Blog

February means that the start of the eventing season and for me the photography season is only a month away. This is good news for me as I have been itching to get out on the XC course again and get some great action shots.

Over the last month or two I have been to a couple of hunts with the Kimblewick with whom my Dad is a subscriber. I have decided that for the 2012/13 hunting season I will try to get out most Saturdays as I forgot how friendly everyone is and how much fun you can have even following on foot.

As the season is only a few weeks away I have been planning which events I am going to be attending on my own and which I will be work at for Ultimate Images. The first event I am aiming to go to will be Tweseldown on the second weekend in March where my newest supported rider Harriet Upton will be riding two of her horses. Whether I make both days is undecided at the moment but I am really looking forward to getting my first pictures of Harriet in action.

As I said above I will be working with Ultimate Images again in 2012 and here is the list of events that I have planned to be attending in the infamous orange uniform:

- 25th March – RAF Halton Sponsored Ride
- 20th to 22nd April – Hambleden International Horse Trials
- 4th & 5th June – Milton Keynes Three Day Event
- 16th & 17th June – Berkshire College Horse Trials
- 29th June to 1st July – Barbury International Horse Trials
- 18th & 19th August – Burnham Beeches Horse Trials
- 15th & 16th September – Milton Keynes Three Day Event
- 25th & 26th September – Berkshire College Horse Trials
- 30th September – Silver Fox Hunt Challenge
- 7th October – South Oxfordshire Sponsored Ride

Of course these dates are subject to change but if you find yourself at any of these events make sure you keep an eye out for the photographers dressed in orange and please say hello as it can get a bit lonely in the field on your own for 8hrs!

I hope everyone is coping with the current weather conditions and don’t forget to think of me if your looking for some quality equine pictures. I offer photo shoots at both competitions and at your yard plus I can also travel to XC / SJ schooling days which offer a great chance to get pictures. Please get in touch to discuss what ideas you have, with no obligation to take up a booking!

I look forward to seeing you out on the eventing field soon!

As the end of 2011 is nearly here I have decided to look through the many 100s of photos I have taken and choose some of my favourites. I have managed to narrow it down to 15 which although may not technically be my best pictures they are the ones I have enjoyed looking at and have made be smile because they were either funny or memorable.

You can take a look at them on the MDR Photo Facebook Page. As its a public page you don't even have to be a member of Facebook to view them. Please pop over and take a look and like the ones which catch your eye. I have briefly explained on the photo descriptions why I have choosen these particular photos and I'd be interested to see which ones attracts the most likes and comments.

I'd like to say thanks for all the support I have received this year, particularly through Twitter where I have made a lot of new friends and have met two great riders (Clare Stringer and Harriet Upton) who I am looking forward to supporting in 2012.

I wish you all the best for 2012 and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible.

Although the eventing and photography season has been over for nearly two months lots of things have been happening with MDR Photo and particularly our supported riders.

First up at the beginning of November our supported rider Clare Stringer was announced as the winner of the Shearwater Insurance Scholarship for 2012. This is fantastic for Clare and will really help her to bring on her horses at the beginning of 2012 and throughout next season.

Following this great news I was very pleased to announce Harriet Upton as the successful person in my search for a new supported rider based in the South East. After receiving many great applications for a new supported rider following advertisement on our Twitter feed and Facebook page we choose Harriet as we were very impressed with her application and we felt she would be a great ambassador for MDR Photo. She is part of the British Eventing U18 Programme and the GB Junior Squad; you can read more about Harriet (and Clare) on my dedicated Supported Riders page.

On the 27th November I went to see Clare at Kenneth Clawson’s yard near Lutterworth, Leicestershire. I was there to meet all the horses and get a load of photos, which we will both be using on our websites. As well as seeing Bandi and Fifi again it was really good to meet Indi and Delphi for the first time. All four were very friendly around the yard and behaved really well when I was taking photos of them in the outdoor school. It may have been dry and sunny but the wind was incredibly strong making it feel very cold, but some how Clare managed to stay in a polo shirt all day whilst everyone else was wrapped up in coats and scarfs! All the photos can be seen in the gallery. Here is a behind the scenes photo of me taken pictures of Clare and Bandi.


At the beginning of December Harriet and I were interviewed on the Eventing Radio Show as part of the shows focus on amateur riders and sponsorship. Harriet and I were both very nervous but absolutely delighted to be invited on air so if your keen to have a listen you can do so by clicking on the below picture.



Finally I am pleased to show you a picture of the new MDR Photo branded polo shirts, which have just been delivered after being designed over the last few months. These were purchased through a small but extremely helpful company called Can Logo, I can not recommend them enough. My supported riders and I will wear the shirts at events and training days throughout 2012 so if you see any of us wearing them why not say hello.


The rest of December is looking pretty quiet which is nice and I will be enjoying a rest over Christmas, however I will be finalising dates and availability for the 2012 eventing season soon so keep popping back to find out where I plan to be.

Newly announced supported rider Harriet Upton and I were recently interviewed on the Eventing Radio Show as part of the shows focus on amateur riders and sponsorship.

Harriet and I were both very nervous but absolutely delighted to be invited on air so if your keen to have a listen you can do so by clicking here or on the below picture.



Previously Clare Stringer, MDR Photo's other supported rider has featured on the show twice and you can find her shows on the Eventing Radio Show website or iTunes, they were episodes 160 and 167.

MDR Photo is pleased to announce Harriet Upton as our new supported rider for 2012.

After receiving many great applications for a new supported rider following advertisement on our Twitter feed and Facebook page we choose Harriet as we were very impressed with her application and we felt she would be a great ambassador for MDR Photo.

You can read more about Harriet on my dedicated Supported Riders page.

Harriet joins Clare Stringer and Debbie Donovan as MDR Photo riders and we feel with this team 2012 is looking like it will be a fantastic and successful year.

Don't forget to like us on Twitter and Facebook to keep right up to date with everything that is going on.

MDR Photo is pleased to report that our main supported rider Clare Stringer has been chosen by Shearwater Insurance as their 2012 Scholar. They will receive £500 worth of training support and Shearwater branded clothing and equipment.

MDR Photo is very proud of Clare for winning this very tough and prestigious scholarship as we know how hard she has worked over the last 12 months with her string of horses whilst also holding down a full time job.

When Clare asked for a quote to go in her application we were very happy to provide one and we hope to be working alongside Shearwater to provide them with regular updated photos during the 2012 eventing season.

You can keep up to date with all things Shearwater via their blog page by clicking here.

This week MDR Photo's supported rider Clare Stringer featured on the Eventing Radio Show, talking about how she balances full time work and eventing.

The Eventing Radio Show is a weekly online radio show (podcast) that brings you the finest in news & interviews about one of the toughest equine disciplines. This weeks edition is the first in a series of episodes focused on amateur riders.

Clare did a great job on the show despite being very nervous and she was very kind to mention MDR Photo.

If you would like to listen to the show you can do so by clicking here.

Ever fancied having some professional photos taken of you and your horse at the comfortable surroundings of your yard?

The below photos of Lisa and Dime are an example of some fun photos you could expect if you commissioned me to visit your yard.



For just £30 I can come to your yard and take a variety of photos of you and your horse together. After the shoot you can buy the photos direct from this website, or if you would prefer I offer some reasonable pre-shoot packages.

More details can be found on the Equine Photo Shoots page.

Ever fancied having some professional photos taken of you and your horse at your next competition? I can be commissioned to take competition photo shoots, during which I will follow you for the whole day taking a variety of photos of you and your horse.

The below photos of Clare and Bandi are an example of some photos you could expect if you commissioned me to follow you for a day.



For just £50 I can come to your competition and take a variety of photos of you and your horse together. After the shoot you can buy the photos direct from this website, or if you would prefer I offer some reasonable pre-shoot packages.

More details can be found on the Equine Photo Shoots page.

I am currently trying to raise money for my friend Clare Stringer who's three year old filly recently required life saving surgery for colic.

There are various ways of helping and you can do so by reading more on the Help for Indi page I have set up.

Please take a few minutes to read the story and learn about what we are doing to help.

More exciting news here on MDR Photo as I am pleased to announce that MDR Photo is supporting a second horse called Bandolero, who is owned and ridden by Clare Stringer.

Details of Bandolero and also my first supported horse, Tradition, can be found on this page of the website. Further horses will hopefully feature soon.

If you would like to be supported by MDR Photo then please get in touch via email so that we can have a discussion and come to a suitable arrangement.

Exciting news here on MDR Photo as I am launching a supported horses page, detailing information about horses which I will be supporting over the next few months and hopefully years to come.

Details of the first horse, Tradition, can be found on this page of the website. Further horses will hopefully feature soon.

If you would like to be supported by MDR Photo then please get in touch via email so that we can have a discussion and come to a suitable arrangement.