Rachel & Red | Illinois Equine Photoshoot

Rachel & Red Equestrian Session

Hidden Tower Stables in Harvard, IL

             I love any opportunity to travel for my job, and while my horse and rider session with Rachel and Red didn’t bring me too far from home, it was nonetheless an exciting adventure. But while the drive to Harvard, Illinois was lovely, and the Hidden Tower Stables, where our equine session took place, was beyond picturesque, the thing that I will remember most from this horse session is the bond between Rachel and her Mustang mare, Red. Mustangs are such an incredible breed, and I have yet to meet one that doesn’t have an inspiring backstory. Red was no exception.

Red, aptly named thanks to her deep chestnut coat, was worked with by TJ Clibborn, a horse trainer in Deerfield, Wisconsin, specializing in mustang gentling. Red’s “first touch” in 2012, which is the initial moment in which a wild horse experiences the touch of a human, revealed a horse that was willing and eager to please. Within just two hours, she allowed a saddle to be placed on her back and responded positively to light pressure and direction.

Red’s bond with Rachel is evident in the quiet moments they share. I watched in admiration as Red ate grass to her heart’s content, entirely at ease, while Rachel stroked her mane with affection. With the glowing sunshine washing over them, lighting up the field in shades of yellow and gold, I found myself reminded how truly fortunate I am to photograph something that goes much deeper than portraits and action shots—that of the special friendship shared by horse and rider. It was a beautiful, somewhat surreal moment

In early 2020, Red lost one of her eyes to cancer. This battle against cancer was one of the many reasons Rachel wanted pictures of them together—while Red is currently cancer-free, there is no guarantee that the cancer will not come back. I am glad that Rachel seized the opportunity to immortalize some moments on camera and felt privileged to have had a role in doing so.

Special thanks to Angela Marie Hair and Makeup Artistry for consistently delivering such beautiful results, as well as one of Rachel’s friends who helped out behind the scenes. I am delighted that the ensuing pictures from our session turned out wonderfully—from the relaxed moments between Rachel and Red to the little barn kitty who insisted on making a cameo. Not every picture needs a pose, and sometimes the best photographs come from these kinds of special, candid moments—I think you will agree.