Grace & Theo

A New Pony, a New Adventure and Another Chapter to Capture

There are some families I have the absolute pleasure of photographing time and time again, and Kim and Grace are certainly among my favourites!

I've been photographing Grace for several years now, capturing her with different ponies, in different locations and at different stages of her life. Every time I visit, she's grown up a little more, and there's always something new to photograph. It's such a privilege to be trusted with these memories and to watch her journey unfold.

This summer, I was back to photograph a rather handsome new addition to the family: Theo!

Theo is a gorgeous grey gelding who has quickly become a huge part of Grace's life. Together, they've been enjoying everything from Pony Club and eventing to dressage and showjumping. Despite being a relatively new partnership, they've already developed a wonderful relationship, and it was lovely to see how well they've come together in such a short space of time.

Unlike our previous portrait sessions, which have usually involved travelling to different locations, this time we decided to stay at Grace's yard. Somewhere familiar to both her and Theo, with beautiful fields, woodland and a cross-country course to explore.

Well, that was the plan anyway!

A Little Grey Pony with Plenty of Personality!

One thing I've learnt over the years as an equine photographer is that horses don't always share our enthusiasm for carefully made plans!

Theo was feeling particularly full of himself on the morning of our session, so rather than heading straight off towards the fields and woodland as we'd originally intended, we decided to adapt things a little.

We began with a few portraits close to the yard, but with Theo still feeling rather enthusiastic about life, it seemed sensible to bring the ridden photographs forward.

Kim had particularly wanted some photographs of Grace riding Theo, so this worked out rather nicely. It gave us the opportunity to capture them doing what they love together, while allowing Theo to settle into the morning.

And what a lovely partnership they make!

Once Theo had worked off some of his excess energy, we headed into the cross-country field for some action photographs. It was wonderful to capture Grace riding her new pony in a setting that reflects such a big part of their lives together.

By this point, Theo had decided that perhaps being a model wasn't such a bad job after all! We were able to take his saddle off and create some beautiful, more relaxed portraits of the two of them together in the field.

Of course, no visit to Kim and Grace would be complete without including the dogs!

Ethel, Bear, Boris and Betty all joined us for a few photographs, and we even managed to get Grace, Theo and all four dogs together. Quite the little family portrait!

With Theo happily back at the yard, we finished our session with a trip down to the woodland, where the dogs had their own moment in front of the camera.

It was such a lovely way to round off another summer portrait session with this wonderful family.

Growing Up Together, One Portrait Session at a Time

Something Kim often says to me is how much she loves that every time we have a portrait session, we manage to create something completely different.

And I think that's one of the loveliest things about photographing the same family over the years.

Although the faces might be familiar, life never stands still. Ponies come and go, new adventures begin, children grow up, and the relationships they share with their animals continue to develop.

Every session captures a different little chapter.

For Kim, I know just how proud she is of Grace and everything she achieves with her ponies. And having beautiful photographs of her daughter throughout these years is something that means an enormous amount to her.

For me, it's incredibly special too.

I've watched Grace grow up through my camera, photographed her with different ponies and had the pleasure of seeing her develop into the lovely young rider she is today.

I love knowing that the photographs we've created together over the years will eventually become a collection of memories, each one telling a slightly different part of her story.

And although Theo might not have been quite as enthusiastic about his modelling debut as the rest of us, I absolutely adore the photographs we created!

Whether it's celebrating a new pony, capturing a special partnership or simply preserving another summer of adventures together, these are the moments that deserve to be remembered.

If you'd love to capture your own story with the horses and ponies who make it so special, I'd be delighted to hear from you and create something beautiful together.