Cara Taylor Swift of Fast Horse Photography Named Best of Western Horseman Photographer for 2025

I am honored to be named Best of Western Horseman Photographer for 2025!

Being named Best of Photographers in Western Horseman’s 2025 Best of Western Horseman awards is such an incredible honor. Western Horseman announced the award on November 14, 2025, in the December 2025 issue, and to see my name included there honestly still feels a little surreal.

This one feels especially personal to me because Western Horseman was part of my life long before photography became my work. I read Western Horseman as a kid, and like so many horse girls, I looked through those pages with a lot of admiration for the western world, the horses, the people, and the stories that came with it. So to be recognized by a publication I grew up reading is not something I take lightly. It means a lot.

If you had told younger me, the girl flipping through Western Horseman, that one day I would be named their best photographer, I probably would have laughed and then immediately hoped you were psychic.

Western Horseman described this award as recognition for people whose work helps keep western life alive, and that makes this honor feel even more meaningful. My work has always been about more than creating a pretty image. I care deeply about horses, the people who love them, and the stories that deserve to be remembered.

My path into photography was not a straight line. As Western Horseman shared in their feature, I came to this work after stepping away from a career supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault while caring for my young son. Somewhere in that season, I found my way back to what had always grounded me: horses. In 2015, I officially launched Fast Horse Photography with the goal of offering something different, a full-service experience that ended not with files forgotten on a device, but with lasting artwork people could see and touch every day.

That part still matters to me just as much now as it did then.

I want the horsewoman who loves her horse like family to have more than a folder of digital images she means to print someday. I want her to have the album she can hold in her hands, the framed artwork on her wall, and the images that bring her right back to this season of life years from now. That has always been the heart of my work.

Over time, my work has grown beyond photographing clients. Western Horseman also recognized the education side of what I do, including co-authoring Equine and Equestrian Photography Poses That Sell with Betsy Bird and co-hosting the Cowgirls with Cameras podcast with Kim Beer and Phyllis Burchett. Together, we also host photography events, mentoring opportunities, and a private community built for connection, education, and growth for equine photographers.

I’m proud of that part of the journey too, because helping other photographers grow has become one of the most rewarding parts of my career. Horses opened this door for me, and being able to give back to the photography community that grew around that is something I never expected, but deeply value.

Of course, awards are lovely, but they are never built alone.

This recognition exists because of the people who have trusted me with their horses, their families, their businesses, and their stories. It exists because of the clients who invited me into meaningful chapters of their lives. It exists because of the editors, brands, and publications who saw value in my work. It exists because of the photographers and friends who encouraged me, supported me, and reminded me to keep going.

And obviously, it exists because horses have been out here being photogenic and emotionally important for years. They really did their part.

I’m deeply grateful to Western Horseman for this honor, and I do not take it for granted. To be recognized by a publication that meant something to me as a child, and still means something to me now, feels full circle in the best possible way.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Fast Horse Photography over the years. I’m so grateful you’re here, and I’m excited to keep creating meaningful work that celebrates horses, western life, and the people who love both.

Cara Taylor Swift
Fast Horse Photography