Equine Portrait Prep Guide
Welcome to your complimentary prep guide for your Equine Portrait Session! The personal tips and tricks below will ensure your photoshoot will be an enjoyable success, resulting in stunning artwork created from your own horse’s beauty.
The Set up
Equine Portrait Sessions are photographed in the comfort of your barn, only requiring a completely shaded barn aisle way or arena doorway wide enough for your horse to stand comfortably in. Please ensure the aisle ways are clean and free of debris or clutter and any overhead lights can be turned off during your session. If we are working in an arena doorway, please have the area leveled and free of manure. A quiet area is preferred, as it will be easiest to direct the horse’s attention into the poses desired if they aren’t distracted
What is “at liberty?”
This is when we allow the horse to move freely throughout an outdoor arena or pasture, photographing the horse trotting and cantering in both directions. These photographs can also be achieved by lunging a horse, with the lunge line removed in post production.
Exercise & Patience
If your horse tends to run HOT ... lunge or ride them an hour prior to your session. Allow enough time for your horse to cool down and have any sweat marks removed before your session.
If they are typically ANTSY on the ground ... during the weeks that lead up to your session brush up on ground manners and being able to stand quietly in the doorways.
If they are bomb proof and RELAXED ... avoid exercising them and know what motivates them to show expression and personality
Grooming and clean tack
The better your horse looks, the better the images will be!
BATHE (and DRY) your horse prior to your session. A dirty, dusty, or wet coat will show in the images and can not be recovered in post production.
CLIP your horse (if needed) should be done no sooner than 7 days prior to your session. This allows your horse’s coat to grow out, and the clipping lines to fade together.
TRIM up the ear fuzz, clip bridal paths, spray down any crinkled tails from being bagged, and apply hoof polish after hooves have been picked and bell boots removed.
TOUCH UP your horse’s eyes, dust or dirt out of their nose with a spare rag, and keep a rag handy to use for slobber from treats enjoyed during the session.
BRAIDED or BANDED manes are highly recommended if you are looking for an elevated look or additional patterns to your images. If you horse has a long mane or they are enjoying the retirement years, feel free to leave it natural.
CLEAN & OIL TACK the night before your session (this includes saddle pads, bits, polo wraps, and bell boots.). Leather bridles or halters are required for portraits, but if you do not own leather halter or bridle, my “Naked Halter” can be used in it’s place - granted the horse is presenting safe behaviors the day of your session. (See below for explanation.)
Please have on hand a clean lead rope without a chain. Chains will distract and clutter a photograph and will not be removed in post production.
FLY SPRAY your horse prior to your session and please have an extra fly spray handy incase we need to reapply. This will keep the horse settled and the bugs at bay!
Treats
Know what your horse loves a head of time, and have additional treats available for your session.
Treats are used as motivation to help direct the horse’s movement as well as rewards for being patient and cooperative while photographing. Your horse is more likely to enjoy this adventure if we provide well deserved snacks along the way!
*If you choose to use apples or carrots, please have them pre-cut into small pieces to prevent your horse from producing an abundance of spit and slime.
Tack choices
A BRIDLE is going to elevate your horse to look and feel more formal and dressy - think black tie! A with a simple metal snaffle is best -- but figure 8's and other jumper, dressage, and western bits are welcome. Please ensure your reins can easily be removed, as most bridles are photographed without the reins, supplemented with a lead rope that is removed in post production.
A HALTER is going to provide a more casual look and feel to the images. Show halters are preferred, but a clean leather halter is acceptable.
The “NAKED” look, is the most popular choice! Without tack, this accents your horse’s authentic beauty without the additional lines, buckles, bits, or bling. This look is achieved using my “Naked Halter,” available to every client!
Briaded, branded, Al Naturale
Braiding and banding is highly recommended* for your Equine Portrait Session! Braiding or banding elevates your horse to look their very best, adding in pleasing texture and patterns, and avoids any flyaway manes should we have a breeze on the day of our session.
*If your horse has a gorgeous long mane or forelock, or is enjoying their retirement years, feel free to leave it down. Long manes that drape to the shoulder or down the bridge of their nose can provide incredibly dramatic images.
Compositions
Compositions of multiple horses are available upon request for clients who own and book multiple Equine Portrait Sessions. Composition requests do need to be made prior to the beginning of the session, as it will vary the poses photographed.
All horses are photographed individually in their own Equine Portrait Session and compositions are completed in post production. Not all locations allow the space, and not all horses love each other the way we hope to capture them. Photographing them individually ensures the safety and happiness of all horses and handlers alike.
Assistant or second hand
It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to have a second hand or assistant available! It is a HUGE help to have a horse knowledgeable friend, family member or your trainer available to assist in posing your horse or directing your horse’s ears and attention. This allows me to continually photograph and capture the ideal images that I will not be able to capture if I am the one assisting.
(An equine assistant provided by Brittany Callahan Photography can be added to your package as an additional charge and with enough notice.)
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Don’t hesitate to reach out! I am looking forward to our upcoming photoshoot and can not wait to make beautiful images with you!