Equine Photography: My Desert Photo Shoot Favs

I am one happy cowgirl. My recent desert equine photo session with Melanie Elise Photography completely captured the immense love I feel for my horse and the passion I have for the Western lifestyle. Now comes the tough part ... choosing which photograph to use for my author biography page in the upcoming sequel to my book for horse lovers, In The Reins. 

​Readers - Would you help me choose? 

When I am not riding a horse, you’ll find me writing about one. I am happiest when I am in the saddle. Horses give me peace whether I’m putting them on paper or I am a guest on their backs. There is nothing more peaceful to me than the quiet bond I share with my horse, Sissy.  

Melanie Elise Photography truly captured our relationship. Sissy and I have such a special bond. I feel like she can read my mind and without her inspiration I wouldn't be the equestrian author I am today. Take a tour of my website or my YouTube channel and you’ll notice that my Paint is featured in my promotional videos for In The Reins​. Sissy appears as the lead horse character, Faith. I do all the marketing for the book myself so it helps to have my own horse to stand in as I film the footage!

As I mentioned, I am having a hard time deciding which of the new photos to use for my author photo in the sequel to In The Reins. My spurs are jingling because that's a good problem to have! Will you help me chose a favorite by leaving your choice in the comments below? 

My 6 favorite photos from the equine photo shoot ...

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1. Our bond captured ... just a cowgirl and her horse

This is one of my favorites from the session. I teared up multiple times during the reveal, it was amazing to see my relationship with my horse through Melanie's lens.

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2. I'm calling this one "Graffiti Girls"

We wandered around the area where we held the photo shoot and found this wall that had been tagged with graffiti. Melanie's creative wings sprouted and the equine photo session went to a new height as we played with the vibrant background. It was hard to choose a favorite from these unusual equestrian photography shots. It is funny to think that both the wall and my horse are painted. LOL.

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3. Desert Dreaming

This photo feels so dreamy. I love the light and the way we look enveloped by the greenery. We held this equine photo shoot in one of Arizona's mountain preserves. I feel so fortunate to live in a place with such an extraordinarily beautiful landscape. 

Everything about Arizona inspires me from seeing the bronze horse statues in Old Town Scottsdale to the vibrant horse culture that is available to equestrians.  It seems like there's a horse event every weekend somewhere here.  The scenery is so breathtaking that I’m inspired every single time I saddle up, drive to the barn or take a walk.  When I arrived in Arizona, I knew that it was going to be my forever home. 

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4. I'm Gonna Kiss You

This is the perfect title for this picture because 'I'm Gonna Kiss You' is my horse's registered name. It was only fitting that Melanie captured me planting one right on Sissy's kisser!

Also, I love that you can really see my grandmother's turquoise bracelet in a lot of the photos from this session. It was given to my grandma by my grandfather after the war and my mother gifted it to me when I completed In The Reins. I feel really connected to turquoise.

​I wrote a whole blog post about the stone called, "Is Turquoise a Good Gamble for a Horse Riding Author? Yes!" When I was writing the post, I looked up the gemstone to discover that turquoise has been used to protect riders from falling from their horses (I ride horses!) and turquoise is a good choice for writers (I’m a writer!). My grandmother's turquoise bracelet is a gift that is very dear to me. 

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5. and 6. So hard to choose! 

What about these two? I think they have a classic author biography photo feel to them. Could one of these be the picture for the 'About the Author' page in the upcoming sequel to In The Reins? I just can't choose! I love them all. I am proud to use Melanie Elise Photography's images for the horse fiction books that I pen.  ​

So, readers, would you help me choose? Which photo is your favorite? I love to hear your feedback. Let me know in the comments below.

​Are you planning or preparing for your own equine photo shoot in 2017? Gallop over to my blog post called, "Equine Photo Prep: Tips for YOU and your HORSE" for some solid tips on how to make sure your session is a spur jingler!

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Want to see more from my equine photo shoot?

Watch this spur jingling video that Melanie Elise Photography made for me as part of my equine photography package! This was such an awesome way for her to reveal my pictures with me. She even came to my home to walk through the pics with me!

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About Melanie Elise Photography

Equine Photographer Melanie Elise

Melanie Elise Levy is an international award-winning photographer based in Phoenix, AZ. She's an avid equestrian and lifetime pet owner. Melanie's work has been featured on book, magazine and catalog covers; her images grace both commercial and private walls worldwide. She enjoys teaching and shares her extensive Photoshop and photography knowledge in seminars and online courses.

Melanie first picked up a SLR camera at age nine and has been shooting events, promo images, and portraits professionally in Arizona since 2002. She specializes in equine, pet, portrait, nature, and fine art images.

Visit Melanie's website here: http://photos.melanie-elise.com/about.html

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About Equestrian Fiction Book In The Reins 

The Amazon Equestrian Bestseller is available in paperback and eBook with solid 5 star ratings! Thank you to my readers from the bottom of my heart. Visit my reviews page to see what readers have been saying about the novel. The book just won the prestigious Best Western Fiction Literary Award at the EQUUS Film Festival in New York City too! In The Reins is the first in my horse book series! BIG NEWS is coming soon about the second book in the series. Stay tuned!

In The Reins by Carly Kade

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​Watch the In The Reins Book Trailer

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​Come run wild with me!