Raised in a barn Hope Mills, NC || Harper Family

This fall, I had the opportunity to travel to Hope Mills, North Carolina and spend the weekend with another horse friend. The Harper family invited me into their home, while I spent a few days capturing their beautiful farm and family. Melanie and her husband, Keith, run MP Sporthorses, a sport horse breeding, training and sales facility located just outside of Fort Bragg, NC. Be sure to check out the other blog posts highlighting her horses here.

After recovering from Hurricane Florence, and a minor impact from Tropical Storm Michael, we couldn’t have asked for more beautiful weather for our weekend of shooting! Taking full advantage of the sunshine, we squeezed in a fun, family photoshoot for the Harpers, including a few of the horses and their sweet Lab, Tuli. With two restless kids, we kept the session full of candid shots, focusing on the sweet little smiles and big bubbles of laughter. These boys are just like their Mama with their love of anything outdoors, so we made sure to capture the boys with their sweet pony too. I absolutely love these equine lifestyle family sessions because it captures the heart of your family, with all of the important members-including those with four legs!

I was sad when Melanie and her gang left the Fort Campbell Riding Stables and the Clarksville, TN area, but I love getting to plan these annual trips down to North Carolina now! Keep a look out for Melanie and her gorgeous horses. She has a few babies due this spring and will be taking the show world by storm with her youngsters.

(Blooper alert! When you have kids and animals all in one session, you’re bound to get a few funny shots. And Moms…I know you know what she’s thinking right now!!)