My Story
I was born in and lived most of my life in Illinois, far away from the race track. But every year as a child, I watched the Triple Crown races on TV. I loved the horses, the stories, the history, the drama, but had no connection to racing outside of my admiration from afar. (Oh, and collecting Breyer model horses.) Thanks to the Internet, I got to pour over horse racing photography, and when I was older, I found several great photographers on Flickr and studied their images and techniques.
In 2007, I went to see my first stakes race at Turfway Park--Street Sense vs. Hard Spun in the Kentucky Cup Classic, and being able to see that level of racing in person sealed it for me. I didn't even have the right lenses, but I knew that's what I wanted to do. And I was going to find a way to do it. In 2008 I attended my first Kentucky Derby, and in 2009, I was credentialed for the first time. My first Triple Crown race on assignment was the Belmont Stakes. My first credentialed Kentucky Derby was in 2011, and I have covered it as a professional member of the media every year since. Over the past decade, I have covered every leg of the Triple Crown, the Breeders' Cup, and been credentialed at every major racetrack in America. I have photographed overseas, and covered prestigious racemeets in the UK and Ireland. My photography has been internationally published in editorials, advertisements, on TV broadcasts, and on prominent industry websites. A photo I took of Altior winning the Group 1 Matchbook Clarence House Chase at Ascot graced the cover of the raceday program the following year.
I now live in Lexington, Kentucky, and offer photography services for all aspects of the Thoroughbred racing industry. As an outsider, I have a special appreciation for being around these magnificent animals. Every day, I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be doing a job I love.
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