Haflinger with gold leaf against a backdrop of orange heart-shaped lights

by Laura Georgi Tier- und Ladschaftsfotografie

A Haflinger is shown in profile facing right; its head and neck fill the left-hand half of the picture, with its white mane falling over its forehead and eye. A trail of real gold leaf flakes runs across its forehead and cheek, whilst its mane is adorned with a dark red rose, a dahlia and eucalyptus leaves. The background glows warmly in shades of copper and orange, interspersed with large, blurred hearts.

The hearts are not a post-production effect. Blurred points of light in the photograph take on the shape of the aperture, and when a mask with a heart-shaped cut-out is placed in front of the lens, every point of light in the background becomes a heart. What looks like image editing here is simply optics and was created directly in the camera.

This image is the warm-toned version of the gold leaf portrait and thus the perfect gift picture in the series: for Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, a birthday, or saying goodbye to a riding partner. The copper-coloured depth echoes the tone of the chestnut coat, so that the horse and the background are perceived as a single colour scheme. It is suitable for bedrooms, hallways, girls’ bedrooms and courtyard cafés.

On canvas, the hearts appear soft and the gold has a subdued quality; on acrylic glass, the background and gold leaf shine much more vividly. A gift for anyone looking for a horse picture that radiates warmth rather than austerity.

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