Several months ago Dexter and I had an equine bond session with Bethany P Photography. To Dexter this was just another photoshoot. To me… not so much.
It’s pretty hard to believe that I’ve had my blog since 2016 and this was my first bond session. By bond session, I mean I set up a few hours with Bethany Pastorial and we did various shots around the farm to capture my genuine loving relationship with Dexter. I had been photographed many times before for product reviews or brand features, but never candidly.
Bethany has an authentic appreciation for capturing the partnership between horses and their humans that simply radiates from her, and a pure intention to open the path for that same experience to those she photographs.
The shoot was an exhilarating and nerve wracking experience to say the least. I was excited because I got to hang with one of my favorite local equine photographers, hello! But I was also a nervous mess because Dexter was still on stall rest and a bit full of himself.
Despite my insecurities regarding Dexter’s behavior, I pushed through and gave it my all even though I had no idea what to expect on the other end of my lead rope. Here are a few things I learned about a successful equine bond session:
1. Schedule beauty appointments (even if they’re just with yourself). It’s worth coming prepared from head to toe–you still want to look like yourself, but enhance that in a more polished way.
2. Consider braiding your horse. If you want to portray the best version of yourself, why not do the same for your horse?
3. Have several wardrobe changes. Stick with two separate outfits for your session–one casual and one classy. It’s important to select clothes that make you feel comfortable and confident. And don’t forget to accessorize with a belt or bracelet.
4. Send your photographer photos you like. Once I booked a date with Bethany, she sent over a questionnaire to better tailor the session to ME. This is where I was able to both describe the types of poses I hoped to capture as well as link to a few examples.
5. Check the weather. Bethany was aiming to feature the spring blooms in our session, but unfortunately I had to move the shoot date up a week to accommodate for the BlogPaws conference. Normally this would have been fine, but Mother Nature was quite delayed in her presentations this year.
6. Forget the perfect pose. Interact with your horse as you normally would! Some of the best photos were the candid ones where Bethany used her skill and imagination.
7. Don’t underestimate the time it takes. I remember looking at my phone and being shocked that two hours went by. It felt like two minutes! Capturing intimate moments with your horse takes time, so consider paying a little extra for more shots.
Overall it was an amazing opportunity and I’m extremely grateful to Bethany for turning the simple pleasures Dexter brings to my life into wonderful memories I can cherish, all from this bond session.
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