Artist Journal Entry:
"Growing up just thirty minutes north of Palm Springs, I knew at some point in my photographic career I wanted to create something that honored the laid-back lifestyle surrounding this southern California paradise. Palm Springs is a place where most of us have either vacationed ourselves or have at least heard of its charm. The year-round sun, stylish mid-century modern aesthetic, relaxing energy, and laid-back lifestyle with a touch of glamour. It was a place I would always escape to for a local staycation or just an afternoon to unwind. I even lived there in my early twenties for a couple of years. Palm Springs was very well known for hosting celebrities and famous icons such as Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Dinah Shore, Lucille Ball, and Dean Martin, to name a few. Nicknamed "Hollywood's Playground," it became a destination that represented class, tranquility, and luxury and flourished at its highest between the 1940s-1970s.

After meeting Tad Griffith, who runs a production company in Los Angeles, we spent months on the phone working out this concept. Tad was widely considered the greatest trick rider in the world in his prime and has performed in and/or directed over 30,000 live shows. He made his way to Hollywood after doubling Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro. He has worked on movies and television series like Spider-Man 3, Iron Man, Mad Max, 300, John Wick 3, Fast & Furious, Jumanji, and 1883. When I brought up the idea of having a horse swimming in a backyard pool in Palm Springs with LA-based models and a full-time working cowboy from Arizona, I was met with excitement and curiosity on the other end of the phone. Tad had the perfect horse in mind, who had been trained to swim in pools for other productions. The horse in this photo is named Batman and spends every week swimming and training for projects like this. Typically, I would never put a normal-sized quarter horse in a pool like this without knowing for sure that the animal would be unharmed and remain safe throughout the entire process. Tad's team had to build custom stairs to accommodate not only Batman's weight but also the pool design. Safety was the number one priority for this concept, and no shortcuts were taken. It took us nearly three hours just to get everything in place before we could even bring Batman into the pool. Once he was in and was adjusted to this environment, we only had a few attempts to capture this image. Batman gave us three laps back and forth with the help of Tad and another trainer assisting him before we ended our shoot. I captured only four frames on my film camera, ultimately deciding on this final image as the perfect composition that matched what was conceptually drafted up in my mind prior. The grin on Batman's face elevates this image so much and brings a sense of playfulness to an unordinary concept. The vision for "Playful In Paradise" is meant to showcase my love for Palm Springs and the desert I grew up in but also my admiration for the Western lifestyle and modern-day cowboy. A photograph that blends the two and provides a contrast between mid-century luxury and Western culture. This wasn't an easy production, but I am so thankful for those who helped me bring it to life."