FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES OCTOBER 2013 81
envelope the scene. I ran, paused and took shots and then
ran some more, my adrenaline level kicking into high gear.
The horses reared up, striking with their front feet, and
barred their teeth in display of dominance. They carried
their performance down the beach until a large group of
grey seals, hauled out on the beach, blocked their path and
the action ceased.
Almost instantly, calmwas restored, and the four bachelors
walked away in single file, towards the inland ponds for a
drink. I suddenly realized what an amazing opportunity had
just been bestowed upon me. My hands started to shake,
partly from the exhaustion of running heavily laden in deep
sand, and partly from excitement. An element of fear crept in
as well. It had all happened so quickly that I had not had the
time to adjust my camera settings while on the run. I always
start out with my camera set on aperture priority, and a fairly
forgiving ISO (digital equivalent of film speed), but running
and shooting hand-held is always a roll of the dice, and I was
not sure if I had made quality shots.
I sat down on a piece of driftwood, poured myself a cup
of tea from my thermos, and with unsteady hands began
to scroll through the images on my LCD screen. Yes, I had
done it! The images were sharp and the beautiful pastel
tones of the morning light were there. I knew right then that
this would be a pivotal moment in my career as a nature
photographer.
Adventuring on a remote island surrounded by a herd of
majestic, wild horses is something most of us only experience
in our dreams. But, through the images that Debra has
captured, we, too, can relish in such an adventure.
Sidelines
Magazine hopes you have enjoyed Debra’s story
and images and we hope that, perhaps, her tale will inspire
your own adventure. For more information about Debra and
Sable Island, visit her website at
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