Donna Todd – Award-Winning Equestrian Photographer in Victoria

At Goddess & Horse, Donna Todd crafts soulful equine portraits across Australia.
Her journey spans photojournalism, fine-art portraiture, international exhibitions and publications. Her work has earned more than 200 global awards.
Today, she channels that expertise into equine portraiture — capturing the quiet, powerful bond between horse and rider, wherever her clients may be.

Donna lives on a peaceful property near Kyneton, surrounded by the animals she loves. Her longtime horse, Indi, is both muse and companion.

This daily immersion in equine life gives her the empathy and intuition to create portraits that are as authentic as they are artful.

Based in Victoria but serving clients across Australia, Goddess & Horse offers sessions on clients’ properties or preferred locations nationwide. Donna travels to capture your heart horse — wherever you are.

Style & What to Expect

Booking with Goddess & Horse is a creative and relaxed portrait experience.
Donna guides you through styling, location selection, and natural light to help you connect effortlessly with your horse.

Beyond Photos — Creating Heirlooms
Your experience doesn’t end when the camera is packed away.
Donna helps you select your favourite images and transforms them into museum-quality art — custom frames, fine-art albums, or striking storyboards — heirlooms that honour your heart horse for generations to come.

If this feels like the legacy your bond deserves, Donna would be honoured to create it with you.

Enquire now to discuss your session, availability, and preferred location.

Don’t let time slip away — book your photoshoot today.

The Story Behind the Lens

Photojournalist · Fine-Art Equestrian Artist and Founder of Goddess & Horse

Donna Todd is an internationally awarded Australian photographer whose career began in newspapers, covering hard news, sport, documentary and humanitarian stories. Later in her career, Donna was represented by News agency Light Mediation (France), where her humanitarian and cultural photojournalism was widely circulated across European publications and throughout the world. Her global documentary practice has taken her through Mongolia, China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala, Tibet, Southeast Asia, Europe, England, and the USA.

Her long-form project The Reindeer People, was published internationally, featured by Tufts University (USA) in academic articles and visual anthropology pieces, and showcased globally on LensCulture and many magazines, books and exhibitions. Her documentary work includes:

• Mongolian shamans which was exhibited at the National museum of Mongolia.

• Tsaatan reindeer herders • Tibetan communities • Kolkata street-medicine teams • Cambodian village life • Tribal culture in Papua New Guinea • Andean communities in Peru, Bolivia & Guatemala • Rural traditions across China, Vietnam, Thailand & Indonesia.

During her time in the United States, Donna worked in Hollywood as an official photographer for Zuri Model & Talent Agency, creating cinematic portfolios and editorial imagery for actors, models, and performers. She was also featured by PortraitPhotoAwards (Los Angeles) for her portrait excellence.

Throughout her career, Donna has received over 200 international and national photography awards, including first prizes from the Santa Fe Center for Photography, International Photography Awards, AIPP Photojournalist of the Year (Victoria), and the International Photo Library. She has been a finalist in the Archibald Australian Photographic Portrait Prize, and honoured across documentary, portraiture, black & white, humanitarian and fine-art categories.

Today, Donna is the founder and lead artist of Goddess & Horse, one of Australia’s leading fine-art equestrian studios. Her portraits of women and their horses are celebrated for their cinematic natural light, emotional clarity, and evocative storytelling.

PRESS & AWARDS Major Awards — First Prizes

• Santa Fe Center for Photography — The Singular Image (First Prize)

• International Photography Awards (First Prize)

• AIPP Victoria — Photojournalist of the Year (First Prize)

• International Photo Library — Photo of the Year

• Commonwealth Broadcasting International Photographic Award — First Prize

• World Health Authority — Images of Health & Disability — First Prize + Honourable Mention Significant Honours & Distinctions

• Archibald Australian Photographic Portrait Prize — Finalist

• National Geographic People’s Choice — Honourable Mention

• Black & White Spider Awards — Second Place + multiple Nominations

• International Color Awards — Nominations in Fine Art & People

• AIPP Awards — 6 Gold Awards, 23 Silver with Distinction, 22 Silver Awards

• PortraitPhotoAwards (Los Angeles) — Featured Photographer International Publications & Features

• Tufts University (USA) — multiple academic and visual anthropology publications featuring The Reindeer People

• LensCulture — featured project

• European editorial publications via Light Mediation (France)

• Cultural, humanitarian & academic articles across Asia and Europe

• Newspaper & magazine features from early press career

• Hollywood portfolios for Zuri Model & Talent Agency,

Her work was showcased at EQUITANA Melbourne 2024.

USA DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS TIMELINE

Nomads of the Taiga — The Reindeer People (Mongolia) A deeply immersive project photographing the Tsaatan reindeer herders. Published extensively through publications in Europe and the USA, featured by Tufts University, and exhibited internationally through LensCulture.

Shamans of Mongolia -A major body of work documenting Mongolian shamans, capturing rituals and ancestral traditions.

China — Rural Life, Tradition & Change Documenting rural communities, artisans, elders, and shifting cultural landscapes.

India — Street Medicine & Humanitarian Stories Award-winning documentary series following medical volunteers in Kolkata.

Vietnam — Markets, Rivers & Culture A cultural portrait of Vietnamese life.

Cambodia — Families, Recovery & Resilience Documenting everyday life in rural Cambodia.

Papua New Guinea — Tribal Identity & Culture Intimate portraits of PNG’s cultural diversity.

Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala — Andean & Mayan Worlds Environmental portraits and cultural stories across Central & South America.

Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia — Island Traditions Essays on island life and cultural traditions in Southeast Asia.

Europe — Culture & Environmental Portraiture Images circulated through European publications via Light Mediation.

United States — Documentary & Hollywood Work Documentary work across several states and editorial portfolios for Zuri Model & Talent Agency.