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Mary

 Mary

MaryCornelius

The horse is my muse.  Ever since I was a small child I had a fascination for horses.  I also love telling a story. In grade school I would draw pictures with captions and write stories.  I think I majored in drawing pictures of horses.  Its funny how sometimes you can know what it is you want to do in life long before being aware of how this "knowing" can shape your life.

I am a full time working photographer based near Portland Oregon in Oregon City, USA specializing in equines, equestrian sport and telling a story. My years as a student of dressage, breeder, trainer, competitor and dressage instructor heavily influence what I see (and feel) through the lens.  

I offer a well experienced eye for the technical aspects of proper sport horse movement, conformation and rider equitation blended with a strong artistic sense and admiration for the horses I photograph. 

Horses are amazing creatures.  After losing a few beloved horses, I shifted my photojournalistic focus on promoting sport to capturing the grace and emotion that so many of us feel for the horse.  Tomorrow is never promised and a keepsake portrait memory of one's special horse can become priceless.  I specialize in portraiture to honor each horse as I see them, and hopefully as their person sees them as well. 

I started in photography with a goal of promoting equestrian sport to help it grow. My images started appearing in publications in the earlier days of equestrian sport in the Pacific Northwest, spotlighting our region's accomplishments in local publications such as In Stride and Flying Changes magazines as well as national publications such as Chronicle of the horse, Dressage Today and Practical Horseman.  In the age of digital, I started working as accredited media at top international equestrian media events in the US and Europe.  I no longer work as the OP for large multi-ring venues, leaving that to the next generation of photographers, but can occasionally be found at select small dressage shows and breed inspections as my schedule allows.

 I am a member of the International Alliance of Equestrian Journalists (IAEJ) and often contribute to a variety of equestrian sport and breed publications. 

I have served as the official photographer for several select dressage shows and breed inspections.  I offer imagery for farm and ranch promotion, equestrian product, portraiture and a collection of fine art works gathered from around the world. I occasionally give photographic workshops and private lessons. 

One of my passions is traveling around the world experiencing foreign cultures and expressing my experience through my images.  I have gathered images of the architecture, people and general culture  in several countries throughout Europe as well as Nepal, Turkey, Greece, Iceland and most recently Morocco. Seeing as much of the world as I can is a passion.  Though the worldwide Covid pandemic has changed the face of travel, I am feeling the travel bug once again. 

 For more information on scheduling a photo session, hosting a photography workshop or to purchase any of my imagery,  feel free to contact me directly via the contact button at the top of  this site.

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