I’m a lifelong horse girl and published equestrian photographer based in the beautiful Fraser Valley of British Columbia.
I was not only captivated by horses from an early age, but born into a deep connection to the equestrian lifestyle and culture.
My great-great-grandfather served the Habsburg Empire in the Austro-Hungarian cavalry, known for what Austrian military tradition calls Bravour — a blend of initiative and courage. My maternal great-grandfather was a skilled and devoted horseman who passed his love of equines on to my grandmother. She worked her farm in the Sudetenland with a beloved team of draft horses until the war effort forced her to relinquish them.
After immigrating to Vancouver in the late 1970s, she carried that passion with her — sharing stories, picture books, and memories that quietly shaped my childhood. By four, I knew horses were it for me.
Just before my seventh birthday, we moved to Langley, the unofficial horse capital of BC. A year earlier, I was gifted a small film camera and was instantly hooked. I rarely put it down, documenting everything around me and driving everyone mildly insane in the process.
At eight years old, I started riding lessons in Glen Valley and was certain I would become an equine veterinarian. By thirteen, I had saved enough money to buy my first horse. In between, I memorized properties with horses, knocked on doors to ask if I could ride or photograph them, plastered my bedroom walls with posters, and devoured every horse book I could find.
During high school, I worked weekends for Dianne Tidball at the Tidballs’ newly established 72nd Avenue facility — the very grounds that would later become Thunderbird Show Park. Over time, I came to realize that I preferred animals’ outsides to their insides, and by the end of high school, I knew vet school wasn’t my path after all.
After graduation, I moved back to Vancouver and explored other interests, though horses were never far from my mind. I continued photographing regularly, but it wasn’t until 2015 that I made the decision to pursue photography as a career. Less than a year later, I was accepted into the full-time Professional Photography Program at Langara College.
Despite being told for years that art was “just a hobby,” I chose to specialize in equestrian photography. After completing two practicums as part of my studies, I graduated in 2018 and established my business, Birgit Berghofer – Equine Images.
Through my photography, I share my passion for horses and equestrian sport by creating meaningful, enduring images that reflect the depth and richness of equestrian life. My focus is on capturing the beauty and grace of the horse, and the bond between horses and their humans.
I hope to leave you with photographs that reflect a sense of community, a shared enthusiasm for equestrian pursuits, and a genuine, heartfelt connection to the equestrian world.
