Horse Connection

Evalyn Bemis

Photography by Arnd Bronkhorst

There are many photographers at equestrian events these days but not everyone gets a good picture, even when lined up elbow-to-elbow. What makes the difference between a great image and a so-so one?

The merely “ok” are nice snapshots to paste in the scrapbook. They chronicle who, where, what, and when. The images that hold your interest, make you see something you hadn’t before, maybe make you wonder about the moment captured and the story beyond, those are the great ones.

Good photographs require technical proficiency and interesting composition. They give a feel for the place or subject. The best ones contain a sense of the intrinsic quality of the moment, and the photographer’s response to it.

Since its inception, Horse Connection has been privileged to showcase the images of Arnd Bronkhorst. Arnd has been photographing horses for over 20 years professionally and his work has appeared in numerous publications around the world. He is based in the Netherlands and travels extensively on assignment. He was a featured speaker at the recent American Horse Publication conference in Albuquerque, NM, where HC was able to snag him for this conversation.

HC - When did you first become interested in photography? Did you have anybody who served as a mentor or who was especially helpful to you?
AB - I grew up riding, mainly eventing, at my parents' riding school. I did some photography then, just playing, taking pictures of other riders. I was never as fully immersed in horses as my sisters and mother were, and when I had some time left before I went to university, I decided to volunteer for a job at a local photographers' studio. You could say he was my first mentor. His name is Henk Merjenburgh, and he was a photographer "of everything." He taught me many things, and one of them was that I am not a generalist. Later on, I studied with Willem Diepraam, who has become renowned in Holland for his photography documenting the social changes in Dutch society in the seventies.

HC - Did you think that you could make a living taking pictures or did you have some other career that supported your interest initially?
AB - I had no other career, as I am quite useless in a lot of things, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with my life when I was 18-20 years old. I sort of tried to go for a Biology study, but I found photography much more interesting than dissecting rats in a lab. My photography career was certainly not planned, and I just went from one thing to another, trying to guide things in the right direction. I have however, always tried to make quality choices of what to do and where to go. They were not always right, but at least I tried.

HC - What aspects of the “business” of taking photographs do you especially enjoy?
AB - I like the fact that photography is very personal and tied to what my eyes see and how my brain processes that. I like to get deeper and deeper into my way of taking pictures, exploring it ever more. I feel I am still able to refine and reshape what I do, and get better at it.

HC - What led you to specialize in equestrian photography? What is different about taking pictures of horses and riders from other sports or portraiture?
AB - The specialization just happened. Growing up around horses gave me an advantage in this field. I was interested in it, and there was not much going in equine photography. I felt I could do whatever I liked, unlike many other areas that are crowded with photographers and images. The sport is still relatively open with most of the people being quite accessible. I like the elegance and power of horses, and I feel that due to the fact that I am acquainted with both worlds, photography and horses, I can combine the two to create images that are both "inside" equestrian images as well as images that are aesthetically pleasing or interesting in a photographic way.

HC - What are your favorite setups for taking pictures – sporting events, farms, candid shots, portraits, assignments?
AB - In general, I like the changes from one assignment to another, from a strictly organized event like the European Championships for show jumping, to a small photo shoot where someone has their horses at home.
At an event like the European Championships there are many restrictions, which I certainly don't like. You have to make the most of it and when that happens, when you do succeed in making an image that is different and telling, that is a very satisfactory moment.
With less pressure, you can wait for the light, wait for things to happen and I like that even more. Admittedly however, the vast majority of images that I consider to be among my best were not planned, not foreseen; they happened and I managed to grab the moment. That is what I really like best. I sometimes am in a place where I think that everything is horrible: nothing works, no light, whatever. Then something happens and I get an image that I could not have predicted.

HC - Do you have any plans for a book or exhibit of your work?
AB - I have had some exhibitions: the Kentucky Museum of the Horse last year, in France this year. Books are definitely on the list, but for some reason I have not yet found the publisher with whom to create the best possible book. I have not pursued this to any length, as I am quite happy with the publication possibilities offered by my clients from all over the world. I find it is very rewarding to see my images published in ways and places that I never imagined when I started way back when!

To see more of Arnd’s work, visit his website at www.arnd.nl