wings alike

Its curving flanks in speed aburst.

SUMMER FLIGHT INTO FREEDOM

Would a swan envy this earth-bound creature,

If for a moment only?

… on that day, the birds almost lost formation

But only almost.

Text: Claudia Leschonski photo: Paula da Silva

The evidence

I will start with a quote: ” The fact is, if you’ve got horses, you’ve got manure “  If you click on the hot link it will open that page for you on a second window.

Well, it is a great page full of humor, irony and …some great products for sale. You should visit that site and I am sure that you will enjoy the site of humor that makes some of those items great gifts.

About horse poop, it says: ” for horse folk, it’s all part of the lifestyle. “  So true.

It reminds me that all great things normally bring an unpleasant  side with them, and it is up to us to accept it (or not ) as a side effect .

Have fun!

New slideshow

A couple of weeks ago I went to Spain, to Andalusia, to attend a very interesting endurance competition. It was the Kaliber Al Andalus Raid, 500 Km (310 miles) ride, in 8 stages. I only stayed for a couple of days, but I really enjoyed it.

The chairman is Josè Manuel Soto, a very popular singer. I have uploaded a slideshow

click on this link  Al Andalus 2009 but be patient, it takes 2 minutes to load, there are 60 images and a VERY beautiful song…

It will open on a different page so that you can go on reading here while it loads.

I was telling you about the organisation, it is complex to put up such a long event. Ten days altogether, if you consider the day of arrival, one day off and the last day (gala dinner and awards).  Every day the stalls were re-built on a different place, and the riders slept on a different (beautiful) hotel. The idea was in fact to have a “raid” through Andalusia…

Did I tell you about the food and the wine? uhmmmmm… I know, nothing to do with horses, nor with photography. Ok. Maybe your slideshow has downloaded, by now. Enjoy it!

Paula

a new site

I felt lately that I needed a new site as a gallery of Fine Art images, so … with the help of Enzo Borzacchiello who made a wonderful showcase, I have now a very “uncommon” site, IMHO

If you decide to have a look, please allow one full minute for the download.

Have fun, enjoy the tour!

This one is in Portuguese

Aconselho os meus amigos fotografos a ler o Blog de Alexandre Paoli sobre a Digipix e a censura

http://paoliblog.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/digipix-e-a-volta-da-censura/

E’ com HORROR que constato a indiferença de muitos profissionais do setor em relaçao a fatos tao graves.

Parabens Alexandre, pela inteligencia e pela coerencia e sentido moral – excelente seu Blog.

Trail Ride in Rio Grande do Norte

My new slideshow, about trail riding in Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil
Just click in the link above or HERE

Mind that it may take a couple of minutes to upload, I am trying to make it faster without decreasing quality, which is complex.

Enjoy!!

Tango in the mist

Text by Claudia Leschonski, photo Paula da Silva

She dreams of being equal.
Different from her herd mates, she strives to lock eyes with a human: here, this is me! I like you and want to be with you, but not as mere beast of burden. Please look at me.

Some people almost understand, but most don’t. Some days she can almost remember being elsewhere, being different, but then the old days are gone in a haze, and again she waits in half-formed dreams.

Then one evening this man comes as if out of nowhere, looks her in the eyes, and whispers: I feel as if I were half horse, milady.
Shall we dance?

And instead of hopping astride, he guides her through her paces from the ground, ever so gently, until
they become almost one, her soft toes and his hard hooves in unison on the grass.

Then he bows – gracias, princesa – and vanishes in the mist. She feels lost and found and happy and sad, all at once, and wonders – so this is what my rider meant when she buried her face in my mane until it was wet…

She shudders and steps away, daintily, like a princess. Mere horse no longer.

This blog or any portion of this blog may not be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, or otherwise exploited for any purpose that is not expressly permitted by Paula da Silva .