Pandemic Performance Panorama

With the COVID-19 Pandemic going on, there have been a lot of new model horse photo shows going on that are named after the pandemic. There are even model horses that are named after the pandemic. There are performance scenes that are inspired by the pandemic.

This pandemic stresses me out.

I don't like the masks.

I don't like the news of it being shoved in your face.

I don't like the fear of others even though I'm doing it myself.

I don't like the pandemic themed/named model horse photo shows.

....And, why am I entering in a pandemic named photo show???.....

Simple

Any show or event hosted by Jennifer Buxton of Braymere Custom Saddlery, no matter what the classes are, there are multitudes of prizes.

Prizes, prizes - from all over the world!

I have been wanting to attend one of her shows since she did the Winter Photo Challenge back in 2015 (I found out about it after the fact!) Then there has been both The Jennifer Shows. I have been doing NaMoPaiMo for the four years that it has been running. It does have additional prizes for some outstanding participants. But, the main prize is the one you painted for the month; and it's all about overcoming challenges and learning new things. I'm OK with not getting a prize there, but it IS fun getting prizes (ribbons, too)!

That's not all.

I've been experiencing FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) whenever I would read some of my favorite blogs whose owners decided to enter this pandemic named show.

That's what made me enter.

So, here's my entries.

1. Bad Performance

This is a photo I had taken for Breyerfest. The bad performance part of it, is that Speck's Peanut is literally dragging Serena through the course. Sure, his lead rope could be a little bit bigger so that it fills her hand. But, it also looks like it's going to slip through her hand in a matter of seconds. The story goes with him, is there's a lady off camera who is unknowingly holding a bag of his favorite treat: Apples!

Another photo from Breyerfest. What's bad about what's going on here? Merida is doing the I'm-going-to-stop-and-stand-here-and-look-around stance that most dogs do in dog agility. Coaxing them off the end of the teeter, cat walk, or A-frame sometimes tacks on extra time to finish the course. I figure that horses must do the same.

2, Teeny Tiny Performance

I didn't do any entries for this class. One because I jumped on the bandwagon only last week; and two, because the thought of putting complex tack on a Stablemate sends me over the edge (and scene photos can be quite difficult due to scale and issues with the camera).

3. Vintage Performance

This was my very first placed photo in Breyer's 2016 Photo Contest Western Pleasure. They placed 5th. When I got the package with my placing, I was both surprised and excited that one: I won a real rosette ribbon, and two: the ribbon was pink - my favorite color! Who care's what the placing was! The best part's that it's PINK!!! Aside from that, the backdrop I had painted on some cardboard, hoping that the people would blur out more, was the first of many. In fact, you could look through my model horse catalogs to see the progression of what I used for backdrops and footings.

This was another Breyer Photo Contest I had entered. He didn't win anything...probably because he's one: a Vintage, and two: using a neck rope. The contest was themed Cowboy Dressage and I had to really research facial tack allowances because his head is much bigger than most of my models. It didn't really say anything against neck ropes, though.

These two are my first official Breyer Horses. They were given to me for my tenth birthday by my aunt whose these two originally belonged to. My mom says that she remembers giving her sister the Appaloosa one. I had named them Strawberry (Palomino) and Chip (Appaloosa) after one of my favorite picture books at the time, "The Little Fellow" by Marguerite Henry. It was only years later, when I was able to comprehend what I was reading thoroughly that Strawberry in the book was a boy. Oh, well.

I purposely put a filter on this photo to put some sentimental touch to it. This set isn't even listed on the Identify Your Breyer Website, but it does show up in the catalog 2000-01 archives. I probably got them before Chip and Strawberry, but I really have no idea. All I know is that I received a lot of Breyers without knowing what they were since I was so into Grand Champions at the time. I must have been 8 or 9, but I don't remember. Oh, well again.

4. Outdoor Performance

After reading ColdRuru's post on tips of photographing model horses out in nature, I have been crazily increasing my scenery photos.

This one is another Breyer Photo Contest - probably the same year as the Vintage performance...since they are using neck ropes. One of these days, I'm going to sew most of my dolls some bathing suits to match the beachy scenery better.

This one I had did for a Shutterfly Photo Book. The doll I customized myself. She has permanent gloves and I need to re-do her boots.

This is one of my favorite beach photos. You literally have to do a double take sometimes, because he looks real if you're not paying attention.

Did I already say that I have a lot of outdoor photos?

This one is really crazy!!

This one won 3rd place in the 2018 Breyer Photo Contest Show In the Sun. I started receiving higher placings after this one. I wonder what would happen if I entered one now (I did. It was the near silhouette rearing horse earlier. Haven't heard anything yet on placings).The crazy thing about this photo, is that it's not actually outside. That light is my lamp and the sand is on my coffee table. I'll have to do a post on it later - I still have all the behind the scenes photos.

Another Breyer Photo Contest entry - didn't place anything. The only way to get the photo in-focus was to aim for the reins. No, I'm not kidding.

This was the second to the last Breyer Photo Contest I had entered in December 2018 (the last one was in May 2019. And since Breyer wasn't keeping up with the shows and results, I assumed that people had lost interest and Breyer had to eventually stop hosting them. Only to find out that they made a whole new section on the website specific to their Photo Show and had shows going every month all of last show season! That's OK, I was able to improve my photography skills with MEPSA).

One of my most recent photo shoots - featuring one of my newest (and second Peter Stone): Kyla.

5. Stable Performance

I didn't do this one...mostly because I don't have a barn prop. I could have used the arena panel, but again, I was running out of time.

6. Naked Performance

I was thinking of entering one of my fuzzy ponies before adding all the hair, but I didn't have any photos of my personal ponies in that stage.

7. Sparkly Performance

Anything Sparkly. OK, I kind of resorted to my fantasy horses who are loaded with glitter and metallic paints.

This was for another Breyer Photo Contest - everything fantasy. I wasn't sure if I could get away with having customs in the entry, but I customized the Mini Whinnie Wind Dancers in the background for this photo.

Portraits are my speciality! Now if I could get a SM or MW portrait that's not blurry - that would be great!!

I just happen to have a couple of yards of the double sided sequin fabric I just had to have - still don't know what I am going to sew with it. But, here's a good use - blue skies and shimmery clouds, perfect for an angel horse (the wings are made of felt and have a bendable frame).

My original plan was to pull out Kaya's horse, Steps High, to stand next to Kaya in her Traditional Jingle Dress. Unfortunately, all of my American Girl doll stuff - and the horses - are packed in deep storage blocked by our tortoise's overnight house and the stuff from the basement sewing room/food storage because my dad and brothers are re-doing the main bathroom. So I had to improvise with my new Stablemate, Gale. Also, Kaya really, REALLY needs to visit AG's Doll Hospital - she can't stand or hold her arms out anymore.

8. Mixed Scale Performance

More like a scale issues photo - my cat, Lightning, looking like he owns everything. Such a cat! I wasn't the only one to have a photo with a real animal in the photo.

Addy and Kaya playing with their plastic horsies. Stablemates are roughly Classic scale to them.

Skipper posing with Breyerfest loot -- there is a horse in the box.

Speck's Peanut meeting a model horse.

Addy taking a photo of her model horse using my little Casio Camera (P.S. Most of my older photos you see in this post are taken with that little camera!) to add perspective. This photo reminds me of Norman Rockwell's triple self portrait.

9. Other Animal Performance

These two are one of the few plastic animals that are not only sculpted this way, but painted as well.

I  honestly think that close up photos tell a better story.

These two are from my friend, when she was still living in Germany.The armchair, my mom made for my little sister's Barbies.

Lucky petting Kelsie.

Queen Bee's Throne

10. Altered Reality Performance

I really wanted to tack up my draft unicorn, Xavier, in normal horse tack and have him do something like trail or cowboy dressage, but was running out of the mental energy to do so.

11. 2020 Performance

Thought I'd enter my original Breyerfest "Diorama" photo (EDIT: Story behind photo can be found here). The colors are just great!

Another Breyerfest photo...

....and another....

....oh, yeah, this one, too.....

...forgot about this one - he was added to the folder at last mnute!

I was able to complete this custom (the Shire) just in time for Breyerfest. He took about a year to finish! And he fought the ENTIRE WAY - he deserves to be in this class!!

Last but not least, is my Get That Pony! entry I was working on Saturday night.

I put this photo in the documentation folder because I thought that the judges might like to be able to see the details of the background. What would be a nice experiment is to re-take the photo with focusing on the two grounds, and then photoshopping them together so that the entire photo is crystal clear. Maybe I'll do that next week to beat the start of the fall leaves.

Well, the judging starts sometime today. Now, it's just wait and see for the results. How super exciting!?