About Janine & The Blue Bridle

The creation of  TBB in 2005 represented a convergence of two lifelong paths for me.  I was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1974 with a lead rope in one hand and a camera in the other (I have witnesses!!!), and (in retrospect) it seemed only a matter of time that my interests would lead me to photographing horses. But it took almost 30 years for the pieces of the puzzle to come together before I realized how the pieces would fit together.

As a child, I was seriously obsessed with horses! Just ask my mom how many pairs of grass stained pants I wore holes in galloping around the backyard on hands and knees!  I drew and sketched horses constantly, ate, slept, breathed, and of course, wanted to ride and show horses.  Ironically, it was not until my college years when I moved to the heartland of the bluegrass state, Lexington, Kentucky, that I had my first opportunity to indulge my love of all things equine.  Throughout college (1994-1999) I worked for several of the Thoroughbred industries' premier breeding, training, sales, and medical facilities while at the same time focused my creative energies  into my studies of Architecture, furniture design, and photography at the University of Kentucky.  After receiving my Bachelor's degree in Architecture I  moved to the island of Hilton Head in the Low Country region of South Carolina and went straight back into the horse biz!  I  began managing and instructing, and in my spare time was out taking pictures.... As fate would have it, a few years into it, I stumbled upon an opportunity to work for a portrait photographer.  It was at that point that the light bulb went off in my head!  And the concept of The Blue Bridle was formed- I was off on a new adventure that, to this day, is still unfolding!  Like someone recently told me, "Having a job you love is like getting paid to eat ice cream"   And how sweet it is!

The saga continues...!

Back in the Bluegrass!  Home sweet home- As of January 2009, the business has officially moved to Kentucky and I am making it my part-time endeavor, giving way to a riding and training career.  Stay tuned!!  This year I plan on being in at least as many pictures as I take!

Our philosophy....

I created the The Blue Bridle to offer its clientele a unique perspective on photography.  It is my belief that every moment of being is a simple and pure expression of who or what we are.  To capture that moment of truth in life is what I believe photography is all about, and is why I so admire the nature of the horse.  No bones about it- he is what he is, and he ain't what he ain't!  My photographic vision is best described as photo-journalistic and feel that this type of photography captures the true essence of the horse.  With each horse, rider, and sitting location  having a unique chemistry, I look for moments that express those unique circumstances with a  timeless and classic, yet modern and artistic quality, and that exemplify the personality of the horse or the relationship between the horse and rider.    Technically, The Blue Bridle works with the latest in Nikon digital cameras and equipment which provide you with quick turn-around and accurate images.   We always use a professional print lab (not an at home inkjet printer on photo paper) and print your images on Archival grade Kodak papers so that you obtain the best quality results for every image!

~Thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit the website.  We look forward to creating an image that you will treasure for a lifetime, please feel free to browse through the gallery to take a peek at a few of our outstanding images from past sittings.  

Janine Lee, The Blue Bridle equestrian photography