Submit Your Best "Backlit" Photograph

For my Vanishing America Project's series "Untamed", I camped out with rescued wild mustangs for three days in northern California. I spent much of that time hiding in the scrub listening for the clip clop of hooves to signal the arrival of my subjects. This shot was taken early morning on the ridge above the watering hole. I picked this spot because I knew I was going to get some nice backlighting in the trees, but I didn't expect that I'd get so lucky as to get these three horses... Roan (tan), black, and white. All walking single file. The entire time I'd been there, I only saw the white horse once. And I hadn't seen the black horse before. Yet the three of them came together in what I can only call artistic serendipity. This shot wouldn't have been nearly as interesting with any other combination of horses. It's a beautiful image in color, but to me, these horses represent the midtones, shadows and highlights of black and white photography. It's still one of my favorites and one of the most popular with clients purchasing artwork. Though I have thousands of images from the project (hundreds of which are actually good), this one is also my Dad's all-time favorite. I even had it printed and framed and gave it to him as a birthday present a few years before he died.
Canon 1Ds Mark II
70-200 f/2.8 L
Custom BW processing in Photoshop