End-of-Life Sessions

One of our many favorite images from Niely’s end-of-life session: leaving the barrel arena one last time…

We all know that day comes for each of our beloved animals…

As much as we hate to admit it and think about it, everyone’s (animals and humans) days are numbered on this earth.

All we can do is to strive to live our lives to the fullest, love our animals as unconditionally as they do us, and hope to know when that time comes to keep them from suffering any longer than necessary.

End-of-Life sessions (also know as Memorial, Forget-Me-Not, or Rainbow Bridge sessions) are a great way to memorialize your best friends and remember them for an eternity to come.

Kimmy contacted me one day last year to ask if I might be available that evening. She had made the gut-wrenching decision that her gelding, Niely, was ready to cross that rainbow bridge, and she wanted to capture his personality in a photoshoot before taking him to the vet.

I felt my heart tighten in my chest as I read her message, remembering my experience years ago with putting my own heart horse down, and I couldn’t dream of telling her no. I still regret not having more photos of my handsome Scooter.

Thankfully, I was able to adjust my schedule that day, so we met up and discussed what she wanted (and didn’t want) for photos.

We talked about capturing their bond (which was clearly VERY strong), the above photo that Kimmy had the idea for, and editing requests to make sure Niely looked his best in photos, even though he was past his prime.

It turned out to be a cloudy, overcast day with rain threatening but that atmosphere just added to the essence and feel of their photoshoot. We did get rained on a little that day as we were finishing up outside before heading in to do some more shots in the stall aisle and indoor arena, thankfully nothing too crazy.

I am so honored that Kimmy chose to trust me to capture those final moments and last ride with Niely, as well as grateful that we were able to get together that day.

When if comes to end-of-life sessions, I understand that there isn’t always a lot of time on the table. Because of that, I do my best to work with owners to set up a date, even though I typically book up several months in advance.

These special sessions are also the only photoshoots that I offer after-session payment plans for. Unexpected vet bills can pop up during these times when trying to help our animals to the best of our ability or while trying to keep them comfortable before that big decision is made.

I always recommend keeping up with photos and memories as best as we can in our busy lives, but if you know that your horse, dog, cat, or other pet is nearing the end of their journey, it’s always best to reach out to discuss and schedule their session sooner than later.

While editing CAN help hide the effects of aging in older animals, some edits can be incredibly time-consuming (and therefore more expensive) or even impossible, unfortunately.

I’ve always been an animal lover and hate to see them move on over that rainbow bridge, too, so I never take it lightly when someone comes to me for an end-of-life session for their furbabies.