This past weekend, I worked on a different kind of project - one in which the tables were turned and I was in front of the lens. It's usually something I avoid as I hate having my photo taken, but a very dear friend finally convinced me that I should have my own photos of me and Poppy. True.
We've been planning this for a while and knew that I wanted the colour red to come out in the images, and that they had to be done in the snow. Luckily last weekend we got one last (???) snowfall. The perfect fluffy kind of snow that hangs in the trees. My favourite shooting conditions. This put the plan in motion.
Allison, my photographer-for-the-day happens to be a very talented creative director with a Toronto ad agency. She has also been supporting and encouraging my work since the early days so she knows my style, and to top it off, she is a horse person too. In other words, she was the perfect person for me to collaborate with. Oh, and she knows Poppy too.
The morning started with getting Poppy glammed up - which meant whisker trims, scrubbing her white markings and really grooming her coat. Her tail also got a trim and deep conditioning. I think she thought she was going to a show. Next my bridle and saddle got a deep cleaning. And then came the wardrobe consult for me.
We settled on traditional breeches - though in navy rather than beige (better to hide any...err...flaws). I also polished up my boots and added spurs. Luckily Allison brought a bag full of options for the top - including the red coat we settled on using.
Next was a quick session with Allison on how to use my camera and with everything in place, we headed out into the snow.
After the session, I did all of the usual post-session uploading, sorting, archiving and editing - making it a true collaborative exercise.
At the end of it all, I got some really great images of Poppy and I. And I have to say, it wasn't so bad being in front of the camera - though I still prefer to be the one behind it.
Thanks for convincing me Allison!
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