PSA: I don’t really like having my photo taken. I always feel awkward and when I smile for too long my eyes start going all squinty and things just get weird. I also hate not knowing how to stand – I missed the sorority squat/hand on the hip lessons they apparently teach you in college.
Nevertheless… I REALLY wanted some professional photos with Donny. I was determined to make it happen. After working with a great photographer at my wedding I started feeling a little more confident in the process – but was still wary.
Insert Lindsey aka LindseyK Photo. Lindsey recently moved from Colorado to New Jersey and I’m thanking my lucky stars she did and we were able to connect. She is the most lovely, wonderful young woman who puts you at immediate ease. From messaging with me back and forth for months over ‘photo inspo’ and outfit ideas to rescheduling probably five times due to the weather not working in our favor, she remained easygoing and professional. By the time we finally met in real life I felt like I was getting together with an old friend.
She is gentle and slow around the horses, taking her time to get to know them and see how they act in their surroundings. She quietly talks to them, holding reins while balancing her camera for fly spray applications and isn’t offended when the horses get a little too interested in her lenses. She fixes lip gloss, runs up (and down) hills and through thick grassy meadows with a giant smile on her face the entire time. But, what I found to be the most impressive, was her never-ending patience. Donny, of course, would be great for two minutes but then decide to act like he’d never seen grass and was starved on a daily basis. He wouldn’t stand, shook his head at every little bug that happened to pass by and showed his adoration by shoving his head into me or staring off into the completely wrong direction. I was horrified, but Lindsey took it all in stride and suggested we put Donny back in his stall to give him a little break while we took some photos with Cam. (Who was, of course, perfect.)
You wouldn’t have any clue Donny was such a difficult subject by looking at the photos she captured. When I first saw them, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe she captured tiny moments, like me telling Donny to be a good boy, or laughing at his naughtiness, in such an intimate way. Honestly, the photos make it look like he has impeccable modeling ground manners, which I can assure you, he does not. (Bye-bye, Dover model dreams.) Lindsey talks you through the entire session. She asks questions like, “will he let you put your arms up around his neck?” and “can you walk down to that patch of sunlight and then turn around and walk back to me?” She even guides you on where to look so you never feel awkward. “Look over my left shoulder, smile up at him, okay, now look at me…” the guidance is reassuring and so incredibly helpful. You are at ease the entire time, and feel like you’re just hanging out with your horse and a good friend vs. trying to pose for photos with a stranger.
Lindsey is located in Flemington, NJ and is now servicing all of the East Coast (and beyond!) Or as she puts it, “East Coast Based, Adventure Driven.” In addition to her equestrian portrait work, she also specializes in engagements and weddings.
I honestly can’t recommend Lindsey enough. She captured things I only used to hope were true, like how Donny looks at me or how big my smile gets when I’m in my most favorite place in the entire world. She handles horses acting like toddlers, wardrobe malfunctions, outfit changes, night time poultice wraps (yes… during the dress portion of my shoot with Donny he had on wraps. She said she could work around it and boy did she ever – you can’t even tell!) She is passionate about what she does, all you have to do is look at her work to see it.
To connect with Lindsey about photoshoots, email her at: lindseykphotollc@gmail.com
Keep up with her adventures:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindseyk.photo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindseykmphoto
Portfolio: https://www.lkmphotography.org/
Stay tuned for a follow up post covering questions, tips and tricks for a successful equestrian photoshoot!
Wow Taylor these are STUNNING. what a crazy talented photographer. Having shot with horses a few times, I can attest to how incredibly difficult and frustrating it can be. My Rio js also a TERRIBLE model, so I can jnvisuin the exact struggles you described. Those photos are phenomenal though- like you said, you’d never know he was a little naughty! Just wonderful! I’m sure you will treasure them for many years to come.
❤ Kelly @ HunkyHanoverian