You may know Danielle Long as the talented photographer who takes gorgeous photographs at places like the AQHYA World Show, NSBA World Show, and Congress, but what else do you know about this talented lady? Did you know that Danielle is a true renaissance woman with talents in art as well as athletics?
Danielle is a multiple Congress Winner, AQHYA World Champion, and rode for the Auburn NCEA Equestrian Team. Originally from Alaska, she is currently living in Denver, Colorado. She spends her days growing her photography business…drawing and doing photoshoots and spending time with her cat and chickens. Danielle and her boyfriend love to go camping, and during ski season, they ski almost every week.
Danielle is also her mother, Doreen Moore’s biggest cheerleader when she competes at horse events around the United States. She currently does not have a horse of her own, but with her photography business, Attention to Detail, she loves getting to see everyone she grew up with and meeting new people competing in the show ring.
Read more about Danielle in our popular series, “10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me.”
10 Things About Me
1) My favorite animal is a chicken.
Ever since I was young, I’ve had a strange connection with them. My parents can tell you stories about them following me everywhere, even while I was riding horses. I grew up being very outdoorsy, so rather than watch TV, I would be outside playing with our chickens. When I went to college, my family moved, and we had to part with our flock. But as of recently, I have gained a lovely new flock of four hens. Their names are Maggie, Mocha, Bean, and Chickira, and they are the four most spoiled ladies you’ll ever meet.
2) I was a downhill ski racer.
When I was young, I grew up ski racing in Alaska. I would ski every weekend and usually most days after school. I competed around the US on Alyeska’s downhill ski team and even competed at the Junior Olympics. I did this up into high school, and then I also began showing horses. Eventually, I had to decide If I wanted to pursue a horse career or a skiing career. Who knows where I would be if I would have chosen skiing.
3) I am a big houseplant enthusiast.
What started as one or two plants to add some décor to my place quickly escalated to several more. I am interested in all different kinds of plants and what they need to survive best. I currently have a collection of over 100 different types of houseplants. You could say my house is a jungle.
4) I have a bachelor’s in fine arts.
I have always been interested in art. My mom says I was drawing before I was talking. When I got to college, I was nervous about pursuing an arts degree, but after talking to my family, they insisted that I follow my passion. While working towards my art degree, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to focus on, so I have a triple focus on painting, drawing, and sculpture (with wood and metal).
5) I have a Munchkin Cat.
During my sophomore year of college, I adopted a munchkin cat. Her legs are so small they make her look like she was smushed down low to the ground. For that reason, I named her pancake. She has so much personality. She is the queen of the house.
6) I’ve never taken an actual photography class.
I learned about photography by shadowing other photographers for years. I worked alongside senior portrait, wedding, and even boudoir photographers to understand and learn their techniques and styles with lighting, posing, and business management. I did try to take a photography class in college, but not very many were offered, and I could not make them work with my schedule.
7) I know nothing about golf, but I’ve been to the Masters.
While I was living in Alabama, my parents had flown in to watch the Masters in Augusta, GA. I drove over to visit them, and while I was there, a rare opportunity came when one of their friends had some traveling issues and couldn’t make it. A ticket became available, and I seized the moment.
8) I ran into LMFAO at the Burbank CA Airport. Literally.
While retrieving my checked bag after a flight, I was pulling it off the baggage carousel, and I accidentally backed into someone. Initially, all I saw was their zebra-striped pants, but then I looked up to discover that I had literally run into Redfoo from LMFAO. Naturally, I apologized, and he was very friendly. No harm was done…an amusing moment.
9) I am a Congress, World, and National Champion.
When I was a youth, I competed from Alaska and traveled everywhere to compete with my horse at the time, Big Leaguer All Star, aka “Bob.” He helped lead me to some great accomplishments. We won the Novice Horsemanship and Novice Equitation at the Congress in 2008, and then following that year, we accomplished winning an AQHYA World Championship in horsemanship. After Bob, I had several other horses with great success. Those achievements led me to a full athletic scholarship with Auburn University. While I was attending, the team became national Champions in 2013.
10) I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska.
Growing up, my family was very outdoorsy. Among many things, we loved to go camping, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and fishing, to name a few. This has become a significant part of who I am. I missed the snow when I lived in the south. It’s a big reason why I live in Colorado. I still visit my family in Alaska when I can, but now that I live in Colorado, I continue all the things I did and loved while growing up in Alaska.
