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People always want to have photo shoots in the summer when they feel their horses look their best. The trouble is that the sun is also at its least flattering.

The winter sun gives us the most beautiful, soft light and I don't think there's any way you would call these Connemara ponies "hairy" despite it being November.

Another bonus is that there are no horse flies around. Give me a winter shoot any day.

And I so adore this shot of mother and son, the latter is appropriately known as the blond bombshell. Stunning models with the loveliest personalities, the lot of them.

There's nothing more satisfying than having your work published and even more so when you've written the feature, too. I do consider myself extremely fortunate; meeting and working with so many fascinating and talented people.

I seem to have been working with a lot of stunning dogs recently. Here is the beautiful Stella. Can't wait to see this one all professionally printed, mounted and framed.

So chuffed to have managed to capture this website header shot for Ockley Dog Wash. Working with animals is never easy, but it's oh so rewarding when everything comes together...

Greyhounds really do make the most incredible models, but perhaps I'm just biased...

What I so love doing is capturing the character of my subjects. I'd created the specific shot requested by my client, but then grabbed the moment of opportunity to create a portrait of this old lady. I do adore her kind eyes.

I somehow managed to time the shoot perfectly this morning — dodging the showers — to capture this handsome hound at Parklands Farm Greyhound Hotel.

Spent the most wonderful day creating images for the lovely Caroline Osgood for her new business venture Parklands Farm Greyhound Hotel. Can't wait to edit the rest. Have a feeling there's going to be high demand for this luxury dog boarding home in Ockley, Surrey.

It's always an honour to create portraits of horses as a birthday present, particularly so when you have two absolutely stunning models to work with.

I've visited Oldencraig Equestrian Centre in Lingfield, Surrey, quite a few times now and like to challenge myself to create something different in addition to the "usual" shots.

The willow trees have just come into leaf and never fail make for a lovely backdrop. Then I decided to find a location to compose a high-key shot and found the perfect spot...

Every year, for my mother-in-law's birthday, I create an image of my boys as part of her gift. It's great to have an annual deadline like this as it's so easy not to make the time and effort for your own family portraits when you are working as a professional photographer.

It also makes me stop and look at how much they've changed over the past year. I just can't believe they're both towering over me now (I am 6'2" and my youngest is 15). I know it's a cliche, but it really only seems like yesterday that they were babies.

There's nothing quite like the British coast at winter time in my humble opinion. Spending the festive season at The Edgecumbe Hotel in Bude was nothing short of incredible. We swam in Bude Sea Pool as well as the sea and the boys went surfing every day except Christmas day when they did took part in the Christmas dip in aid of charity. The dogs were in heaven running on the sandy beaches and we had one stunning sunset.

Heaven...

I had the fortune of being asked to photograph the nuptials of Olympic dressage rider Spencer Wilton and his partner Darren Hicks at Shaw House in Newbury yesterday.

By sheer coincidence, it turns out eventing legend Sir Mark Todd remarried his ex-wife there in 2014. It may have been dark and wet for this wedding, but it did not dampen celebrations and the couple were certainly well-heeled for the occasion — check out the Louboutins.

There was a party for 200 laid on at Hillfields Farm, Lower Basildon, in the evening. Guests included dressage royalty from Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester to Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud.

The barn was beautifully decorated by Spencer's Mum, multiple Chelsea Flower Show gold-medallist Isabel Wilton (three times Best In Show in the floristry section), sister and team and included two enormous Christmas trees hung with 1,100 baubles. The vivacious former Britain's Got Talent finalist Lettice Rowbotham got the party started with her "rocking" violin renditions. And what a party it was...

Click here for a link to the Horse & Hound web news story featuring some of the guests.

For the wedding gallery, click here.

I do so love capturing the character of a dog...

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have interesting and varied work. Interviewing Sally Hudson for Horse & Hound magazine and finding out how equine-assisted therapy works was truly fascinating and inspiring — what a powerful way to learn about yourself.

From a personal perspective, I so enjoy combining both journalism and photography to create articles like this one.

Click here to read the article.

Working as a freelance has many bonuses, but also some downsides. One of them being that I am useless at turning down work which I enjoy. This autumn, I've been busier than ever somehow — working all hours juggling journalism and photography for magazines such as Country Life and Horse & Hound — so I am chuffed to bits to have won a week's holiday to Cornwall, courtesy of Ocean Blue, in a photography competition.

There's nothing more beautiful than Cornwall in winter in my humble opinion. This image was taken during a family Christmas break a couple of years ago — some incredible sunsets and stunning scenery made for the most memorable week. I can't wait to go back.

It was without a doubt the most challenging feature I've ever written — getting hold of the best coaches and riders in the world as well as the World Class Sports Psychologist is never easy as they tend to be somewhat busy people — but nothing worthwhile in life is easy in my experience. That's why I'm incredibly proud of the article published in last week's Horse & Hound magazine entitled A champion's mindset.

As my riding career was curtailed at the tender age of 21 due to having seriously hypermobile joints, I have always wondered whether I would have had the mental toughness to make it to the top in competitive dressage.

The article is so much more than being about equestrian sport alone, though, as the points it makes are relevant in every aspect of life.

A huge thank you to all who contributed to this article. It was so fascinating putting it together — it has made me appreciate the power of the mind more than ever as well as the importance of exercising the mind in the same way as keeping fit physically.

Here is the link to the article: A Champion's Mindset

And so the new camera club season has started with the first competition. It's good discipline as it makes me review my images, compare them to others and have them critiqued by a judge. My image of Max earned 10/10, which means so much, just because he's my beloved Birty's baby...

There's a lovely feature by Martha Terry in this week's Horse & Hound magazine about Ockley resident Heather Armstrong and her charity work for The Gambia Horse & Donkey Trust.

It's a great read — an insight into Heather's life helping working equines. As if she's not busy enough, Heather also runs a charity to help the Gambian people who are in need of medical attention, called the Sambel Kunda Clinic. An amazing lady...

Click here to read the article.

I had the pleasure of photographing a double christening today at Capel. The church was filled to the rafters and it was the most relaxed, friendly service you could have wished for.

Here's a little sneak peek...

As any horsey person (or their other half) will tell you, having a horse is a way of life, a passion, all encompassing. This image epitomises it for me. This stunning Shire called Bear was back at the Cranleigh show this year and I managed to create this photo of this gentle giant with his dedicated owner's tattoo.

Mike Harry only had his first horse a few years ago and now has two Shires. He works nights at a bus depot and spends his spare time travelling around the country to shows. Thank you Mike for keeping the breed and tradition alive.

PS More images from the Cranleigh Show are available to view on the Gallery.