Today, the third day of Christmas I am delighted to announce that Stephanie & Carol’s horses studio shoot from last  summer has been picked as the next in the series of favourites from 2016!

Working in a studio with horses is quite a different set up to how I normally work which is either out on location or in the doorway to a barn or stable in order to achieve the black background portraits. It brings with it a series of different challenges but allows for a very detailed study of the horse being photographed. Without any distractions I just love how the horses features and personalities can shine through!

With Stephanie’s shoot I worked with her two horses William and Bonnie both with a studio set in Southview arena’s indoor as well as out ‘at liberty’ in their field at the end of the session. I also worked with Carole, Stephanie’s mother in law’s 3 adorable donkeys and Welsh pony both in their stable door ways and out in the field. It was a rather full on morning capturing all the different personalities and obviously it was a stunningly gorgeous day whilst we sweated it out with studio lights inside the indoor arena but the results made it all worth while in the end!

Hector the donkey I have to admit did try and steal the show with his reputation preceding his incredibly shaggy appearance and his behaviour in front of the camera surprising everyone…. I do find this on a regular basis that the animals who I am warned about in advance turn out to be the best behaved and the ones who I’m told will be angels throughout a shoot often end up showing their owners up! In this respect I had full faith in Hector and he didn’t put a hoof wrong! In fact I think he may have found his calling in life as a donkey model!

If you are interested in organising a studio shoot for your horses all that is required is an access to power and an enclosed space with enough room for the horses to move around in uninhibited. An indoor arena is an ideal location but there are plenty of other spaces which can also be utilised for a shoot. I always slowly acclimatise the horses I work with to the flash but generally they aren’t in the slightest bit alarmed by it, it’s usually just the little pop the light make that they have to get use to but all settle into the set up and even the youngsters I’ve worked with have taken it all in their stride!

I hope you enjoy the series of photos I have selected from this shoot and if you are interested in booking a shoot please get in touch. I’m afraid for Stephanie and Carole you’re going to have to fight over the 9×6 print but please let me know which print you would like from your shoot and I will send it out in the New Year.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog, if you had a shoot with me this year it might just be you featured tomorrow!

Ciara x