Welcome Friend!

YAY!! Your session is on the books and now it is time to plan the amazing time we are going to have together!

I want this experience to be amazing for you because hello, you and your horse are pretty amazing creatures and your obsession for each other deserves to be turned into works of art.

Whether your session is weeks or months away, it is never too early to start planning — being well prepared for your portraits cuts down the stress around the photo shoot and will make the day of your session so much more enjoyable.

Let the Planning Begin…

Before you get sucked down a rabbit hole of Pinterest boards & Instagram searches, I want you to consider your personal style, the vision you have for your session, and the tone you want the finished images to portray. Something to consider when you first start planning is how you plan to enjoy your images whether it be hanging on the walls of your home, in an album on your coffee table, or even just sharing online. And remember, I am here for you every step of the way - any questions or concerns you have, I probably have a solution or suggestion for you.

Location Planning

If we don’t already have a location determined for your shoot, now is the time to start thinking about where. Most my equestrian sessions take place at your horse’s home however you are not limited to that location. Many people worry their home or barn isn’t pretty enough and I completely understand that concern but I want to assure you that you don’t need a dream location for me to create portraits you will love forever. I am confident in my ability to work with any given atmosphere and still give you photos that will make you forget you ever worried about the location.

However if you are interested in having your session somewhere other than where you horse lives, we should discuss this as soon as possible. I keep a list of horse-friendly locations we can explore as different options for you. And if you have something a little out of the ordinary in mind we can chat about making it happen too! If your horse gets nervous in new areas such as a turnout or pasture they haven’t been in before — I suggest familiarizing with with the area before your session so there aren’t any spooky moments to worry about the day of your session.

What to Wear

Okay so let’s talk about what to wear. Most clients work with two to three outfits including something casual, their show attire, and some like to get fancy with some dramatic dresses which I am all for! I suggest having several (3-5) options available — we won’t use all of them but it is nice to have options and backups incase of horse slobber ruins one.

Keep your outfits in line with your personal style.

Choose colors that complement both you and your horse’s color. Don’t be afraid of color but I would avoid colors with neon hues as they cast unflattering color heavily onto your skin or your horse’s coat that the camera will pick up.
Layering is a great way to add dimension to your outfit. Great layering items include vests, jackets, and scarves and mixing textures of your pieces will bring depth to the photos. Try to avoid small patterns — they unless it’s a super close up, they typically don’t photograph well. Accessories can bring an outfit to life whether it be a fun statement necklace, some bold rings, or an amazing set of earrings.
Keep in mind the poses you hope to do with your horse when picking your outfits. For example — if you want to wear a dress and ride bareback, make sure you can get on your horse and sit comfortably in the dress beforehand.
Remember the camera sees everything, even the small details. Try on everything beforehand to make sure your wardrobe fits like it should and to make sure you will be comfortable moving around in it with your horse. And of course, make sure all your items are clean and wrinkle-free come session time.
Don’t be afraid to ask for styling help prior to your session — you can even text me from the dressing room if you need!

For some styling inspiration check out my Pinterest boards click here

Some stores and boutiques with photoshoot worthy outfits…

I offer a client closet with a variety of fun dresses, accessories, + props and you can borrow at no cost for your session. To see what I have available — text or email me.

Your Grooming

Ladies — like your outfits, I suggest keeping your hair and make-up natural to your personal style. So don’t go out and do anything crazy right before your session…unless that is part of your personality! Clean, classic make-up looks always photograph well. Like I said before, the camera sees everything, even your nails. If your nails go bare make sure they are trimmed and clean and if they are polished, make sure you don’t have any chips. I personally think a photoshoot with your pony is the perfect excuse for a manicure at the salon.

If you don’t trust yourself with the make-up brushes or a curling iron, treat yourself to a pro make-up artist or hair stylist for the shoot. But whether you are going your hair and/or make-up yourself or having a pro handle it, make sure you have the products you need for touch-ups if needed before or during your session.

On the day of your session — if you have to chore and get your horse ready yourself, do all that before getting yourself ready to avoid getting dirty or messing up all that hard work you put in. If you can, have a helper available the day of your session that is comfortable around your horse to so they can help with the horse while you focus on you.

Getting Your Horse Ready

Being a horse girl, I know that you will probably care more about your horse looking flawless over yourself — it doesn’t matter if your horse is a champion show pony or just a pasture ornament. I strongly suggest bathing and grooming your horse to your personal level of perfection the day of the session. For show horses that typically means being show ready - including banding or braiding, tails, hoof polish, and face grease. (If those things apply to your show routine.)

*** A note about face grease — please use this sparingly as I do ask you to be touching your horse a lot and it transfers to your clothing easily causing stains.***

When it comes to your tack, make sure that everything is clean and well fitted. I would have both halter and bridle options available for use. I find leather halters photograph best on most horses however rope, mule tape, and bronc halters are all good options too if you fancy those more. Nylon halters would be a last choice personally unless the halter was an award or has special meaning to include it. Lead shanks can look very messy in photos so if you plan on using a show halter and don’t have a leather lead without a chain, let me know and I will make sure to bring one along with me. If you plan on being saddled anytime during your shoot, consider polishing it up (or at least give it a good dust off) and have clean saddle pads that coordinate with your look. If tacked up western and you don’t have a pad to coordinate with your outfit choices, I would suggest picking up a solid black pad as it will go with almost everything. If tacking up English, try to have a pad that doesn’t have the plastic number holders as they create an unflattering glare in the finished images. If you would like your horse to go naked at any point at the session, I do have a special photo halter that can be used to safely keep your horse tethered but easy for me to edit out later.

I keep a variety leather halters options in my vehicle for you to use if you wish as well as matching leather leads. I do have other tack available for use upon requests.

On the day of your session give yourself plenty of time to get both you and your horse ready. Because we are going to be asking your horse to stand and look pretty for quite some time, exercising/lunging them before getting them ready is highly suggested if your horse tends to have a shorter patience so they are a little sleepy. It isn’t uncommon for some clients to administer some calming supplements and/or medications as well just because we are asking things of your horse that isn’t part of their normal routine. If you want to use a calming agent I would try one out before your session to see how your horse reacts on it. Some popular ones are Perfect Prep and BeKalm. If administering something a little stronger, please keep the dose low enough your horse can still react to the camera and pay attention to where we want them to look.

Most horses can be uncomfortable or a little more antsy when in unfamiliar places so if you are planning on having your session somewhere your horse hasn’t been before, even if its just a pasture they aren’t normally in, I highly recommend bringing your horse to the area if possible a few times before the day of your session so they can be a little more familiar with the area or arriving early to the location to allow them to settle into the new surrounding.

Lastly, make sure to have all the supplies you may need for grooming touch-ups if needed so you don’t find yourself without fly spray or clean rag and I strongly suggest having someone comfortable around your horse to help groom, tack, and walk your horse to locations for you. This helps ease some of the pressure off you and helps keep you clean for the photos.

During Your Session

Before we get started we will take a look at your outfit selections and make a rough game plan on what you will wear when and I will address any last minute questions or concerns. I will also take a minute to explore the location picking out what areas on the property will make the best spots based on the vision you have for your portraits and where the most flattering light is. Then while you are getting dressed and the finishing touches are coming together, I will introduce myself to your horse and steal some snuggles if they let me.

Once the camera comes out I will guide you through posing with your horse so that both of you look natural and are positioned in a flattering way to the camera. Feel free to add your own flare to the directions I give you because that will make your portraits more uniquely yours. I will use your pose preferences you selected in the questionnaire I sent you before your session as a guide throughout the session however I do my best work when we just go with the flow and see where the time takes us. If you have ideas at any time during the session let me know and we will explore them and on the opposite end of things if you feel uncomfortable at any time let me know and we will scrap that and try something else. If at any time I am not directing you it’s because you are killing it all on your own so just keep loving on your horse, I will keep capturing the perfectness of you guys!

Remember that we are working with an animal and we can’t totally control their behavior. Your horse will probably not stand perfectly still exactly how you think they should, you may fight with them not to eat everything in sight, and their ears will probably never be forward for longer that a nano-second but IT WILL BE OKAY! The best thing you can do is keep your cool and trust that I won’t give up until I have magic on my screen from you guys. I know that is easier said than done but stressing will only make your horse nervous and possibly become more of a handful. And no one ever looks their best when they are stressed! When your horse starts getting bored or impatient, we will switch things up, do something else, and then comeback to that pose if we need to later. I make sure there is buffer time in every session to allow for mini-meltdowns.

I have been around horses my whole life and can normally predict their temperament within a little bit of time working with them which allows me to better know how to go about guiding you into poses together. My advice to you is focus on you and let me and/or an assistant focus on the horse.

Keeping your horse’s attention is my and my assistant’s worry so that when your horse does stand perfect with their ears up, you are already in position and ready too. I know that is easier said that done but trust ya girl! I have a bag of tricks to get their attention focused on where we need it to be so that you don’t have to worry about that. Treats and food motivation is only a last ditch effort for me to keep your horses attention because normally once you start tempting with food, that will be the only thing on their mind and hard to refocus them where we need. If you reward with treats or food, please restrain until the end of the session if possible.

A couple other random quirks about working with me —

I will baby talk your horse and steal cuddles every chance I get.
I will also be obsessed with the barn cats and you should probably check my car before I leave to make I am not taking any home (kind of kidding about that last part)
I am very conversational throughout the session — not only in directing you through posing but also just about life.
Along withe being super conversational — I am personally an over-sharer and you will probably end up learning more than you need about me.
I will say “PERFECT”, “YEESSS!”, “GIRRRRL”, and “O-M-GEEEE” an excessive amount throughout the session.
I am also guilty of making jokes when the horses won’t cooperate because I feel like humor is better than than getting frustrated.

Getting the shot may actually take quite a few shots and the process isn’t always as glamorous as one thinks. At the end of the day after possible blood, sweat, and tears — know that you will have portraits that will make your heart smile for eternity.

After the Session

After your session, I go to work obsessing over every detail so that the gallery you receive is everything you dreamed of. Every image you get back is hand-edited with care and because of that the editing process takes up to 5 weeks. I edit sessions in order of when they are photographed and because my work suffers if I jump around between sessions, I only edit one session at a time so I don’t typically give sneak peeks until I have started editing your session.

Once your gallery is perfected and ready to share you will receive an email with the link to your online gallery along with download instructions and your print release. Your release allows for you to share digitally however you wish as well as print on your own up to 8x10 size. Larger prints, wall art, and albums can be ordered through your gallery or directly from me or you may purchase a full print release of your images if you desire to print on your own. Ordering prints through me and the professional print labs that I am partnered with guarantees you the best quality to display in your home.

Need a checklist to prepare for your session?

Feel free to download this one!