Gianna & Ziggy | Hay Fever Farm, Robbinsville, NJ

black background portraits, horse & rider portraits

Gianna poses with Ziggy at Hay Fever Farm

If someone asked me to go back and choose one of the most impactful sessions I’ve ever done, Gianna & Ziggy’s shoot at Hay Fever Farm immediately comes to mind. Never mind that Gianna is one majorly bad ass rider – SHE DOES IT WITH ONE HAND. Due to a car accident when she was just a baby, Gianna is partially paralyzed on her right side. She rides mainly one-handed, with very cool reins specially designed for her. Rides AND jumps!

When Gianna contacted me back in 2019 to do a session with her heart horse Ziggy, I was so excited to meet and work with her. I was also so intrigued and eager to meet her amazing horse. Unfortunately Ziggy passed away suddenly in late 2020. I know that Ziggy was Gianna’s entire world, her whole heart and her happiness. Their connection is difficult to describe with words. You just had to see them together to understand.

For their session at Hay Fever Farm we had the most gorgeous weather and perfect light. Gianna’s portraits are among some of my all-time favorites. I mean she’s a dead ringer for Keira Knightly so that never hurts! But they were just so much fun to work with and photograph.

Since Ziggy’s passing, Gianna has found a new horse named Casey. It’s been very cool to see the two of them grow together. If you’d like to keep up with Gianna’s journey (and you really should), you can follow her on Instagram as well as her YouTube channel. She posts all sorts of fun videos and vlogs and frequently interacts with her followers. Gianna’s just a beautiful person inside and out. I’m grateful we got to work together. And I am so so glad that she’s finding her happiness in the world with horses.