Bethany Peterson lays in the door of the stable where she boards her horses. (TCU/Bethany Peterson)
Relaxing in the stable doorway, Bethany Peterson cools off from the Texas heat. (TCU/Bethany Peterson)
Bethany Peterson poses in the doorway of the antique barn where she boards her horses. (TCU/Bethany Peterson)
Bethany Peterson picks up her saddle in preparation for a trail ride. (TCU/Bethany Peterson)
Looking out the barn doors into the pasture, Bethany Peterson checks the horse herd. (TCU/Bethany Peterson)
Self portraits require a person to split themselves in half. One half exists behind the camera: framing the shot, setting the lighting, and managing the subjects every move. The other half exists in front of the camera: taking directions, ever mindful of the camera’s sudden shutter.
Difficulties arise from the inability to see the final product before the shutter clicks and the subject moves. Each photo is not a minor adjustment from the last, but an entirely independent adventure. Cute kittens trying to knock over the tripod, following every step and climbing pant legs is just a small inconvenience beside the mental and physical riggers of remembering exactly the location, posture, angel and expression of the last frame, and the innumerable changes needed to advance to the perfect shot.
-Bethany Peterson
Cowtown Copy & Design LLC. 