After waiting (and waiting…..) for spring to finally arrive in New Jersey, I was ecstatic to see that the trees and flowers were in full bloom at Redfield Farm, Lauren’s barn. I love photographing people with their horses year round – but there is something really special about a backdrop of lush, green, vibrant flowers and trees that really does it for me. Can we talk about the gorgeous flowering trees for a second?! What are these trees?! And where can I get some to plant all over my property? They’re just stunning – so beautiful against the green, and so much fun to photograph as the background of these portraits. If anyone knows what kind of trees these are, please tell me!
In case you’re interested, and I know you are, the Redfield Farm in these portraits is one of two farms here in New Jersey run by Redfield Farms. There’s also Redfield Training, in Califon, which is equally gorgeous. Oh, and they also breed horses at their farm in Ocala. And sell upper level sport horses! In other words, Redfield Farms has a huge presence in the area, and it was very cool to get to see behind the scenes a bit with Lauren and explore the farm.
When we initially walked around her property looking for the best spots for photos, my head was spinning at all the options. I could not wait to get out there with Lauren and Graffiti Z to make some beautiful portraits together. I probably say this pretty dang often, and maybe I just get lucky and all of my clients have amazing horses – but Graffiti Z was a dream to photograph. He is absolutely gorgeous with a sweet, laid-back personality to match – he was a perfect gentleman the entire shoot. Having him and Lauren snuggling under the trees made my job so easy! I could have stood there taking photos for hours.
Random piece of info: Graffiti Z is a paint warmblood. I’d never seen a warmblood with his coloring before! I have to say he’s one of the most stunning horses I’ve ever met. The fact that he’s such a sweet, easygoing, cuddly guy is an added bonus. Lauren is one lucky girl! But I was intrigued by his coloring and breeding, as he was so stunning. Turns out, there’s an American Paint Horse, and this is not the same as a warmblood paint. The American Paint Horse Association, APHA, is one of the largest breed registries in the US. BUT – then there is the pinto horse. The word “pinto” describes only their coloring, large patches of white and any other color. They can be any breed – the word “pinto” is only used to describe their coloring. Fascinating, right?! You learn something new every day. For whatever reason, I always seem to end up with a flea bitten grey. Maybe next time (and I hope this isn’t for a long, long time) the universe will send me a paint!
Thank you Lauren and Grafiti Z – and Matt – for a lovely evening at Redfield Farm, it was so much fun working with you guys.
