A Photo Shoot with Star

One of the things that I never did when I had Nimo was to have a professional photographer take pictures of us (other than a couple of times a show).  I do have a lot of great pictures of us and him, but I think professional photos always seem to have an extra something that isn't normally captured by an amateur.

Something that may have been holding me back, though, was that I didn't know any professional photographers.  The idea of vetting photographers gave me flashbacks to planning my wedding, and I admit that I just didn't want to do it.  Over the past couple of years, though, I have met and gotten to know two photographers that I like and feel comfortable with.  

Given that Star is 24 years old, and I don't know what the future holds for her and Gemma, I decided to set up a photo shoot for them with one of those photographers.  And a little over a week ago, we met at the barn for a fun-filled (but hotter than we expected) photo shoot.

Star was a consummate professional, of course.  But because she doesn't bat an eye at anything, we had trouble getting her ears forward for some of the pictures.  We tried an app that makes horse sounds and we tried running and jumping, but all to no avail, as Star remained completely unimpressed with our antics.  Finally, knowing her love of treats, I grabbed a treat bag and I started throwing treats in her direction.  That did the trick, and we got lots of great pictures as a result.  Here are a few of the highlights.  All photos are by CarlyGPhotography and are used with purchase.

It was a great experience for Gemma - she had an absolute blast picking out her clothes and posing for the pictures.  And having a wonderful, solid horse to take pictures with also helped to make the experience very positive for everyone.  I loved not being behind the camera and having to try to make all the decisions.  The photographer was a bit surprised when I said I didn't have any specific shots that I wanted - I guess most people do.  But I happily did not plan or prepare in any way, and the mental break was nice.  And I've got some wonderful keepsake photos of a special partnership.