As a Natchitoches Portrait photographer I get to be a part of some pretty awesome, pretty special moments in the lives of others. That is probably one of the reason that I love my job! And this particular portrait session of a girl and her horse may very well top them all.

You see… Kinslee is a very special little girl who lost her mother to Leukemia less than two years ago. As someone who can most definitely relate to losing a mom at such a young age, I know exactly what this precious little girl has had to endure as she grows through her grief. And I think it is absolutely precious that Kinslee’s father realized how healing the love of a horse can actually become.

For the past year or so, Kinslee has been attending riding lessons and horse clinics with Heavenly Equine at Old River Farms in Natchitoches. Over the course of the year, Kinslee fell in love with a horse that she calls Spirit, and when Kinslee’s birthday rolled around her father scheduled a birthday session, because she wanted her portraits taken with the horse that she has grown to love. Little did she know that during this portrait session, her father was going to drop a HUGE surprise in her lap. SPIRIT BELONGS TO HER! He bought Spirit for her as a birthday present. OHHHHH being a Natchitoches Portrait Photographer brings me so much joy!

Y’all I cried! I cried big ugly crocodile tears when he told Kinslee that Spirit now belonged to her. I cried because SHE CRIED. It wasn’t tears of laughter. It was tears of all of her dreams coming true. It was literally one of the most emotional moments of my career when she buried her face into her daddy’s chest crying tears of disbelief.

Take a look at Kinslee’s portrait session with her new best friend!