Equestrian Business Branding & Content Creation | Dana and JR Horsemanship

Equine Business Photography in Keizer, Oregon

A repeat client and a new destination are the ingredients for a photo shoot that guarantees to be a good time! During my trip to Oregon, I was thrilled to have Dana in front of my camera again. This time around, however, I had the privilege of meeting her beautiful mare Arrow, a new addition to the crew since the last time I photographed her.
Dana is a serious horsewoman with skills, poise, and experience, but what sticks with you most is her feisty personality and passion for everything she tries her hand at. She is gifted when it comes to all things equestrian, and her hard work and personal ethic are evident in how she presents herself. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that Dana is seriously awesome, and it was so much fun getting to see her again. When we weren’t catching up, I was just in awe watching her work with her horses, and it was amazing to see how much she has grown as a reiner and as a person in just the past few years.

Jonath Robles, also known as JR of JR Horsemanship, is Dana’s trainer. JR was also around for our session. JR and Dana both show in reining, which is a western riding competition where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of movements. This requires that the horse be responsive and in tune with its rider and requires a deep level of trust. Capturing this in front of my camera was a unique challenge—as a lover of western competition, it gave me a chance to see some incredible performances up close.
This session was a little different than what I usually do, however. We focused on videography as opposed to pictures, and it was a blast. I loved the opportunity to try some new things, and I was thrilled with the material we got. I got some incredible video of Dana’s trainer, JR Robles, and his horse sliding to a stop in the arena just feet away from me. Talk about an adrenaline rush!
Speaking of JR, it was an honor to get to meet and work with him. JR participated in Road to the Horse in 2023, an annual colt-starting competition held in Lexington, Kentucky. With natural horsemanship as his principal teaching method, JR is a highly sought after trainer with an impeccable and respected resume. Having him in front of my camera was a lot of fun.

While our primary purpose in shooting was to obtain content to showcase Dana’s horses and to use in her future breeding program, I loved the opportunity to try my hand at videography. It was a fun change from photography, and Dana and JR were the perfect subjects with their experience and poise showcasing beautifully in front of the camera.

Oregon, you were amazing—let’s do it again some time. And the same goes for JR and Dana, two people I would love to work with again in the future. I can’t thank them enough for trusting me to try out some new things, and we were all so excited with the results.