Let’s talk equine and dog mini photoshoots

Posted on 17th March 2023 by TMSPhotography

Ok, so I thought I would go into a little bit more detail about what an equine mini photoshoot is and how it works because this could be the perfect photoshoot for you. I’ll go into that further down the page. Firstly, what is a mini photoshoot? I’ve been asked this countless times so it is not a silly question. I can tell you, iIt doesn’t always involve mini horses or dogs although of course they’re most welcome. When I use the term mini in it just refers to a short photo session rather than my longer photoshoot experiences.

The heaven’s opened so into the stable barn we went – this was a 20 minute session using the stable and barn.
it was literally pouring it down.

A mini photoshoot session generally is around 25-30 minutes long and is a great taster session to test out the water, as the saying goes! I usually run mini sessions on set days so I can be organised with my diary and am not driving around too much doing one pony there, another horse 10 miles away say and I offer them at anytime of the year. April this year seemed a good time. These days may well appeal to many and there are a multitude of reasons why a mini photoshoot could work for you…

Mini sessions are great for when you haven’t got a lot of time spare so would prefer something good but quick
They’re generally more affordable and usually come with an added product of some kind be it prints or digital files
They’re great for the little persons as they’re not too intense so they get to enjoy their session with their pony
Good for horses who don’t like fuss but you still want beautiful images of them
Great for a yard get together where you each book an individual photoshoot of 30 mins each
Perfect for young pups where the attention span is quite short
Good for dogs who cannot be let off the lead in open spaces but you’d just like some beautiful imagery of them out and about

I am going to share some examples below of where the sessions were about 30 minutes long. I know that some will have concerns about the location but seriously you just have to put your trust in me and I’ll find the locations, particularly at yards and make the photo experience a good one and done within the allotted time give or take 5-10 mins. I hear it all the time that the yard isn’t picturesque but believe you me as a photographer, I see a lot of things differently to you. I see magic locations everywhere!! I really do… that’s why I just love my job!

So at the moment, I’m running mini sessions on these dates throughout April…the cost is £75.00 with 10 digitals included to use on Social Media.

7th April 2023 from 10.00am-12.30pm then 2.00pm-5.00pm

11th April 2023 from 10.00am-12.30pm then 1.30pm-4.30pm

22nd April 2023 from 10.00am-4.00pm

I’m based in the East Midlands, (DE11 area) – so local yards only within a 10-12 mile radius. I can travel further afield to neighbouring counties if 3 or more book in on one of the days above.

Are you ready to book in?

So this session below was all done in around 25 minutes just using parts of the yard around the stable block. We didn’t need to venture far at all plus the weather was a little wet. This pony was so on his toes we had to keep moving but he was incredibly photogenic. It is truly amazing the images that can be produced in such a short time frame and in a very small location.

These puppy images were all taken at home in the owners back garden.

The images below were taken during a walking the dog photoshoot. It works so well for so many dog owners.

Convinced yet – want to book a call?

Equine and dog photographer based in Derbyshire offering portrait experiences across the UK and beyond.

Crufts 2023 Best in Show Winner – NEC Birmingham – What was the breed?

Posted on 14th March 2023 by TMSPhotography

Wow what an exciting Crufts we had this year, it was so good! I didn’t get to watch it all, nor did the opportunity arise to attend it in person but it’s something I look forward to every year and try to watch the parts I’m interested in namely the hounds and gundogs but I did enjoy the agility classes this year! I will get to go one year…

So for those reading this and have an interest in dogs, were you surprised at the winning breed? Had you heard of that breed prior to Crufts?

Well back in 2020, I got to meet and photograph a Lagotto Romagnolo called Monty. Not a working gundog but a very adorable and much loved family pet who just enjoyed playing and chilling so our photo session was simply that! Monty had so much personality and was just a pleasure to photograph. That cheery, playful character made me fall in love with this breed so yes I was so happy to see Orca win the crufts title ‘Best in Show 2023’. Even happier knowing that I had personally met and photographed a Lagotto.

So what is the Lagotto Romagnolo? It’s an Italian bred dog and is/was used for duck hunting/retrieving. Often referred to as a ‘water dog’. Its origin is from the marshlands in Delta Del Po a region outside of Romagna. These days the breed is used for seeking out Truffles because of its astute scent capabilities.

Check out this little slideshow of Monty’s photoshoot.

Lagotto Romagnolo photoshoot in Derbyshire

Lagotto running through the meadow at home

Interested in booking in a dog photoshoot? Click here

The Photoshoot Anxiety and Why You Don’t Need to Worry

Posted on 2nd March 2023 by TMSPhotography

So yesterday I shared a post on both Instagram and Facebook that addressed client concerns about being in front of the camera. I hear many of my clients and non clients say they are worried about having their picture taken so will be a little hesitant at the start or simply not book. So today, I’ve got some fabulous examples of one of my clients who had this exact same worry. AND our first scheduled session, my amazing client cancelled because she wasn’t very well at the time and she wasn’t really feeling herself so it wasn’t the right time and I really do understand that. For ages she actually avoided rescheduling the session. Then several months down the line, a happier person she went ahead and her session still worrying about the prospect of being photographed but with my expert guidance, encouragement she went on to enjoy the session and spend some alone non-riding time with her gorgeous Lusitano horse, Ferrari.

I wonder can any of you relate to this? If so, why?

From someone who wasn’t so sure about a photoshoot, I think the expression says it all…

Here’s four reasons why you shouldn’t worry about having a photoshoot……

You might feel awkward. Absolutely not, it’s with your horse – as horse owners we absolutely love the bones off of our horses so it’s just spending precious time with one of your favourite loves. So don’t let little hang-ups you have stop you from enjoying a photoshoot. I hear a lot of reasons to not have a photoshoot and YES we all have little idiosyncrasies we don’t like about ourselves, it’s human nature, so put it aside and enjoy the time out with your horse. You’re going to be and look amazing!
It’s not just a photoshoot focused on you, it’s an experience that showcases that beautiful bond you have with your horse so you don’t need to do those pretend smiles as you’ll be a complete natural and I promise you’ll never hear me say CHEESE. I’ll be there every step of the way with heaps of encouragement and guidance.
The horse might play up. Yes this is indeed a factor but I put it aside as I too am a horse owner and have been around ponies and horses since the age of 10. I’ve worked with horses, I’ve brought on my own 4yo on over the last 11 years so I’m experienced enough to read the signals, learn to shoot quickly and move on to a new location.
Like with everything, life is precious and time for our horses is somewhat limited – so why not pause time for a brief moment to create an everlasting memory that you can proudly show off in your home and pass down to generations to come. Let future generations be inspired by what you loved.

Leading off from point three, my dad showed me an old photo of my great grandad on a Chestnut horse (I knew it was Chestnut from the black and white image because of the grey tones and typical Chestnut markings. Plus I’ve edited a lot of Chestnut horses). I was so wowed by it because up until that point, I had no idea where my love of horses came from. I’d wanted a pony since the age of around 3/4. You could never get me away from the donkeys on the beach or pony rides. I was smitten. No one else in my family has the horse bug like me or even rode horses. So seeing this image was just lovely and sparked off a great conversation. Without that photo, I would’ve never even spoke about my great grandad in the detail we did.

From feeling anxious to absolutely smashing it – see how amazing Pari is with her horse? We can do this.

Are you convinced yet? Will you commit?

Let’s Chat!

Delving into the Archives – Equine Photoshoots

Posted on 15th January 2023 by TMSPhotography

For the next few weeks I’m delving into my archives to share some of the horse and dog photoshoots I had the privilege of photographing but never actually shared them here on my blog! Sometimes life gets in the way and for whatever reason, blogging takes a bit of backseat as it doesn’t seem important at the time. I now realise that this is not something to put on the back burner for a rainy day and that it is actually vital for my business plus I know many of my clients love taking a look at their blog feature. So this is something I intend to address and improve upon.

I thought I’d share a really lovely photoshoot I had with Simone and her horse Olly. Olly from recollection is a bay Irish Sporthorse. At the time of this photoshoot he was stabled in Normanton-le-Heath a little rural village in Leicestershire. You can see that their partnership is quite special and that Olly does love a little cuddle. The whole photoshoot was just so lovely and we had the best time exploring the location around the yard. I’d love to go back to this yard one day and create more beautiful images as it was just a perfect location. When you have such amazing backdrops to work with, you never run out of ideas – then makes for a great gallery for the client to look back upon and select their stunning wall art.

The photoshoot took place one summer evening and you couldn’t have asked for better weather or lighting. It was stunning. Mind you, summer evenings are pretty perfect for photoshoots, just mind the gnats – they can be annoying but hey, it’s summer and sadly it cannot be avoided especially when there is a horse around.

As this photoshoot was some time ago now. I’ll share some images and a photo slideshow of Simone and Olly. Enjoy

If you would like to have an equine photoshoot yourself, just get in touch and we can have a chat about it. My diary for 2023 is open.

New Website Launch

Posted on 13th January 2023 by TMSPhotography

Yay and a very Happy New Year to you all!! I’m a bit late to the party with this but with good reason of course. I’ve been working exceptionally hard on a new design of my TMS Photography website, editing and I went away over the New Year as after a hectic 2022, I needed a little breakaway. The whole website overhaul has been trying and somewhat frustrating at times – I would say stressful but aside from one teeny little mishap – it wasn’t so bad! I’m so excited by the new look website.

I’ve also been working on a brand new logo which fits my brand much better and I’m editing like crazy to finish off all my current client work! So yes it’s very quiet on the shoot wise front – let’s be honest, the weather is vile and the mud is insane. So much so all the horses at the yard where I keep my horse Ollie on livery are now on restricted turn out. Which is good as they still get to go out! I don’t think my horse really minds coming in at this time of year a tad earlier than usual. Many yards horses simply don’t go out at this time of year so yes I am very fortunate.

So, here is the all new look swanky website and brand logo – let me know your thoughts. It’s so hard to gear it towards more than two genres but essentially they cross paths at some point. A couple of pages I just need to finish off over the weekend. I need to search out my content then pop it on there.

Check it out here www.tmsphotography.co.uk

Several Different Looks Same Photoshoot

Posted on 17th November 2022 by TMSPhotography

I thought today I would share one photoshoot that took on several different looks during their 1.5 hour photoshoot. Believe it or not, you can achieve so much in that time. Selecting outfits is all so exciting and all part of your photoshoot experience. I’m there every step of the way to help guide you and together we can pick out some fabulous outfits. Importantly, and this must not be forgotten though in all the excitement, the outfits you choose to bring along, you should feel comfortable and confident wearing.

My top tips for selecting your photoshoot outfits.

Make sure your outfits are clean, ironed and look great. Same goes for footwear they need to be clean
Ensure outfits fit – one very important factor here
Horses tend to slobber – so select outfits that you won’t mind getting slobbered on
Pick a selection of outfits that reflect your own personality. If you don’t wear tweed for example, then don’t bring it
Bring along some accessories – they change the appearance of the look with little effort in an instant
Don’t forget a selection of footwear that will go with your selection of outfits you are bringing to the yard
Not everyone wants to wear a big flowing dress such as a ball gown/wedding dress. That’s perfectly fine. Jeans are pretty awesome to wear
One of your outfit selections could be your riding attire – again it’s not for everyone but there is some fabulous riding wear gear now that ooze that WOW factor

Let’s check out Hannah and pony Merrylegs different styles from the outfits we collectively chose. This were all fitting to Hannah’s wonderful personality and go really well with the surroundings. I do love that she threw in a long flowing skirt into the mix. It was a November photoshoot so very much an autumnal vibe going on (and yes it’s my favourite time of year). Although this November is proving extremely wet and making photoshoots somewhat challenging!! I’ve a number of photoshoots over the next two weeks so I’m really hoping the rain cloud goes away – on my shoot days in any case. So this collection is seasoned to Autumn naturally. I will share lots and lots of photoshoots throughout the year and many variations in outfits.

welsh mountain pony-new-forest-photography

Hannah & merrylegs-pony-photography-new-forest

If you would like to commission me for your horse/dog session, then please get in touch via email to tracey@tmsphotography.co.uk

Pricing starts from just £395.00 which includes a beautiful piece of framed wall art. Perfect for a Christmas gift too for that special someone!

November is finally upon us

Posted on 5th November 2022 by TMSPhotography

Wow, where has this year gone? I’ve been exceptionally busy with photography and editing that I’ve not even had time for a holiday! Today is Bonfire night… it’s a bit of rainstorm where I’m currently sat, so I’m hoping the rain will subside for the local displays later this evening. With that, I’ve managed to escape my hometown to enjoy a week away in Wales. The weather has somewhat been wetter than I can ever remember but that hasn’t stopped me enjoying some much needed time out. I did bring along some photography work to be getting along with during times where I wouldn’t be doing much. As I enjoy doing what I do, I don’t mind at all editing those wonderful horse photos. It kills a few hours anyway then as the rain stops, so do I and go and stretch my legs. When it’s been clear skies here, the sky has lit up with millions of stars and a Milky Way or two – darker to the human eye but it was certainly there. I’m pretty sure if we had a telescope or Astro tracker with a camera attached, I’d see just how beautiful it actually was.

So the point to this post is firstly to say – if you’re having fireworks over the weekend and you have neighbours with pets or live more rurally and there are neighbouring farms close by – don’t forget to be kind and drop by to just let them know. This gives people then the opportunity to be prepared adding in extra comfort to their animals to prevent a lot of distress, make provisions to make spooking less when it comes to livestock/horses so that everyone can have an enjoyable evening. Being prepared will prevent a considerable amount of unnecessary accidents of our beloved animals.

The second point, is to share some horse/pony photoshoots that took place in November 2021 and why Autumn is just the perfect setting to book in. The reasons why:

Horses looking exceptionally smart ow they’re clipped out
Golden yellows and oranges plus those deep red colours of the leaves on the trees
That beautiful hazy sunshine
Sunrises and sunsets are an added bonus as the timings are so much more accommodating than the summer
You can pull out those fabulous sweaters and accessorise with scarves, pom pom hats and autumnal jackets –
Dogs are much cooler now when out walking as the temperature has dropped
All the greens are now just as they should be
Not being pestered by flies of any kind – now that is quite an added bonus!!

equine photography in the New Forest, UK

If you would like to book me for your autumnal photoshoot, then please drop me an email at tracey @tmsphotography.co.uk (space is deliberate for bot purposes – please don’t leave one).

Photoshoot sessions start from £395.00 inclusive of a 16″ framed and mounted print.

The Winner of the Ashby Show – ‘Win a Photoshoot’ Competition 2022

Posted on 4th October 2022 by TMSPhotography

Back in July 2022 I was exhibiting my photography at the fabulous Ashby Show. A show that for 3 years couldn’t go ahead because of the pandemic – but finally, it arrived and it was truly a hot day, so it’ll be a memorable one that’s for sure.

At the show, I ran a competition to win a photoshoot worth £395.00 – yes that’s correct – £395.00. This all included a photoshoot experience with your horse/dog or both, a consultation prior to the shoot day, outfit advice, the photoshoot and post production work, in person viewing and lastly, a beautiful framed print. The lucky winner of my competition was Sally Brothwell, based locally in Warwickshire. We set a date to have the photoshoot – (the first one was rescheduled due to high winds and storms) but we did finally get to do it on a gloriously hot and sunny evening. Lighting was challenging but there were some fabulous spots to help us get the images we wanted. I specialise a lot in black backgrounds and this I know was top of Sally’s list for must have shots. Her barn was simply perfect for the occasion.

This is what Sally had to say about her experience after finding out she’d won my competition.

“I am the sort of person that doesn’t ever win anything, when I entered Tracey’s competition at the Ashby show it didn’t once cross my mind I would actually win, I took her business card so when I finally got round to booking one of these photo shoots I had a copy of her details as I was very impressed with her portfolio.

I have been thinking about having a photoshoot with my older horse Rambo for about 5 years ( I have a pinterest board to prove it) and it’s just not happened, partly time, partly circumstance, and partly the fear of embarrassment in front of the camera.

Rambo was my first horse and we have had some interesting experiences and some serious highs. He has basically taught me to ride over the past ten years and given me all his good and bad habits. He has now pretty much retired, and I have a 4 year old youngster who has some big hooves to fill.

Tracey kept in touch in the week running up to our shoot, keeping a close eye on the weather.

After one of the driest summers on record our first date had to be rescheduled due to 90% rain and thunderstorms. We arranged for the following Friday and woke up to a perfect crisp late summer morning. We had good sunshine and perhaps a little too much wind, but I knew Rambo was generally steady in all weathers and as we later found out, good gust of wind can make a brilliant photo.

Tracey arrived late afternoon. I had prepared the horses earlier that morning and I had done my make up and readied two outfits. We had a nice cup of tea while discussing some ideas and then Tracey and I had a whizz round the property scouting out locations. The rain we had had the week before had turned quite an arid backdrop into a lush green. I also really wanted a dark background for some shots so a barn opening was well utilised.

Safe to say any fear of being in front of the camera disappeared once we started, a sneaky sloe gin before Tracey arrived may have also helped. Between wrangling and positioning horses and Tracey’s gentle and patient cues I was really enjoying myself. I am sure when looking back at the photo’s I will be reprimanding myself for not thinking “posture, smile, hair volume”. Ha! Its maybe worth have a friend on the side-lines shouting this at you.

I do think however that they are all going to be incredibly natural photos, Tracey’s movement from place to place kept both me and the horses engaged. Bracken my 4 year old was kept occupied by my lovely friend and was a menace at points but again Tracey was patient, kind and very understanding of the limitations of a wired 4 year old.

The shoot lasted just under 2 hours I think, it flew by, although I was quite tired by the end of it. I cannot wait to see the outcome of Tracey’s hard work. I would love to work with her again, perhaps this time with my working Sprockers and perhaps Bracken when she as finally earned her stripes and can stand still for longer than 3 milliseconds.

There are certainly going to be some tough decisions when it comes to picking a couple of my favourite shots to put up on the wall.”

Here are a few previews of Sally’s photoshoot with both Rambo and Bracken.

Would you like to book in for your photoshoot experience? I have limited availability for November (which is perfect for the autumnal colours).

Tracey @ TMS Photography

Ashby Show 2022

Posted on 14th July 2022 by TMSPhotography

So last Sunday being 10th July, I was exhibiting my work at Ashby Show. Due to Covid restrictions of the last two years, the show hasn’t been able to run. Finally the day came and it was so good to be back there and seeing so many people visiting. I arrived just before 7.30am to set up my stand to display my finest prints in gorgeous frames along with a photo slideshow of images over the past few years. Why am I telling you this I hear you ask? Well for me it was just great to be back at the show and chatting to lots of lovely animal loving people. I was situated in the shopping marquee and it did get rather hot but there isn’t much we can do about the weather. So next time, I’m thinking of taking my stand outdoors. Would it increase footfall? I’m hoping so especially if it is warm and sunny like this show was. It will also give some additional room for people to enter and have a good look around as well has engage in conversation. I plan to have some additional products/prints to purchase as well next time, along with a better selection of printed cards. The only reason I opted for indoors on this occasion was purely because the gazebo I did have actually got trashed in a freak wind storm at a different show in September 2019. So I definitely need to invest in something a lot sturdier, just in case.

I also ran a ‘win a photoshoot competition’ which proved very popular with lots of entrants. The lucky winner was drawn on Monday morning and notified accordingly by text and email. I also had a promotional show offer on which also received a lot of interest. That offer has now expired but all the entrants of my competition were sent details on how to claim it. It was a steal at just £195.00 which included a beautiful 16″ print mounted and framed.

Essentially for me, exhibiting at Ashby Show has helped me engage in many conversations with lots of people and also meeting new suppliers and chatting with them too. It’s all good for business and I really cannot wait to do the winner of my competition’s photoshoot. It really is exciting to win something!

Thank you to everyone who came and said hello and also to Ashby Show for putting on a great show for 2022 (even if I didn’t get to see much of it). I’ve only heard great things about it from friends that attended.

Here’s the equine slideshow, I had on display at the show. Credit must go to E J Lazenby for a selection of the images within the slideshow for setting up the photography day with the Atkinson Action Horses with Ben doing a little Peaky Blinders and some classic dressage moves and horse display & Kat Pickering – as the girl in the cape.

The Dog Slideshow from photoshoots in the last 12 months

Thank you to everyone that stopped and especially to my family for coming to support me and bringing my much needed juice to quench my thirst as I had left it behind! I can’t wait to do my next show!

If you would like to have a chat about either an equine or dog photoshoot, please get in touch. You can contact me via What’s App on 07974 646287 or drop me an email at tracey@tmsphotography.co.uk

Peaky Blinders with Ben Atkinson

Posted on 8th June 2022 by TMSPhotography

A few years ago now going back to 2018, I once again attended a photography day with Atkinson Action Horses organised by talented equine artist and fine art photographer, Jane Lazenby of E J Lazenby. This was my second visit to photograph Ben and his beautiful horses. It’s always a fantastic day out and I usually come back with thousands of images. Still to this day, I’m going through them when time permits to edit and share them across my social media platforms.

So, I thought for the first time ever I’d blog a little segment of one part of the day as it fitted in with what I’m watching on Netflix at the moment and currently working my way through Peaky Blinders. Having never watched a single episode until now, I’m getting quite into it. I’m sure I will fly through each series but for now it’s one episode per night. As not to waste such an opportunity, I’m sharing these images of Ben portraying Thomas Shelby as I’ve felt inspired to do so and it fits perfectly. Back then I’d only heard of the Peaky Blinders and hadn’t a clue what all the hype was about, so I went back through them and edited them as close as to the filmic colourings of the original Peaky Blinders series. It’s quite an art as the lighting at the yard where I was is vastly different to what you and I see onset via our tv’s, naturally. I’ve done it as near as can be with some tweaks and adjustments along the way.

Just a small fun fact, Ben’s horses were also stars in this drama, how fab is that!!

I love attending photography/workshop days. It allows me to be creative and chat with other fellow photographers and I sometimes learn a thing or two. I can’t wait to share more with you all very soon but for now, here is Ben as Thomas Shelby! If you would like a themed photoshoot with your horse(s) then get in touch as I absolutely adore photographing and styling them.