Rustlin’ Rose Photography: Sara Thigpen

 When you look at Sara Thigpen’s photography, you can expect to feel something. Her eye for capturing unique vantage points illuminating the action of the western horse world pairs with her editing style of contrasting bright colors with shadows and darker tones for a moody, visceral effect.

 A professional photographer and the owner of eastern NC’s Rustlin’ Rose Photography, Sara has been passionate about taking pictures and interacting with horses since she was a child. 

 Growing up, she remembers her grandpa always carrying his camera around taking pictures and her mom printing some of his pictures out for their home. Her grandpa involved Sara, setting his film camera up on a tripod outside and allowing her to play with it and experience how it worked.

 She was intrigued, and as a teenager, Sara got a point-and-shoot camera that she took an online photography class with. Later, her grandparents gave her a nice camera as a graduation present.

 Around the same time, she had gotten her first horse and began experimenting with taking pictures of her horse and dogs. While her family didn’t have horses growing up, there was an older gentleman who lived nearby with a fishing pond and trail riding horses. Sara’s dad would take her “fishing” at this man’s house, which meant he would fish and she would go on a trail ride with the owner.

 Sara trail rode her horses and experimented with her camera, taking pictures of the things around her. For these formative years, photography was simply an enjoyable hobby, although, like horses, her love for it lingered.

 Sara’s family also had a tradition of going on tundra swan hunts whenever they could get a permit. During their 2020 hunt, Sara took her camera and took a few photos of a man’s German Wirehaired Pointer working in the field. She didn’t know the man but posted the photos on Facebook and someone tagged him in it. He, Chris Phillips, was so impressed with the quality of her photos that he invited her to his kennel, Briarwoods Gun Dogs in Rosewood, NC, to continue taking photos of his dog training operation–and so began her paid photography work.    

 Not long after, she took photos for the ranch rodeo at the Lazy H Ranch in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and ran into old friends Gracie and Pedro Torres, owners of Cavvietta Quarter Horse and Cattle Co., in Elm City, NC. They were having a clinic the following day with Rodolfo Lara and invited her to come take some photos.  She did, and now is their sponsored photographer and out at Cavvietta almost every weekend.

 While she still photographs gun dogs, she does the majority of her work capturing the western lifestyle and ranch horse events. From team ropings at Pleasant Farm and Fence Co. in Angier, NC, to portrait photography, business branding, ranch rodeos, ranch ropings, horse shows, etc, the list is endless. She has now left her corporate job and works full-time as a photographer, with every weeknight and weekend in August booked up.

 Sara is dedicated to staying innovative and has begun creating video reels, a special favorite of team ropers and barrel racers at events. Adaptations like video work that meet the unique desires of horseman are a testament to her understanding of the niche circles she finds herself documenting. 

 Rodeo and equestrian event photography is a very different world–she often doesn’t know what the setup will be like and never has any control over the lighting situations she is presented with. But Sara has a will and always finds a way, ensuring she stays safe and keeps herself out of competitors’ ways–and yet finds the perfect spot for amazing shots. Her position depends on the event and the lighting, but she understands the nuisances of competitors’ needs, as she has continued her horse journey herself.

 When she and her husband Austin got together 4 years ago,  they both started to learn to rope together, sold the horses they had, and bought competitive horses. Austin has focused on competing in ranch rodeos and they both participate in ranch ropings. They attend many events together, Sara with her camera strapped to her saddle taking photos until her turn to compete and then handing it over to Austin to take photos of her.

 Things have come full circle from her start with her family to now the name of her business: Rustlin’ Rose, reminiscent of her grandmother Rosemary and Sara’s middle name Rose.  

Sara is finding fulfillment in chasing her passions and continues to preserve special moments on horseback for all those who love the way of life. You can view more of her work at her website: Rustlin’ Rose Photography (shootproof.com) and will likely see her at arenas throughout NC with a smile and kind words ready to preserve your memories.