An Equine Photoshoot with Dawn & Tanaga (Toto)
I was lucky enough to meet lovely Dawn and husband Nick at the Hertfordshire County Show in May. We got chatting when Dawn spent some time looking at my work on my stand and rightly so, Dawn commented on how important it is for a photographer to establish their 'style' and to have a particular familiarity about their work. We discussed the idea of an equine photoshoot with her beautiful boy, Toto (or Tanaga when he's feeling posh!) as it was an experience she'd been meaning to arrange for a little while, but for various reasons hadn't quite got around to doing... but come August, I was making the drive to the very beautiful North Northamptonshire to photograph them both. What a wonderful day we had! Here are some of the results...
About Toto
Toto, a 16 year old, bright shiny bay TBx gelding (with his idyllic 3 white socks and a white blaze!) was the star of our photoshoot. In the time that Dawn has owned him, Toto has had a very varied and successful career. There isn't a lot this perfect boy can't do! Spanning from successfully competing at BE100, Toto is also an accomplished dressage diva and Dawn even qualified to show him at the London International Horse Show in 2023 at the Excel Center! I thought Toto was absolutely the cat's pyjamas, and I feel very lucky to have been chosen to capture their partnership!
Pristinely turned out on the day of our shoot, Dawn & Toto both took all my directions incredibly well. Toto was a gentleman to handle for Dawn and their true friendship really showed through in the final photographs.
Dawn's equestrian outfit choices
Dawn made a fantastic decision regarding her photoshoot outfits, and one I don't see women opt for often enough! She opted to incorporate the equestrian style by wearing a pair of smart Pikeur denim breeches with a black leather belt, and relaxed powder blue shirt. The other equestrian themed outfit was a khaki green pair of Toggi breeches with a floral patterned shirt. Dawn managed the perfect balance of smart equestrianism mixed with her usual sense of relaxed, feminine and chic style. The colour combinations complimented Toto perfectly too!
For her third option, Dawn went with a gently patterned floral summer dress with a straw-like fedora hat. The hat had a brown leather band that matched her brown leather jodhpur boots perfectly, really tying everything together. Each of Dawns photoshoot outfits weaved in just the right amount of 'horsey', whilst still being able to embrace the idea of dressing up a little more than usual for the yard.
The photoshoot location
I wasn't quite prepared for just how gorgeous Dawn and Toto's yard was going to be. Often as horse owners, we spend each day going about our daily business on our livery yards becoming a little bit blind to the small pockets of beauty that are right under our noses. Dawn mentioned the gorgeous views across the valley from Totos field, but she failed to mention the charismatic yellow and orange brick built traditional stabling and the gorgeous gate and driveway! The whole yard had an array of summer flowers from hydrangea, an established fig tree, the most vibrant hanging baskets and a variety of acers for us to include in subtle ways in photographs too! I was blown away and spoilt for choice!
The viewing session
We opted to meet half way at a lovely hotel in Cambridgeshire - The Old Bridge, Huntingdon. We sat for a few hours admiring Dawn & Toto's photographs over cups of tea and designed beautiful frames. Viewings are always my favourite part of the process as by this point in time, we all know each other very well and everything feels very relaxed and familiar. Having clients feel comfortable throughout the process is my number one priority and ensures we get the very best results and that during the viewing, everybody can leave feeling really happy and fulfilled by the whole experience. Thank you Dawn for trusting me with this experience, and thank you to Nick for being a super duper helper - bucket rattler, horse-holder, gate-opener-and-closer - it really does make a world of difference having a trusted set of hands around on the day.
Ready for your own equine photoshoot?
Hello, my name is Holly...
Welcome to my blog
I am an equine photographer based in Essex, England. I've owned and ridden horses always, and I've never known a life without them! I've started this little blog for my many ramblings. I've always liked to write, but previously had no outlet for it - now I do! I write about all my photography adventures, horses and dogs so if you like any of those things, you're in the right place! Maybe we'll even get to work together some day...
