09/03/2026
The most criminally under-photographed age for horse kids?
Ten to twelve.
We photograph the baby years and we photograph senior year.
But not those in-between years so much.
Preteens sometimes start to hide from the camera. They’re usually a little more self-conscious, many are very concerned about looking cringe, and suddenly have strong opinions about all sorts of things. Add braces, acne, growth spurts, and an attitude that seems to change overnight, and being photographed may be the last thing they want to do.
But this is such a great age for portraits with their horse.
They’re old enough to have real responsibility around the barn, but still young enough to want nothing more than to spend an entire afternoon hanging out with their favorite horse. They’re becoming more independent, figuring out who they are, and a lot of times their horse is a friend to them.
I have so much fun with this age group. They may start out a little unsure about the whole picture thing, but once they get to share their horse with me, they’re all in. They want me to see all the goofy things their horse can do, how they like to spend time with their horse, and if they know any special tricks... well they will always want to show that off for the camera! Usually by the end of the session they are the ones suggesting things I need to take a picture of.
These years may feel a little awkward to them, but that doesn’t make them any less worthy of being photographed.
Let this be your reminder to photograph the middle years, too.
