Some horses have a presence you notice the moment you see them.
Slim was one of those horses.
A tall gray gelding with beautiful conformation and an unmistakable presence, he was simply magnificent to see in person. Beside him, Danielle brought such warmth and ease that the two of them made a beautiful pair for this summer equine portrait session in Massachusetts.
Slim wasn't entirely convinced about me and my assistant when we first arrived, which is perfectly fine. I never expect a horse to immediately understand why two strangers have appeared carrying cameras and asking everyone to stand in oddly specific places.
So we gave him a little time.
Starting Slowly
We began with black background portraits, giving Slim a chance to settle into everything that was happening around him. He did beautifully, and his gray coat and strong features made him especially striking against the dark background.
From there, we moved outside to explore the property at Arrowhead Farm. We were fortunate to have so much of the farm to ourselves, which gave us the freedom to work slowly and find beautiful pockets of light without rushing Slim from one location to another.
I'm incredibly grateful to the owners of Arrowhead Farm for allowing us to use such a lovely setting for the session.
And once Slim realized there were treats involved, well...
Suddenly the entire photography arrangement began making considerably more sense to him.
He even developed his own ordering system. When he decided another treat was warranted, he would stomp his hoof.
Message received, Slim. 😂
Of course, treats weren't the only thing competing for his attention. Like most horses presented with perfectly good grass beneath their feet, Slim saw no reason it should go to waste. We occasionally had to negotiate between my portrait plans and his dinner plans, but he still proved to be a wonderful model.
The Quiet Moments Between Them
As the session continued, Slim became more comfortable with all of us, and that's when some of my favorite photographs began to happen.
Danielle's mom and husband joined us to help throughout the session, which was wonderful. Equine portrait sessions often become a small team effort, and having people nearby whom a horse already knows and trusts can make such a difference.
The day was hot and humid with partly cloudy skies, but we were given some beautiful light as we worked around the farm.
What I loved most, though, wasn't any particular pose or location.
It was watching Danielle and Slim together.
There were little moments when everything else seemed to disappear: Danielle reaching toward him, Slim lowering his head into her hands, the two of them standing quietly together. The kind of interaction that can't really be manufactured because it comes from all the ordinary days that existed long before I arrived with my camera.
Those are always the moments I'm waiting for.
Photographing the Relationship
One of the things this Equine & Rider Project has reinforced for me is that no two horse-and-rider sessions should look exactly alike.
Every horse arrives with their own personality. Every person has their own way of communicating with them. And every relationship has its own language.
My job as an equine photographer isn't to force that relationship into a particular pose. It's to create the space for it to show itself and be ready when it does.
Danielle and Slim gave me so many beautiful examples of exactly that.
Slim may have started the evening a little unsure of us, but by the end, I felt incredibly lucky to have photographed such a beautiful horse and the person who so clearly adores him.
And I'm fairly certain Slim left believing he'd successfully trained all of us to dispense treats on command.
He may not have been wrong.
Your Horse. Your Story.
The relationship you share with your horse is built through thousands of ordinary moments together. An equine portrait session gives you the chance to preserve a little piece of that story.
If you're considering an equine portrait session for 2027, you don't have to wait for spring to begin planning. I accept only a limited number of sessions each season, and summer dates can be reserved in advance.
Looking for a meaningful holiday gift for the horse lover in your life? Equine portrait session gift vouchers are also available, giving them something wonderful to look forward to when warmer days return.
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