A Meaningful Horse Photoshoot in Derbyshire | Mandy & Scooby

Some photoshoots feel especially meaningful, and Mandy’s session with her horse Scooby was very much one of those.

Many years ago, I photographed Mandy with her dressage horse Fred. When Fred retired and Scooby came into Mandy’s life, it felt only right to mark this new chapter with another photoshoot. For many horse owners, our horses represent different seasons of life, and capturing those moments becomes even more special over time.

The photoshoot took place in June 2021 at a lovely yard near Overseal and Lullington in Derbyshire, one quite local to home for me. The weather was ideal: not overly sunny, but with dramatic cloud cover that added depth and atmosphere to the images. These are often my favourite conditions to work in, creating soft, flattering light with plenty of character.

One of the joys of this session was the variety of locations available. We had access to quiet off-road hacking tracks that led us through several scenic spots, allowing us to create a varied gallery without ever feeling rushed. We were also lucky enough to walk through a wheat field, which provided beautiful, wide environmental backdrops and a real sense of space and calm.

We finished the photoshoot with some relaxed ridden shots of Mandy and Scooby, just as we had done years earlier with Fred. Many of my clients love having ridden photographs outside of competition, a chance to see themselves with their horse in a more natural, personal way. Mandy chose casual ridden wear rather than formal competition attire, which suited both her and Scooby’s personalities perfectly and gave the images a timeless, authentic feel.

When Mandy returned for her viewing appointment, she chose a photo collage almost identical in design to the one she had ordered for Fred all those years ago. I absolutely love it when clients coordinate their wall art over time, whether welcoming a new horse or marking retirement, as it creates a beautiful visual story of their journey together.

Sessions like this are a reminder of why I do what I do. Horse photography isn’t just about creating pretty pictures; it’s about preserving memories, relationships, and chapters that deserve to be remembered.

Our horses carry us through different chapters of life. If you’d like to mark yours with a thoughtful, relaxed photoshoot, I’d be honoured to photograph that journey for you.