How to prepare your horse for a black background photoshoot

Mar 28

When's the best time to do these sessions?

Horse’s look best when photographed in their sleek summer coats. If your horse likes to play rough in the pastures, or you would like to avoid sun bleaching or a bug bitten coat, I would HIGHLY recommend booking your session following the shedding season or a week after being clipped.

Please keep in mind that I book 2 MONTHS in advance!

Black Background Photo Session “Fleur” Fair Hill, Maryland

The Setup

No artificial backdrop or lights are used for this session. The session is done with natural lighting from the entrance to a barn aisle or indoor arena. Everything is edited out using Photoshop.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Area next to the entrance clear of objects to have the widest opening possible. Sweep or rake the area as clean as possible. I wont be able to decide which place works best until I get there, so keep this in mind if you have multiple options!

Mock setup for black background — Shaded Indoor Entrance

- Entire body brushed and dirt free
- Completely dry
- Green spots removed
- Mane and forelock brushed straight
- Nose, mouth, and eyes wiped clean (bring a rag!)
- Hooves painted
- Bridle wiped down and clean
- Bit shiny and wiped
- Braided (looks stunning when possible!)
For Western horses with curb bits, I recommend a show halter for some poses as well as full tack options.
For Dressage horses in Double Bridles, I also recommend we shoot in some in a halter, or with nothing on (lead rope around the neck).
For hunter jumpers, I recommend a plain looking bit– stay away from elevators, gags and pelhams.
I am fairly skilled when it comes to editing in and out things. For all horses, I will remove any scratches, scars, or knicks on the horse’s face or body. I want to present the horse’s best possible appearance. However, if the horse or tack is dirty, unkempt, or presented poorly I will not do any extensive edits without an additional editing fee. For the best result, follow the recommendations above.
If you have any extensive edit requests, please let me know during the session!