Sharing Your Legacy

Why a Family Equestrian Portrait Session Should Be in Your Future

November 1st. Your favorite day of the year. Well, not your actual favorite day, but the day where the holiday magic begins to happen. The day where you can officially start decorating for the season and play Christmas music — if that’s your thing.

There seems to be a festive mood that washes over the country. No matter what is going on. Grateful hearts shine everywhere you go. There’s just a cheerfulness that permeates the space around you. Smiles. Well wishes. Love and kindness. The guy in line ahead of you pays for your coffee. You do the same. Paying it forward. 

Your greatest hope this year — 2020 will be the same.

Lord knows we need it. Something to look forward to. Something to give us hope. Something to help us see beyond Covid-19 and social distancing. Something to help us anticipate and celebrate the coming new year. 

November 1st automatically kicks off this simple yet sacred zest for life.

No matter what the future holds… let’s spur each other on. To share the hope November 1st brings just like every year. Are you in? 

But how? How do we muster the joy and the spirit in the middle of the craziness going on?

CELEBRATE LIFE!

With your family.

Creating memories. 

For you, the expectation of Thanksgiving tops the charts of all days throughout the year. Because no matter how far and wide the family is, they come back for Thanksgiving. Five kids spread across the country… Getting together isn’t always easy. But, Thanksgiving… Everyone makes it happen. 

This year is going to be extra special. It’s your parent’s 60th wedding anniversary and as a gift to them, you are organizing a family photoshoot with your favorite equine photographer. Kids. Grandkids. Horses. Dogs. Even the pet pig. It’s going to be incredible. Memories in the making to create family heirlooms for years to come.

Your parents own a working cattle ranch in Ocala. It’s been in the family for 100 years. Started by your grandparents on a wing and a prayer. With the intent of bringing quality beef to family and friends. Their cattle are the cream of the crop. Grass-fed. Grass-finished. The cattle ranch is your parent’s pride and joy. Your dad always says “An honest day's work is good for your bones and your soul.”

Horses are the backbone of their business. You can’t run a cattle ranch without horses. You and your sisters learned to ride as soon as you could walk. And knew how to rope a run-a-way calf by the time you were eight. 

The tradition continued with your own kids as they visited mammy and poppy every summer. Ropin’ and Ridin’ in their blood. 

Your parents will definitely be surprised when they hear of your family portrait plans at the ranch next weekend. The weather should be perfect. The images… Priceless for generations to come. 

Sadly, not everyone knows the importance of taking family photos. Let alone family portraits with horses. 

Why are family portraits important?

Here’s a list of reasons why. Be inspired. Plan your professional family photo session with your horses. 

First, it’s an opportunity to preserve a time in your family’s life that is fleeting. Kids grow up. We grow older. Grand kids change in the blink of an eye. The beauty of gathering your family for an equestrian photography session… although people change…memories don’t. Capture those memories for all of your family to cherish forever. 

Second, it’s a chance to mark milestones in your life. Birthdays, weddings, or special events. Gathering everyone together to celebrate your parent’s 60th wedding anniversary at their ranch is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Marking an amazing milestone you and your siblings hope to emulate someday. Gathering your kids and grandkids to celebrate with family and life with horses. A momentous occasion is worthy of record. 

Third, a family portrait photo session is a time to recognize the beauty in your life. Life is hard. For all of us. You have trials and hardships that cause you to question your ability to move forward. But, you also have moments of sheer joy. Moments to remind you why you do what you do. How you press on. How you do the next thing. Beautiful experiences that make your heart leap with gratitude. A 40 X 60 canvas hanging on the wall in the dining room where your family gathers for meals reminds EVERYONE of the good. The beautiful. The reason why you gather in the first place. 

Fourth, heirloom equestrian lifestyle photography to capture life as it is. Candid images with your family and animals to remind you of your 100-year-old family business. What better way to document your life and carry on the legacy for years to come?

Images you can pass on from generation to generation to keep the business thriving. 

Running a cattle ranch 100 years in the making ain’t easy in today’s world. Your grandparents fought hard to build a business to last the test of time. Not only do photos bring back memories, but they motivate. Think about your own kids when they are running the ranch 50 years from now. When struggles become real. Looking back at a lifesize portrait with their parents and grandparents will encourage them to fight for the legacy created so long ago. 

But how in the world do we gather so many adults, children, horses, dogs, and a crazy ol’ pig for a photo session?

Your professional horse photographer will give you all the details in your pre-session planning meeting. You will talk about creating an environment that is stress-free for the humans and animals being photographed. 

You will talk through animal relationships and plan where each animal and family member will stand or be held in order to keep the situation drama free. Your photographer will help you understand that your photo session should be a fun experience your whole family will laugh about later. Making memories.

Try not to worry about how it will all come together. The detailed planning helps alleviate stress because you will talk through how to make it work in advance. Your photographer will also make sure you have all the tools that you need to create the perfect images.

Your professional equine photographer always brings an assistant (or two) to each session, especially when multiple animals are involved. Her number one goal is safety. Sometimes animals haven’t spent much time around each other or they don’t safely get along...so to get the desired images, it takes a team to pull the photo together. Your photographer’s goal is to plan for everything in advance so YOU are not overwhelmed by the process. 

How Should my family coordinate our outfits? 

Here’s a great way to plan your family’s outfits: Don’t match. Instead, coordinate your color theme. Pick a color combination for your family to work within. You don’t want everyone to match perfectly, or wear a single color. You also don’t want everyone wearing different colors and patterns. Choose wardrobe pieces to complement each other. Throw in some accent colors for contrast. 

Think about what will look best with your horse's color and tack.

Avoid patterns. Go for earth tones, textures, and solid colors. These are the most classic & timeless and will guarantee your outfits are still in style years from now - Rather than a trend! It's also best to aim for layers in your clothing to provide visual interest, texture, and movement. Whatever you choose, consider including horse safe shoes to protect your toes.

Here are some more outfit ideas 5 Tips for Choosing a Compelling Outfit for Your Equine Photography Session.

Life has its ups and downs… Smiles and trials. The greatest gift of all — right in the middle of it, is family. Take the time, make the time to celebrate right where you are at. Your accomplishments. Your greatest joys. Your family’s milestones. Create a lasting treasure for all to see. Forever. Contact Fast Horse Photography today to create breathtaking images your family will cherish for generations.