A Russian lawyer found her life’s passion when she picked up a camera and started photographing her favorite subject: horses. Now, she immortalizes the deep connection between humans and horses on film, and the results are truly magical.
Olga Bazhutova, 41, who lives in Moscow, has loved horses since she was a child.
“In 2007, I bought a simple camera and started taking pictures,” Olga told The Epoch Times by email, adding that since then, she has been photographing horses and humans.
Olga loves to work with friezes and claims that Andalusians pose well. Both are strong, sturdy horse breeds with long flowing manes, shining coats, and long hair adorning the lower legs.
Most of all, Olga enjoys capturing the magic of the human-horse connection, even offering “fantasy photo days” for clients to experience the full fairy tale, with makeup, hair, costumes and cosplay, and artistic direction included.
Some of her most striking motifs include ethereal women in flowing dresses, whose long hair mimics the long manes of the horses; strong men with strong stallions, embodying the masculine heroes of legend; and ballerinas whose poses and contortions complement the long limbs and muscular curves of their equestrian counterparts.
“I have a lot of vivid and memorable images and shootings,” said Olga, who has been involved in equestrian sports for many years.
“I have incredibly beautiful models. I really like to do photo projects with a ballerina and a horse. This is one of my favorite subjects.”
Olga concedes that any genre of photography has its difficulties. Yet when working with horses, she claims a photographer needs to know how to direct the correct postures and angles, and be able to establish contact between the horse and the human model.
A little photo processing in a graphics editor helps Olga achieve her final product: a portrait to feel proud of.
Over the years, Olga has discovered the immense popularity of horse photography. She is delighted that her photos reach an international audience and that many social media users reach out to share their love for her work.
As her fan base grows, love for all things equestrian remains at the core of Olga’s artistic venture.
“I love many breeds of horses,” she said. “Each breed is beautiful in its own way.”
