Emma and Freddie the Connemara and little dogs Maggie and Daisy!

In between lockdowns last summer, Emma was really keen to make the most of the glorious surroundings of her Oxfordshire yard and book a shoot with her gorgeous 15.1hh Connemara, Freddie. We decided to make the most of the   wonderful spell of sunny weather and shoot amongst billowing cow parsley, tall grasses and bright, joyful flowers.  Despite a global pandemic, we could  still find ways to have fun, right?

 As a confident horse woman who’d been a coach in her native Sweden, Emma felt handling Freddie for the shoot, wouldn’t be a problem.

But what was worrying her, was how to decide what to wear !  Emma’s style is timeless and casual but she felt that perhaps she should dress up for the photo session.  This was where the problem lay. In our pre- shoot consultation I was able to reassure Emma that the most important thing, is to feel relaxed and comfortable in her choice of clothing. There is absolutely no need to put on glad rags if that makes you feel a bit like an imposter at the yard.

We decided on classic dark jeans for the stable shots with jodhpur boots and two soft coloured, plain t shirts.  Don’t the results look great? The rich dark background set off Emma’s blond hair to perfection and the muted colour palette didn’t distract from the interaction between her and Freddie.

When we went out into the grounds we mixed things up a little bit. Just enough to give us variety but not so much that Emma felt uncomfortable. Black, slim trousers were chosen, still with the low boots and a classic pale blue shirt . This look is completely timeless and could have been worn decades ago. She’ll certainly look at the images in many years to come and feel happy with her choice.

To round things off for our last locations, Emma wanted to wear a favourite tweed jacket and swap to knee length boots. This choice had a smarter feel and made Emma feel special but still very at ease.  The changes were very quick and easy to achieve and added a wonderful dimension to the session. Most importantly though because Emma felt completely relaxed and comfortable in her clothes, the photos captured the true relationship between her and Freddie. She became the very happy recipient of framed images which capture the authentic, close bond she has forged with her horse.

On being asked about her images from the shoot afterwards, Emma said “ I was blown away with the stunning results. Jane captured it all. The framed pictures are just superb!”

Now that makes me feel great to be honest – what more could I wish for? It was a happy and relaxed photo session in gorgeous countryside with a lovely lady, her beautiful gelding and sweet little dogs. She now has frames in her home which she will treasure for ever. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job ???