It was a shoot of firsts for me, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. I had the pleasure of meeting Lindley for the first time, and I was immediately struck by her enthusiasm and creative vision. We talked excitedly about the shoot, which was going to involve horses, something I hadn’t done before, and a unique concept of three different ideas in one afternoon. We were shooting near Lindley’s house in Bloomington, Indiana, a cool college town that was surrounded by beautiful fall foliage.
We arrived at the farm to meet the horses, Ruby and Duke. Ruby was a very active mare, who kept moving and running around, while Duke was a very chill pony who was fine just standing still. Lindley brought her own costume, makeup, and props, and we went to work.
The first shot featured Ruby and Lindley in a dark fantasy vibe. Lindley rode bareback around a forest clearing near the farm, with the beautiful autumn foliage in the background. I had to keep following Ruby around as she wouldn’t stop pacing, and then we moved on to shoot with Duke.
The second shoot with Duke and Lindley had a more whimsical approach. Lindley witched out looks for a white dress and an autumn leaf crown with extra flowing chiffon fabric. Since Duke didn’t move around so much, Lindley was able to try different poses she wouldn’t have been able to on Ruby.
We headed back to Lindley’s house for the third shoot, which ended up being a fun and spooky. We took advantage of the darkness at the end of the shoot to create a Halloween-like atmosphere. The result was eerie yet beautiful and perfectly captured the mood of the season.
Overall, it was an incredible experience. It was so much fun to shoot such different ideas in one afternoon and watch Lindley bring each of them to life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Lindley and the horses, and I’m excited to see how the photos turn out!
Canon EOS 5d Mark III 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 012