Bella, Lilli & Jasper

A Very Special Pony and Two Girls Who Adored Him

Some portrait sessions take on a little more meaning than others, and my summer evening with Bella, Lilli and their lovely loan pony Jasper is one that will stay with me for a very long time.

When their mum, Louise, got in touch, we arranged their session rather quickly. Unfortunately, Jasper hadn't been very well, and with him being such an important part of the girls' lives, Louise wanted to make sure they had some beautiful photographs together while they still could.

I'd actually had the pleasure of photographing Jasper before, so I already knew what a cheeky little character he was. It was lovely to see his familiar face again, and even more special to have the opportunity to capture him with both girls.

We chose a beautiful summer evening for their equine portrait session, making the most of the sunshine and a gorgeous little spot beside the river.

There was no pressure for everything to be perfect. We simply wanted the girls to enjoy spending time with Jasper, doing what they loved, while I captured those moments for them to look back on.

Sunshine, River Adventures and Jasper's Cheeky Personality

One of the things I love most about photographing children with their ponies is that you never quite know what's going to happen.

And Jasper certainly wasn't about to disappoint.

In true cheeky pony fashion, he even managed to have a little nibble on Lilli's thumb during our session. Just the sort of mischief I'd come to expect from him, and a lovely reminder of the personality that made him so special.

We spent the evening exploring the beautiful riverside location, beginning with some lovely portraits beneath the trees before venturing down towards the water.

With the summer sunshine filtering through the leaves and the river providing such a beautiful backdrop, it was the perfect setting for some relaxed, natural photographs of the girls with Jasper.

We even managed to create some portraits standing in the river, which was great fun and gave us some of my favourite images from the evening.

Louise joined us for a few photographs too, which I'm particularly pleased about. As a mum, it's so easy to spend your time making sure everyone else has their memories captured, but I always think it's lovely to have a few photographs together as well.

Throughout the session, Jasper was his usual cheeky self, and we enjoyed a really lovely evening together.

Looking back, I'm so pleased we were able to capture him exactly as the girls knew and loved him, full of character and surrounded by people who adored him.

Memories That Mean More With Time

Just a few days after our portrait session, Jasper sadly passed away.

Although we knew he hadn't been well, none of us could have imagined quite how precious those photographs would become in such a short space of time.

When I look back at our evening together, though, I don't think about the sadness. I think about the sunshine, the girls laughing, Jasper being his usual mischievous self and the three of them enjoying those lovely moments beside the river.

And that's exactly how I hope Bella and Lilli will always remember him.

One of the greatest privileges of being an equine photographer is knowing that the photographs I create often become more meaningful as the years go by.

Our horses and ponies are such an enormous part of our lives. They're there through childhood adventures, competition days, early mornings, muddy winters and beautiful summer evenings. They become part of our families, and somehow, the years we spend with them never feel quite long enough.

It's so easy to put photographs off until another summer, another season or a time when life feels a little less busy. But the truth is, we never really know what's around the corner.

I'm incredibly grateful that we were able to arrange this session for Bella and Lilli, and that they now have such a beautiful collection of happy memories with their cheeky little pony.

Photographs that will always remind them of the adventures they shared, the laughter and the little moments that made Jasper who he was.

You don't need a special occasion or a particular reason to celebrate the horses who mean the world to you. Sometimes, simply having them in your life is reason enough.

If you've been thinking about commissioning a portrait session with your horse or pony, I'd love to help you capture this chapter of your story, just as it is today.