Today, we chat with Claire Porter about the emotional storytelling behind her equine photography, the design process of Art~Scarves, and how art becomes a companion. From limited-edition prints to limited-edition scarves, Claire shares the evolution of her creative process and the new ways audiences connect with her art.

• Hosts: Jennifer Hebert, Morgan Nicole Zipperlen
• Contact: Sophia Jagella, WESA Marketing Specialist
• Guest: Claire Porter, Claire Porter Photography
• Website: https://claireporterphotography.com/pages/skarf-art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/claireporterphotography/

Foreign.

You are listening to the Horse Radio Network, part of the Equine Network family.

This is episode 157 of Wisdom by Wesa on the horse Radio Network.

This is Jennifer Hebert.

I'm Morgan Nicole.

And this is Sofia Agela.

Welcome to Wisdom by WESA on the Horse Radio Network, part of the Equinnetwork family.

Another August WESA trade show in the books.

Yes.

We just made it now almost a month after the show.

So I hope everybody has had some time to recover and look forward to the next shows because we're working on them already.

Do the January and August shows, all the prep behind the scenes that happens.

Do they overlap a lot?

A little.

Not at all.

They do overlap when we're in during the August show just because the contracts are already available during that time for the exhibitors to sign up and actually to save if they do sign up on set.

Right.

But that really is the only time when things overlap as far as timing for contracts, of course, with marketing and the rest of it.

It's kind of an ongoing cycle anyways.

Continuous.

Yes.

So are there any changes that your team has implemented that we're going to see coming up?

So Westa will then start on a Tuesday and go through Friday instead of Wednesday through Saturday.

And hopefully that'll increase traffic and ease traveling a little bit more.

Ah.

So to make it easier for exhibitors and buyers because that's their work week anyway.

Exactly.

And we've also had some feedbacks about equestrian shows being specifically in August during that weekend.

So we're hoping without doing Saturday that everybody gets to travel a little bit earlier, earlier in the and then go back to their usual days and life.

That's true if you're if.

And there are many, many exhibitors as well as buyers out there who also still actively compete or take mobile units to shows.

By shifting it forward that extra day, it gives somebody the opportunity, even if they can't stay for the entire length, they can go in there and get themselves a good day and a half or even two days to get their buying done and things like that.

That's a great idea.

I like that.

Yeah.

So much happening in August, so hopefully this will be a good change.

Yes.

We also had a new registration system and that was amazing to have because now buyers could just walk in and get their own badges, which made the whole process a little bit easier and now we don't have to mail the badges to them anymore and sometimes those get lost and now all you have to do is just bring your QR code and use get it on site and you have your bad right then and there.

And then the exhibitors could also scan a QR code on the buyer badges and then import it to their data system and stay in contact with buyers during the show or after the show.

We're going to keep the registration system and look forward to using it again in January.

Yes, I noticed there were never any crowds.

There were never any, any unhappy faces at the check in area which was great.

Yes, we got to cut down on those lions quite a bit, which is amazing.

Well, Morgan, we haven't heard much from you because Sophia and I have been gabbing about wesa which you did not get to attend.

Are you going to be able to go to to WESSA in January, Morgan?

Yes, I will always be there for January show and with these new dates for next August, I am sure I will be there too.

So I can't wait.

Tell us about our guest that we will be meeting on the show today.

Yes.

Meet Claire Porter, the artist behind Claire Porter Photography.

Renowned for her equine images, Claire captures the elegance, power and grace of the horse.

Now she has taken her emotive photography a step further with Art Scarf, so transforming her images into wearable art that retains the narrative and soul of her work.

Hi Claire, welcome the podcast today.

How are you doing?

Very well, thank you, Morgan.

Well, we are so excited to have you today, of course, talking more about all of your photography and even what you're jumping into now with your art scarves.

But I would love just to start from the top, tell me a little bit about yourself.

I know you're a fellow Texas gal.

Well, I am, but.

And that moving to Texas is really kind of when my photography joined with my love of horses.

I moved from Los Angeles about 15 years ago and I started riding horses when I was about 10.

My, my father was killed in a, in a boat accident and my mother hooked me up with our neighbors who were riding horses.

And the father always took his daughters to the horses.

So that's when I started my relationship with horses.

And of course with that emotional beginning, I developed a very, very strong emotional connection with the horse.

And I showed hunters and jumpers for a while in high school and then I went back as an amateur owner and then became a mother and a broodmare.

I have four children, 40 to 34, I believe they are, and have four, four grandchildren.

But I also always had a camera in my hand.

When I was a young girl, my mom took pictures and I would steal her camera and run around and go take close ups of flowers and whatever.

I didn't want that.

I wanted to be engaged.

So I went on my first photo safari to Wyoming.

And it was literally a, a reason to get traveling.

I was gonna do it that way, take my camera with me and go photograph things all over wherever I wanted.

But it just so happened that I had made these wonderful new friends when I had moved to Texas.

And as soon as I got back, I was on their ranch with them and we were doing things and riding, riding horses and what.

And the woman takes me to her husband in the mule and he says, well, Claire, I just want to let you know that we would love for you to not only decorate our law offices, but we want you to put up your photographs on our walls.

And I laughed because I was like, oh, okay.

And of course I said yes.

And I wong it.

And they purchased about a dozen large format photographs for, from my, from my trip to Wyoming.

And, and then there was a word of mouth thing that followed after that and I had a pretty big following here in the hill country and decided that it was doing well enough that I was probably going to turn it into a business, which is what I did.

So I've been photographing wild mustangs, cowboy imagery and big herds, etc.

For about, I guess that's 12 years.

And for 10 of these or 11 of these, I strictly sold my images.

So I want to bring it back first to your traveling.

So I am on your website right now and like you had mentioned, you know, your Wyoming trip.

I love pulling up this collections tab and just those first initial images, I'm seeing the Africa action, the Arizona.

I mean, you can really see the, the emotion.

Of course we talked about, you know, your emotional start to photography, but kind of take me into how you're creating that strength and connection in your images.

What are you really looking for when you're out there?

Well, my favorite is action.

And you can see that in a lot of my images.

I'm really wild about finding mustangs who are sparring or a group of the herd just tearing across the planes.

That's what really draws me in.

But it's also, you know, I'm looking for the interesting composition and light.

I am at home when I'm out shooting.

It is my safe place.

It's my haven.

You had talked about lighting and I personally do a lot of photography myself and I know the importance of the light and the timing and environment.

You know, all of your shots, I mean every single one is exquisite.

I've looked through dozens and dozens of your images.

When you are out there, what are your days typically looking like, you know, to get those perfect shots.

Is it kind of a, you know, ordeal or is it really just spur of the moment?

Well, I usually go on about a four or five day trip wherever I've traveled to.

And with photographing horses or photographing in the, in the prime light, you want to be out there before dawn.

And you, you really don't shoot too much during the day.

It's kind of time off and editing and, and culling through your images from the morning.

And then in the afternoon you go back out about four and you know, then you get this beautiful soft sunset light.

So the days can be really long.

I had one trip in Utah where we were staying in a hotel two hours from the herd.

So in order to get there we had to leave at like 3:45 in the morning to get there by 5:40.

Oh my goodness.

And then we.

I know.

And then we chewed during the morning we actually drove back to our hotel.

I took a 20 minute nap, had some lunch and then turned around and went right back.

They were long days, but that was the worst of it.

The rest of the time it's usually about a 5am Wake up call.

Right.

You know those moments of in the truck right before putting on your boots to go out there?

I'm sure even just putting the batteries in your camera, it's kind of like you're sitting on the edge of your seat awaiting what you're going to see through your lens.

I love that.

Absolutely.

With all of your travel, how are you really selecting where you're going and when?

Tell me about that selection process of location.

Well, a lot of people, there are plenty of other equine photographers out there and there are a lot of places that are commonly and commonly photographed and I try to stay away from those.

For instance, I've never shot at the Camargue because I want a unique image.

So I try to go places where they're going to be beautiful horses, beautiful scenery, and it's.

It's going to be a unique setting.

You know, certainly when you're out in the wild photographing the big herds, that's nature.

That's, you know, the hills and the mountains behind, and all of that is going to be specific and beautiful to.

To that set of images.

But when I travel to France or Spain, they have different horses there, different breeds, and.

And then they also, you know, have different places where you can.

When you can shoot, for instance, in the ocean or on the beach, as opposed to in the prairies.

Right.

Well, and I love too, you know, in every photo, you're not only sharing the story, but you are drawing out every bit of raw emotion for all our listeners.

If you were to go to her website and open up her gallery, I mean, the main flying in the wind, the dust, you can almost feel like the image is truly speaking to you.

And I love that, Claire, about your photography with the impact that these images are having.

I know you started branching into a little bit of fashion with the scarves.

Tell me, you know, what really resonated with you on moving to scarves?

Well, I'll tell you that quick story.

But first I want to thank you for acknowledging my images and describing them the way that you did with all the movement and the emotional connection to the viewer.

I actually get told that all of the time that people feel like they're in my images.

And I want to say that I feel like I credit that to the deep connection that I have with the Equus anyway, and so thank you for pointing that out.

It's very important to me.

And it's one thing that makes my work unique and special to the viewer.

And then as far as the scarves go, guy, it's five, six, seven years ago, I had the opportunity to go to a 1.2 million acre private ranch in Nevada that is owned by some lifelong friends of mine.

And they do many things on this ranch, including having a large herd of wild mustangs.

And so I got to go out there for three days and be driven around two mountain ranges and two.

No, three mountain ranges and two deserts.

It was crazy huge.

And I brainstormed on a way that I could thank the husband and wife who got me permission.

And so what I did is I took one of my images from Nevada and printed it on cashmere scarf, which is many years ago.

And honestly, I. I really have.

In the last.

Other than the last year and a half, two years, I had to take some years off due to health problems.

And so, you know, the scarves thing was something that, you know, I didn't plan, didn't pursue.

But when I got my feet back wet again and started really spending, spending, working harder on my business, I would say I wore that scarf with a woman who actually kind of mentored me to get my confidence back after my health issue.

And that's Maricela Flores from Pixie and the Moon.

She sells incredible vintage Western wear.

And so I, I would go out there to Round Top to help her a lot.

And one day I had this scarf on, and she.

And I stand up and I walking in front of her, and I turn around and she goes, oh, my God.

Where did you get that?

And I was like, oh, I took it in Nevada.

It's one of my photographs.

And she's like.

And we look at each other, and I'm like, I should do more of this.

And that's really kind of how it came into me, that it was just kind of a brains, not a brainstorm at the moment, but it's like a realization.

It's like, oh, my God, these are beautiful.

And so that's kind of how it started.

I, I, I think the next, over the next couple of months, I designed from my images probably 40 rectangular scarves and started building a logo and a style and, and selling them to friends and getting into some boutiques and.

And then I started my first trade show a year ago.

Was my first WESA trade show.

Yes.

Wow.

You know, I have to say, Claire, in every moment of your story, I can.

I mean, the, the heartstrings and the emotion are there even from you coming back after, you know, your health issues and coming back in the true cowgirl fashion of grit and grace and, oh, my gosh.

And you're gonna make me.

I, I was just hearing you speak about it because, you know, there's a lot of people, like you mentioned, there's a lot of people in the industry, but there's very few that stand out.

And the Claire Porter photography definitely does that.

And I'm so excited to see the impact that, you know, your next journey with the scarves are going to be with ladies actually getting to make your photography a part of their wardrobe and share the story.

I'm a Western fashion influencer myself, and so when I'm going and picking out pieces in my closet or my drawers, you know, I'm looking for pieces that, again, capture who's seeing it and really unfold a story.

So I'm excited to see these Scarves come into action.

And you spoke about 40 different new ones coming.

Oh no, that was my original, that was my original group of, of rectangular scarves.

So I have those 40 designs and maybe it's 45 or 50 at this point.

And, and then just recently I, I designed some wild rags, some squares, which I had to figure out how to do on the computer.

Yes.

Now tell me, how are you, how are you selecting those images to become scarves?

Well, a lot of it depends on the proportion of the image and how well it will fit onto the rectangular scarf, which is where I started.

And, and I also look at where the action is on the scarf in relation to how you might style it.

And you know, the scarf, even though it's a huge trend today and it's worn all over your body in all sorts of wonderful ways, it's often underestimated and, but it's really a fashion anchor and it's the final touch of your attire.

And you know, these scarves of mine are wearable canvases and they really transcend seasons and cultures and trends.

They truly do.

So I'm very, very excited about them.

I mean, even your scarves hold your scent and memory and move.

They're very graceful.

So there's a lot of movement with them too.

Yes.

You know, with the creativity of wild rags and scars.

Right now, just like you said, people are wearing them not only around their neck, but as belts and on their purses.

And something I've even kind of dabbled with a little bit is laying out a scarf like, almost like a table runner.

And people now are even framing their scarves.

Absolutely.

All art.

Yes.

But I'm on the website again and I'm looking at the photography.

I can obviously see the scarves here.

But tell me how people can get your photography in their homes.

I think you can purchase your, your prints on canvas acrylic.

Tell me kind of what the process is like for one to purchase.

Well, you can contact me directly and I do a lot of custom ordering because I can only provide so many options on my website.

And I do have a full Shopify store set up on my website for both my images and the scarves that I offer.

And, and at this point I have, I steadily offer the higher end surface matte acrylic and then I do also the canvas wrap and then I do a fine art print, framed or unframed, depending on, you know, what the buyer wants.

And so it's very, very user friendly.

You can get there directly from my Instagram page and I Love the idea of the customizations.

And also I see that you kind of have a few limited edition prints.

Tell me about those.

Well, I, I think my whole collection falls under the category of limited edition prints.

1 of 20 or 1 of 25.

And kind of closing us out.

What, what would you like, you know, in while people carry your scarves, you know, what emotional and sensory stories are you hoping that, that people carry with them when wearing your scarf?

That's a big question.

What do I hope you know, love?

I, I, you know, a connection to the horses and, and you know, you don't.

You can wear one of my scarves and not be a horse girl.

They fashion at black tie events and you know, casual events and beach wear.

And I've definitely worn my scarves as beach cover ups.

I, I took one scarf to a wedding in Puerto Vallarta.

1.

It's the Poseidon image and I literally wore that every day in a different manner.

One day I walked out with it wrapped around my waist with a bathing suit on and everybody was like, oh my God, you can wear that for everything.

So, you know, I mean, the, my scarves, the fabric is incredibly soft.

They're very thin.

I think people are very drawn to the quality of the fabrics that I've chosen and certainly they're very drawn to the photographic representation and printing of the scarves.

The quality of the print on, on these scarves is I always get people coming in go, how did you get them printed so clearly with so much detail?

And that's my trade secret.

But so I just think that they are, you know, wrapped in warmth.

They wrap you in, in the emotion that I carry when I create the image and people really feel so.

Yes.

Well, Claire, I am so, so grateful that you were on today and it was phenomenal to hear your story.

I look forward to hopefully purchasing some art for my new home as well.

Oo, goody.

Yes.

Now tell us where people can shop with you.

What social media channels are you on?

My main social media channel is Claire Porter photography at Instagram.

And, and I do have a Facebook page.

It's less prominent.

I certainly have worked on my Instagram account more than my Facebook account and those are the two places.

Wonderful.

Other than other than going to my website, which is clairporterphotography.com yes.

Yes, all of it's definitely have that.

All of it's named the same thing.

Claire Porter Photography.

Well, amazing.

Thank you so much, Claire for being on Wisdom by Wesa today and we look forward to having you next time.

Time.

Thanks McMorgan.

I had fun.

Fascinating stuff.

I'm excited about going on.

I I also love the collections.

You me mentioned the collection section of Claire's website.

That's my favorite section.

And links for today's show are on the episode Show Notes and you just go to wisdombywsa.com and you could subscribe to the WESA podcast on your favorite podcast player like Apple Music, Spotify, or whichever one you use, and you're going to be able to keep up with all the things going on in the equine industry.

The Wisdom by Westa show will be published on the 15th and 30th of every month, so you can join us twice a month at Westa, where the industry meets.