Maureen Armstrong Photography – Wild Horse Photographer
Maureen Armstrong is a wild horse photographer whose work is rooted in movement, emotion, and storytelling. Her background photographing Division I football and professional sports sharpened her instinct for capturing powerful, fast-moving moments.
Today, she travels throughout the American West documenting the strength, beauty, and remarkable family bonds of America’s wild horses while advocating for their protection. Through every chapter and more than 15 years behind the camera, her BLACKRAPID strap has always been by her side.
Do You Have a Good Photography Tip For Us?
I feel like with photography, if you see something take the photo, don’t hesitate. Most times you don’t get a second chance if you’re shooting fast paced or even a sweet tender moment, you have a few seconds to capture it.
Caught in a Wild Horse Stampede ~ Lucky to be alive
While searching for wild horses in Salt Wells, Wyoming, I spotted a large herd standing on top of a butte at least half a mile away. From that distance, they looked like tiny black silhouettes against the sky.
I got out of the truck and walked farther onto the range to photograph a family band in the opposite direction. My back was toward the distant herd, and I was completely focused on the horses along a nearby ridge when I suddenly heard my husband, yell my name. He was urgently waving his arms and pointing behind me.
I turned around, looked through my viewfinder with my 500mm lens and realized the entire herd was charging down the butte at full speed. They were running, bucking and stampeding straight toward me. I was on the open range with nothing but sage grass, no trees, no barriers to protect me.
At that same moment, I realized how far I had walked from the truck. There was no way I could make it back in time. I was using my phone for video as well, and you can hear the exact second it hit me: “Oh [expletive], Eddy!”
Survival instinct took over. I dropped my camera and backpack so I could move freely. I began jumping, screaming and waving my arms as widely as possible, hoping I could somehow make them change direction. But they kept coming.
When they were only yards away, the horses suddenly shifted to the right and thundered between me and the truck. The ground shook beneath them. Dust filled the air, and the sound of their pounding hooves and whinnies was like thunder. There was so much wild energy and power surrounding me, and then, as quickly as they had come, they were gone.
I walked back toward the truck shaking, trying to catch my breath, with adrenaline still pulsing through my entire body. I truly felt lucky to be alive.
We tracked the horses and eventually found nearly100 wild horses, each family band staying close within the larger herd, which they do for protection. This seemed like the place where they bed down for the night together. Once they settled down, I captured some incredible photographs, but the full stampede lives mostly in a few cellphone clips and in a memory I will never forget.
That experience reminded me that when you are photographing wildlife, anything can happen, and it can happen incredibly fast. Stay aware of everything around you, know where your safest place is, and never become so focused on what is inside your viewfinder that you forget what might be coming from behind you.
What’s In Your Bag?
- For wild horse photography, I carry a Nikon Z8 with a 500mm f/5.6 and 70–200mm f/2.8 lens, attached to my BLACKRAPID strap.
- My backpack also holds extra SanDisk memory cards, batteries, lens caps, and a microfiber cloth.
- During my sports photography years, my setup included two Nikon bodies D4S with 400mm 2.8, 70–200mm 2.8, and 14–24mm f/2.8 lenses, BLACKRAPID Dual Harness.
- Back at base camp, I download everything to my MacBook Pro using Photo Mechanic, then edit in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Follow Maureen Armstrong
- Instagram – instagram.com/maureenarmstrongphotography
- Website – staywildwallart.com
BLACKRAPID Spotlight: Margo Reed
