Blog: sessions, travel, education and more
Arizona Equine Sessions & Equestrian Sessions
I enjoy my trips to Arizona, I was a little worried about this trip as it was in late May and I knew it would be hot. I was so lucky! An unusual cold front came through and was never warmer than 70. It was beautiful! I this visit, I photographed in Waddell, Cave Creek, Rio Verde and Peoria, AZ.
I visit the Scottsdale/ Phoenix area once or twice a year for equine and equestrian sessions. I have done some family portraits while there as well. Make sure you sign up for my newsletter for travel announcements to book the next time I am in the area. Available for equestrian, black background, ranch and farm calls, senior portraits and photography lessons or mentor-ships.
Family Portraits - Ranch Style
What a fun family and what perfect spring day! Although a few day later, they had a close call with tornadoes all around, they were blessed with perfect weather for their family photoshoot.
Kristyn Harris : 3-time IWMA Entertainer of the Year and her Mustang
This was my second time to photograph Krysten & Velvet. This one had a big Texas vibe and loved it. Mustang, bluebonnets , western clothes & music!
Kim & Her Arabian Horse | Argyle Equestrian Session
Kim’s session was a gift from her best friend and sister. It was a very windy they day, it was a great session. She had her horse, Bear, well prepared and she had some great outfits picked out. I was IN LOVE with her leather jacket that she had custom made in Italy. The session was located at her barn in Copper Canyon and it had some beautiful trees which did help with the wind.
Cheyenne & Ty | Proposal in The Tulips!
Ty contacted me to meet him and his soon to be fiance at Texas Tulips in Pilot Point Texas. They drove up, along with Cheyenne’s grandparents, from Waco. The “story” was that her grandparents purchased a photo session for Cheyenne for her birthday. He even arranged for her to have her makeup done before the came up. Although it was the 1st time I spoke with the grandparents, I went along with the plan and introduced myself to the grandparent and they introduced me to Cheyenne. Ty & I spoke previously that when I find a good spot and lighting, I would ask him to cut a couple tulips with his pocket knife. That would also give him the opportunity to kneel down and pull the ring out of his boot. As he knelt down and was tying to get the ring, Cheyenne was watching him, her grandparent fortunately where able to get her attention and look away. I picked a spot that had a good background and beautiful light, but their angles changed while he was trying to propose and I literally had to leap over a row of tulips so I wouldn’t get both their backs. The smile on Ty’s face as he proposed was priceless!
Summre | Lakeside Senior Session
Summre works as a Trail Guide at local stables in Southlake Texas. She wanted to use her favorite horse, Dallas and the stable allowed her to use him for the session. We did some photos of just Summre at the barn, then we headed to the lake for some water shots. There was a little issue getting to the location, with all the rain the trail where flooded. I was able to drive close to the location, but Summre had to work her way through the flooded trail. It was all worth it!
Kelly & Rio | An Equestrian Photo Session
Kelly is one of my equestrian models and I love how much preparation she put into her photo session. Each outfit was thought out for her horse’s color, the location and the look she wanted. Kelly made a beautiful floral wreath for her horse, Rio. She did an instructional video on Instagram how she made it too. We her session at Bay Yard Farms in Bartonville, Texas.
MacKenzie | FFA Member
We did MacKenzie’s session at what I like to call my outdoor studio, which is my neighbor’s pasture and their “junkyard” I hope they never clean up the area as it is a photographer’s dream. We had a nice overcast day which made for some nice soft light. As the sun started to set, a break in the clouds gave a beautiful glow to the grass field, another photographer’s dream!
Kaitlyn and Her Four Horses!
We did Kaitlyn’s photos with each of the 4 horse’s separately for her to use in a variety of show ads. One of the ads, designed by EM Designs, had all 4 horses it and she posted on her Instagram feed “Too many horses??? No such thing.” Kaitlyn shows under the guidance of Gillespie Show Horses in Whitesboro Texas. Kaitlyn competes in both AQHA & APHA.
Mikayla & Greg's Proposal; Equestrian Style
Greg gave Mikayla & her horse Lucy a photo session for Mikayla's birthday, but he had a special surprise of his own.
Rachel and Her Super Cute Dog
I have been photographing Rachel and her family for years! I have even known Rachel even longer as her and my daughter showed horses and went to the same 4H club together. It seems just like yesterday when did her high school senior portraits, I think time was in fast forward when she asked me to do her college graduation photos, and a Master’s degree too. She brought along her sweet lab, Scout, and he had a matching graduation cap. How cute is that! Rachel graduated from University of North Texas in Denton. Go Mean Green!
APHA Youth World Show Photos | Pilot Point Texas
I have been photographing Christensen Show Horse’s Youth Kids for several years now. I enjoy seeing these kids grow and how they improve each year. I always look forward to seeing each of them do at the Show . These are hard working kids and their accomplishments reflect that.
Cara!
Izzy
Emily
Grace's Senior Pictures With Her Charolais
We split Grace’s photo session up into 2 separate sessions. We originally had it scheduled in early spring, but when she found out that one of her show cows was going to be sent to the breeders we moved part of the session to January. It was cold, but Grace never missed a beat. I was all bundled up and kept asking her if she wasn’t too cold and she always said she was fine. We took the cattle photos at her FFA barn and I set up a mini studio in the barn isle. That way we said out of the wind for a majority of the session. She suggested Downtown Carrollton for the second session and I discovered a really cool park close by, which I got lost going to. Didn’t realize the street had an east & west and of course I entered the wrong one. When I got to where my GPS took me, I found an large vacant lot. Oops!
Streakin Lil Wayne | Wildflower Photoshoot
AQHA Stallion Streakin Lil Wayne taking the Barrel Racing world by storm. Being out of Barrel Racing royalty Lil Wayne has it all, color, confirmation, and personality. Being able to shoot him for the last couple of years he always leaves a lasting impression.
Katy & Zielger - Saying Good Bye Equestrian Session
This was a tough session for Katy, she was in the process of selling Ziegler and realized she never had photos with him. We did a quick session, she wanted some images of both of them together and some of just him. He was with her trainer at KB Ranch in Aubrey Texas when we did the session the trees did not have many leaves yet. I knew KB Ranch had plenty cedar trees so I tried to utilize . those for the background. In between the time when we took the photos and when we met to view the photos, Katy sold Zielger and I could tell she missed him as the tears welled up in her eyes. I have to admit, I did the same. I have been there, selling a horse is never easy no matter the reason. Ziegler is beautiful and loud colored American Paint Horse with tons of personality, so I can understand why the tears.
Olivia's Senior Session, Lots of Pretty Flowers and a Beautiful Creek
I have been doing photos for Olivia’s family for several years now. Her father runs a Thoroughbred Racing Partnership and I started doing some promo photos at Lone Star Park for them. I also did her older sister’s senior portraits and have done family photos too. When Olivia applied to be one of my High School models, I was happy to make her one of my selections. One of the perks of being a TCP model is they get 2 different sessions. We did her 1st session at the Dallas Arboretum, which was the same location we did her sister’s a few years before. The second was at one of my favorite locations; Stone Creek Park in Flower Mound.
Whispering Oaks | Equestrian Barn Session | Prosper Texas
I started doing barn mini sessions this spring and really have enjoyed them. I still treat everyone as a regular session, with pre-consult, editing and help with orders. A majority of them are black background images, but if the light and scenery allows we also do some natural images. Barn Session are a lot of fun for everyone involved and can get a great session at a lower price. I have a host from the barn arrange everything and she gets others at the barn interested. The host can earn discounts on their session and even receive a free session if they get enough interested. This session we had to do some quick rescheduling. It was originally scheduled for a Saturday and that particular Saturday was forecast for heavy rains. Which has been a trend for the past year. I had to split it between Friday and Sunday to work with everyone , including mine, schedules. The ground was a little soggy for Sunday, but it was a beautiful day and everyone was able to get their session in.
Dara | Senior Portraits in the Fort Worth Art District
As you can tell from the photos, this session had me laughing. Every few shots she would through in some great Jim Carey-like expressions that made the session so much fun! The evening was perfect and although the Fort Worth Modern Art Museum blocks where we could see the sunset, we had some beautiful skies. Dara brought a perfect variety of outfits for her senior session. The bright pink was perfect for her fun loving personality. It also stood out great against the walls of the the Kimbell Art Museum She also want to her equipment as a athletic trainer, since that was an important part of her high school career. Her college of choice was also used for one of the outfits.
North Texas | When is The Best Month To Do a Photoshoot?
Planning Ahead For Your Photography Session: North Texas Seasons
Through my years as a photographer, I have taken notes on our Texas weather patterns and the effect they have on our landscape. What I have realized is that you cannot truly predict or forecast the weather, as it changes unexpectedly - such as going from sunny and 75 to a winter storm warning in 24 hours. I cannot guarantee what each month will do in terms of weather, but here are some of my month-to-month observations and how I handle each one to fit my photography style. Since I specialize in equine and senior photography, this is for any outdoor shoots in more of a rustic style, not as much for outdoor in an urban setting, although many conditions still apply to any location or style of photo sessions.
What time of year? That is based on personal preference and need. If you want a certain look for the background take a look at the what the landscape of North Texas looks like month by month.
January/February: These months a usually cold but have some warmer days that are bearable. If booking in advance, I recommend two dates so that, in case the first scheduled day has inclement weather, we have a back-up date. Most trees are missing leaves and the grass is a light brown. If you want a green background, mountain cedar stays green year-round and you can find patches of green winter grass. The tall brown grass can have some wonder backlight effects during the golden hours.
I try not to schedule sessions in the morning hours, as it can be cold and sometimes very damp. We always can have a rare snowfall that is heavy enough for photos, but the key word is 'rare.' Therefore, North Texas is not equipped to clear the roads to make them safe enough to travel to your destination.
March: The beginning of the month is like Jan/Feb and we can still have some snowfall or ice. Mid-month, we can have more winter grass and some of the bulb flowers; tulips/ daffodils start to bloom. Trees start showing a small amount of leaf growth near the end of the month. It is still cool in the morning near the end of the month, but bearable. Flowering trees appear usually mid-month and only last a short time.
April: This is one of my favorite months for sessions. Usually the first part of the month, leaves are starting to emerge on most trees, and they produce a very bright, light green hue. By mid-month, most species of trees are full of leaves.
Although rain and storms can be a factor, the temperatures make it ideal for being outdoors and time of day. During mid to late April, many of the more popular wildflowers - such as bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes - start to bloom. The only setback is that it is hard to find these in a location safe to bring a horse.
May: Much of May is like late April - very green and the weather is nice, until near the end of May when temperatures start to rise. Many of the April flowers are gone, but now several more types of wildflowers start to bloom. We can still have a heavy rain or storm. With all the spring rain, stock tanks and creeks are a little fuller and can be used for some great backdrops. The calm morning helps make some beautiful reflections in the water.
June: With temperatures rising, the landscape starts to change. Trees are still green, but the native grasses have gotten taller and start to turn yellow/brown. I love photos during the golden hours during June. The long day makes it easy for those who work during the week, to schedule a session on a weekday.
July/August: One word - HOT! There is a big difference in the color of the trees and natural grasses. I try to start sessions as early as possible or as late as possible to avoid the heat.
September: Early in the month, it is still hot, but it does cool some later in the month. Unlike many parts of the country that see some true fall weather, we still a in the full of swing summer. Mornings in the later part of the month are somewhat cooler and very pleasant.
October: Although many parts of the country are seeing fall colors, North Texas is still green and if we get enough rainfall, it can sometimes be a little spring-like and some natural grasses will have some new growth. October is another one of my favorite months. Beautiful weather with crisp mornings makes it a very popular month for photos. Some of the Sumac trees start to turn red either late in the month, or early November.
November: Many think that we have leaf change in October, but it actually happens in late November in North Texas. Although the leaf change is rather dull in Texas, I have noticed it is better following a very wet year. The heaviest leaf change is in late November and sometimes into December. Thanksgiving Day always seems to have good color. Of course, there is no guarantee of when or if we will have color change. Weather can be unpredictable, with the first frost of the year usually occurring mid-month, so mornings can be cold.
December: Early in the month, leaves are starting to fall, which can make for some pretty background effects. We start to have more consistent cold weather, and some winter storms are always a possibility. Although we may have some very cold days, there are still plenty of days that are very pleasant, and sessions are still possible.
Other Factors:
Wind. We are in Texas and it is windy year-round. Except in the summer where a nice breeze would be a welcome relief. I will shoot on windy days. I have clients ask if it would be better to reschedule on windy days and joke saying, what on another windy day.
Clothing Options: What look are you wanting can really be a deciding factor. Your clothing choice should match the season. If you are wanting to wear a leather jacket. opt for cooler months. If you prefer a long flowy sundress, opt for warmer months.
