Fine Art Fine Artist
Lynne Pomeranz
By Rhonda Hart Poe
All Photographs © Lynne Pomeranz

At once subtle and extreme, the desert
embodies contradiction. It is a place
where you are never truly alone, but
where loneliness can consume your
thoughts. Here life persists - even
thrives - against crushing opposition,
yet is invisible to the casual observer.
Across its expanse, the night sky
stretches deeper and darker, but the
stars shine all the brighter. It is a
place where light changes everything
it touches, and touches everything.
And to Lynne Pomeranz, an artist
whose life and work reflect much the
same contrasts, the desert is more than
a place to call home. It is her muse,
her inspiration and her center.

Though the New England accent in her voice belies her origins elsewhere, Lynne Pomeranz is as much a natural born desert dweller as the wild horses she photographs here.

Prior to settling in New Mexico, she traveled extensively and completed various photography workshops to fine-tune her craft. She began her career as a fine art photographer in Portland, Maine, in 1979, which eventually melded with her passion for horses. Today she is one of those best-kept secrets, whose images touch the heart like few others.

Finding the Gift
LYNNE’S GIFT IS IN FEELING THE moment and translating it to a medium that preserves it against time. The contrast of a foal affectionately nuzzling its dam against the unforgiving, wild, desert background evokes the strength and gentleness of motherhood against the harshness of the world. The watchfulness of white horses nearly hidden in creekside rushes, suddenly reminds us that we are noticed more often than we realize. The battle between stallions engaged in combat that could alter - or end - their lives in an instant, jolts us to the reality that life on the range is brutal, and oh, so fragile. Lynne states it plainly, “To be a photographer is to be reminded daily of how precious and fleeting a moment can be.”

Years as a portrait photographer helped Lynne develop a knack for finding, and expressing, the unexpected from subjects, ranging from landscapes to weather-worn objects to horses. “Constantly, I strive to uncover small secrets,” she explains. New Mexico, Lynne’s home since 1989, has proven fertile ground for both the images it offers up and for developing Lynne’s insight into expressing them.

Lynne is not one to separate herself from her work, every image reflects her gut instinct for the story it tells. She never rushes or forces a photo, but is known for waiting for that special moment to occur, even if it means wandering throughout a herd of ranch horses for hours, or meandering for days near bands of wild mustangs just to get close enough for that perfect shot.

Horses became the central theme for Lynne’s work for a variety of reasons. They have always been in her life, from her early days showing hunters and working in the Thoroughbred industry, to becoming certified as an equine sports massage therapist in 1996. But it has always been the form and beauty of the horse that demands her attention. Still, Lynne attributes a specific turning point to her desert-defined focus, she fell for a pretty face and a great body.

The Road to Here
TEQUES SNICKERS, A QUARTER HORSE gelding, caught her artist’s eye and she soon found herself the proud owner of a horse infamous for his cantankerous nature.

Wanting to know as much about her horse as possible, Lynne tracked down the ranch where he was born. It was there a transformation took place. “The ranch life, horse’s living like horses were meant to live, free on the open range,” she says, “these were the images that really spoke to me.” Lynne found Snickers an ideal subject for her work, and today he is literally a working partner in her photography business. “Snick was instrumental in starting the whole thing,” Lynne says, regarding her focus on New Mexico’s ranches and horses. His haunting portrait Night Warrior is available as fine art silver prints and as Giclee prints, and proceeds of “Snick’s money” go to supporting the now happily rehabilitated horse.

Gaited horses became a part of Lynne’s repertoire when she was hired to photograph the

Lynne’s gift is in feeling the moment and translating it to a medium that preserves it against time.

Icelandic Horses of Brenda Murray, of Windridge Icelandics, of Edgewood, NM. One photo from that “shoot” became her first national magazine cover (TGH, Winter 2001). This led to other shoots at gaited horse ranches, including La Estancia Alegre in Alcalde, NM, where she was captivated by the elegant and fiery Peruvian Paso stallion, *LEA CONQUISTADOR. “He just floats,” Lynne says, “that was the most challenging thing to catch in a photo, that flowing movement.” She has also photographed Tiger horses and Mountain Horses.

Feeding the Passion
THOUGH FARM SHOOTS REMAIN AN important part of Lynne’s career, it is the fine art work that shows her true colors, because that’s where she can really get creative. “I am still passionate about the farm work, but fine art is where I can really experiment with my own ideas. Conformation shots are like a science,” she says. “The horse’s head has to be turned just right, his legs must be equidistant apart in certain poses, and the camera angle should try to mini-mize any defects.” She relishes the challenge. “It’s very satisfying,” she confides, “but the thrill of catching an unposed image is like finding something rare and hidden and sharing it with the world.”

The years of hard work are paying off. Her work has been featured on magazine covers from local publications, The New MexicoHorseman’s Directory and TheHorsemen's Voice, to a University of New Mexico book, Tony and the Cows, to three of our own covers. She has garnered awards from the New Mexico “Addy” awards and the American Horse Publications.

She has also been gratified at the purchase of several pieces by the state of New Mexico as part of their Art in Public Places program. Her work is featured and sold in galleries, museum shops and art shows from Amarillo to Sedona.

We put one gallery owner on the spot and asked him what most impacted him about Lynne’s images. “If you look at her portraits, every single animal, whether in the foreground, or far background, is looking at her. You have to realize that there is some emotional bond between the photographer and the animal to achieve that. Animals are very difficult to photo-graph, and she just has this connection,” says Bill Katzemayer, owner of the Southwest Images in Sedona, AZ. “That kind of intrinsic ability is a talent, a sincere talent.”

With her most recent series, featuring the mustangs of Mt. Taylor, New Mexico, Lynne is realizing a stronger public demand for her work. Luckily, anonymity was never a career goal for Lynne, as her days as a best-kept secret are quickly coming to an end.

For more information, to purchase prints, or to schedule a showing or your own private shoot, contact Lynne Pomeranz at (505) 897-4108 or at pomeranz@flash.net