Hi, my name is Ann Switalski, and I’m always in pursuit of opportunities to be near horses. I work at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana, with a backstretch veterinarian on some days, and on other days I photograph the horses as they race around the track. I was born and raised in Michigan, but I enjoy living in the beautiful state of Louisiana with my husband and two sons.
It has only been recently that I picked up a “real” camera and started shooting my friends and fellow riders. My original goal was to catch those amazing moments between horse and rider that take your breath away. Being a perfectionist, I initially fretted that my photos were not good enough to share because I was not a professional. But then I realized that it’s not important to be the best, it’s just important to be present. It was not long before I began to see that I had the ability to give a wonderful gift simply by giving my time. There is so much in the world that I can’t fix or change. Sometimes I feel so helpless but my camera allows me to reach out to others and highlight the positive in their lives. It’s the most rewarding feeling to capture an individual’s proudest moment and share it with them and show them just how amazing they are. For me, photography is a therapeutic way of communicating and reaching out to people I care about.
We all have the tools and power to build each other up and make the world a better place. I’m doing my building one camera click at a time.
