Bernice Ende is a pretty fascinating woman.  At 58, she is famous for riding long distances with her horses Spirit, Essie Pearl, and Heart as well as her dog Claire.  Ende has ridden 18,500 miles on horseback and is planning another 1000 mile short ride in the coming months.  Her retirement makes me look lazy.

I had the pleasure of meeting her at a ranch here in Montana while shooting her for AARP Bulletin.  Talk about a unique assignment.  It can be tough shooting people, let alone a person with three horses and a dog.  We had a blast and Bernice was really a great sport for going in circles with her gang of animal friends while my assistant and I worked to get just the right shot.  We made quick work of it before a looming snowstorm rolled into the valley.

Assignments like this one reaffirm to me why I became a photographer.  When else would I have the opportunity or reason to talk with someone like Bernice?  Her story and her presence was unique and I’m glad we were able to share some time together.  She had wise advice and I’m happy to say I could spend worthwhile time listening to what she had to say.

Thanks to AARP for a great assignment and for being so wonderful to work with.