Sometimes, however, I just want to create the perfect photographic representation, as a project may be better served by that realism. You will see the dichotomy in my work, as I believe I can walk two paths at the same time. . . . . . .

I started on this journey many years ago, photographing my Arabian and part-Arabian horses with a Nikkormat and then a Nikon FA, when I lived in Arizona. I wanted to capture my animals' beauty and animation myself. I had a great deal of fun photographing my horses and ended up with some phenomenal shots.

I never had a darkroom, so the process of photographing and then waiting for days to see my mistakes or my successes was maddening. I took a long hiatus from photography simply because I didn't like the process. I dabbled in ceramics, painting, and charcoal and pencil drawing while I was away from photography. I guess I needed the digital age to bring me back.

Now that digital cameras, digital processing software, and inkjet printers have come so far in their evolution, shoot and process has been reduced to minutes, not days. Fortunately, I am a quick and avid learner, and my journey into the digital world of photography has been one of great discovery for me.

I can now walk out to my garden, shoot a few flowers, walk back in, upload to my computer, process, review and then adjust my technique for the next shoot. This is learning at warp speed!

But, I also wanted to do more to my photos; I wanted to give them a painterly look and feel.  Thanks goodness for all the available software technology as I can "paint" my photographs digitally, or I can add textures digitally to create that wonderful "painterly" appearance.  The sky's the limit now with all the creative techniques offered through various software programs. I welcome your feedback.

Ann Raine