I’m originally from a tiny town nestled in the heart of the Catskills in Upstate, New York called Roscoe, NY - a favorite among the fly fishers. As for me, I found myself chasing ponies during the bulk of my childhood. I like to say from the time I was conceived, my obsession with horses was a growing addiction. Watching Francis Ford Coppola’s popular 1979 film The Black Stallion was one factor to blame. The bond that Alec had with the seemingly untameable “Black” set pure magic and fire to my young soul. I believe we (horse lovers) will forever have a piece of our hearts buried in the sands of that beautiful Santorini island. But of course, there were others (popular horse flicks) that influenced me as a young girl too. By age 9, I began taking riding seriously with weekly lessons and showed at small local shows near home. It wasn’t long before horse ownership became a reality for me during my teen years and I cherish the memories of long hacks through hayfields and woodsy trails at my family’s farm. 

I went on to pursue my MS/BS degree from Ithaca College for Occupational Therapy and proudly rode with the IC Equestrian Team during that time. Riding did not stop once my professional career began, as horses very much remained a relevant part of my life. Patient treatments completed in the morning and horses in the evenings and weekends- story of my double life. I couldn’t help but to take notice of the horse world taking a huge shift on social media platforms. The attraction towards videography geared towards equestrian lifestyle and competition grew and it wasn’t long before I purchased my own vlogging camera to create my own small projects. That little camera followed me everywhere, helping me tell the stories of fellow equestrians and how they train at home.

I eventually made the big decision to move from New York to Florida in pursuit of expanding my interests in media creation with horses and riders, while continuing my work in occupational therapy. Through this, I’ve connected with so many amazing horse men and women in the industry, which only fueled my passion for immersing myself even deeper into the horse world- so I created Courtney Banks Photography in 2024. To me, there is nothing more special and fascinating than the story that brings horses and people together.

ADDITIONAL FUN FACTS: I love paddle boarding, skiing, mountain biking, cooking, and being a homebody while snuggling with my two pugs Molly & Mabel