11/09/2026
There are the simple photographs you take, and then there are the moments you capture when everything aligns — the light, the energy and a little bit of magic.
These are a few frames from our recent equine retreat shoot for Racing Hearts at SOMA Lorna Jane in Byron Bay — and from a photographer’s perspective, creating images like this asks for much more than a beautiful location and good light.
It takes quiet. Observation. Knowing when to direct and when to get out of the way. Paying attention to the energy of the horses, the people, the landscape and those tiny moments that disappear the second you try too hard to manufacture them.
Of course, there’s a whole lot of very practical work behind the scenes too — planning, styling, storytelling, creative direction and a team of people willing to collaborate on the vision. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to our team, to Lisa, our our incredible models and to the SOMA team.
I’ve been doing this long enough to know that sometimes there’s another ingredient.
Call it intention. Energy. Timing. Magic. Whatever language works for you.
Because photographs like these don’t happen by accident.
I’m incredibly happy with what we created, but perhaps even more grateful for the opportunity to spend time at SOMA. It is one of those rare places that seems to invite you to become quieter the moment you arrive — expansive, grounding and completely removed from the noise of everyday life.
Which is exactly why it feels like the perfect home for Racing Hearts’ New Year retreat, running December 29 – January 1. Four days of horses, breathwork, Reiki, nature, connection, beautiful food, space to exhale and the chance to step into the new year a little differently than you arrived.
And having now experienced SOMA through the lens, I can say this with confidence:
This one is going to be absolute magic.
