Katherine, Gigolo & Captain

Sometimes the best photographs come after plans have changed a little.

Katherine first discovered my work at Burghley Horse Trials last year, when she stopped by my trade stand and we chatted about creating some beautiful portraits with her two horses. She booked her shoot for the summer, but after a pretty epic riding accident meant we needed to put things on hold for a little while, it was a particularly lovely feeling when we finally got to make it happen.

And this one was absolutely worth the wait.

I travelled down to Hertfordshire for Katherine's shoot, which is one of the things I love most about what I do. I'm based in Derbyshire, but my equine portrait sessions take me all over the UK, and every yard brings something completely different.

Katherine's yard was no exception.

With beautiful red-brick stables, open fields stretching out around us and gorgeous little corners everywhere you looked, we really were spoilt for choice. Add in two handsome bay geldings, Gigolo and Captain, and a warm, sunny summer evening and we had pretty much the perfect recipe for an equine portrait session.

It also became a proper team effort, with helping hands from Katherine's dad, Bob, and her partner, Josh. There is always a little bit of teamwork behind the scenes at a horse portrait session, and having people around who know the horses makes everything that little bit easier.

One of my favourite things about photographing someone with their horses is that we don't have to stick to one version of them.

Katherine's outfits gave us the perfect opportunity to show all the different sides of her life with Gigolo and Captain.

We started with something relaxed — a rugby shirt, wide-leg jeans and time spent hanging out around the stables. It felt completely natural for the setting and captured that everyday side of yard life that I think is so often overlooked.

Then we changed things up completely.

A beautiful white summer dress, a hat and wildflowers gave us something much softer and more romantic, making the most of that gorgeous evening light and the countryside around the yard.

And somewhere between the two, we captured the real Katherine.

Equestrian life isn't just one thing. It's early mornings at the yard, muddy boots and casual clothes, but it's also dressing up, heading out into the fields and making the most of those beautiful summer evenings with the horses you love.

Gigolo and Captain fitted seamlessly into every part of it.

What struck me most throughout the shoot was just how much Katherine loves her boys.

And you didn't need to see her riding them to know it.

At the time of the shoot, Katherine still wasn't able to ride following her accident, but that didn't seem to make her bond with Gigolo and Captain any less strong. If anything, it was a lovely reminder that the relationship we have with our horses is about so much more than riding.

They are there when we're mucking out, when we're having a bad day, when we're pottering around the yard and when we're simply standing in a field enjoying the sunshine.

And during the shoot, both boys were wonderfully attentive to Katherine, looking after her and staying close as we moved around the yard.

Those are the moments I love to photograph.

Not just the perfect ridden image or the horse standing beautifully for the camera, but the little looks, the affection, the laughter and the connection that tells you exactly what these animals mean to their people.

Years from now, Katherine might not remember exactly what she was wearing or what the evening weather was like. But she will have these photographs of Gigolo and Captain, of this beautiful yard in Hertfordshire, and of a summer evening when she was surrounded by the horses who bring so much happiness to her everyday life.

If your horses are part of your life in a way that goes far beyond riding, I'd love to tell that story for you too. Whether you're based in Derbyshire or somewhere much further afield, I'll travel to you and create a relaxed collection of portraits that captures you, your horses and the relationship you share — from everyday yard life to those once-in-a-while, beautifully dressed moments.

The photographs you'll treasure most aren't always the ones where everything is perfect - they're the ones that take you straight back to how it felt to be together.