A Southern, American Teen

A Classic Southern American Teenage girl is beautiful, unique, intriguing, eclectic, fearless, innocent, adventurous, original, a trend setter and has the brightest future awaiting her.

www.laurenpigford.com

Horses are my muse for everything!

Photographing horses is how I began taking photos. They are my muse and their silent and patient personalities taught me how to get more than just a picture, but a photo of who they really are!

The Whittens

I have been slacking on my blog. I always try to write about my photography sessions and my wonderful clients. Today is catch up day and I am looking back on my wonderful shoot with Mandy, Payton, and little Braeden.

Mandy has probably known me since I was three years old. Mandy and my sister Erin met each other waaay back in the day and were in elementary school together at Ridgeway. Mandy also lived in "the cove" and was the only other girl in the neighborhood. We spent many years playing kickball and baseball in the cove. Riding our bikes all over and swimming in my pool. I can't believe how long ago that was. She has always been around and known me like family.

It is weird to think about childhood friends and where they are today. Mandy emailed me and asked me to take her ADORABLE son's photos. We lined up a date, had wonderful weather and awesome photos! When I look at Braeden I remember Mandy when we were kids. I am so happy our families keep in touch and I am so blessed to be given the chance to know her family today. Here are some of my favorite photos from the shoot!

Giving Back

Sam & Ashlee

I have been obsessed with horses since Birth. My wonderful mother grew up with horses. Her family, originally from Lexington, KY, was bit with the horse bug and thankfully the obsessive compulsive HORSE disorder was passed down to my sisters, even possibly my brother and little ole me.

The first time I remember being on a horse was when I was 4 maybe 5. My dad picked me up and placed me on my sister's (Ashlee's) horse Sam. Sam was not what I would consider a BIG horse in today's standards. He was an average size Thoroughbred; 15.3, beautiful blood bay with a very unique and fiery personality. However, to a 4/ 5 year old, he was ginormous and known to buck little kids off and to be a fire breathing dragon. I held onto his mane like I have never held onto anything. Once I got bigger, age 6, I began learning how to ride. Nope, I didn't have a little pony to learn how to balance on, I had Sam, an Off the track Thoroughbred, at times unpredictable, especially in a field. He would one minute be dragging his feet and the next kick into his old racing gears, buck and squeal and take off like it was the Kentucky derby. He probably did this just to remind himself he still had it, even as an old man or just because he was tired of teaching an off- balanced little kid how to ride properly.

Sam taught me a lot about horses, but more about myself. He taught me the good, the scary and the inevitably sad. I learned how to be patient, how to groom, how to doctor an abscess, how to be calm, how to love and trust with my guard down, HOW TO RIDE, how to fall off and get back on, how to care for an elderly horse and what it was like to have to say goodbye at the end of his life. None of the lessons were easy, in fact they may have been the hardest lessons to learn but he made them easy except for his last day alive.

Before Sam entered into the Pigford family he did not know what it was like to be loved. He, to what we gathered, was one of a million unsuccessful race horses. The life on the track, as a race horse, is a hard life to live but it was his life after the track that was even harder. He bounced around, never being taken care of and was neglected to the point of being starved. When my mom was searching for a horse for Ashlee they looked at a horse my mom did not think was the right one. Sam was on the same trailer with this horse. My mom said no to the original horse trailered in for consideration and she asked about the other horse on the trailer (Sam). Ashlee's trainer, at the time, told my mom she would not be interested in that horse but my mom insisted on seeing the horse. My mom said when she first saw Sam she couldn't believe her eyes. After the initial shock my mom said, "Ok, lets put a saddle on and see him move." She knew immediately Sam would not be getting back on that trailer, 90% because she was scared his next stop would be the slaughter house. After getting Sam healthy, Ashlee worked with him and showed him in Hunter/ Jumpers. He was an ugly duckling that blossomed into a swan (which is how my mom put it at one time.) He was very special and dear to everyone in my family.

Sam is one of the biggest reasons why I support Horse Rescues. I have personally seen a horse who was weeks, maybe months away from death come back and be loved and teach life lessons to children and adults and live a long successful, loving life.

Mississippi Horses created a 2011 Nutrena Sponsored Calendar. Proceeds go towards helping horses in need. I was asked to take photos of two horses, Popeye and Fefe, who were rescued by Ann Kimberlin and now live at Kimberlin Farms in Olive Branch, MS. Popeye's photo and story were selected to be in this calendar. I am proud to have my photograph included in this calendar and I hope I can continue to support groups like Mississippi Horses, and continue to give my services to do so. Thank you Sammy, We unknowingly loved you for everything you were but most of all everything you gave to us. I will try my hardest to give back just as much as you gave me!

(There are several other horses who inspired me to support rescues and I will tell their stories at another time and when the time is right.)

Photo 1: Fefe, Photo 2: Popeye (Featured in the 2011 Mississippi Horses Nutrena Calendar