Before I could even walk, my mom would carry me around the barn while she tended to the horses. I began riding at age five and the barn quickly became my favorite place to be; it was and always has been my home away from home. I began competing in local hunter/jumper shows at 11 and was fortunate enough to own and show two beautiful horses. My dedication to my craft inspired me to join 4-H. I formed a local 4-H group for my barn and spent three years as the leader of the group, which we cleverly named Hold Your Horses. The experience was very involved, always hands-on, and extremely humbling. 

 

At age 11, I picked up my mom’s camera and consistently used up all her film taking photos of our pets. Seeing the joy I received from photography, my mom and dad gifted me my first camera: the Sony CyberShot. It didn’t take long before I became the barn’s resident photographer. I spent countless hours taking and editing photos before proudly uploading them to the barn’s website. Shortly after, my mom signed me up for a summer photography class and while I dreaded being away from the barn, the skills I learned were invaluable and have stayed with me to this day. Looking back, it’s those days at the barn, covered in dirt with a camera in hand, that made the biggest impact on my life’s trajectory.

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Today, I am extremely blessed to continue living a life surrounded by horses and the wonderful equine community. I devote lunch breaks, weeknights and weekends to Shannon Castaneda Photography and look forward to making it my full-time career. I recently became the owner of my very own horse and am thoroughly enjoying nurturing our connection. Watching him learn and grow is extremely rewarding, and getting to be on the other side of the lens with him by my side is a welcomed bonus. Collecting photos of me and my horse warms my heart, and I am so honored to capture those very special moments for you and yours.