There are a lot of things to like at the Woodford Reserve Distillery. On the face of this barrel of aging Bourbon, the different light sources cast a rainbow of hues on an array of textures. Plus, whiskey!
Tag: Kentucky
Other Barrels
Aging can be kind of an eerie process, and the rugged steel and green lighting of this other room beyond Woodford Reserve’s standard aging racks certainly emphasizes that. Even if the whiskey is tasty, green lighting proves to be too sinister to resist.
Back to the Stables
When the Grand Prix is over and the crowds are heading for the exits, the good horses go back to the barns to sleep.
Meet Your Heroes
After a Grand Prix at the Rolex Arena in Lexington, Kentucky: some very excited young riders meet a very special horse.
Let’s Ride
A scene from this summer’s Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park: This serious young rider is ready to, well, ride. Look at that focused expression.
Kentucky Horse Farm
The grassy, rolling, limestone-based Kentucky countryside looks too perfect. Precise fencing geometries and gently rippling ponds are just too much. I’m reminded of the famous Microsoft Windows XP default wallpaper, “Bliss.” The key to making both images work, I think, is an overall very clean image with just enough small details and imperfections at the edges to show you that it must be real.
Ancona on Monster
Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky make for excellent people-watching. Designer Charles Ancona’s preferred mode of transportation is his color-coordinated Ducati Monster.
Have a Taste
Come for a taste of Bourbon among the aging casks. Woodford Reserve is a tasty whiskey.
Fire, Bottles, etc.
I know the clichés about whiskey and fire in a bottle, but this is just ridiculous. (From a recent trip with my co-author to Woodford in Kentucky.)
Riders at the Rail
At the Kentucky Horse Park, the Kentucky Summer Classic has wound down and Pony Finals are about to begin. This particular arrangements of trainers, riders, and well-wishers was arrayed at the the warm-up ring, and the gradient of shadows beneath the tree branches brought to mind some modern take on a Renaissance painting: linear, repeating patterns and strong, horizontal lines.
Knight III
Riders are the stars of the show (in this case, the Kentucky Summer Classic), but I love to see the way the natural form of horse and rider fit into the lines and structures, tents and fences, of the grounds. Where do the spectators, trainers, grooms (and photographers) fit into that equation? Are we also a part of the horse show structure?
Scenes from Kentucky Horse Park
For my 500th Decaseconds post, I’m bringing you some photos from the Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park outside Lexington. The weather was fully as humid and sunny as the southern Midwest is fabled to be at the end of July, and these three images capture the different aspects of the place. This first image, of the model, captures the form and uniform (so to speak) that rigidly controls the event.
This image, on the other hand, shows one of the folks working behind the scene. Given his surf-ready hair, blue wayfarers, and general air of authority, I call this image “Bro-thority.”
Finally, I love this shot for the looks on the riders’ faces as they exit the ring—done, for just a moment, and proud or defeated or ambivalent but, at the very least, relieved.
Big Hat
Shooting candids at the Kentucky Summer Classic means some fantastic horse-show swagger. Though landscapes and architecture are more frequently my speed, I sometimes find a picture from my other work with so much style that I can’t help but include it.
Riding in Golf Carts with Dogs
I’ve always loved the link between riders and horses and dogs. Perhaps it’s the classic aristocracy thing, but there are few better looks than sitting ringside with a big, floppy dog, watching the ponies go around on a beautiful morning.
Copper Stills
The big, copper stills at Woodford Reserve are “where the magic happens,” and I have to admit: against the limestone backdrop, they certainly look impressive. Perhaps the whole scene is bit too carefully constructed for the tourists, but if the stills are real, and the whiskey is real, then I might as well just sit back and enjoy it.
Decaseconds 