I’m a long time horse girl and published equestrian photographer living in the beautiful Fraser Valley of BC.
I was not only captivated by horses from an early age, but born with a deep connection to equestrian lifestyle and culture – My great-great grandfather served the Habsburg empire in the Austro-Hungarian army as a cavalry officer with enormous bravour, or in Austrian military parlance: a combination of initiative and courage. My maternal great grandfather was a skilled and lifelong horseman who passed his love of equines on to my grandmother. She in turn worked her farm in Sudetenland with a team of beloved draft horses until she inevitably had to relinquish them to the war effort. After immigrating to Vancouver, BC in the late seventies, she would eventually pass her enduring passion on to me through her stories and picture books with colorful illustrations. I was four by the time I knew that horses were the animal for me.
Just before I turned seven years old, we moved to Langley – the unofficial horse capital of BC. By this point I’d already discovered the magic of photography when I was gifted a small film camera a year earlier. I was immediately hooked; I rarely put it down and drove everyone crazy with my constant picture-taking.
When I was eight I started horseback riding lessons in Glen Valley, and soon decided that I wanted to become an equine veterinarian. For years I would memorize every property that had horses, and endeavour to ask the owners if I could ride them and/or take photos of them. When I wasn’t doing that, I was saving my allowance for my future horse, plastering my bedroom walls with horse posters, and reading any horsey book I could get my hands on. I finally saved up enough money and bought my first horse at age 13.
I was still in high school when I got my first job; weekends mucking stalls and feeding horses for Dianne Tidball at the then, new, 72nd avenue site. Luckily, around this time I realised that I preferred animals’ outsides to their insides, and that vet school wasn’t for me.
After graduation I moved back to Vancouver and pursued other interests, but horses were never far from my mind. I was still taking photos regularly, but it wasn’t until 2015 that I decided that I wanted a career in photography. Less than a year later I was accepted into the full-time Professional Photography Program at Langara College.
Even though I was always told that art was a hobby and not a career, in late 2017 I made the decision to specialize in equestrian photography. After completing two practicums as part of my studies, I graduated in 2018 and established my business, Birgit Berghofer – Equine Images.
With my photography I hope to share my passion for horses and equestrian sport through diverse content and a well-rounded portrayal of equestrian life. My emphasis is on capturing the beauty and grace of horses, as well as the bond between horses and their humans.
I hope to leave you with photos that reflect a sense of community, a shared enthusiasm for equestrian pursuits, and a heartfelt connection to the equestrian world.
