“What if I don’t have a pretty property for photos with my horse?” is something I hear all the time. 
Don’t worry, there are many, many many options for you!

Locations for your horse & rider session

While those dreamy barns might be a great idea in theory, in practice they don’t matter much.

I’ve invested in beautiful lenses which blur your background. 

Because of this level of blur, it means that your gorgeous location might not matter as much as you think it does.

It also means that your not-so-pretty location might not matter so much either.

For example, a couple of months ago I wanted to get some quick pictures of Arthur and I with my camera to use when needed. For such a short session I definitely didn’t want to go off property, but my agistment doesn’t have too many locations without something in the background, and not too many paddocks which are grassy. But with a little creativity, I found a spot! It’s nothing particularly special to most people, but with a little blur, and choosing the time just right for when the light would be filtering through the trees behind me, and it looked great! Now, if you wanted a photo-session for a couple of hours, you’d probably need to find a second place on the property. But for your 30-60 minute sessions, one simple location is definitely doable. 

One small strip of green and a clean background, and that was enough for me!

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Locations for fine art sessions (black background, white background, and watercolour)

Black, white or watercolour portraits are one of my signature offerings. If you’re worried you might not have the right location, you may be in for a pleasant surprise!

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While a stable breezeway or barn aisle are convenient because it means you can get the look naturally, they aren’t required!

I bring a backdrop with me to every session because it makes it easier to capture details such as hair and whiskers. 

This also means that you don’t need to stress that you don’t have a stable or barn.

A shed or even a carport works beautifully!

• A space with a roof (ideal) OR we can just wait for an overcast day!
• A space with 5 or more metres in front of it. This way I have room to stand far back enough for a full body shot.
• A space with a flat floor. Concrete, gravel or pavers are preferred, but otherwise floor replacements are an option.

Here are some before and afters for black background photographs to give you an idea!

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Still not keen to have the session at your home or agistment? Here are some options for you.

Ask a neighbour or someone on your street.

Emma asked a friend down the road if she could walk her horses down for her session.

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Ask a friend if you can use their property!

I did this for my own session when I wanted a greater variety of options.

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Hire a venue

If neither of these sound right for you, I have a huge range of locations available for my clients, all available in my welcome guide.

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No matter where you choose to have your session, you can take your location from zero to hero with these simple tips:

• Move any clutter such as jump standards, barrels, pallets, mounting blocks, etc away from the location you want to use.
• Sweep any paved areas for fine art sessions, and keep a broom on hand throughout your session
• Mow (unless you’re going for the long wavy grass look!). Weeds sticking out of otherwise short grass can detract from your images.

And that’s it! If you’re not sure about your location, feel free to send me some pictures and we can work something out.