YOUR EQUINE SESSION GUIDE
I highly encourage clients to read the guide in it’s entirety to help answer common questions + prepare you to get the most out of your session!
if we haven’t met yet,
i’m rachel greenslade…
the gal behind the camera here at Rachel Reilly Photography. I grew up in Iowa showing horses with my family in the POA, APHA + AQHA circuits and was always drawn to art + photography. My years of growing up with horses combined with my creative driven brain puts me in a unique position to offer high quality equine photography resulting in flattering poses for both humans + horses. I understand how horses brains work (or at least I try to, sometimes what the heck?? lol) so I can cater to their needs as well as yours to create content you’ll be ecstatic to see. While I’m no longer showing myself theses days, I do have a deep understanding of how to capture horses of any discipline and will strive to make them look their best.
I know clients have a million questions before photo shoots, so I’ve created this guide after hundreds of sessions with my best tips + tricks to help make your session go smoothly. I encourage clients to follow these directions to ensure you get the most out of our time together!
If you still have any questions after reading this guide, I’m always happy to chat at rachelreillyphotography@gmail.com or at 563-380-9277.
01. Prepping Your Horse
The most important step of this entire guide! Properly preparing your horse not only helps keep you safe while posing but ensures you’ll receive more photos after your session. If your horse has too much energy and can’t stand still, time we could be using on different poses + locations will be spent trying to make them cooperate. Tired, happy horse = more photos + poses!
Step 1:
LOUNGE LOUNGE LOUNGE
Tired horses are my favorite clients. Please exercise them to the point of being very tired before our session. I recommend exercising well them within 2-3 hours of the start of our session.
Step 2:
BATH + GROOM
Prepare your horse like you are about to hit the show pen. Bath, clip, brush + detangle them so they are clean and camera ready. It’s totally up to you (and your discipline) if you would like to braid or band your horse. I always recommend braiding + banding if you are using these images for show advertising, but if this is a trail/barrel/ranch/retired heart horse don’t feel like you need to braid or band if it doesn’t make sense for your vibe! Just ensure your horse is clean, free of shavings or mud and is photo ready at least 15 minutes before the start of our session.
PRO TIP: EXERCISE + GROOM YOUR HORSE, PUT THEM IN FRONT OF A FAN + A HAY BAG THEN GET YOURSELF READY. THEY’LL BE A HAPPY CAMPER CHILLING WHILE YOU PREP YOURSELF!
Step 3:
YOUR TACK
I don’t care if you have the fanciest saddle in the world or a second hand one from a tack swap, please just have clean tack! Ensure all tack fits the horse that will be wearing it and double check that all elements like bits, pads, girths, reins + halters are clean + ready to use. I often get asked what type of halter/bridle is best for photos - it’s really up to you! Nylon, rope, mule tap + leather halters all work great for photos and can help showcase your discipline and style. I do encourage clients to use equipment that isn’t overly worn looking (that red halter that you got 10 years ago that is frayed and now pale pink should probably sit this photo shoot out - I’d encourage you to purchase a new nylon halter instead!). For bridles, as long as it’s clean and fits properly feel free to any style or combo you’d like!
Extra Tips:
+ Keep a bottle of fly spray + a rag on hand with us as we’re shooting. That way if we need to reapply fly spray or wipe away slobber we can quickly without having to run back to the barn.
+ I suggest swapping face grease for baby oil. Face grease can actually get too shiny on camera, baby oil is just right.
+ I suggest NOT using a chain lead rope (unless we are taking photos in full halter/showmanship getup). The chain can look very bulky on your horses face + with the lead coming out the left side of the halter (vs attaching below like a normal lead) limits the poses we can do and can look very awkward on camera. I high recommend a leather without a chain (available on Amazon) or plain black lead instead!
+ If you’ve purchased a new lead rope, make sure you unravel it a few days before our shoot so it has time to relax the kinks out and hang nicely.
+ I recommend oiling leather reins or leads before the session to ensure they are flexible and hang nicely in your hand.
ONCE AGAIN I’M BEGGIN YOU TO EXERCISE YOUR HORSE. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE!
02. prepping yourself
Step 1:
WHAT TO WEAR
I recommend 1-2 outfits per hour of shooting.
The most important step when choosing an outfit is ensuring it fits well and is flattering. When capturing our 3D selves in a 2D photo, outfits sometimes translate on camera different than they look in real life. I encourage clients to pick clothing that isn’t overly baggy or loose, those items tend to translate bigger on camera - which is often the opposite effect were going for. Instead I like to tell clients to pick items that closely follow the natural shape of your body.
Only feel like you have to wear show clothes if you A) want to or B) need to for advertising. This photo shoot is a great opportunity to wear something fun + unique with your horse, so don’t feel obligated to stick to show clothes if you don’t want to!
Avoid neon colors or clothing with large, distracting logos on them. All other colors photograph great + white is always an excellent safe option that flatters everyone (including horses) if you are struggling to pick a color.
I recommend shopping at:
www.brokerleather.com
www.vicicollection.com
www.petalandpup.com
www.selfieleslie.com
www.balticborn.com
www.abercrombie.com
03. where we shoot
Horses are typically most comfortable where they live, so 99% of my equine sessions take place at my clients barn. Where we photograph can have an impact on how your photos turn out, but please don’t stress if you feel like your barn or property isn’t “photo worthy”. If you’re wanting the photos to be a lot about the scenery + background, then yes, let’s make sure we’re picking a great location. But if your focus is on you and your horse, I don’t need a stunning national park or epic barn to create stunning images. I truly only need small areas to create stunning images. If you don't think your property will work, please let me know and we can search for another nearby property to photograph at!
When going into our photo shoot, please remember you hired me because you liked my past work you’ve seen + trust my process of creating images like that for you. I base the exact locations I place you in based on light more than I base it on background. Flattering lighting will result in much better photos than a cool background will. I’ve often been asked “seriously, you want to shoot here?!” when at sessions and it’s because I am seeing my surroundings based on how my camera will see them, not the human eye. Please trust the process + know the photos will turn out much different then it feels in real life!
With that said, here are a few guidelines for where we are shooting:
+ Black backgrounds will require a large door opening, like an alleyway door, facing any direction BUT the direction the sun is shining at (example: we can’t shoot in a west facing door at sunset). I’ll probably ask you to turn off all the lights and shut any background doors or windows to get it as dark as possible. You + your horse will be standing right at the opening of the doorway facing outside. Please sweep the doorway + have it as clutter free as possible. If there is a stall with an alleyway window nearby, please shut it to avoid stalled horses to touch you or your horse during photos.
+ Please drag arenas if you plan to shoot in them. Fresh, even footing looks best on camera!
+ If you are needing freestyle photos of your horse (your horse walk/trot/loping alone with no rider) please provide a fully enclose, level space - like an outdoor arena or small paddock. I encourage clients to have lots of extra hands helping with these types of photos so we can efficiently chase the horse back and forth for photos.
+ Avoid feeding other horses during our session to help keep the horses in the photo shoot calm
+ I will not shoot in a pasture with other loose horses present, so please be prepared to either tie loose horses or put them away in the barn during photos.
+ For sunset silhouette photos we will need A) a sunset, these can’t be created on cloudy days and B) a clear view of the west, nothing can be obstructing our view like trees, buildings or hills.
04. weather
Both sunny + cloudy days work great for photos and both have advantages. On sunny days will can get epic lighting, stunning light peeking through trees + golden sunset photos, but it can also limit us on where we shoot since I pick flattering lighting first when picking locations. On cloudy days we have the advantage of a bit more freedom of where to shoot since the lighting is more forgiving. Both work excellent and I’m always happy to shoot in either!
Rain, excessive temperatures + wind may force us to reschedule. When booking a session that will have to be outdoors, it’s a gamble whether the day you pick will be optimal to photograph in or not. As a photographer, I want you to have every opportunity to have the best session possible, so sometimes that requires us to reschedule to another day for better weather. I’m always happy to reschedule due to any weather related issues like storms, flooding, humidity, wind or snow. I only book a certain amount of sessions each month to ensure I have enough open days to move you to a better day. I keep a close eye on the weather the week leading up to our session + will reach out with any concerns. For sessions requiring a flight, we will have to make the call 2 days before your session. For local sessions, we can sometimes wait until a few hours before your session depending on your exact location to make the call.
05. posing
Before the start of our session we’ll go over your goals for the photo shoot + what type of images you’re wanting to end up with. If you have any specific shots in mind, please let me know at the beginning of our shoot so we can plan for them. If you don’t have specific poses in mind - rest easy knowing I’ll tell you exactly what to do!
I will guide you through the entire shoot, telling you where to place your hands, which leg to put weight on and how to pose with your horse. I typically start by positioning your horse, then will guide you through a variety of poses with them to get lots of different photos.
I will always double check with you if you are comfortable doing a pose. I will never force someone to get on bareback or lope around a pasture if you’re not comfortable. This sessions is ALWAYS about you and what you want from it. I will never make it about my goals or instagram - I’m here to serve you!
06. after our session
You will receive your sneak peek within 72 hours of our session.
Your full gallery will be delivered within 4 weeks of our session.
Your USB will be mailed within 4 weeks of the online gallery delivery.
Both the sneak peek + full gallery will be delivered to the email address provided for your contract. You will be sent a private link to an online gallery that you can instantly download your photos from. Your photos will contain no watermark + you have full permission to share them on social media, print + use for personal advertising. Photos will be cropped + color corrected, but if there is anything specific like removing a scar, helping tame fly away hairs or removing an object from the background please email me to see what we can do! Some requests may require an editing fee depending on what it all entails.
Your online gallery link will stay active for 1 year. I advise backing your images up to a USB if your session does not include a mailed one. A $35 archiving fee will apply if you need your gallery reactivated after the 1 year mark.
I don’t require tagging on social media, but would absolutely love it if you would! Word of mouth is the biggest driver of my business + tagging me in your photos helps immensely + is greatly appreciated!
