A photoshoot isn’t just for summer…

Summer is by far my busiest season for shoots, and I wholly understand why. Your horse has a full summer coat, the weather is warm so you can opt for flowy, lighter outfits, daylight hours mean we’re less restricted on time, and the backdrops are always super pretty with a sea of green life across the country.

So I understand why people love a summer shoot, but so frequently autumn and winter are overlooked because all people associate those seasons with are rain, thick winter coats, mud, and endless darkness. But these seasons have some truly unique overlooked characteristics which make summer almost look like the boring option!

In this month’s blog, I’m going to take you through some of the reasons why autumn and winter shoots are so so special, and maybe it will make you think a little deeper about when you’d like to book your shoot.

Autumn colours > summer greens

Autumn colours are truly sublime, the gorgeous green landscape of summer gives way to the most stunning array of golds, yellows, reds, and oranges, creating a beautiful warm backdrop of colour.
This display makes summer look almost boring in comparison, the warm tones add an unreal pop of colour to any image and autumn leaves make for fantastic framing of a shot!

Cute and cosy layers

Summer is great for light layers, flowy dresses, and bare skin, but if you’re a lover of boots, scarves, denim, and bobble hats, autumn and winter are a winning option.
Pair your favourite Fairfax boots with a well fitting pair of jeans, and layer on a stylish gilet with a scarf draped around your neck (scarves make great props for shoots too!) for that perfect classy autumn/winter shoot look!
Cozy layers are just endlessly gorgeous for shoots, and layers can also be added or removed to switch up the look.

Cool winter backdr0ps

Winter has a whole other element that anyone who isn’t a photographer doesn’t really think of, the backdrops are super minimal, making you stand out even more for your photos.
This means you’re not worrying about clashes of colour either, so a vibrant outfit is even more striking for winter shoots.
If you’re opting for a portrait shoot, I like to do a mix of black background, and full background images. A full background image means we choose a spot with a nice backdrop and photograph your horse in front of it. Now imagine a beautifully lit portrait of your horse looking across rolling hills of a British winter landscape, Stubbs definitely comes to mind!

We also seem to get the bluest of blue skies in winter, enhancing that simple backdrop even more with a gorgeous pop of colour.

Clipped ponies!

I know, we all hate clipping, it’s one of those winter jobs we all want to avoid. But everyone can admit that a hunter clip looks incredibly smart on any horse, it’s a beautiful way for them to be turned out.
A neatly clipped head emphasized by off camera flash creates an effortlessly classy portrait, making your horse or pony look even more incredible for their winter shoot.

Winter fuzzies

I know some of you don’t clip for whatever reason that may be, and are often put off a shoot by all the hair that your horse has, but a native with a full fluffy mane, or a cob with a beard and a moustache, can look marvellous on a shoot!
Using my off camera flash, I love to pick up all the individual hairs of that toasty winter coat, it makes for hugely characterful portraits, and beautifully cosy shots of you and your horse.
Don’t let hair be the reason you don’t book, let’s create the kind of images most people don’t have!

Bonus: Quicker turnaround times

Summer is often my busiest season, and that bleeds on through autumn and into the manic run up to Christmas, and with the volume of work I’m doing, that leads to the inevitable editing backlog - The list of galleries waiting to be finished for clients builds up with the number of shoots I’m doing, meaning a slower turnaround time on images.

If you decide to book in for a shoot after Christmas, I’m generally not doing anywhere near as many shoots, and I’ve usually caught up on the editing backlog by that point in the year, so you’ll only have a 2 week wait on your images (In my busy season it can be up to 6 weeks wait on your images!). So a huge bonus if you book in for winter shoot after Christmas, less waiting to see your images!

I hope that’s made you consider an autumn or winter shoot over a summer one, taking a moment to think about all the things these gorgeous seasons can offer you, especially if you want something a little different from your shoot.
With these shoots there’s some truly unique elements that often go unappreciated, things that aren’t often considered, or seen as an issue, rather than an exciting element to incorporate into your shoot.

If you’d like to have a chat about autumn/winter shoots, please do get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!