Black Background Portrait Session | Orfeo
I’ve put off documenting my photography journey for far too long. Mainly because I have zero confidence in my ability to write and/or capture moments through words. It’s been a whirlwind of a venture and one filled with so many incredible stories and life lessons thus far. Many blessed opportunities to photograph dream horses and clients alike have somehow wiggled their way towards my lens since starting up Courtney Banks Photography - just under 8 months ago. Among those opportunities involve Shelley Paulson’s Wings Mentorship Program- which I have the family over at Eye Candy Jumpers in Wellington, FL to thank for. Wings, a 9-week online mentorship program, is truly worth its weight in gold for the novice up to the well seasoned photographer looking to brush up their skills, especially in such a competitive market in equine media. The best part? The program is curated by the insanely talented Minnesotan photographer herself, Shelley, who has dedicated her life to creating masterful images and educating others with similar interests in equine photography. She simply is amazing and has a heart of gold.
Now let’s talk about Oreo
He really resembles my former horse “Guppy” - Eva Kohn
I met Miss Eva through word of mouth a few weeks back after receiving a heart felt message about an owner in Wellington looking to get portraits done of her young jumpers. I will be honest, I had never even used the lasso tool in Adobe Photoshop prior to this session but timing was perfect in terms of the scheduled “Black Background Portrait Homework” assignment that was due that same week for Wings! (I procrastinate with everything). I gleefully agreed to schedule our session and learn this popular trend from behind the lens once and for all. Upon arrival, Eva met me at the center of a gorgeous barn aisle way, hair pulled back in a long & bouncy pony tail with a smile so bright it put the Sun to shame (sorry but it’s true). She swiftly led me over to a magnificent electric bay horse on cross ties with a VERY long body and crescent white stripe running down his slightly roman shaped nose. His name is Orfeo but everyone at the barn calls him Oreo. As per Eva, “he’s got the body of a llama and Ben says he is shaped like a banana. Haha. This boy was very eager to greet, but at the same time desperate for treats. “Orfeo” - a 6 year old 17hh Dutch bred gelding by Heineken VDL, has been showing in the 6 year old classes in Wellington with Ben Meredith.
THE SET UP - Open style window frames are something quite popular here in Florida, as they allow for more natural light with enhanced style while promoting optimal airflow throughout the barn. As for their role in black background portraits? A huge challenge for this girl and her camera/editing skills. Eva and I put our best foot forward and did our absolute best to minimize visual distractions and capture all of Oreo’s beautifully etched curves as my shutter took off.
FYI for other upcoming photographers, make sure to always have an extra pair of hands accompany you to shoots like this. Every horse is different, and guiding and posing the horse (ear baiting/squaring the feet) can oftentimes be a challenge, especially for a solo handler. I was blessed that Oreo was a natural with his ears and facial expression and Eva knew exactly how to handle him on the ground like a champ.
I will post some of my favorite before and after shots taken with my beloved Sony A7IV - 70-200 mm zoomie zoom.
We Love You Oreo !
After about 35 min of trying different poses and angles and an SD card holding roughly 175 pics of this gorgeous boy, we called it a day.
Oreo got a well deserved bag of carrots and a few peppermints after our session, He did also enjoy a quick cuddle session with two of the barn manager piggies that live on the farm. It was such a treat to watch an over 2000 lb horse be so gentle with animals a fraction of his size.
Massive thank you to Eva and her trusting me with her gorgeous & special boy.
