The South Dakota Cowgirl

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A Photoshoot With A MUA

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Sometimes the stars align just perfectly and the result is something more beautiful than you’d ever imagine it would be. 

That was the case for this year’s annual school portrait photoshoot that I do with my niece. I think we’re on year four or five of taking her school pictures, and doing a “senior” type session.  But this year, we had a ranch intern here who is also a Professional Make-up Artist.  Abby is one of the funnest people I’ve ever hung out with and she’s a gorgeous person too.  She makes my list for “favorite people ever”, and I’m pretty sure she’s my  sister-from-another-mother. Just sayin’. 

I’ve never had the privilege of working with a MUA, but dang, now that I have, I don’t want to ever do another shoot without one. Seriously.  I had to airbrush one, tiny little speck of sweat off of one photo. That was it. It saved time, and the girl, well she looked phenomenal. She’s already gorgeous, inside and out, but this… Wow.  She starts her freshman year this week. Where did the time go? 

Abby Prather, MUA. Photo by The South Dakota Cowgirl on Location at The DX Ranch, Eagle Butte, SD. Abby Prather, MUA. Photo by The South Dakota Cowgirl on Location at The DX Ranch, Eagle Butte, SD. Abby Prather, MUA. Photo by The South Dakota Cowgirl on Location at The DX Ranch, Eagle Butte, SD. Abby Prather, MUA. Photo by The South Dakota Cowgirl on Location at The DX Ranch, Eagle Butte, SD. Abby Prather, MUA. Photo by The South Dakota Cowgirl on Location at The DX Ranch, Eagle Butte, SD. Abby Prather, MUA. Photo by The South Dakota Cowgirl on Location at The DX Ranch, Eagle Butte, SD. Abby Prather, MUA. Photo by The South Dakota Cowgirl on Location at The DX Ranch, Eagle Butte, SD.

Please make sure you head over to Abby’s Facebook Page and follow along as she works her magic! 

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

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