Endings and a New Beginning

Senior Equine Portrait Photography with a Flair

2:30 a.m. and your iPhone alarm is buzzing on your nightstand. Ugh… Why so early on a Saturday? Before you can answer your own question, you hear bustling downstairs. “I hope to God she is making coffee.”

The stillness of the hour and pitch-black sky catches your attention. No wind. No dogs barking. Just quiet. Maybe this is why your mom always gets up so early. 

You pull on your comfy sweats and grab your wardrobe bag. Phone charger. And lucky pin. 

As you walk downstairs with a grin on your face you remember how long you’ve waited for your equine senior portraits. Since the first week of your freshman year to be exact. 

Going back 4 years in your mind, you remember the day you saw one of the older girls at your barn having her senior pictures taken. What an awesome idea. You never heard of doing senior portraits with your favorite four-legged friends. Until you received a “Barn Bucket” from Fast Horse Photography loaded with goodies for you and your horse. When your mom picked you up after lessons, you shared your hopes of having your senior pictures taken with your horses. With tears in her eyes, mom said it was a lovely idea. 

The day you’ve waited for is FINALLY here. YAY! Today IS the day. 

Excitement oozes from your pores. 

You, your mom, and your photographer have everything planned. The outfits. The poses. The ideas. Thank you, Pinterest! Of course, you plan to wear your cap and gown and competition attire. But, the real excitement comes from your creative and adventurous ideas. 

As you walk into the kitchen, your mom is beaming with pride. You know what she is thinking… “My baby is graduating and going off to college.” You give her a quick hug. Grab a muffin and a cup of hot coffee and run out the door. Thankfully, your dad hitched the truck and trailer, and you just need to pack up and load the horses. 

Mack and Buster, by your side for the last 6 years. The most versatile horses you’ve ever met. Roping cattle one day and jumping fences the next. How are you ever going to say goodbye to your best friends? Not now… not now. Breathe. 

Packing up the trailer you go through your list. Clean tack ✔ Bathed horses ✔ Water Buckets and Water ✔ Feed Bags and hay ✔ Treats for your boys ✔ Extra bags of shavings to keep them both clean ✔ Wrapped legs ✔ “Alright boys, here we go. Let’s load up! You can eat your breakfast on the way to our senior equine photo session. Can you believe it? Today is our day.”

Photos to Capture Your Life’s Journey

Welaka State Forest is a little under an hour from your home. On the drive, you share your dreams with your mom. Hoping and praying you to get into your #1 pick University of Florida equine science program. 

But, going off to college to pursue your lifelong dream of being a large animal vet means hanging up your spurs. And... letting your boys move on to their next rider and journey. You and your mom drive in silence as the weight of closing one door and opening another is upon you. Horses will be in your life again someday. But for now, this chapter of your life is coming to an end. The recognition is bittersweet. 

These photos are more than a senior photo session. They represent the culmination of 12 years of passion and hard work. Mucking stalls. Cleaning tack. 3-hour riding lessons six days a week. Traveling all over the country for shows. Developing an unbelievable bond with your horses. And realizing the depth of love your parents have for you. The sacrifices and choices they made to help you chase your dreams. 

You arrive at your destination feeling thankful and cherished.

The Perfect Location

Welaka State Forest is the perfect setting for your senior picture ideas. Beautiful trees and a mystical atmosphere. You want amazing photos to help you remember all the life lessons you learned while working with Mack and Buster. You literally grew up on these horses. They helped you become the young woman you are today. Funny how horses impact us that much. 

And, it’s the perfect location for your professional equine photographer to create wall art your mom will adore. Your mom loves equine portraiture. She loves having big pieces that celebrate life with horses. She is an accomplished equestrian. But senior photos with horses weren’t a thing when she was a kid. She is thankful for the opportunity to honor you and your equestrian wins.

It’s ALL in the Details

Picking and choosing the perfect outfit, a struggle for some, but not for you. In your pre-session consultation, you and your photographer worked through all of the Pinterest ideas you had. Bold, yet soft. That’s the goal. You always dreamed of wearing a simple long dress...no shoes… no bridle...atop Mack. Your dependable and loyal puppy dog of a horse. And of course, dressed to the nines in your show attire. Finally, your cap and gown. What a creative way to memorialize your four years in high school. Competing with your horses and participating in Bartram Trail High School's Equine Club. Not every day of high school was easy. But, having a passion and horses as friends made the years fly by.

To make the day even more amazing… your horse photographer recommended having Onsite Muse do your hair and makeup for your senior portrait session. What’s not to love about this day? An amazing forest, your two best friends, hair and makeup to die for, and a photographer who encourages you and walks you through each pose. Your equine photo session is exactly what you’ve dreamed of. Exactly how you planned. 

You’ve grown up with Fast Horse Photography — around the show ring, taking family portraits, and watching your barn mates in their equine photo session. But TODAY... it’s your day. A dream literally coming true.

Memories For a Lifetime

The only hard part of the day — seeing your mom so emotional. What is it like for her? She always says “One day you’re starting kindergarten and then you’re… graduating from high school and leaving for college. Where does the time go? I wish we could stop time for a little while.” 

You and your mom have an understanding though...She can cry all she wants today… in the car. LOL.

Feelings well up inside your mind and heart… “My mom is my anchor. My rock. My dad is my security. My safe place. They come to my shows. Cheer me on. Lift me when I fall. I am the youngest of 4. The last one out the door. Wow. This must be hard for them. 

I want them to have pictures on their wall to remember how loved I feel. I want them to look at my equestrian portraits and be proud of who I am and all I accomplished. All I know, I learned from both of them. I tried my best to abide by their rules and follow in their footsteps. I am who I am because of them. They encouraged me to be adventurous, take life by the horns, and make the best of any situation. And now it’s my time to fly solo. To use all they taught me to leave the nest and survive on my own. That’s what I want them to feel. I am so thankful I have this opportunity to show them how much I appreciate everything.”

It’s not just a senior photo session. It’s an opportunity to remember your life’s journey. How you got there. Who helped you along the way. Your highs, your lows. All of it. Captured in print to hold your memories for a lifetime. 

NOW is the time to schedule your senior equine portrait session with Fast Horse Photography for the 2020-2021 school year. Celebrate life with horses as you celebrate your accomplishment of graduating high school.