John Stephen Hockensmith is one of the premier equine photographers in the United States.  Born in 1954 in Cynthiana, Kentucky, Hockensmith took up photography at an early age and later studied art and photography at nearby Georgetown College. He began his professional career in 1975, working for the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a photographer and four years later, started the independent photography business in Georgetown known today as Fine Art Editions Gallery & Press.

Hockensmith has worked as a photographer for the Kentucky State Government, Georgetown College, Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and Al Khayal Magazine. Corporate clients include Toyota, Lexmark, The Kentucky Horse Park, and Universal Studios.

Hockensmith’s principal exhibitions include: ‘Put this Moment Here’ (1986) at the Headley-Whitney Museum, ‘Rare Breeds: From Figurative to Abstract’ (2004) and ‘Gypsy Horses and the Travelers’ Way’ (2006) at The Kentucky Horse Park International Museum of the Horse, Lexington, and ‘Spanish Mustangs in the Great American West’ (2009), a large format exhibition accompanying his book release filling all three galleries of the Headley-Whitney Museum.