What’s better than getting to shoot a beautiful young lady and her trusty steed? Doing it twice! I was so thrilled when Austin and family reached out to me to come back to their farm to capture moments with their new horse, Vincent. I said hello to Flash, who is now enjoying teaching another young rider the ropes, and quickly got to admiring all the fall foliage.
Things have been a little quiet on the blog recently, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been busy! The husband and I took advantage of my work conference in San Diego and tacked a vacation on after the knowledge drop was complete. And since no trip to San Diego would seem complete without a trip to the zoo, I’d love to share this little bit of wild with you guys!
A juvenile giraffe was really curious about my camera’s shutter clicks
My spirit animal slash favorite animal of all time, the Okapi
So soft. So elegant. So weird.
Happy Friday!
Being a photographer in a large family means that I have plenty of subjects to choose from, and it was always assumed I would do my baby sister’s senior portraits when the time came. So when I brought Riley back home, Charlie and I set out to wander the trails behind our neighborhood and sneak in some shots.
Looks like my baby sister is all grown up! Happy Friday y’all, and have a good weekend!
A has helped me a lot over the last couple years, from little things like videoing and holding horses, all the way up to taking care of Foster during his rehab while I was on vacation. So when she and her husband got their first pooch, I was more than excited to take some puppy pics for them. While I may have missed the early puppy phases, Gryff was quick to show off his youthful energy and boundless sense of humor.
I’m obviously off to Lexington tomorrow, so horsey updates coming next week! Keep your fingers crossed that I find my match, and watch instagram to follow along!
A couple weeks ago I wrote about sharing in my friend’s transformation into official dressage queendom. In between reading tests, videoing, bit checking, and the general hubbub of a show that size, I also got to do a bit of portrait taking and even the occasional action shot.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend!
A break from your normal house and pony show… My sister-in-law asked me to photograph her maternity session, and I’m so glad she did! Even though my research of maternity poses (and oh lordy, there are some awful maternity photos out there) will probably fill my social media feeds with all sorts of baby-related advertising, it was well worth it.
I’m scheduled to become an aunt this Monday! Happy weekend y’all!
In a rare non-horsey session, I got to shoot my dear friend Derek, and his fiancé, Laura’s engagement portraits. It was a beautiful evening and I am so excited for these guys and their wedding this September!
Happy Friday, all!
If you follow me on either facebook or instagram, you’ve probably been wondering who the little chestnut mare is that has been making appearances lately.
Darcy is a 15.3hh 11 year old registered draft cross mare. She belongs to a friend of a friend of mine, and is looking for a new home through no fault of her own.
The timing of all of this has been serendipitous, because of course as of recently, I am without my riding partner. So Darcy has come to me for a while, that I can get her in shape and hopefully play matchmaker with a wonderful new owner for her.
She’s been a ton of fun to ride, as #missdarcy knows all the first level dressage tricks and happens to love jumping. She’s been whipping me into shape for sure after all those months spent just playing around!
This week, I’ll take Darcy to So Pines and lesson with Bobby Costello. (3 times jumping in the last 8 months and I’m taking a lesson?! I must be mad) Should be lots of entertainment value there.
Have a happy weekend all!
(Special thanks to N for making this opportunity come together- love you!)
Before taking Foster to his Fosterparent, I had the husband snag a few photos of us together. It’s less common that I be in front of the camera, so I really appreciated being able to have a couple non-show photos of my Fosterpants and I.
To keep with the sentimental tone, here are some more homey images from right before Foster’s last trip, to the hospital in Tryon to have surgery.
And a few pics of other friends around the farm…
Happy Friday all!
Documenting Fair Hill | PC: JP
I’ve been doing portraiture for some years now, shortly after falling in love with photography in college as part of my design degree. But even though I’ve done it for many years, I continue to learn a lot with each session. Here are some of the tips and tricks, for both horse and human, that I use in my shoots.
Start with a clean slate
It probably goes without saying, but a clean horse is going to present itself better than a dirty one. Take an extra moment to brush that mane and tail, and remember to wipe down the eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul, and drawing attention in images as they do, it helps if there’s no eye funk present.
Know your limits
Though I’ve never photographed small children, I kind of imagine that photographing horses (or dogs, or insert animal here) is somewhat like that. There is a window of time when they will play the game, standing, walking, being loved on, before they just don’t want to play anymore. In order to extend that time, I try to take little breaks when I sense that the animal’s patience is running out. Take those moments to focus on the person, or the environment, or go for a cute grazing shot, but try to be understanding of your subjects- equine and otherwise!
Make a Plan
Before every shoot I come up with poses and ideas based on the subject I’m going to shoot. I then jot those ideas down on a piece of paper, stick-figure style, including any requests the client may have. That paper then comes in handy if ever I need inspiration onsite, and helps as a reminder for photos I specifically wanted to take. Similarly, I arrive to each location about 15-20 minutes early and figure out exactly what path we will take through the property. This can really make a big difference- for instance, if it’s overcast and you are shooting as the sun goes down (the “Golden Hours”), you should probably plan to visit the shadiest spot at the venue first, when you have the most light. Of course it’s always important to remain flexible, but having a well thought out plan helps make the most of everyone’s time!
Running out of light can of course lead to its own opportunities, but is maybe not ideal for portraits!
Be Patient
When one of your main subjects (the horse) has no concept of what you are after (i.e, the look of eagles/ears up/eyes open/no slobber/etc), it’s not their fault if they are not the perfect model. Staying calm and waiting for the right moment, and not rushing or forcing it to happen, is key. Save your ear-pricking antics (waving a plastic bag on a whip, rustling peppermint wrappers…) for when both models are in position and ready. If you keep up these tricks throughout the session, not only will they lose their novelty (and therefore decrease the likelihood of getting those ears forward), but you’ll also put a strain on everyone involved. Better to wait, and capture that perfect, and more natural, pose!
Have fun!
This probably goes without saying, but it’s no less important! No matter which side of the camera you’re on, remember that this is all about capturing good times. Find your sense of adventure and keep things lighthearted- not only will the animals sense your mood, but it will help everyone enjoy the experience even more! Besides, photography is fun!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Red on the Right 
