Evie’s Mum Bel booked our equine portrait photoshoot shoot back in July 2022 at Keyflow Feeds Barbury International Horse Trials, but we timed the shoot for June 2023 to tie in with the end of Evie’s GCSEs and give time for Henry to build up his fitness to be photoshoot ready!
Bel wins the award for the most prepared client for a photoshoot; she had their outfits laid out in advance, took photos so they remembered which items went with what and even had a detailed list that she sent me in advance – I LOVE IT! They were concerned that Henry would be a little tricky to handle on the shoot so wanted to have a game plan so he wasn’t left standing around for too long.
They enlisted the help of friend Kate, who was on hand to hold Henry between outfit changes and get those ears forwards. If you are ever nervous about how your horse might behave, or just want an enthusiastic cheerleader to hype you up, I highly recommend enlisting a trusted friend to assist you on your shoot. It just takes away that little bit of worry you might have and allows you to relax and enjoy spending time with your horse, creating beautiful memories.
Other than giving a look at a rather suspicious shadow, Henry was a perfect gentleman on the whole shoot, it was almost like he knew the day was all about how handsome he was! I got a lovely message from Bel after the shoot saying how it had given her and Evie so much more confidence with Henry on the ground, which is such a great bonus to an amazing shoot experience.
We made sure Henry had plenty of time to do the thing he loved the most – eat! I find there is no point fighting with a horse who is desperate to graze when in an open field – we can let them take a nibble before quickly grabbing their attention for a few shots and reward them for behaving by letting them drop their head.
“Joss is not only a great photographer but also incredibly friendly and fun. Her pre shoot consultation offered lots of great advice on outfits, locations and what to expect on the day. We were a little concerned as to how Henry (being a cheeky, food centred Connemara!) would behave, but Joss put our minds at rest pre shoot and made us all feel totally relaxed on the day. Of course he was a star, and Joss captured the most wonderful images of my daughter Evie and her ‘bestie’, Henry! The hardest part was choosing which images to buy…so we bought them all! We often look through them and see something new we love every time…it is the gift that keeps on giving! A huge thank you to Joss for a great day, and memories with Henry that will last a lifetime.”
Bel & Evie, Gloucestershire
