I'm so excited to capture your horse in all their elegant glory! Black Background Sessions are seriously one of my favorites to photograph and edit. They tend to show my clients a whole new view of their horse that they might not have seen before. And they look incredible as art pieces in your home!
So here are a few tips!

1. Barn Doorway Basics
The best setting to capture these images is a shadowed doorway, so usually an East/West facing barn or indoor arena, and we photograph in the morning or afternoon when either doorway is shadowed. Some photographers do these in sunlight but I personally prefer a softer, elegant look. If we have overcast weather, that is PERFECT for these, so if we can dance with the weather, great! If not, I always find a way to make it work.
For White Backgrounds we will do those in the shade, but not in the barn doorway.

2. To Braid or Not to Braid?
You know your horse. It is totally up to you! I will say for the sessions that my clients do braid, it adds a whole other element of elegance and opportunities for detail shots that you would want to use as home decor.

3. Clean, Oil and Polish It All!
That extra 10 minutes of cleaning your bridle really helps, and I know its a pain sometimes. But I promise its worth it. Have a fancy browband you want to showcase? That is perfect for these sessions.
(I also bring a special halter that I can edit out in case you want "nakey" pictures where your horse is au natural with no bridle or halter.)
Also, I highly suggest a bath the day before and a good groom the day of. Be extra! Use that special de-tangler and that White N' Brite. I can only do so much in Photoshop if your horse is dirty, and I want to give you the best results possible.

4. Bring a Friend!
I make an effort to bring an assistant. But if you have a friend you trust who wants to hang, and is horse savvy or not, bring them! We will have fun creating and being silly in an attempt to get your horse’s ears up! I have plenty of  "tools" that help with ears, so all we need is a very helpful human!

5. You Can Be In These Too!
If you want to get spiffy and join them in a few of these, that is totally an option. They seriously turn out super duper cute and so classy at the same time.

6. There’s No Rush.
If you or your horse needs a break, that is ok! If your horse is being antsy, take a little walk break or let them have a snack. No pressure. It's their photoshoot after all, right? #startreatment

Black Background Styling Guide