I have never shot with a horse....
I don't know about you, but I have legitimately never taken a photo of a horse. So, to have a majority of this shoot focus on Lyndee and her horse, Red, was.... a lot of pressure. It was very fun, and I learned a LOT from Lyndee's mom. But, man alive! I was stressed. When we first arrived at the farm, I got to meet Red and watched with a smile as Carrie, Lyndee's mamma, pulled curlers out of Lyndee's hair. Red stamped his hooves, and ate some grass as we discussed where we would lead him. Another detail? It was very hot! The horse was hot, the model was hot, I was hot. So, we packed up all the gear and led the horse and his girl towards a beautifully wooded area in the back 40. The sun was in the perfect position, the horse was in a good mood, and Lyndee was emotionally prepared to ride bareback. It was so fun shooting with Lyndee! Her big smiles and joyous laughter filled the wood as her mom stood behind me, attempting to get Red's attention. We tried all forms of tactics, from simply calling his name, to waving branches in the air like madwomen. Red looked, with ears forward, about half of the time. But it was enough! We got some beautiful shots of our girl and her steed. Then, I watched and laughed as Lyndee mounted Red, bareback, by standing and launching herself off of her mother's hand. She almost overshot it, but she quickly corrected and was ready to ride! From there, we got some super fun candid shots of her Lyndee riding around as Red somewhat obediently trotted. Turns out, I am allergic to horses. And luckily for me, just as we finished the section of our shoot that involved this handsome steed, my eyes began to water and I suddenly couldn't breathe in without sneezing. Lol, the life of a photographer in Deer Park, am I right?
Anywhoozle, after we said goodbye to Red, we took a few more shots on the road and then made our way to location #2 - Haven Homestead.
I'll tell stories of Haven Home when I finish the photos, but for now I'll leave you with my tale of Lyndee and Red, and one final note:
I am realizing more and more, now that the sunsets are earlier and the leaves are turning; the air is crisper, and my pumpkin candles are burning: I am so overwhelmingly thankful for what I get to do as my job. And Clients like Lyndee only grow the value I have for what I do.
Until next time friends,
Emma
