Once you are booked in you should begin to think about how to prepare for your Equine Photoshoot. Making sure that you both look your best will ensure that your portraits look fantastic. The right preparation will also help you to feel really confident on the day.
How to prepare your Horse for an Equine Photoshoot
I advise clients to prepare for an equine photoshoot as if they were going to a show. However, I don’t usually recommend that horses are plaited. Your equine photoshoot will be a much more relaxed affair. You want your horse to look amazing though so take some time to make them gleam! Most, if not all, of the shoot, will be in hand so you really only need a head collar and a bridle. I nearly always use both on a shoot so they both need to be spotlessly clean. If you have a leather headcollar that would be fantastic and try to avoid brightly coloured lead ropes as these will dominate an image. I always recommend a black or brown lead rope but usually carry spares myself!
How to prepare ‘you’ for an Equine Photoshoot!
When you are thinking about how to prepare for your equine photoshoot please don’t focus all your effort on your horse! You need to look your best as well and I usually recommend bringing a few changes of clothes to the shoot. Some people choose to have their hair and makeup done for the shoot although I totally accept that’s not for everyone. I would encourage you to wear a little more makeup than you would normally when spending time around the horses.
I also encourage people to wear ‘non-horsey’ clothes. Whilst some people automatically know exactly what they will wear I can assure you that plenty don’t have a clue! I recommend three different styles so that you can introduce a bit of variety to your shoot. The following is a good start point, but it’s only a guide! You can click here to access my equine gallery and be inspired!
What to Wear?
Smart – this could be something as simple as a pair of jeans with some tall leather boots and a smart shirt or tweed jacket. Some of the photoshoot will be classic portrait so something a little smarter can look really beautiful
Casual – this could be a washed-out pair of jeans and a more casual top – a soft check shirt or a pretty top would be perfect. This outfit will be ideal for the more relaxed element of the shoot
A bit of Fun – this is where you can inject a bit of ‘YOU’ into the photoshoot and highlight your personality and individuality. Obviously, the possibilities are endless and these will often be the best ones we capture!
The addition of hats and scarves can also bring a whole different look to any outfit so be sure to give some thought to this as well. I always encourage people to bring more than they think they will end up wearing. This will allow us to plan the outfits together and it’s always good to have some backup outfits to hand. You are guaranteed to get dirty and slobbered on at least once! If you’d like to find out more about what a shoot with me is all about click here. If you need some inspiration for your or your horse I would definitely recommend clicking here. Wadswick is great for inspiration for both you and your horse!