The Gifted Equine: a horse rescue's story

Social Media is not my favorite, but from time to time, it allows me to meet wonderful people. Queue in The Gifted Equine: a horse rescue started by Haley, a horse lover based in Ohio, and now joined by Savanah based in Texas.

I saw one of their posts, asking for donations to help feed some rescues and I knew I wanted to find a way to help. So I reached out to offer a way to support them and met up with them in Fort Worth to photograph some rescues and learn more about their foundation.

I met Beau and Red on Savanah’s property, where they stay in quarantine for a minimum of 14 days, before hopefully being re-homed, and they were the sweetest despite still being in not so great shape. I also learned more about the heartbreak that these girls go thru during each auction, because they cannot save all the horses and how the stress of vet bills pilling up isn't always easy to deal with either. Feeding them is not cheap either, and most horses at the auctions are skin on bones and it takes weeks to get them back to a healthy weight.

So perhaps, it seems glamorous to have a non profit and yes it is rewarding, but it is also very hard and stressful. So if you have extra cash and love horses, please support this non profit and help them help horses and save them from slaughter. "Horses bound for slaughter may include pregnant mares, foals (baby horses) and horses who are injured or blind and the holding conditions in these environments are inhumane."

To learn more about the Gifted Equine's mission and how to help them save horses, follow this link: https://www.thegiftedequine.com and feel free to share this blog post with friends and family, the horses and foundation can use all the help they can get.

You can also follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegiftedequine/

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Jennifer and Chris and Munch in Seattle

Hiking shoes and/or barefoot are my favorite states of being, so when I met Munch, let's just say she is my dream client. Wearing a cute beach dress, climbing trees and twirling without me even asking her to, she was basically the perfect 6 year-old. And so sweet!!

This entire family session was really fun and relaxed. I always get extra excited when the parents are chill and let the kids be, because trying to pose kids for an hour is just not fun for anyone involved, especially not the kids. But lettings the kids be and doing very little posing leads to these cute photos, a lot of candids, a lot of smiles, a lot of cuteness overload.

It also allows me to have some fun with the parents on the sidelines while the kiddos are busy playing. Yes we are parents, but we are also still a couple and it's nice to have a few shots sans kids. Wether for a cute Valentine's Day photo collage or to print on a mug.

So next time you are thinking of booking family photos, always think of "what is a good spot where kids can have fun and where the whole family can relax and just be without it feeling like a stuffy photoshoot?" or ask me: I love location scouting and I have a long list of suggestions, not just for Texas, but also California, New York, South Dakota, Florida, Tunisia and the list goes on because I have the travel bug :)

I mean, how cute are they?

And then to top the cuteness, Seattle graced us all with a beautiful sunset at the end of the shoot, so of course as any other photographer who says "One Last One" ten times before it being true, I had to continue to shoot !!

Thank you Seattle, and thank you Jenn for trusting me with your family photos and your parent's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. I had a blast and cannot wait to meet at a national park next time :)

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Family Photos at Badlands National Park

Repeat clients are always the best feeling. You know they loved their previous photos, you know they are comfortable with you and like your posing style, your personality and you know you are comfortable with them. There is good chemistry.

It’s an added bonus when they live in a beautiful state like South Dakota and choose a national park as their location. If you don’t know this about me already, I am a state park and national park nerd.

First time I photographed them, it was just Rona and Jose, the scenery was beautiful, and the weather cooperated for the most part, except when it rained and hailed :) but it did not stop them and of course it didn’t stop me either.

This time around, Jose and Rona had their two beautiful kiddos in tow and one on the way. So as much as I still expected some adventure, I figured probably not as much. But I stood corrected, Rona at 6 months pregnant was still hiking down the mountain barefoot and when it started to rain, she just laughed it off at the irony of it raining again for this photoshoot.

She was so busy laughing she didn't even notice the rainbow until she finally turned around for these photos below:

Her only worry, because she is so kind, was my camera. Thankfully my camera was fine, the kiddos were happily napping in the car while my husband stood watch and the rain created the most beautiful rainbow. (Yes Doug is my free client baby-sitter when available, but if he isn’t available, it is always helpful to bring a family friend or a family member to help out when your family photos include multiple young children.)

The kiddos woke up from their naps a little grumpy, to be expected for toddlers, and sometimes adults too :) but they were champions and with a little bribing, we started the family photos. The family had the cutest matching outfits and the light rain only lasted 5 minutes.

It was so much fun capturing all the love they have for each other and all the fun they have in the outdoors as a family and I cannot wait to meet baby number 3 in 2023.

Thanks again for trusting me with your beautiful sweet family Rona and Jose, it is always a pleasure visiting you guys and exploring South Dakota together, rain and all :)

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