What to expect during an Equine Photoshoot?

I don’t know about you but stepping foot in front of a camera makes me have butterfly’s in my tummy. Which I think is more because the fear of the unknown. How long do I have to smile for? How do I stand? And for heavens sakes, why do I suddenly feel like my arms are so long and where do I put them!?  These are all things that clients have confessed to being worried about before our photoshoot. I can promise you, the moment that we start shooting, all these thoughts will disappear.

 For starters, please do not worry about how you need to pose to look your best, I will direct you on this. I know that every single person likes to be photographed differently, so please have a chat with me about how you’re feeling. My main advice for every photoshoot with your horse is to just love your horse. Ultimately, that is why we’re doing the photo session... because you love that great big beast that eats £50 notes at a rate of knots. When I say for you to love your horse, this means to scratch them, smile to them and hug them. They may drive you up the wall, but for the 2 hours we are shooting, it’s time to let all of that go and enjoy them for what they are. We are celebrating the bond that the two of you share. 
 My camera is capable of shooting silently; however, I always opt to keep the shutter sound on as it allows my clients to know when they can have a breather or if we’re still shooting. When I have the camera up to my face, I’ll still be giving you small directions, this could be ‘just give him a stroke’ or ‘smile at me’ and you can hear the camera shutter going. Once I lower the camera from my face, you can stop smiling and have a short break. I know my cheeks ache when I smile too much! I’ll use this opportunity to check the images and then decide on whether we’re moving to a new location or changing pose. 

Moving on to what to expect during our photo session. We will start the photoshoot by doing a short location scout together, this is your opportunity to show me your yard (if that is where we’re shooting) and anywhere that you think might be a good backdrop. I’ll be picking up on little spots that catch my eye as well. Together, we’ll form a plan. This isn’t a set-in stone plan, but more for us both to pace ourselves. 
For example, a typical shoot plan might look like: 

·      Walk along the yard driveway
·      Move over to the mounting block for sitting photographs 
·      Photos in the long grass near the pony 
·      Liberty photos in the field, using railings, fences, tree's... you name it! 
·      Finish the shoot in the stable doorway

It is rare that we’ll have a much longer list but that gives you an idea of how informal the list is. We can also plan outfits around the locations.  'What should I wear?’ is my most asked question and my answer is always whatever you’re most comfortable in. I don’t want any of my clients feeling as if they have to dress out of their comfort zone for the sake of their photographs, so pick out the clothes that you LOVE to wear, and we’ll go from there. If you’re unsure on what to wear, bring a lot of options and I can help you choose on the day. Don’t forget that often things like the wind can alter the original choices. 

Once we’ve chosen our outfit and location choices, we will then start shooting. I’m not one to hang around, especially if we’re working with a nervous horse. So, once we’ve got a beautiful shot with ears forward and beautiful smiles, we’ll move onto a new pose or location. During the photo session, I will always let you know what we’re doing and give you lots of positivity as we’re shooting. Trust me, you’ll be laughing away once you see what goes on behind the camera to get ears forward! 
We’ll make our way around the shoot plan and allow time for lots of breaks for your horse. Once we’ve finished our location plan, I tend to finish the sessions off with black background portraits of the horse. For these, we just need an empty stable! 

This wraps up our session! That doesn’t sound too scary, I hope? If you’d like to book in your own equine photoshoot, get in touch! I’d love to meet you and your four legged friend.

Sending virtual Hugs!
Sophie xx