Womanhood Photography Session: A Woman and Her Horse

A Nashville portrait photographer documenting unique qualities and seasons of a woman’s life.

This was an incredibly special womanhood photoshoot! The point of womanhood sessions is to capture unique aspects of who women are. So much of the photography industry focuses on capturing a woman on her wedding day or as she enters motherhood, and we don’t as often document other aspects of a woman’s life.

In this blog you’ll meet Taylor, a horse trainer and western creative director in Nashville, TN. She and her horse, Newport, have a very unique relationship, and I was allowed the honor of documenting it.

Taylor of Breakaway Ranch with her rat-tailed Appaloosa, Newport. Photographed on black and white 35mm film.

Hailing from the high desert of Southern California, Taylor isn’t like a lot of horsemen and horsewomen who followed in their family’s steps. As a young girl, she discovered her love of horses all on her own, and her mother, seeing her passion, helped foster it by finding people who could educate and work with her daughter.

The story is sometimes in the details of a woman portrait session…

We kept the shoot as natural as possible. The purpose wasn’t to pose her to create “cool shots”, but to capture the details and essence of who Taylor is, and the relationship she has with Newport. I loved this moment where Taylor’s arm was draped over her horse, bunking bronco tattoo on display, and the lead rope draped alongside - so much of who she is showcased in these small details!

35mm film portraits to capture timeless, authentic moments….

With film photography, part of the art form of it is watching and observing. Most of the time Newport was distracted by trying to eat as many wheat berries as possible, but this was a sweet capture where I caught him in a playful moment with Taylor, knocking her hat off.

A portrait of Taylor leaning on the back of her horse, Newport. Photographed on black and white 35mm film.

Taylor is an incredibly kind, wise, and strong woman. To do what she does takes a whole lot of grit, and a good bit of tenderness too. I love the way these photos capture both of those aspects of her!

To read my published story about this shoot, click here!

This was my first fully written and photographed editorial I’ve had published, and I am incredibly proud of it!

If you’d like to book a womanhood session of your own, reach out and let’s plan a time to chat about how you’d like this season of your life to be documented!