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One of the first things she taught us was to make hay when the sun shone, so to speak. Europe has typically inclement weather, and without sun, the pictures are flat. Sometimes, with a book to shoot, or a whole stable of head shots to do in a day, time is not a luxury one can afford. But if the weather is good, you must work, and work fast. To do that you must be ready. One thing Christiane said was to never enter a stable without your camera set up and ready to go. You could easily miss the magic which can be over in a heart beat.Another valuable lesson I picked up was that you need help! Someone has to move the horse about if you are shooting at liberty, and food, recorded horse noises and even a reflector can all play a very useful part in the exercise. The latter bounces soft light back onto the horse, creating interest and beauty. Two pricked ears toward the photographer are always a good look, and if shooting portraits of people and horse, particularly in groups, this can be challenging. Again you have to work fast, know your equipment until it is instinctive, and be able to see in your mind’s eye what it is that you want to achieve. Christiane believes anyone can create standard horse photographs. But if you work creatively with light and look outside the square you can reach greater heights.Exquisite moments can come from unexpected places, and the trick is to go with it. Look out for a cart horse doing a perfect piaffe in the paddock, or a Western horse doing a dressage movement. Look for the unexpected and wait. Bravery, a connection with horses and patience all go without saying. Christiane will not always move aside if a large, galloping stallion is heading her way and the shot is worth it. Oh and a little luck helps too! A planned long exposure could end up a blurry mess if the horse moves suddenly, or it could work out to be a piece of art once in a while.Naturally it is wonderful to work with beautiful and trained horses that can easily express their power and beauty. And Christiane loves to work with a horse who has a strong personality. But a greater challenge for her is to take what one might consider an ‘ordinary’ horse and find the extraordinary in him or her. This is something that resonated with me, whether working with the horse alone, or horse and human partner. Equine and people portraiture reflects the magic and love of a partnership. This synergy is reflected in the work and makes the work such a joy. And this was something that was abundant at “Il Paretaio”. I have never before seen such a sensitive and adored stable of highly trained horses. Lusitanos, Dutch Warmbloods, Anglo Arabs, Arabs and the exotic French Pyreneen mountain horse, the Mérens, made up up the classy and exotic stable that we were lucky enough to work with. The girls, Cristina and Gianni were all closely connected to them and it was a joy to witness and photograph this rapport that only comes from dedication and passion.Cristina and Gianni De Marchi discovered their stunning property midway between Florence and Siena over 20 years ago after three long years of searching throughout Tuscany. Slowly and lovingly Cristina has restored the large and beautiful villa to it’s former glory of 10 rooms and has filled it with understated, Italian chic furnishings with an equine and country flair. Her 30 horses are like her children, and riders come from all over the world to participate in dressage lessons, often twice a day. At night they enjoy a dinner for up to 26 guests, next to a roaring fire with fabulous local cooking and iconic Chianti wines.

IMy start to an equine photo workshop in Italy from Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills was inauspicious to say the least. In anticipation of some expert dressage lessons at the renowned Chianti stud, “Il Paretaio”, I polished my Ariat boots with gusto and decided to wear them on the flight to save space. Apparently I set off bomb alarms due to liberally applied boot polish containing a questionable, shared ingredient. After much checking of my camera kit and bizarre questions, I slipped through the gate, relieved to make my flight. Some weeks before I had researched some of the world’s best equine Photographers, as that is my chosen career. Just as every dressage rider worth their salt needs a teacher to coach them, so too do I believe in the need for a maestro to check in with sometimes. I was particularly impressed with the work of an Austrian equine photographer Christiane Slawik who holds workshops all over Europe, The Seychelles, Bahamas and various other exotic locales. Her work seemed passionate and full of energy. Her technique looked superb. When I discovered her June workshop at Chianti stud “Il Paretaio” I was hooked.Christiane works constantly and moves around the big studs of Europe, so her time is short and her energy is high. She loves all breeds of horses, but prefers to travel to their country of origin to photograph them. She believes this helps to create a context by understanding their original purpose. This

has taken her to the Queen’s Palace in Copenhagen with their native

Knabbstrupper horses, to North Africa to shoot the Arabs and often to Portugal

and Spain to shoot the magnificent Iberian, Baroque horses. She travels 6 months

of the year with Slovenia, France, Holland, Belgium, Ireland and Switzerland and Poland being

part of her regular beat.

talyPhotos inNicole Bartleet

takes our imagination

to..

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recently resurrected “Hotel Palazzo Priuli”: once a Doge’s Palace from the 14th Century. Although it was elegant and an easy walk to Piazza San Marco and Rialto Bridge, I would recommend researching some of the wonderful guest houses and Bed and Breakfasts in the Venice Lagoon area, as they are inexpensive, family run and very welcoming. You can fly out of Venice International Airport, via Frankfurt and Singapore with Lufthansa Airlines.

Even the olive oil is made on the property from ancient methods. Nobody departs without leaving their heart there and begging to come back. Although Cristina’s background was in show jumping, both she and Gianni studied dressage under the tutelage of Portugese master Pedro de Almeida, and classical riding is part of their philosophy.They now share their knowledge and exquisitely trained horses with others of all levels. Each horse is treated as a unique individual and Cristina used her fusion of experience to treat each horse and rider accordingly. Her method is reassuring, sensitive and positive and you leave aching for more. My time was short during my week at “Il Paretaio”, but my lesson with Cristina on “Sasha”, a sensitive Anglo Arab, was without doubt an incredibly liberating experience. Tapping into some of Sally Swift’s ‘Centred Riding’, Cristina spent some time working on my position, which allowed the communication between the horse and to grow. I cannot wait to return to this dressage lover’s paradise to immerse myself in some serious riding in the near future. And for those that want to travel with a child with similar passions, there are some exquisitely trained ponies that excel in carrying their little riders further. One of them that caught my eye was called Mousse, who with his shock of hair and powerful movement looked like a joy to ride.There are many fleeting moments from this trip that will stay with me for ever. There was ‘Baluarte’, a magnificent grey Lusitano schoolmaster in his thirties who would piaffe for his supper three times a day in the stables. A breathtaking ride

through fields of May poppies on ‘Ivoire’, a powerful Mérens mountain pony after a wine tasting that I still dream of, the dedicated, International team of girls who help run the stables, their arms linked as they finished a long but satisfying day. And the moment we all clapped as Bawa, our Maitre d’ walked out to the table with an enormous tiramisu shaped like a horse, and tasting like heaven. Then there was Gianni riding his magnificent 18hh horse, Geraldo, on the top arena at dusk; the tower of the mediaeval village of St Appiano in the background. The connection between them was so private and profound that I almost felt like an intruder. And then there’s Cristina... someone I now call a dear friend, whose passion for these magnificent horses and generosity in sharing them is something for which I am most grateful.From Australia many major airlines fly to Florence, such as Qantas and Lufthansa. Florence itself is an exquisite start to the trip and I can recommend N4U Guest House with the cultured and helpful Lorenzo. At only 120 Euros a night, my palatial room came complete with it’s own fresco, cuppola and library. ‘Yellow’ restaurant, a few doors down, makes for a fabulous meal with a communal table and the leather goods are beyond beautiful, but still affordable. From Florence airport you can take the shuttle bus to the Downtown bus station, and from there it is an easy and pretty one hour bus ride to San Fillipo or Barberino Val D’elsa, where

someone from “Il Paretaio” will be waiting for you with a smile. For the romantic, Venice is only a two hour train journey from Florence. I enjoyed my stay at

Equine Excellence thanks Nicole Bartleet for a wonderful insight to Equine

Photography in Italy.To view more of Nicole's magnificient

works visit:

www.pureequine.com.au