Where the Land Meets the Sea | An Equine Session at Wells Beach, Maine | Wells Beach Equine Photography

Wells Beach Equine Photography

There are sessions that feel exciting, and then there are sessions that feel like quiet fulfillment of something you didn't even know how to name yet.

This equine session at Wells Beach in Wells, Maine, last October was the latter.

For a brief window each year, horses are allowed on the beach there. We also got special permission from the town just to be sure! If you know me, you know I hate getting in trouble and always follow all the rules (just ask Brittany). So, when Brittany reached out about photographing her and Stilly on the shoreline, I didn't hesitate for a second.

I was beyond ecstatic!

A Longstanding Trust, Carried into the Wild

I've been photographing Brittany for seven or eight years now - long enough that I've truly lost count. Over the years, she's brought me along some incredible adventures throughout Maine, and it's no exaggeration to say she's part of the reason I love that state so deeply.

There's a trust that forms when you work with someone for that long. A shared language. An understanding that the work isn't just about photos-it's about telling the truth of what something feels like.

So when she was envisioning this session - her horse, the open beach, the Atlantic stretching endlessly alongside us - it felt less like a request and more like an invitation into something sacred.

Wind, Warmth, and a Misty Haze

October surprised us with warmth that day, which we welcomed fully. The wind whipped across the beach, carrying salt and mist off the waves, creating the most beautiful, glowy haze in the air.

Everything felt softened. Diffused. Truly ethereal.

As Stilly moved along the shoreline, a small crowd began to gather - which felt inevitable. There's something undeniably magnificent about a large gray horse running freely along the edge of the sea. People stopped and watched in awe.

And through it all, Stilly remained calm. Grounded. Steady. Like he knew he was exactly where he was meant to be.

A Dream I Didn't Know I Was Allowed to Have

When we first arrived, I'll admit - I was shaking a little. A mix of nerves from the attention, and something deeper I didn't quite expect.

Excitement. Gratitude. Disbelief.

I remember feeling nauseous, standing there with my camera, thinking: This is really happening.

If you had told me eleven years ago, when I first started on this journey, that one day I would be photographing horses on the coast of Maine - telling stories like this - I wouldn't have believed you. Not because I didn't dream, but because I didn't yet know what was possible.

And yet, here we were.

It's okay that it took this long.

It was worth every step of the waiting.

A Heart Horse, and a Story Worth Holding

The bond between Brittany and Stilly is something you feel immediately. It's quiet, deep, and unmistakable. He is her heart horse in every sense of the word. The way they move together, trust each other, and exist in the same rhythm - it's rare, and so beautiful.

These are some of my most favorite equine photographs I've ever taken. Not just because of the setting or the light, but because of what they hold.

Trust.

Time.

Connection.

A dream come true.

Being able to tell this story - to witness it, to preserve it - is something I don't take lightly. This session was more than a shoot. It was a reminder why I do this work at all.

Sometimes, the most meaningful stories arrive exactly when you're ready to receive them.

And sometimes, they arrive at the edge of the sea.