Why you should always have a back-up date.
Heather recently reached out to me about doing a portrait session with her three horses in Currituck, North Carolina. Being a farm boy at heart, I readily agreed. We made plans and set a date along with a back up date in case of bad weather.
I can’t stress this enough, you should always plan a back-up date for any session that’s being held outdoors. The weather here is truly unpredictable. In our case we had to use ours as thunderstorms suddenly popped up in the forecast just days before the original date and the chances got stronger and stronger as the day approached.
Luckily for us, the backup date turned out to be a nice day.
Working with animals brings certain challenges. Each one has a unique personality and energy level. They are also unpredictable so, while you always go in with a plan, be ready to change that plan as soon as the session starts.
The session unfolded like a dance between the subjects and myself with each horse revealing its own unique personality and charm. I did my best to capture their form and essence. Cloudy skies brought a soft, diffused light which really added to the overall mood and made my job a lot easier has there was no harsh shadows to around.
As always, my heart sang. Here I am, taking pictures of these magnificent creatures on a farm. Other horses were calling out from the barn as if to say they wanted their turn in front of the camera. There was a light breeze that carried the songs of birds nearby. It all just came together nicely and the images show it.
Mark Knopp is a photographer with over 40 years of experience behind a camera and teaching photography. He covers Hampton Roads, Richmond, and now parts of North Carolina. Contact him at mknopp1(at)cox.net to book a session today.
Photography by Mark K 