A Horse & Rider Portrait Session at King Animal Hospital | Ontario Equine Photographer

Some photography sessions are planned months in advance. Others happen because suddenly, photographs can’t wait.

On a Thursday, I received a message about Vyxzen.

Vyxzen was receiving care at the stunning King Animal Hospital in King City, Ontario, and their future was uncertain. Their owner wanted photographs together — not someday when everything settled down, but now, while there was still an opportunity to document a relationship that meant so much.

We spoke on Thursday and made the decision to make the session happen Saturday morning.

Two days later, I packed my camera gear and made the hour-long drive to King City for a horse and rider portrait session unlike most I photograph.

Making Time When Photographs Suddenly Matter

As an Ontario equine photographer, I'm used to planning sessions around horses.

We work around weather, seasons, shedding, show schedules, barns and, of course, the moods of our horses themselves.

This was different.

There wasn't the luxury of waiting for the perfect evening or choosing a date weeks into the future. Vyxzen's health was uncertain, and we knew that if these photographs were important, we needed to find a way to make them happen.

So we did.

And when we arrived at King Animal Hospital that Saturday morning, the staff had gone above and beyond.

An Incredible Experience at King Animal Hospital in King City

Despite everything happening medically behind the scenes, Vyxzen was sparkling clean and beautifully prepared for the session.

The team at King Animal Hospital had taken the time to make sure the horse was ready before we arrived, and their kindness and care throughout the experience were incredible.

The hospital itself is also a remarkable space.

Located in King City, Ontario, King Animal Hospital is a beautiful, modern veterinary facility, and we were able to create meaningful horse and rider portraits right there on the property.

There was no need for an elaborate location or a perfectly styled backdrop.

The purpose of this session was much simpler.

It was about Vyxzen and their person.

The way they stood together. The familiar touches. The little details you don't necessarily think about until you're faced with the possibility of losing them.

More Than Horse Photography

Vyxzen has since passed away.

And that changes the meaning of these photographs.

What began as an urgently arranged horse and rider photography session has become a tangible piece of a relationship that can no longer be photographed again.

It's one of the reasons I believe so deeply in photographing the animals we love.

Our horses occupy such an enormous part of our lives. We know the feeling of their coat beneath our hands. The sound of their footsteps. Their expressions, habits and quirks. We know exactly where they like to be scratched and the look they give us when they're asking for something.

And yet, it's incredibly easy to put professional photographs off.

We tell ourselves we'll book them in the fall.

When their coat looks better.

When the weather is nicer.

When we have more time.

Sometimes, we don't get that time.

Horse & Rider Portraits That Preserve the Relationship

My approach to equine photography has always been about more than creating a beautiful photograph of a horse.

I want to photograph the relationship.

Of course, I love the dramatic portraits, beautiful light and all of the details that make equine photography visually incredible. But ultimately, the photographs that become the most valuable are often the simplest ones.

A forehead pressed against a face.

A hand resting against a familiar neck.

The way your horse looks at you.

The quiet moments between the portraits.

Those are the things I want you to have years from now.

Vyxzen's session is a beautiful reminder that a photograph doesn't have to be created under perfect circumstances to become one of the most important photographs you own.

Sometimes its importance comes from the fact that you simply chose to take it while you still could.

In Memory of Vyxzen

I'm incredibly grateful that Vyxzen's owner reached out that Thursday.

Grateful that we were able to rearrange things and make the trip to King City just two days later.

Grateful to the wonderful staff at King Animal Hospital for caring for Vyxzen and for taking the extra time to have the horse beautifully prepared for our arrival.

And most of all, grateful that these photographs now exist.

Vyxzen was here.

Vyxzen was deeply loved.

And that relationship deserves to be remembered.

In memory of Vyxzen. 🤍