Emma & Ariel

I was awfully nervous about this shoot.  I had really high expectations for it.  I’d  got the call a week earlier from Mum, asking me if I could get a portrait of her daughter Emma with their horse Ariel.  I was given a lot of creative maneuvering room for both processing and execution of poses, which for me is very exciting.  I thought about the shoot all week, planning and researching.  I knew the shoot was going to take place in a most beautiful spot in Antigonish and that the trees would be absolutely peaking.  No pressure.  When it came time to meet Emma and Ariel I was a bit regretful of my abundance of nervous energy (which usually helps drive me during a shoot).  Ariel seemed a bit skittish and I worried a bit about her ability to be a reliable model.  I felt somewhat responsible for the transfer of this skittish energy.  Emma reassured me that Ariel is a naturally skittish horse with lots of extra energy (she likes to execute jumps on her own, even without a rider!), and I instantly recognized Emma as a capable young woman who exuded a calm confidence and near total control over her giant companion.  We’re going to save our mounted portraits for a time when we have more light and Emma isn’t recovering from an injured arm (sustained from riding of course ;), but we were really out (this time) to capture the emotional bond between a young lady and her horse.  I’m also including one image of Emma’s brother Liam, and his dog, Dusty.