I need to break out of my mold. My equine portrait and horse and rider sessions are getting very repetitive for me, and I can easily do them on autopilot. This is a red flag, stating that I need to start pushing myself more as a photographer, thinking outside of the norm, and get creative!

During my January trip to Wellington, Florida, Meg and her gray jumper, Dazzel White, were gracious enough to let me come “play” at Messenger Hill at Natures Point, a prestigious barn that is designed and offers top training for olympic prospects. How could I say no??

I brainstormed some ideas on the flight down, and while a throbbing migraine on the morning of the shoot did hinder my thought process while shooting, I was very pleased with the photos that we created. Some of the images I wanted to practice had a branding feel to them, incorporating every day moments that often get over looked during my normal sessions - like tacking up, putting on a helmet, mounting, etc. I wanted to try to bridge the cap between the competitive side and the love we have for horses, in having tack present in the shots, but keeping the horse in my naked halter. Another area I wanted to push myself, was how to find and use items in the forground and background to add interest or creative framing to the image. How can I take a simple trot shot and make it more interesting? And finally, I wanted some time to play with posing, specifically to show examples of bad posing vs good posing in my Horse & Rider Posing Guide I sell for other photographers. All while working in much harsher lighting than I am used to - which is another area I have an opportunity to grow in!

I have always been a big believer, that the only competition we should have as photographers (and as people in general), is ourselves, and that every day is a new opportunity to grow, and be better than all of our yesterdays. I never want to stop learning and growing, because if I can come this far, imagine where I’ll be in another few years…

Big thanks to Meg and Dazzel White for being wonderful models, and to Messenger Hill for allowing us to photograph!