My name is Shelby Ratliff, and I am a Central Florida photographer, specializing in equine photography.
Horses have always been a great love of mine. Like many passionate equestrians, I grew up riding any chance I could get. I became seriously invested in horses at the age of fourteen, when my family purchased my first Tennessee Walking Horse, Mona. She taught me many valuable lessons in life, as any horse should. Patience, hard work, passion, and persistence are characteristics of any good horseman.
Art has been another long-lasting love of mine. Throughout high-school and college I took every art class that they had to offer (Film Photography, 2-Dimensional, 3-Dimensional, Studio Art, Digital 3-D Character Modeling, Ceramics, Photoshop, and Art History). While pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, I made sure art continued being a part of my life. During my time in college, my mother gifted me my first DSLR camera. I instantly fell in love, as it helped me capture beautiful memories with my animals.
I carried this camera around the barn and to many horse shows. I captured photos of my horses, friends, and fellow competitors while traveling across the country. I combined my knowledge of composition and color from art classes with my understanding of horses and animals to create beautiful lasting images for owners and competitors. Horses and photography have been a huge part of my life and I am thrilled to combine my two passions in my sessions.
Over the years, I have upgraded all my equipment seeking the best photo quality I could achieve. Magazines started publishing some of my photos and I expanded to taking portraits as well. Being able to capture a part of someone’s life is a privilege. I want all my clients to enjoy the process from beginning to end.