“Pressing pause on a moment,” is how photographer Elizabeth Hay describes photography. She also added, “I feel like people have always wanted to share their stories with others. Photography is one of the ways we can do that.”
“I love horses,” expressed Elizabeth, who described herself as a shy kid. Yet, after seeing people riding in a Bay Area park, she followed them to the office where the horses were rented from. The shy eight-year old Elizabeth found her voice along with her passion, and horses became entwined with her life.
Becoming a Photographer
Picking up and putting down the camera since she was eighteen, Elizabeth has challenged herself to improve. Her first real camera experience was borrowing her aunt’s camera for a European trip. “It was a Canon Rebel film camera. My aunt shared her photography knowledge with me essentially so I did not break her camera I was borrowing. I knew I had to plan for decent images since I was paying for all the film and developing.”
When Elizabeth picked up the camera, she practiced photography mostly at the barn. “It’s where I was most comfortable,” she remarked. A few years later she turned to her husband and said, “I’m going to start a photography business. I think I should take pictures of horses.” His reply was simple and with a knowing smile, “It’s about time.”
“Elizabeth has found her true calling . . . photographing people and the animals they love. She gets it . . . she gets that every one of us thinks our own animals are so special and perfect. And she made me feel like she sees why they are so special, as though she loves them as much as I do. And then she captures that image and bond so perfectly. I loved working with her, as she made me and my four-legged family members feel photogenic, special and loved through every moment. Her images are spectacular and they capture more than just moments in time, but also emotions and the bond with animals that are to be cherished forever.” – Marissa Greenberg
Girls and Their Horses
Girls and their horses, it’s a relationship that Elizabeth understands as a horse owner and lover herself. “It’s a relationship not a styled shoot. My equine portraits are essentially like engagement photos… just substitute the man for a horse!” While some people might feel awkward in front of a camera, Elizabeth finds that horses make their owners comfortable, and smiles come naturally simply because the human subject is hanging out with their horse. “The people I enjoy being around are horse people – that’s where I do my best work,” she concluded.
“Beth is amazing! She’ll make you feel comfortable and capture the sweetest moments.” – Jennifer Bernal
Elizabeth specializes in equine portraits, family photos, and black background images. She recognizes that most of us will have photos of key people and milestone events in our lives. However, it’s not a given that we will have a portrait of us with our horses. Since she believes the relationship you have with your horse is just as significant as the human relationships in your life (sometimes more so), she enjoys taking the time to document that unspeakable bond.
“Elizabeth is great to work with and her pictures are amazing!! She always seems to capture the essence of the horses she is working with!” – Melissa Patten
Capture your own equine moments; book your session right now. You can view more of her work on her Elizabeth Hay Photography Facebook page, Instagram account @elizabethhayphoto and website, Elizabeth Hay Photography. Contact her via hello@elizabethhayphotograhy.com or text @ (415) 823-8033. SLO Horse News readers can get 10% off a photo session through the summer. Just let her know you are a SLO Horse News reader when you book your session.
