The interesting part is that the post has gotten a ton of engagement on Facebook with a 111k reach, 2333 reactions, 136 comments, and 136 shares (so far!) People deeply resonated with this idea; many had never heard of an end-of-life photo session with a pet before and found it highly impactful, even emotional.
I think it’s safe to say this type of session is an opportunity for Equestrian Photographers to meet a critical need of horse owners.
However, it’s a difficult time in a horse owner’s life and a sensitive subject to approach.
Before I go further, if you don’t feel like you could emotionally handle a session like this, there is absolutely no shame in not offering it in your business. ❤️
If you would like to offer this type of session, here are 4 things to keep in mind:
1. Be kind and sensitive, but don’t add to the pain
If you plan to offer this type of session, it’s essential that you can control your own emotions during the session. I am a deeply empathetic person, but I have had to learn to compartmentalize my emotions in order to function in this world and the same goes for these sessions.
When doing an end-of-life session, I set a tone of honor, respect, and the celebration of a life instead of a sad goodbye. The result is that there are rarely tears.
The added benefit is that when the person looks at the photos later, they aren’t attached to sad memories from the experience, but rather to a meaningful time spent with their horse and with you.
I sent my client a sneak peek the morning after her session, and here’s what she shared: “What I’m struck by when I look at this photo is that overall, I gave Lad a glorious life. I mean, look - that picture sums it up!”
2. Keep it short and sweet
My end-of-life sessions are only 1 hour long because the horse is usually at a point where it can’t move around as well as it used to. I typically start with some black backgrounds and then move outside as the light gets softer. I usually take photos of the horse alone and with my client.
3. You don’t have to give these sessions away for free or at a deep discount
Your time and talent have the same value whether you are photographing a young, healthy horse or one nearing the end of its life, so there’s no reason you should feel like you can’t charge appropriately for these types of sessions.
That said, I offer these sessions at a lower price point than my full sessions because they are shorter and I include a smaller print credit. I also usually gift them all the proofs as small digital files when I deliver their order, but I don’t tell them that upfront. 😉
But as always, follow your heart. If you want to offer a session like this for free or a discount for a friend or because your heart is leading you to do so, by all means, don’t hold back!
4. Consider offering an album
All of my portrait packages come with an album because I want clients to have a tangible, shareable way to enjoy their photos after a session. I feel that a beautiful album is even more important for a session like this.
I use
Miller’s Signature Albums as a base product (they can upgrade to a larger or different type of album later, if they wish.) The Miller's 8x8 Signature Album with 10 spreads is just $120, is beautifully handmade, and feels substantial in your hands. With the low cost but high quality, you can easily build a package for these sessions that is within most people’s budgets.
Let me wrap this up by saying end-of-life sessions are not easy, but they are deeply rewarding. I had a few comments on my post about how people don’t always know when their horse is going to die because, as we all know, things can go badly very quickly when it comes to horses so people should have photos done way before these last days.
I agree, but I also think these sessions have great value to horse owners as they process the loss of their beloved animal.
All of this only emphasizes the importance of being photographed with your horse anytime before you miss your window of opportunity. This is something you can be sensitively sharing about occasionally on social media or other marketing efforts.
