Monthly Archives: August 2023

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Growing up with horses, I learned early on that each one was unique and special. Building the bond between horse and rider was developed over time. Learning about your horse’s personality was the best part of the adventure. Does your horse nicker when he hears your voice? Maybe a soothing hand on his neck calms his anxious temperament? Do you ever hum when you are riding? Just being in the presence of your horse can bring so much joy. Having made the decision to book a professional equestrian portrait session now is the time to prepare for success. With a horse portrait session there are two to get ready, your horse and you. Today I am going to cover how the rider can prepare. Here are five tips to create a work of art.

  1. The first thing to consider is your concept. Think about if you want your portrait to be about being a “Rider” with your amazing talented horse or about a photography session with your “Best Friend”.
Preparing for Your Equestrian Portrait Session
Mary Ann and Cayado. A longtime western equestrian, this was her first show hunter. An occasion to be celebrated.

If you want to be a “Rider”, horse show clothes always look nice. Black boots, britches and a riding shirt is another approach. Maybe you don’t show and all you ride in is jeans and boots. That works too. Think about wearing lighter colored shirts than darker. Avoid bold logos and stripes. Always bring a few outfits for clothing changes.

Preparing for your Equestrian Portrait Sesison
Luna and Kate. Kate’s wearing a ballroom dance gown from my collection

If this session is more about being with your “Best Friend”, you can wear a beautiful gown, a nice dress, a pair of slacks or jeans. Don’t forget you are going to be around your horse, a creature weighing twelve hundred pounds or more and your footwear must keep you safe as well as compliment your outfit.

Preparing for your equestrian portrait session
Nicole and Indy. Nicole is wearing her prom dress. A blast from the past.

 2. Keep in mind the color of your horse when selecting what to wear. Here are some suggestions:
 For a gray horse, there are lots of options; white, black, red, pink, blue or green.
A black or dark colored horse looks great with many colors; red, magenta, pink, ivory, white, blue and green. Black is not suggested.

Preparing for your equestrian portrait session
Amber, a High School senior heading off to college. Lily and Evan, team up for a a bright future

 A chestnut looks stunning in blues and greens. Certain shades of pink and ivory can also go well.
For a bay horse, I like blues, greens and ivory.

Preparing for your equestrian portrait session
Dress up with Lily and Evan

Pick a selection of outfits that you feel great in. Since horses come in many different colors, if you have a question it’s always good to ask your photographer ahead of time. For my clients if a home visit is not possible in advance, texting photographs of dresses or outfits work.

 3. Hair and makeup: No matter what type of portrait you are having, freshly blown dried hair adds to the beauty of the overall portrait. Depending on the amount of makeup you normally wear, use what you are comfortable with. For gowns, I might use an evening makeup style. Schedule a hair and makeup session in advance of the shoot. A makeup artist can also be present during the session. 

4. Nails: Either polished or unpolished, nothing in between. Your hands will be seen in the photographs, particularly the closeups. If using  polish select a color that compliments your outfit.

5. Personal health: We are going to be asking a lot of you and your horse and I like you feeling great before we began. Come to your session rested and hydrated. You will feel good and look better.

Preparing for your equestrian portrait session
Kate is wearing another ballroom gown from my collection

I always feel privileged and honored to be selected to create a horse portrait. Not only do I want to make a wall portrait you can treasure for years to come, but I want the whole experience to be fun. Use your imagination, dream big, and I will take care of the rest. Look for my upcoming blog on preparing your horse.

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Family portrait session clothing choices are key to the photographs success. There are many good reasons to have a family portrait made. Your home is recently renovated and now you have the wall space for an heirloom family portrait. Maybe you have a teenager going off to college and not knowing exactly the next time everyone will be together, now is the right time for your portrait session. Maybe your family pet is getting older or do you have a new puppy? Whatever the reason, choosing the right clothing to wear is key to creating the best portrait of your family. This can be a daunting task in the face of all the possibilities and the personalities in your family. There are three key items to consider when choosing your clothing.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices

Here are three things to consider for choosing what’s best to wear:

1. The location of your family portrait Session.Is this portrait being done in a casual setting like at the beach or a park? Or is this a more formal setting in and around your home? Are you looking for a casual look or more formal look?

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices
2. The room  you are displaying your wall portrait in. Where would you like to hang this portrait? Is it going in a living room? A dining room or bedroom? What are the key colors in those spaces? Are they neutral, if colorful- what colors. Do you like bold colors or pastel?Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices

3. Clothing color combinations.  What colors do you love that coordinate with your room? Think about making a “Bouquet of Flowers”. Since color harmony represents a pleasing balance of two or more colors, not everyone has to wear the exact same colored clothing. Once you choose your basic color, either use a monochromatic relationship varying the hues of that color, or a complimentary relationship of colors that balance each other out as in a flower arrangement. Below are three samples of color choices for family portraits.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices 
Complimentary: The pink, green and white colors all complement each other. Even though different colors are used, the tonality is the same and the colors blend well making the image a pleasing family portrait.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices
Monochromatic: A lot of portraits I make are at the beach. Blues of any shade usually look great in the finished portrait. In this photograph, the people are wearing blue and white. The blue water and white foam adds to the harmony of the finished photograph.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices
Complimentary: The orange and green clothing complement each other. The dune grass in the background adds to the harmonious look with the chosen colored clothing.

 

Don’t forget that simple and plain work best so the focus is on the person’s face. Avoid stripes, patterns and bold logos. Lighter tones are better than darker for outdoor location portraits. If in doubt about your clothing choices I can make a visit to your home before the session or meet you at a store and there is always the iPhone for quick photographs of clothing when you are at a store wondering if you should make the purchase. You can always bring several outfits to a session and if we are going to be at the beach, having at least two outfit changes are always a good idea in case someone gets too wet.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices

Most of all, remember to relax and enjoy your time together as a family. I will take care of the rest.

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Family portrait session clothing choices are key to the photographs success. There are many good reasons to have a family portrait made. Your home is recently renovated and now you have the wall space for an heirloom family portrait. Maybe you have a teenager going off to college and not knowing exactly the next time everyone will be together, now is the right time for your portrait session. Maybe your family pet is getting older or do you have a new puppy? Whatever the reason, choosing the right clothing to wear is key to creating the best portrait of your family. This can be a daunting task in the face of all the possibilities and the personalities in your family. There are three key items to consider when choosing your clothing.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices

Here are three things to consider for choosing what’s best to wear:

1. The location of your family portrait Session.Is this portrait being done in a casual setting like at the beach or a park? Or is this a more formal setting in and around your home? Are you looking for a casual look or more formal look?

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices
2. The room  you are displaying your wall portrait in. Where would you like to hang this portrait? Is it going in a living room? A dining room or bedroom? What are the key colors in those spaces? Are they neutral, if colorful- what colors. Do you like bold colors or pastel?Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices

3. Clothing color combinations.  What colors do you love that coordinate with your room? Think about making a “Bouquet of Flowers”. Since color harmony represents a pleasing balance of two or more colors, not everyone has to wear the exact same colored clothing. Once you choose your basic color, either use a monochromatic relationship varying the hues of that color, or a complimentary relationship of colors that balance each other out as in a flower arrangement. Below are three samples of color choices for family portraits.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices 
Complimentary: The pink, green and white colors all complement each other. Even though different colors are used, the tonality is the same and the colors blend well making the image a pleasing family portrait.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices
Monochromatic: A lot of portraits I make are at the beach. Blues of any shade usually look great in the finished portrait. In this photograph, the people are wearing blue and white. The blue water and white foam adds to the harmony of the finished photograph.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices
Complimentary: The orange and green clothing complement each other. The dune grass in the background adds to the harmonious look with the chosen colored clothing.

 

Don’t forget that simple and plain work best so the focus is on the person’s face. Avoid stripes, patterns and bold logos. Lighter tones are better than darker for outdoor location portraits. If in doubt about your clothing choices I can make a visit to your home before the session or meet you at a store and there is always the iPhone for quick photographs of clothing when you are at a store wondering if you should make the purchase. You can always bring several outfits to a session and if we are going to be at the beach, having at least two outfit changes are always a good idea in case someone gets too wet.

Family Portrait Session Clothing Choices

Most of all, remember to relax and enjoy your time together as a family. I will take care of the rest.