The Version of You Who Will Miss This
Imagine yourself, 10 years from now, looking back on present-day you. What would you want to remember about this time with your horse? Not just the ribbons you earned, but how it felt to be here, together, in this part of your life. When hazy recollection isn’t enough, a physical memory is priceless in an era of overflowing camera rolls.
What Gets Lost Over Time
Memory is a fragile, selective thing, and time has a way of softening even our sharpest moments, blurring details we swore we’d never forget. If you’re like me, you try to safeguard this by endless iPhone documentation. By now your camera roll is overflowing with snapshots from the barn — but how many memories make it off your devices and into your hands?
Portraits of and with your horse create stronger memories because they interrupt your everyday routine. They give you space to notice and honor the quiet details: the expressions, habits, and interactions that shape the bond you share.
But—just like your phone photos—your portrait files are still fragile in the long term if they only ever live on a screen. Just ask a millennial who has ever tried to access their old MySpace pictures! Hard drives fail, social platforms close, phones don’t get backed up, and accounts get hacked.
Why Physical Prints Last
In a way, taking the time to create prints of your favorite portraits is the best way to make sure they’ll still be accessible a decade down the road.
Holding a print is a special feeling, too, almost giving your memories of your horse an actual place to land. The act of physically holding something related to a moment has been proven by researchers to benefit recollection, too; you’re able to intentionally revisit the moment’s scenery, sounds, emotions and textures…no apps or scrolling required.
The Quiet Work of Remembering Well
I get it, combing through your iCloud or thinking of ordering prints is yet another thing to add to your insane to-do list. But having precious mementos in the distant future requires intention and action today.
Luckily, when it comes to your photos and portraits, the steps are pretty easy:
- Get your favorite snapshots off your phone. Set a timer for 15–30 minutes to review your camera roll and select your favorite snapshots for printing. Chatbooks, Shutterfly, and even CVS Photo are all easy online platforms that do a good job with small prints of phone-quality files.
- Order prints of your favorite portraits. RGP clients all receive an artwork credit with their session package specifically for this reason! Small prints are an excellent and affordable option; I recommend getting small prints of at least one “pose and smile” image, one candid moment and your favorite close-up detail (more prints is always better, of course!). If you’re indecisive, a memory box or custom album might be a better fit. And don’t forget, I’m always here to help you make those decisions!
- Pair your show prints with notes of the awards won but also the goals accomplished or a funny memory from the week. If you’re writing on the back of your prints, use an archival pen to avoid damaging the photo.
Outside of creating tangible mementos, you can also enhance your mental picture of your horse:
- Be observant in your everyday equestrian life to create richer, more vibrant recollections for your future self. Choose to notice when you’re living through something worth remembering and savor that moment, collecting the sounds, smells and textures around you to cement the moment in your brain.
- If this topic interests you, check out the book Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam; it’s one of my favorite reads!
Our memories with our horses are legacies—not the kind meant for display or inheritance, but the kind we return to quietly, years later. They’re for the version of us who no longer lives this routine, who misses this horse in ways she can’t always put into words. Preserving those memories now is an act of care for that future self—one that ensures this chapter doesn’t fade into something half-remembered.
Ready to make incredible memories for yourself & your horse? Contact me to start planning your equestrian portrait session.
