Photographers Dennis Welsh, Holly Haywood and Jason Harris at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals horse refuge in Windham in early August. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

WINDHAM — Photographer Dennis Welsh is drawn to images of vulnerability.

He’s spent time on the Texas border with Mexico, photographing families waiting to legally enter the U.S. He says he saw and photographed people “full of grace, humility and patience.”

So when he was asked to participate in a fundraising photo project for the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals’ horse farm in Windham, he felt compelled to accept. As soon as he set foot on the 124-acre farm and saw the horses, some visibly still suffering from the effects of neglect or abuse, he knew he had to be a part of it.

“What does it say about us if we can’t take care of those in need, people or animals, those who are most vulnerable?” said Welsh, 59, while standing outside a barn at the farm. “That’s why I came here to do this.”

Welsh is one of the 25 photographers who were invited to come to the farm over the past year – some came several times – to take photos of the horses, barns, pastures or whatever caught their eye. Each will donate photos to be auctioned off at a fundraising event at the farm for the nonprofit on Sept. 8.

Photographer Dennis Welsh waited for a fresh snowfall to capture this photo in January. Photo by Dennis Welsh

One photo Welsh is submitting to the auction was taken just after a snowfall this winter, which he had waited for. It’s a dramatic black-and-white photo of a prancing brown horse off in the distance, against a backdrop of solid white snow, gray sky and a few puffy clouds. Other photos show close-ups of horses or wide shots of the barns and pastures.

The Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals is a nonprofit, licensed animal shelter that cares for horses seized by Maine law enforcement officials because of abuse or neglect or surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. The organization’s staff and volunteers work to rehabilitate the horses and get them adopted. The society was founded in 1872 to protect horses who pulled Portland’s streetcars and fire engines.

The farm usually cares for 30 to 35 horses at a time but has capacity for 80 or more. Veterinary care, medicine, food and other costs to run the farm are paid for by donations and fundraisers, like this one, said Peg Keyser, advancement director for the society.

Keyser, who had previously worked as a TV reporter for News Center Maine, said she got the idea for a photo fundraiser from Paint For Preservation, an annual fundraiser for the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust. Artists are invited to paint outdoor spots around town, then those paintings are auctioned off.

“I’ve always thought that was a brilliant idea, so I copied them,” said Keyser.

Lady, a 23-year-old horse that has been at the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals for two years, grazes in a field at the farm in Windham. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Some of the horses on the farm are still recovering from illness or malnourishment. Others have recovered their health and vibrancy over time. One horse available for adoption this month, 9-year-old Penelope, came to the farm with severe gastrointestinal issues. But now the white-and-leopard-spotted pony is “healthy, adorable and gorgeous,” said Keyser.

Others, surrendered by owners who can’t afford to care for them, are often in better shape. The horses on the farm range from race horses and working draft horses to ponies and companion animals, Keyser said.

Keyser invited more than 25 photographers, including professionals who have their own photo businesses or who work for companies or organizations, as well as amateurs with an interest in animals. Welsh, of Yarmouth, runs his own photography business, with a focus on tourism and a variety of clients, including the Maine Department of Agriculture and New Hampshire Tourism.

Jason Harris, 52, of Newfield, had done business with the farm through his job as a sales representative for Blue Seal Feeds. He’s also an avid photographer and raises turkeys. When he started coming out to the farm in the spring to look for photo opportunities, he was struck by the horses’ behaviors and seemingly carefree attitude, especially knowing some had previously been neglected or kept in small spaces with no room to roam.

“I just looked at these horses and thought they felt free; this is what freedom is to them,” said Harris, standing in one of the barns and looking out on a pasture. “Now they have this large pasture to go grazing.”

One of the photos Harris submitted was over a large and bright full moon over the farm’s barns. Another he took was of two horses – one inside the barn and one outside – who could see each other. They seemed to be “bantering,” nodding their heads up and down and whinnying.

Jason Harris, an amateur photographer and turkey farmer from Newfield, took this photo of the moon over the barns at the MSSPA horse refuge in Windham. Photo by Jason Harris

Holly Haywood of South Portland, 70, is an adjunct professor of photography at the University of New England who also works for the college’s marketing and communications department as a photographer. Haywood grew up near horses and lived on a ranch out west for a time. On an assignment for UNE in Iceland, she photographed horses there. So when Keyser reached out to her about this project, she quickly said yes.

On one of her first visits to the farm, Haywood said, she was struck by all the volunteers needed to run the place and how much care they put into what they did and how they treated the horses. That became a part of how she viewed her job there as a photographer.

“It just gave me a different way of looking at things here. People here are putting so much care into what they do, and I need to respect and reciprocate that,” said Haywood. “It’s like my work with university, when I photograph students, I need to honor what they’re doing.”

One of the photos Haywood took is a very tight black-and-white image of a horse’s face, half covered by shadows. Another was of golden light seeping into the barn on a later afternoon in winter.

Holly Haywood, who teaches photography at the University of New England, took this photo while spending time at the MSSPA horse refuge this past year. Photo by Holly Haywood

Other photographers who will be participating in the auction, with photos they took at the farm, include Dick Sawyer, president of the Portland Camera Club, which celebrated its 125th anniversary this year, and Gregory Rec of the Portland Press Herald, who took photos for this story.

The silent auction event is called Focus on the Farm: Horses, Healing and Hope and is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sept. 8. The event will be held in an indoor arena built in 2018, used for clinics and demonstrations, but guests will be invited to stroll around the grounds as well.

The $50 ticket covers admission, one drink at the bar and appetizers. Dress is billed as “barn chore formal,” and sturdy footwear is recommended. Keyser expects 50 or more photographs to be up for auction.

Keyser thinks the event will not only raise money, but also raise awareness of what goes on at the farm through the images captured by the photographers.

“We have horses that come in such terrible shape, it can make you weep. And we have horses who have been rehabilitated and are equisitely beautiful, happy and healthy,” said Keyser. “So the idea was to invite photographers to capture the work that happens here.”

Jason Harris, Dennis Welsh and Holly Haywood, left to right, will have photos in the September fundraising auction. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer