In her "heart of the race horse" photo series, Carina Maiwald explores the beauty and power of the equine form.
? Carina Maiwald
Using just her camera and the available light, Maiwald captured these photos in the winter of 2015 at a racecourse in Dortmund, Germany.
? Carina Maiwald
"My parents taught me that shadows can only exist where light is, so that's what I'm trying to put into my pictures," Maiwald told CNN.
? Carina Maiwald
The 24-year-old gave up her job as a graphic designer at a German newspaper to become a full-time photographer.
? Carina Maiwald
"It all changed when I finally got my first horse -- that's where it all started with horses," Maiwald says.
? Carina Maiwald
"When I was old enough to go riding, my parents gave me the chance to. It was quite a big deal for me back then," she says.
? Carina Maiwald
"Horses are the most incredible animals I have ever laid my eyes on," Maiwald says.
? Carina Maiwald
Maiwald has built up a large following on social media and has been named one of the top 10 equine photographers of the world, according to her Facebook profile.
? Carina Maiwald
Maiwald has an assignment to photograph wild horses in Bosnia later in 2016.
? Carina Maiwald
"Since I grew up with horses I always knew each of them is an individual creature," Maiwald says on her website. "But it was at the horse track I recognized, some of the horses are actually born to run and race with other horses. They long for it -- you can see it in the shed light upon their eyes."
