I’ve worked hard to hone my posing skills over more than 10 years with a camera in my hand. Being in front of the camera is a vulnerable place, and I find that confident direction helps create confident clients. (And, as we all know with horses, that confidence will pass on to them as well!)
But I like to go a step farther than most, looking not just at the overall picture but at the details and tiny expressions composed within.
Following are little tweaks I can make to a pose or moment to help you look (and feel) your best during our time together.
In you, I’m watching for:
- Looks of uncertainty. Maybe you need more instruction, maybe you just need to try the pose once and then we reset. Maybe you need to see the back of my camera for reassurance we’re making great images.
- Tension in your hands and arms. It’s easy to let your hands and fingers go rigid when trying to stand still for the camera…not to mention when you’re also trying to hold onto your horse’s face! Pausing your pose to shake the tension out of your hands can help relax your whole body, but even just softening your fingers and grip can do a lot to ease the stiffness in an image.
- Looking for life and confidence in your eyes. You shouldn’t just be staring off into nothing, and doing so gives a “glazed over” expression. If you’re not looking at the camera, I’ll give you a specific object in the distance to look at. (Bonus, this also helps me direct your face angle!). Similarly, I rarely just say “look at your horse” when directing your gaze. Instead, I might tell you to admire his eye, or look up and rearrange his forelock, to further establish your connection together.
- Raised or hunched shoulders. This comes back to reducing tension in your body and helping you exude confidence. I see it most often when you’re walking alongside your horse, so I try to make a point to have you roll them back and down!
- Over posing. Occasionally I’ll meet someone who knows their angles. And while that is great, it’s easy to get stuck in the same static pose, expression or head tilt you’ve used a hundred times in group photos. So while we might start with your go-to move, I’ll try to coax you into some variations or set up candid moments with your horse.
In all of these little adjustments, I always strive to be reassuring. It is OK and totally normal to do any of these five habits I’ve mentioned!
With a little help and encouragement, though, I know you will be relaxed and loving your time with your horse before your portrait session is even halfway through.
Ready to make incredible memories for yourself & your horse? Contact me to start planning your equestrian portrait session.
