Get your farm ready for the shoot.

Ocala is the Horse Capital of the World, and serious buyers in Marion County judge a farm on its facility as much as its home. They look at the barns, the arena footing, the fencing and how the property flows. A farm that is ready for the shoot shows all of that clearly, and most of the prep is work you already know how to do.

Be ready the day before.

Finish prep at least the day before the shoot. A farm has a lot of moving parts, and a day of margin means the barn is clean, the arena is dragged and the pastures are mowed before we arrive.

The barn.

Muck every stall and lay fresh bedding. Sweep the aisles and wash bay. Coil hoses, hang lead ropes and blankets neatly, and put wheelbarrows and forks away. Organize the tack room so saddles, bridles and supplies are hung and squared. Turn on every barn light. If the barn has ceiling fans, switch them off and leave their lights on.

The horses.

If horses will be in the photos, groom them as if for a show, and have a handler present for every shot with a horse. You know your horses and we do not, so your handler does all the handling. During drone flights, horses should be inside or calm in their paddocks. We keep the drone well clear of horses and plan around turnout and training, so tell us about any horse that does not like noise.

The grounds.

Mow the pastures and drag the arena if you can. Close every gate so fence lines read clean in the aerials. Park trailers, tractors and equipment in a tidy row or out of the main view, and park vehicles off the driveway. Put feed bags, muck piles, hoses and loose tools out of sight.

The residence.

The home follows the listing rules. Turn on every light, turn ceiling fans off with their lights on, and open the blinds. Clear the kitchen counters, vanities and nightstands. Hide hygiene items on counters and in showers. Remove towels and small rugs, and make the beds.

What we do, and what we don't.

We keep the drone well clear of horses and time the aerials for calm weather and calm horses. In the residence we set the blinds and move small items to make each room photo ready. We do not handle, lead or move horses, and we do not fly close to horses or over a turnout. We do not move trailers or equipment. Mucking, sweeping and cleaning are done before we arrive. We also do not edit out fences or equipment as part of the standard edit, so ask us before the shoot if something cannot move.

Pets.

Farm dogs should be crated or in a closed room before we arrive, especially during drone flights. If one is loose and no one is home to secure it, we have to reschedule.

Aerials and weather.

A farm cannot be photographed from the driveway, so aerials do much of the work, especially on the larger properties around Ocala and across Marion County. They are flown by an FAA Part 107 certified, insured pilot. We check the airspace before any flight, and flights depend on wind and weather. Every exterior carries our blue skies guarantee. Florida weather happens. If the forecast turns, we reschedule at no charge.

What happens on shoot day.

We work area by area: the residence, the barns, the arena and the pastures, with aerials timed for light and for the horses. Your staff can keep the farm running, a step out of frame. Share your feeding and turnout schedule and we will plan around it.

After the shoot.

Photos are delivered within 24 hours, with a free single-property website that gives buyers one link to the whole farm. For how the photos, video and aerials work together once the farm is listed, read marketing a horse farm listing in Ocala.

Ready to present your farm like the estate it is? See our equestrian and horse farm media, then book a farm shoot online.