Recently, I lost some weight and decided to reward myself by taking some new professional headshots. See my old post about the modeling session with my horse here. That was a riot. We learned then that my horse is not the most patient or understanding of props. He’s downright annoying, in fact.

But we endured and I ended up with some very nice shots, courtesy of my friend Ashlee Murr. She also photographed my wedding and my sister-in-law’s senior pictures.

I learned a few things, though, in looking through my “film.”

• My horse is not photogenic. He ruined most of my good shots. (Note to self, leave horse in barn next time.)
• My horse can be pretty darn photogenic. When he wants to be. Or when he’s distracted.
• I’ve come a long way from the “rodeo queen” who was so used to being photographed all those years ago. It doesn’t come quite so naturally anymore.
• Those shots where I goofed off a bit and cut loose were always the best.
• I don’t hide my annoyance well. (Especially when a certain horse is nibbling on my fingers.)
• Overall, it was a wonderful memory. A memory I’ll cherish far more than the photos themselves. (Nothing beats three other people screaming, shaking plants and trying to get the horse’s ears forward.)