23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Family portrait

Along the Calvana ridge, one of Italy’s last wild herds gathers as if posing. Their mix of curiosity, pride and natural elegance reveals the beauty, strength and playfulness often overlooked in horses, overshadowed by human ideas of dominance and control.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2024
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Calenzano, Italy
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © michele sbardella