Anyone who knows me, knows a huge part of my heart lies in equine photography and the horse industry in general. As a matter of fact, my photography really started with horses and horse people originally. This was long before I even thought of making a business out of my photography work.

Horses have always been a passion of mine. I was lucky to spend my childhood on horseback with a dad who rode along with me. Literally. I’m not sure the first time my parents put me on a horse but I know one family story that has me riding horseback at three months. Of course, not alone– my dad took me for a ride with him on his horse Sheeba, while he was on babysitting duty. And the rest, as they say, is history.

It was never a side passion for me or something I was interested every now and then, horses were my life. I took it so far as to go on to train horses for some of the top horse industry operations in the country. There’s a lot of backstory I could go on and share here, but it’s safe to assume as I’m now a professional photographer, somehow along the way I switched paths and didn’t continue to professionally train show horses.

But I have continued to photograph horses and though it’s not the sole focus of Jenna Regan Photography, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel extra inspired when a horse is in front on my camera.

So scheduling and planning for Zach and Lyndi’s engagement photos on Lyndi’s family’s ranch was extra exciting with the mention of Longhorn cattle and horses.

And even better they are such a sweet, fun family.  I photographed them this past summer as they celebrated the merging of a family with an upcoming wedding! To make it even more fun, we were able to incorporate something else that is a big part of their lives horses and the family ranch.

Within less than two hours we incorporated engagement photos of the happy couple, family photos complete with two outfit changes, equine engagement photos, equine family photos that included being horseback, and detail shots of Lyndi’s engagement ring.

It was a very busy photo session and the true key to accomplishing all of this was the detailed planning I did with them ahead of time. Long before they were standing in front of me with a camera, the three of us sat down for a planning session. In addition to the final products and what I offer, we talked about location, the lighting, outfits, any significant things they wanted to include, and what order we would photograph each idea. There are many tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way that I happily share with my clients in order to give them the absolute best service and experience! I wanted Lyndi and Zack to be totally comfortable in front of the camera knowing I had a plan and would take care of all the logistics. After all, the worst thing that can happen is the photography session going from something fun, to something stressful.

So with all the preparation, I’m happy to say it was a great photography session! And even though it was over 100 degree that day, you can’t tell! (That’s another place where my tricks and tips come in handy!!)  I truly think this was the absolute hottest condition I’ve ever photographed in.  The air was stagnant with no breeze or relief! But the photos turned out gorgeous and their image selections included way too many photos to share on the blog, but here are a few of my favorites.

I’m so excited for Zach and Lyndi and look forward to telling more of their story as I photograph their wedding this October in Oklahoma.