Way back at the start of the year, I ran a competition to win an equine photo shoot with me over on my Equine Photography by Karl Drage Instagram account.  The shoot finally took place mid-June, and here are some of the results.

Equine Photography by Karl Drage

I do really enjoy photographing horses.  The variety of situations you find them in, as well as the dramatic action that oftens accompanies those situations makes for a very exciting medium in which to work.  I also love getting a bit more creative with it all, too, though that does require the right horse (and potentially rider).

So, keen to increase my following and get the word out there, I enlisted the assistance of Emily Gray & Dani Cox, local equestrians who are both quite active in a number of horse-related spheres (in Emily’s case, she competes in the Horseboarding UK National Championships, while Dani loves dressage and can be regularly found competing, primarily with her Haflinger Joe Pony).  They kindly agreed to shout about me from the rooftops, and we received a fantastic number of entries into the “raffle” to win the equine photo shoot.

Ashanti & Bertie – Northampton Equine Photo Shoot

The Winner

The name selected digitally at random was Ashanti, who rides a lovely grey pony called Felicity (you can follow them on Instagram at @felicitythe_pony). 

Ashanti & Felicity The Pony – Northants Equine Photo Shoot

Her mum, Karla, manages the account.  Ashanti’s sister Chanique also rides, and she and her mount Bertie also joined us.

Equine Photo Shoot Day

We had already tried to make the equine photo shoot happen earlier in the year, but the weather had scuppered us on that occasion – the forecast going from glorious to near 100% cloud cover the evening before it was due to happen. 

It looked for a while like it might be a similar story here, too.  The weather the evening before looked good.  By the next morning, all bar one of the main forecasting sites had decided it was going to be rubbish.  The one site that said it wasn’t going to be rubbish also said that the weather that morning would be clear blue skies.  It started to rain just after 10am and had already been overcast from the moment I got up! 😀  I gave Karla the option to cancel there and then, but, to her credit, she was prepared to sit it out and see what it was like mid-afternoon.

I was due to be in Northampton from 1230, and on my drive there, it poured.  But, as I got closer, the rain stopped, and there was even some blue sky.  My hope had been restored!  It was still a long way from perfect, and the sun could only be described as watery at best, but there were some shadows being cast on the ground.

When we had been developing a plan for the equine photo shoot, we had already decided we’d gear it around the late-afternoon and into sunset time.  Sammy Grace was coming along with me to help get ears nice and pricked and to help with the lights, where necessary.  Shortly after we arrived at the yard, the heavens opened once more.  What had we done?! 

Ashanti & Felicity and Chanique & Bertie

We said our hellos and headed out with Karla to bring in the ponies.  While Ashanti and Chanique got their rides ready, the weather improved once more, and there was actually some nice light. 

We headed out into a field for some nice scenery and to grab some shots of the two girls with their horses and some individual stuff, too.  The results looked lovely.

Ashanti poses aboard Felicity – Northamptonshire Equine Photo Shoot

Chanique & Bertie – Northants Equine Photo Shoot

Equestrian Photo Shoot

Once we’d done that, the girls headed into the school for a few jumps while we waited for the sun to get a little lower in the sky.

Early-Evening into Sunset Equine Photo Shoot

I grabbed my studio light from the car, and we headed back out to the field we’d been in earlier, only this time we positioned the girls between myself and the sun, as they each took it in turns to pose. 

Chanique & Felicity – Northants Equine Photo Shoot

Ashanti faces Felicity for a super-cute picture – Northamptonshire Equine Photo Shoot

Ashanti asked if she could have a go with a camera, so I gave her a very quick lesson in what she needed to do, and away she went – laying in the long grass and looking for the angles.  Naturally, Chanique wanted a go, too.  They certainly both have an eye for a picture!

Ashanti & Bertie – Northampton Equine Photo Shoot

The Setting Sun

Sunset itself wasn’t quite as impressive as we’d hoped.  The high-level cloud that most of the forecasts had predicted was there, and while it wasn’t enough to completely block out the sun, it did stop a lot of the more intense colours we could have otherwise expected from appearing.  We still got some nice results, though.

Ashanti & Bertie and Chanique & Felicity – Northampton Equine Photo Shoot

Silhouetted shot in front of the setting sun – Northamptonshire Equine Photo Shoot

Ashanti and Felicity in front of the setting sun, illuminated by my studio light – Northamptonshire Equine Photo Shoot

Conclusion

All told, it had been a really worthwhile evening, and I was thankful we stuck it out.  I do always try to get the best weather possible for my clients, but the first five months of 2023 were rubbish and it was starting to feel like that would continue!

Chanique & Bertie – Northants Equine Photo Shoot

Further Equine Photo Shoot Information:

Like the look of what we did?  Have ideas for your own equine photo shoot?  You can find more information on the equine photography services I offer below.  If there’s something not listed that you think I might like to try, please feel free to get in touch to discuss!

High Quality Equine / Horse Photography in Northamptonshire

Equestrian Photography – You and Your Horse or Pony in Action

Horse Photoshoot – Daylight Horse & Pony Portraits

Sunset Horse & Pony Portraits

Black Background Equine Photo Shoots

Christmas-themed Equine Photo Shoots

Equine Photography Session FAQs

Karl Drage is a professional Northamptonshire-based photographer who also covers surrounding counties such as Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Rutland, Oxfordshire & Warwickshire. If you are looking for an equine photographer in the towns of Northampton, Kettering, Wellingborough, Oundle, Corby, Peterborough, Leicester, Huntingdon, Towcester, Rugby, Daventry, Oakham or nearby, please use one of the methods on the Contact Us page to get in touch.