It’s that time of year! Senior Pictures! And, like any equestrian worth their salt, you’re wondering about senior pictures with your horse.
Seriously, who wouldn’t want to have their favorite 4-legged friends in their senior pictures? After all, that horse saw you through all the ups and downs of high school.
Can I have my Senior Pictures with my Horse?
So naturally, the first question is can I have my senior pictures with my horse? The answer? Of course, you can!
And what better photographer to do that than an equestrian photographer who specializes in making you and your horse both look your best?
A common question for senior photographers to ask their clients is about what they are interested in during high school.
It’s a pretty easy question for most high school equestrians, “My Horse!” “Eventing!” “Running Barrels!” “Trail riding”.
You’ll get a lot of answers from equestrians but it all ties back to their horse.
So, in the spirit of “all things horse”, here are 10 Tips to make your senior pictures with your horse go smoothly!
Tip 1: Reach out to Ride the Sky Equine Photography
So, first I highly recommend taking a look at this post: The Ultimate Guide to Equestrian Senior Pictures in Chattanooga, TN. If you’ve got senior portrait questions, that’s where you are going to find the answers.
You can also visit this page about Chattanooga Equestrian Senior Pictures.
And lastly, reach out to Ride the Sky Equine Photography and get on the schedule!
Ride the Sky books several months (5-8 months) in advance so make sure to call early!
I am currently booking the Class of 2023 and the Class of 2024.
Tip 2: Answer The Questionnaire
Before your senior portraits with your horse, you will fill out a short questionnaire that helps me get to know you and your horse better.
The more completely you fill it out the better your session will be!
The questionnaire asks all the questions about things I need to know to make your equestrian senior portraits exactly what you are looking for AND it will help me when I write future blog posts and social media posts featuring you and your amazing horse.
Tip 3: Let your Personalities Shine Through
It’s important that in your images both your personality and the personality of your horse shine through.
Is your horse goofy? Does he make you laugh when you have had a bad day? Let’s show that personality off!
Is your horse elegant? Do you love how you and your horse look when you are heading into the show ring? Let’s bring the studio to the stable and capture that look of equine elegance through a series of formal portraits.
Tip 4: Don’t be afraid to play around
Your session includes a variety of outfit changes.
So, experiment and have fun with your portrait session.
Are you a glam girl or do you love the casual vibe? Do you love elegant equestrian or are you a cowgirl at heart?
I’m always up for something new and fun. If you’ve got an idea, let’s talk about it. Chances are we can figure out a way to make it happen.
Tip 5: Bring your Props
Do you have hobbies? Are you a cheerleader or a debate team member for your school? Maybe you play in the band or play a sport?
Musical instruments, hats, sports balls, team pennants, or even a best friend can make a great prop for some of your images. Let your imagination run wild.
Don’t know if it will work? Ask me! Or, just toss it in the car and bring it along.
Tip 6: Feature the Future
Know where you are going to college already?
Consider incorporating fun things – a pennant, a sweatshirt, some pom-poms – from your chosen college.
Tip 7: Be You!
I’m sure you have heard it a million times but it’s so true.
Years from now when you look back on your equestrian senior portraits, you want to see you and your horse at that time. Not some fictionalized model form of you both.
Whether that is wearing your favorite dress, bringing your bestie, or laughing at the goofy antics of your horse.
Whatever it is that says this is TOTALLY US. That’s what makes your session come to life.
Tip 8: You’ve got Options
I’m all about the options.
Can’t decide what to wear? Bring a laundry basket of your favorite clothes.
Or shoot me a text message with pictures of your potential outfits. I’m happy to weigh in on what will photograph well.
Just make sure that your clothes are as wrinkle-free as you can make them.
Tip 9: Bring a Horse Barn Bestie!
Most of us have that ONE friend that says or does ridiculous things, and we can’t help but laugh.
If you got a horse barn bestie who always makes you laugh, have them tag along to your senior portrait session with your horse. They will serve us up some plucky comic relief. And who doesn’t need that?
Tip 10: Turn up the Tunes
Spotify is literally the best investment I ever made. I’m a music and podcast junkie! Spotify is running about 10 hours a day on my phone.
If you love tunes too, let’s crank them up. Nothing like some good music to help you relax and have fun.
The Ultimate Guide to Equestrian Senior Pictures in Chattanooga, TN
If you have questions about equestrian senior pictures, I suggest checking out this great guide I created for you.
It answers so many questions that frequently come up when it comes to senior pictures with your horse.
You can check out the Ultimate Guide to Equestrian Senior Pictures here.
Ready to Schedule your Senior Pictures with your Horse?
On average, Ride the Sky Equine Photography books up 5-8 months in advance.
For those coveted fall sessions, Ride the Sky books 6-8 months in advance. The earlier you call the better the chance of getting the season and date you want.
I am currently booking for the Class of 2023 and the Class of 2024. If you want to learn more about having senior equestrian portraits, click here.
Or, you can send a message about senior equestrian pictures here.
Betsy Bird, Cr. Photog., CPP, of Ride the Sky Equine Photography spends her days doing insane things to make animals look at her. Clearly, she’s desperate for attention. Outside of acting like a total goofball, she invests in growing her business, mentoring photographers, dealing with her teenagers' angst, and hanging with Nitro, the best dog ever.
Betsy has earned her Photographic Craftsman degree from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) which honors photographers who contribute to the photographic industry through speaking, mentoring, and publishing. Betsy is also a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) with PPA. The CPP designation is held by fewer than 2,500 photographers nationwide and is a hallmark of consistency, technical skill, artistry, and professionalism.
Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Professional Photographers of East Tennessee (PPETN) and the Tennessee Professional Photographers Association (TNPPA). She is also a professional member of the Equine Photographers Network (EPN).
Betsy's award-winning work has been featured in a variety of publications and is found throughout homes and stables in the United States. She is also the co-author of the book, Equine & Equestrian Photography Poses that Sell: The Ultimate Guide to Posing Horses & Humans. She has also been featured on Scenic Trend, the Profitable Photographer Podcast, The Business Animal Podcast, Chatter Magazine, Cowgirls with Cameras Podcast, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the Chattanoogan, and the Focal Points Podcast to name a few.
Ride the Sky Equine Photography specializes in on-location photography for horses and their equestrians. Ride the Sky Equine Photography is based in Chattanooga, TN and works in Tennessee, North Georgia, and beyond.