Vavra...to legions of horse lovers, the name conjures visions of flowing manes bathed in the glow of a setting sun, of flaring nostrils and fiery eyes, of horses frolicking, leaping, galloping or just standing there. Dignified, in a lovely field of flowers. Robert Vavra and his camera have spent the better part of three decades circling the globe, bringing to life the archetypal horse, the creature of myths and legend. Along the way, Vavra has emerged as an icon in his own right. He is to horses what Annie Leibowitz and Richard Avedon are to the rich and famous. His photographs flatter, cajole, surprise and inspire. Vavra takes horses and turns them into that rarest form of art - the kind that sells in six figures....His books have sold more than 3 million copies - not bad for any photographer, unheard-of for a purveyor of expensive coffee-table volumes amid a relatively small niche. And then there are the lucrative commissions he has garnered over the years. When Delacorte Press needs a cover shot for Nicholas Evans' The Horse Whisperer, when Max Factor, Renault, White Horse Whiskey, Jordache, The Franklin Mint, or Revlon needs an artsy horse image for an ad promotion. When the Russian Republics want two dozen images for postage stamps, or Robert Redford needs a creative advisor for his horse film or Disney needs an equine image for their movie posters, print ads and billboards, their first choice - their only choice - is Vavra.
-- Jack Moore, Equus Magazine