ABOUT ME
My name is Alaina Hower, a Bay Area native and lifelong equestrian. I have an affinity for the furry and four-legged, adventure travel, Genovian pears, trail running among the redwoods, stories involving dragons, and consuming inadvisable quantities of sushi and holiday delicacies (not together, that would be weird).
Horses have been in my life for as long as I can remember. When I was little, we'd spend holidays in the Santa Cruz mountains at my aunt's home, where her three horses tolerated my obsession with them. Aris, the gentlest and kindest of the bunch, allowed me to groom him for hours and hop on bareback with just a halter and lead rope. I embodied the horse-girl stereotype, unashamed and blissful. I spent my young life riding and eventing before college and adult responsibilities beckoned.
I've spent the last decade honing my skills as an artist, first as a matte painter down in Hollywood and later as a UX designer for a biotech company in Silicon Valley. I picked up photography in 2011 as a creative outlet and quickly fell in love with the medium; this art form would take me far and wide, introduce me to fascinating people, and allow me to capture my own life with incredible clarity. When I realized I could pair this love of capturing light with horses, it was a no-brainer.
My lifelong appreciation for these amazing creatures, years of technical training, and love of capturing moments of connection have culminated into who I am today; still a horse girl, just with an arsenal of equipment and a knack for chasing light.
Aris, the saintly horse that started it all. My poor parents had no idea that, by letting me sit on him, they were in for a lifetime of horsiness.
Loki, my little curmudgeon. Enjoys long walks on the beach, salmon, cuddling, and rolling in dead things.
Stormy, my last eventing partner before leaving the competition world in 2009. He was a joy to jump!