I contacted Jon because I saw some of his farm call images. As I explored his website, I found out that his main gig is Saddle Horse Shows from all over the country. I’ve been wanting to have some interviews with show photographers, so I was delighted when Jon was willing to come on the podcast and tell us about his history with horses and his equine photography business.

What makes a great horse show photographer?
How do you learn to run a horse show business?
These are some of the questions that we answered in today’s podcast with Jon McCarthy of Jon McCarthy Photography.
SHOW NOTES:
Website: www.jonmccarthyphoto.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jon-McCarthy-Photography

John started college as a pre-med major, then discovered horses. Shortly he transferred to William Woods University for an Equine education. It was there that he started to experiment with photography.
Jon got the photography bug in College after getting the horse bug
He had lots of subject available to photography. Then he started shooting some of the lessons, people working with their horses, etc. This started him on the path toward horse show photography.
Learning what was expected from various breeds and disciplines is important
This is also when he was able to learn about various breeds and what was needed and expected for “best images” for the breed or discipline.
He graduated with a degree in equestrian science with the intention of being a trainer. He got a job at a large Morgan operation.

Finding a mentor in the show world
He went to show and introduced himself to the top name in Morgan horse show photography. In talking to him, it became clear that this is the direction that he wanted to go in. He was invited to help out with an upcoming show. He was able to work for him on some shows and still to this day he is Jon’s go to person for learning and building his business. Jon started booking some larger shows that were coming in from this mentor when he was unable to take them due to prior bookings etc.,  he would pass them along to Jon.

Jon does about 26 shows a year at this time. Ideal shows are 100 head or more. Shows used to be huge, but now many shows are multi-breed formats in order to bring in enough horses. Where before there might be hundreds of Morgans, now there might be 60 head Morgans, 30 Saddlebred, and then additional horses of various other breeds.
Reflecting back, his first year he didn’t feel the quality of his images (getting the right shots and timing) was very good. After working with his mentor and shooting at those shows and getting trained and feedback from this great mentor, he improved greatly and was able to get out on his own much better. He still has shows that he does with this mentor every year. They talk business and images and work together to get the best possible products (best images out there) for their show participants.

Jon McCarthy Photography is set up for people to make selections at the shows, but he does not do actual printing at most of the shows he works. There is just too much work getting the images and preparing them so people can make selections. He does all the printing and culling and post production himself. His trailer has selection stations (computers) and he has someone there to help in the process of placing orders while he is out shooting. Between classes, they upload and prepare the images for viewing.
Why does Jon LOVE doing horse show photography?
What makes horse show photography a fun business for you , Jon?  He loves the relationships he develops with people all over the country. He loves traveling across the country and exploring.

A Texas portrait equine photographer
When I was exploring for new people to interview, I came across Kirstie Marie Photography in Texas. I put off calling her because I had just interviewed another photographer from Texas, so I signed up for the Kirstie Marie email list. Once or twice a week I have been getting samples of beautiful horse and rider portrait sessions she is having. The emails are very graphically interesting and personally inviting and you are left with wanting more. It was time to interview Kirstie of Kirstie Marie photography.
Filling a void and knowing what you would want as a consumer

I expected to be talking to someone who had been doing equine photography for a very long time, but I will call Kirstie a relatively new photographer on the scene since she picked up her first digital camera in 2012. Then as she was planning her wedding she decided that she would pick up a Contact 645 roll film camera and after a year of practice in an area felt a need to fill, portraits of riders with their horses, she created her price list and web site and launched.
The importance of not launch when you are in “Beta”
During that first year before she charged anyone for her services, she considered that her business was in “beta” and she developed her portfolio and abilities until she felt she was ready. In our interview she explains how and WHY she does things the way she does and why as photographers we should be clients of other photographers. I think you will find the interview very informative and inspiring. Kirstie is very business savvy which shows in all the choices she makes relative to her branding, website, and marketing that she does with her valued customers.

http://kirstiemarie.com
https://www.instagram.com/kirstieeemarie/
http://kmplearn.com
She started with dressage lessons at 3. You can see her history with horses on her website.
SHOW NOTES:
Kirstie picked up a camera in 2012 while in college and planning her wedding. She started with digital, then picked up a Contact 645 film camera (shoots 120 and 200 roll film). Using her own money she practiced for a year shooting film and developing her product and portfolio before telling people she was going to charge them for her services. She was making sure she had something professional. She did not want to put something out there in “beta”.
Medium format film images included in every shoot
She still shoots film some on each session (not 35mm, but 120 and 220 roll film). She has nice digital gear now as well and edits the digital images to look like the film images that come back from her pro film lab. Now she has a Hasselblad as her film camera and is very pleased with its very fast and accurate automatic focus.

Professional and part-time and the importance of outsourcing
Kirstie has a full-time career and her photography business is part-time mostly on weekends. She loves both so she has no plan on changing the current mix any time soon. She likes two to 4 sessions per month, but is a softy and when people call with urgent requests she tries to work them into her schedule. She explained that one time she had a very over packed period of 6 weeks with 16 sessions. Yikes!
About being a customer of photographers
Kirstie is a customer of photographers to learn more about how they run their businesses and to explore how she feels about the experience with other photographers and determine how to improve the experience of her own clients. Kirstie feels strongly that you should put yourself in your client’s perspective as a customer of photography. I would have to agree with her and would encourage you to do the same. Spend some money and have some portraits made from time to time...

HELLO, I’M ANNA. A FINE ART EQUINE AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER BASED ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND.
How do you gain instant recognition and memorability? After reading about being the purple cow in a marketing book, Anna decided on the name Purple Horse Design. One of the many little points we discuss about Anna’s quick start-up of her equine photography business in Maryland. Lots of energy and enthusiasm and planning and practice have brought her along amazingly fast. Listen to her enthusiasm and ideas and learn from the new kid on the block here on the Equine Photographers Podcast.

I had seen some discussion online about Anna’s Instagram account with over 60,000 followers. People asked, were these all her own images? How old is she? Then looking at her facebook page, she looks to be a teen ager from her profile picture, but instead I found out that she is in her 30s and has a young daughter and up until a recent illness, she has pursued her equine photography business with an amazing amount of energy and creativity. She only started in 2013.
You can hear the joy she gets from photographing horses and their owners and you can listen today about how she plans and practices each thing before rolling it out to the public. But, even the best planning intentions can not prevent word of mouth advertising from putting the cart before the horse such that she has been playing catchup trying to get her paperwork and other things in order for her business as demand for her services flourished. I hope that you will enjoy this interview with Anna Smolens of Purple Horse Design.
Website: http://purplehorsedesigns.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/purplehorsedesigns
Email: purplehorsedesigns@gmail.com
Instagram Account:  purplehorsedesigns


SHOW NOTES
Introduction
The horse came first. She started loving horses when she was only 2 or 3 years old. Started lessons at the age of 6. Anna still has the horse she got when she was only 13 years old and still rides him. He is frequently a model for her test shoots or just practice shooting as well.

She managed a horse farm and was a trainer for a time.
A move to the Eastern Shore of Maryland took her away from the horse business into retail for a while.
She has always loved photography too. She had an SLR in high school. Her equipment was ruined when she got run over by an Andalusian stallion and as a poor student she just left photography alone for about 8-9 years. She started a website design business for some extra cash, but it quickly brought her back into photography. She put her web design business aside to start her equine photography business.
Her love of photography is welded to her love of horses and it is what she LOVE, LOVE, LOVES.
She wanted to do things in order, but she has been playing catch-up when she did some practice shoots to build her portfolio and word of mouth spread the news that she was talented and boom, she had a business.

She does some local events and shows. It gains you exposure. She does a local breeding farm and their events as well. She shoots everybody and has a sign-up sheet to get emails. She gets all the emails from the show managers and then she sends out a link to everyone and presents “DEALS” to get the attention of the participants. She has had great response promoting packages or deals.

Private portrait sessions are what she absolutely LOVES and this part of her business is the majority. Mini Sessions at $200 per with 4 participants required, full custom packages starting at $795.00 and go up to $1695.00.
“PLEASE DO NOT STEAL” is right on the images online using Shoot Proof service.

Where did Tony Stromberg come from to get to where he is now? This is from the About Tony on his website and I would encourage you to go over and read more as this is only the first couple of paragraphs describing his journey.
After successfully spending over 20 years as a high-end advertising photographer in San Francisco, I found myself disenchanted, burned out, and ultimately receiving no nourishment from the work I was doing.  On the outside, I had everything anyone would want, but my inner landscape was barren and I began “searching” for my lost spirit.
When horses came into my life in the mid-1990’s, I realized that I had found my teachers, and the connection that I have developed with horses has helped steer my life in a completely different direction. Horses have taught me so much in the time that I have spent with them. They have taught me about the power of authenticity, honestly, and integrity, and they have taught me the true meaning of leadership and relationship. They have also taught me about living in collaboration and community, rather than the model that our society embodies, which is about competition and “getting ahead of the rest”.
In my interview with Tony we go from where he was to where he is now. Horses continue to take him to better places where he has rediscovered things that he had lost in the competitive rush of being everything to everybody as a commercial photographer. Finding horses probably saved him. I hope you will come and enjoy my interview with one of the top 10 equine photographers in the world.
SHOW NOTES
His website: http://tonystromberg.com
His Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TonyStrombergPhotography

When I talked with Tony he had 799,900 Likes on Facebook. In the last two weeks it is now well over 808,000 likes. By the time you hear this it may reach 1 million for all I know. People are captivated by his powerful images and want to see more. Listen to hear how this came to be along with the frustrations and benefits of social media.
60 degrees in February in New Mexico (We started with just a little small talk)
Tony started in photography as a commercial advertising photographer in California
For 20+ years Tony had a very successful advertising photography career starting in his 20s.  He describes the variety of work he did so successfully during that period. But, it took him down a path where he was losing himself and dealing with depression and despair. He could just about do any photography project for anyone, but there was something missing for him. At that point he didn’t know the difference between a horse and cow, he said.
He was invited by a friend to visit some horses and he started shooting horses as a hobby. He would go and shoot and find a little piece of himself every time.
How did he start into equine photography as a business?
In commercial photography he was spending 20 percent of his time taking pictures and 80 percent was marketing, showing his portfolio and beating the pavement to get in front of important clients. In equine photography it was the other way around. 20 percent of the time is marketing and 80 percent is shooting. He decided to completely close up shop for his California commercial & advertising photography business and started up anew in New Mexico where he had lived for a time in the past. For a while he did some architectural photography for builders in the area, but soon focused only on horses. He describes how his first horse book came about.

Someone was intrigued with his work and introduced him to her publisher. It was amazing that he walked in with his portfolio and walked out with a book deal.

Judy Bosco has been an equine photographer for a long time, however she has stayed part-time balancing a full-time job, family, husband and recently other life challenges to continue to pursue her love for photography and horses. Listen and hear about her story on The Equine Photographers Podcast.
SHOW NOTES
Judy’s website: http://www.judybosco.smugmug.com
Judy’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PhotographybyJudithMBosco
When did she start to love horses?
Her parents knew that she was horse crazy so they gave her horseback riding lessons when she was 9 years old for a summer. After that a friend of hers who had horses stabled at the same barn and she helped clean stalls, and they rode a lot together. She did lease a horse for one summer, but has never owned her own horse.
Where did the photography come in?
She met her future husband at a new local camera store that had opened in the area. She bought a Yashica film 35mm camera and some lenses and started to take black and white pictures. She would study the horse magazines to determine if her images were any good and how she could improve them.
Practice, practice, practice is how Judy learned back then. She shot in black and white and the “guy at the camera store helped her to process her first bunch of rolls of film.” She focused on hunter/jumper and english riding. He taught her to process her own black and white images.
She also acquired a Bronco 645 which uses 120 and 220 roll film. From there she did lots of small shows on spec, but today shooting on spec does not work to well.
She still does several hunter pace events and still enjoys those the most. In the film days, she would send her daughter to have film processed and bring them back to sell at the events.

She used to do a lot of horse shows then, but things have changed quite a bit now. There are a lot fewer shows these days, but today everything is digital and there are lots of “photographers” shooting all the shows. At the same time she sometimes gets complaints that there was not a photographer at a show. However if the participants are unwilling to support the photographers when they do come, what would they expect to happen? After shooting a couple of shows with few sales photographers give up and move on to other types of events.

Now, she does everything online using Smugmug. She still have several hunter pace events that she does. She puts up a booth with samples and business cards and there are information cards in the rider packets.
Sign-up here and win an 8×10 from today’s event
She gives away an 8×10 at each event or show she does. This is a way to gather up lots of email addresses where she can notify them when the event gallery is available for viewing and purchase. At the hunter pace events is that there are people who don’t do other types of shows and they may not have any pictures of themselves with their horses yet. This means lots of new sales at these events that can also lead to other business.

Now she is trying to figure out how to sell digital files effectively and profitably. Many just want the digital files today. Sometimes she sells a bunch of files on a thumb drive for people who want a lot of files.
Conformation pictures to sell or promote a horse
Discussion of the cell phone pictures that people are using today to promote the sale of their horses. They wonder why there are no buyers or why they have to lower their price so much to sell their horse, however the horse does not look good with a large head a very tiny bottom and does not look good.
EPnet workshops
I’ve been to workshops in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, all the way through 2013 she explained.

Lynne is a California-based equine sport, ranch, portrait, pets and livestock photographer for both personal and commercial clients.

Lynne is pictured third from the left in the above image.
SHOW NOTES
Website: http://www.photo.lynnesite.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynne-Glazer-Imagery/42216687604
I’ve known Lynne for many years. She is a talented and very technically particular photographer. What I mean is that she never fudges getting the images right in the camera and on post processing to create the best possible image for her clients.
Because of this she has done all sorts of both personal and commercial photography, but for today’s interview we spend a lot of time discussing her endurance ride photography including covering the internationally known Tevis endurance ride which is a point to point 100 mile trail event which occurs every year in California.

Lynne has been horse crazy as long as she can remember, but she got her first horse at 31 years old. He was an older horse, but she was able to enjoy him for quite a few years.
In 2003 started shooting endurance rides. She also had a desktop technology support business for media companies as a freelancer, so she knew how to run a business before getting into the business of photography. She also had a lot of knowledge about using technology proficiently for her photography business although later in the interview she explains that she hates to blog which she knows would increase her visibility as a photography business.
Now she works with an aerospace engineering company in areas of technology that you and I would not have a clue about. She can work remotely and on the schedule she chooses which is usually at night. It’s just what she likes to do. That also leaves her time during the day for photography and enjoying her horse.
How does Lynne describe her business today?
She does events, farm and ranch photography along with her endurance ride photography and a smattering of other things. She says she does family photography with “critters”. She used to do a lot of editorial photography, but does a lot less now. She still shoots for Arabian Horse World. She also did stock photography profitably for many years, but doesn’t do much with that any more.

How long did it take her to move into professional photography?
She was able to bring herself to professional status almost instantly because of her understanding of running a business and her technology background. Knowing Lynne, she is one that I would never have to say, “read your camera manual”, since she does technical writing and also probably has it completely memorized.
She has done a lot of things over the years like horse shows, kids rodeos, also 2nd camera for Cristy Cumbersworth for her contracted events. Second shooting can be nice because you just hand over the images and the lead photographer takes it from there.

Lynne did a lot of work for Cavalia, the horse stage show performances for 10 years. This was a very difficult challenge due to low light. We discussed some of the challenges she faced. They would fly her to their show locations for shoots they needed.

Back to endurance riding and endurance ride photography
She is currently bringing along a 6-year-old horse for her own endurance riding. She is bowing out of endurance ride photography somewhat so she can ride endurance. She wants good images of herself riding endurance. She wants to encourage other photographers to come up and photograph these events and learn to do it well so she can buy images as keepsakes for rides where she is a participant.
The challenge is trying to capture images that will both look great a...

Richard Horst is a nature and equine photographer who manages a ranch where ranches are described in hundreds of acres and he has consciously chosen to bring his family and live where the pace of life is different and the love of horses and nature can be expressed in his heart and through photography which he can share with everyone.
SHOW NOTES
Website: http://www.richardhorstphotography.com
Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/RichardHorstPhotography
Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/richardhorst794/
Email Address: richardhorstphotography@gmail.com

How did Richard get involved with horses?
Grew up back East around Arabian horses. His grandfather had horses, and at his home with his sisters she had two horses, but Richard was not happy about having horses because he had to take care of them for his sister every morning.
Not until Wyoming did he start to enjoy horses again. He appreciated that horses could take him to places nobody else could see. Then he and his wife and family moved to manage another ranch in Montana. He manages the largest herd of Rocky Mountain horses in the world. He learned to depend on horses when out in the wild. Working together and trusting each other was important.
Where did his interest in photography start?
Richard got into photography in high school. He took pictures and processed in the unused bathroom in the basement of his parents house. Peter explains that this is just how he started as well.

While leading various horse packing trail adventures for the people coming to the Wyoming guest ranch Richard took lots of point and shoot images throughout the rides. Richard’s wife pushed him to do something with photography rekindling his passion for photography that was dormant for some time. After moving to Montana, he had a little more time and invested in better equipment.
He would like to have harder criticism on Horse Photo Critique group on Facebook. People are too nice. I want to improve more.
Has a nature photographers “look” to his work.
Richard has won some international photo competition with a picture of this daughter in the middle of nowhere with 3-4 horses and expansive rolling hills in the background.

We discussed and debated about being a 1/3 time photographer or full-time.
Jumping in with both feet
Richard announces that he is the OP “official photographer” for the Colorado Horse Expo. A discussion of on site sales and his need for second shooters. He also needs people to organize viewing and handle sales while he shoots all day long. Without on site sales it is likely that sales will be lacking. Needs price sheets, order forms, and promotion to get riders to come and see the images.
We will email him with some event photographers to consult with.
Which way will Richard go in his photography business as it comes together?
What do I do next? Gigi explains that it is interesting to be talking to someone on the cusp of building into a business. You must take the right steps at the right time according to some people who Richard has spoken with in the area of nature photography.

Terri Cage is a portrait and equine photographer specializing in senior portraits, show promotion photography, and farm family portraits with animals. Please join us to listen as she explains her business and her life with horses.


SHOW NOTES
Website: http://www.terricage-photography.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TerriCagePhotography/
Horse crazy kid at 10 years old for my first horse.
Her dad got her a camera and he was a photographer actually.
She did some barrel racing as she got a little older. As she had children, then now are showing.
Started photography business in 2009.
Uses studio sometimes for some portraits, dogs, to promote and for selection sessions.
Main clientele is horse people. She does weddings from time to time. Shows 5% (networking through the shows with a booth showing portrait work) Majority of work is seniors and promotion for shows, some studio, some lifestyle, but a lot of images for client horse or rider western show promotion. Equine Chronicle and others.
The magazines are mailed free to all carded judges and they are free at the shows.
Gigi looks at her website and comments about how beautiful it is. Temp was 105 degrees at time of interview and is planning some mini session in studio. The studio is only 8 months old. Plans to stick it out for a year or two to see how it turns out. She sees the studio as promotional also. She also has a retail storefront with framed art work, canvases, boxes and cups etc.
Marketing – Advertising – Networking
Marketing – What else do you do besides Facebook Page. She mails out some postcards several times per year. Sends to farms and sends to seniors in the area. They are small mailings of 200 to 400 at a time. Spends about a day a week on Facebook and schedules posts, but with Instagram you have to actual do it when you want it to post. Instasize App for sizing photos for Instagram.
Shoots some dressage shows which have many different breeds represented. Took a workshop with Scott Trees for Arabians, to learn the breed better. Makes sure that whatever she sends out is appropriate for the breeds represented. Does some marketing through Instagram and this is where the kids are. You have to be there. With Instagram, you will be seen. It’s not that way any more on Facebook. Hashtags not like “senior portraits” because teens will not be looking for that.
When I go to someone’s ranch, usually will be there for several hours to provide a variety of images for promotion. Pricing is discussed depending on if she is visiting a stable with 3-4 riders at one session time. Sells Facebook images, high res files for the promotional ads, and various other prints. Grand parents still want wallets. Age 14-18 competitive riders. Spring amateurs, fall stallion promotions. Sometimes travels long distances and stays in guest house or client pays hotel fees.
Works with trainers in the ad development. “We have 4 people to do”. For these I have to please the trainer more than I have to please the client.
The difficulty of draught and increased costs affects the small horse people. For a while, we were paying 3X for hay.
Focus on Niche’ is important
Keep a focus on equine to reach these clients. Most of her work is niche’ equine and sometimes she gets other work, but many of those jobs come through people who know her through her equine work. My senior work started with horses. Now I have all kinds of seniors… motorcycles, not just horses now. Big family portraits in fall for Christmas… that̵...

Scott is one of those fortunate people who has done something they love their entire working career and that is be a photographer. Horses have been the primary subject of his efforts, and he has been able to travel the world capturing their beauty and essence. His style embodies an artists understanding of light and a tactile emotional portrayal of his subjects.


While horses have been the primary subject, his work is not limited to just that area. He also does commercial work including architectural, fashion, portraiture and travel journals. His locations have been worldwide ranging from ghettos to palaces and everything in between!
His services include promotional photography, videography, editorial, lectures and seminars.
SHOW NOTES
Website: http://www.treesmedia.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Scott-Trees-Photography-245113558834563/
Scott Trees is based in Texas
The horse came first, quarter horses and Arabians growing up.
Started with a Minolta SRT 101. Developed black and white in the bathroom.
Started a party picture business for fraternities and Sororities and it paid for his college education.
First foray into equine photography was an “A” Arabian show in Pueblo Colorado. Shooting black and white and processing in a rented trailer with a friend.
Started doing some 16mm film work for a company working with horses.
1983 Did some work for a disbursement sale for a very large Arabian breeding farm. Did some of the first “at liberty” shooting.
Then everything started coming to him as fast as he could handle it. There were only 3-4 photographers doing all the work. Shooting medium format cameras. For every job he accepted there were 3 he had to refuse.
Today is very different. Went through the digital change over. At 65 he is in the last phase of his career. It used to be that he had the best gear at any shoot, but today, there will be several people with equipment better than him. Now people think good-enough is acceptable. Very competitive in a dwindling market as breed registries are seeing fewer and fewer horses.
Does a lot of video now. It’s an area that new photographers need to become competent in.
VHS  then DVDs  then Online Streaming. He has done all of these.
Current project working with Arabian breed with video to tell different stories about this versatile and interesting breed. Telling the good story about Arabians. With video you have to consider how the story is being told.
Scott has gone back and forth between video and still as each goes up and down in demand. There is a different art involved in motion.
Snapshot of his business now
1/3 photography, 1/3 video, 1/3 teaching
80% Horse photography / When he was working in Dubai, it was only 40% horses.
As a new photographer you had better be able to adjust to change over and over. Marketing is constantly changing as well. You must be able to perform on-demand and produce a quality product for your customers if you expect to be paid.
Horses have been the engine that pulled the train of his photography business. Niche’ is very important. You have to KNOW the area that you photograph. Specialty brought me to other work. Example with a story from Dubai.
Goes to horse shows to network. Does not do shows. Be careful that you don’t take on work that you are not prepared to perform...

I ran across Anette in the Facebook Group called “Horse Photo Critique”
The group is for people wanting to improve their equine images, not a place to share the latest snapshot of your horse. Some people get it, but sometimes people put up images of their horse snapped on a cell phone and become upset when someone explains how the images could be improved. They will say, “why, it’s my horse and I love him and I think it is a great image.”  But, it’s not. The exposure is wrong, the horse has his head in the grass, there are broken fences and garbage piles in the background and so on.
There are of course those who understand the purpose of the group and who follow the rules. They post their image with all the details about the image and ask, “How can I improve this image?”  If you want to improve your equine photography, find this Facebook Group and be teachable as Anette has been with outstanding and fast results.
One day Anette Augestad posted an image. It was wonderful. A young lady with her horse. The light was just right and there was little that could be done to improve the image. Since then Anette has been doing more and IMPROVING FAST, so I invited her to come on the Equine Photographers Podcast to share about what she was doing and where she was heading with her work.
Even now Interest in her images is expanding across the globe.

 


SHOW NOTES
Website: http://www.hestefotograf.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Hestefotograf?fref=photo
Equine photography is a hobby or side business, but she has a full-time career in another field.
Anette explains that she determines the location of the shoot. Some she shoots with models and borrowed horses.
Started with horses when she was 8 and everything in her life. Took riding lessons, dressage and show jumping.
2008 Landscape and nature photography
2012 started to build a portfolio of horses
2013 Started to build her portfolio of equine photography
Her full-time job gives her the flexibility to do what she wants
Hand picks the horses, hand picks the horses, without having the worry about the money.
Learning photography was trial and error. Tried and failed and tried again. Understands all the concepts and learned most of it before starting with horses.
Most of her activities come through her Facebook Page.
2013 first large article was published in a magazine called EquiLife. Also published late in Dressage a website in Norway.
You have a really specific hobby, her friends tell her.
Easier to create intimacy in the images with fewer subjects, the connection.
Details about her typical sessions.
Delivers about 15-20 images in low resolution. If they want prints, then they have to order through her. Most of this is through emails.
Stories of some of her sessions.
Loves to photograph the large and powerful breeds.
Setting up model sessions with horses she chooses.
A discussion of capturing the connection between the horse and rider. Discussion about her rates.
SUBSCRIBE,

Tracey Elliot-Reep has a truly unique and amazing business model that proves you can create a business that fits your spirit and personality in the equine world. How would you like to live on the edge of a reserve with wild ponies that everyone adores, then take equine trail treks across mountain trails for hundreds of miles in Spain or the Netherlands? How about riding horseback from Mexico to Canada? Then, when you get back share your adventures through books and motivational speaking opportunities throughout the world.
Her story is truly inspirational and amazing. You will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, listening to Tracy.
SHOW NOTES
Show notes are sentences and phrases and words that indicate what is being discussed in the interview along with any websites and links for your further exploration.
How did you get involved with horses and photography?
Lives at Dartmoor in England. Rode the ponies as a child. Tried to get into school for art, but did not qualify.
Joined the traveling circus taking care of the horses. Somewhere along the line I picked up a camera and found that
2011 – across Greece and Italy over the Alps across norther Spain. 5 month trips.
Began her business in photography photographing for several magazines. One went bust so she started selling postcards of Dartmoor ponies. Living off 5 pounds a week for a period of time. That was 23 years ago. Now my business of calendars, greeting cards, books funds my adventures then when I come back I give talks about LIVING YOUR DREAMS. I talk about overcoming obstacles.
People are inspired to live their own dreams after hearing the struggles and overcoming which I talk about.
In the spring she had 20 talks. Working on a children’s book about Rainbow, her pony. Sells greeting cards, novelettes, calendars, children’s books, horseback travel adventure books.
Started one adventure with $100. Faith into action. Took on jobs to fund the adventure. Purchased the horses. Crossing the southern Alps. Flash floods. New Zealand. Raised money for disabled riding programs.
Ride from Mexico to Canada. Drug smugglers, snakes, mountain lions, mountains.
Her European adventure included tunnels, refugees, mountains, mountain goats, dangers of many kinds.
http://www.traceyelliotreep.com
Riding by Faith Across Southern Europe

A gripping journey with two Greek ponies from the arid heat of Greece, across the Alps of southern Europe, to the ancient pilgrim trail of northwest Spain.
Riding by Faith Across America

A stunning photographic account of a dream becoming reality, as Tracey rode all the way from Mexico to Canada following the Rocky Mountains. An inspirational, informative and humorous taste of life in the American West, past and present.
Riding by Faith Through New Zealand

Tracey’s first big adventure started with faith, a friend and only a few pounds in her pocket. They travelled the length of the North and South Islands of New Zealand, across mountains and battled through cyclones, floods and droughts.
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Phyllis has been part owner and manager of Burchett Training Center for over 30 years so it was only natural for her to turn to equine photography. Her knowledge of horses helps her to fulfill her creative vision for the Equine Form as art.  Her passion for beautiful light and candid moments inspires and fuels her to make images that make the viewer want to come along on her journey. Join us now as we talk to Phyllis about her life and journey as an equine photographer and artist.
SHOW NOTES
Website: http://phyllisburchettphoto.net
Workshops: http://phyllisburchettphoto.net/workshops/
Iceland photography tour: http://phyllisburchettphoto.net/iceland-tour-2016/
Winter horse photography tour: http://phyllisburchettphoto.net/winter-horse-photography-tour/
She has a blog which you can sign-up for email subscribe on her website.

Show notes are just rough notes, phrases and sentences to give you some clues about what was discussed during the interview.
She has been in the horse business since her teens.
Late 1990s had 14 stations and did lots of stud service. 45 Acre farm. Had as many as ten people working for them. 2003 started getting burned out on horse breeding business. Went to a workshop and caught the bug. Bought a film camera. Back country Yellowstone tours. Was “possessed with photography”.
Known for wildlife and bird photography. Polar bears in Canada. Now, it’s horses, bears, and birds. Sold the farm, but works at the farm part-time as part of the purchase agreement. Breeding crashed 2008 and has diminished a lot.
Today in your photography business. She is in two galleries. She does instruction. Portrait work is word of mouth. 50% or more of her portraits are horse and rider or owner and pet portraits. Connects a lot with people through Facebook. Workshops and tours are mainly equine related.
Workshops are one day from dawn to dusk.
Poems Art and World Art represent about 15% of her income.
Enjoys much of what she does. #1 Horses, #2 Nature, If I could do workshops every day, it’s what I love to do.
Doing an Icelandic horse tour and workshop in Iceland.





For new photographers, it’s good to be well rounded. She does architectural photography. Leading to a photographic riding tour with horse pictures. Has a waiting list.
One day workshop around $179.00.
Iceland tour is around $3500.00 excluding airfare.
Riding and photography tour – beta test was too low. This year will be more. Gigi chimes in,

When I saw his website and looked around it was reminiscent of the Norman Rockwell covers on the Saturday Evening Post. In our interview we discussed these images and more to discover how an old-time cowboy moved from large format cameras to digital and continues to come up with new ways to grow his business with outstanding personalized service and top quality output for his clients.
From Ron’s website:
Ron McGinnis was born and reared in the hills of the Missouri Ozarks, surrounded by wildlife and wild places. In these surroundings Ron developed an eye for the beauty of both rural and natural settings. He grew up hunting, fishing, and participating in rodeo events.



The son of a professional photographer, he was introduced to a camera at a fairly early age. He was tutored by his father and his father’s cousin, a Kansas City crime photographer, who was a master of fine art, and black and white photography. Between the two of them, they managed to teach him a thing or two about light and shadow, aperture settings and composition.
 
A college professor once told Ron, “If you don’t make a living as an artist you will starve to death.” Art has been his livelihood for most of his life. Whether it was as a sculptor, or his main profession as an award-winning marine artist, Ron has made a living doing what he does best: art.
 
Now with the latest in state of the art digital photography equipment, Ron is sharing his artistic eye with the viewing public. Ron’s photographs can be seen in homes and businesses, and in galleries for resale. Several of his photos have won awards, including Cowboys & Indians Magazine contests, and are used in magazine articles and on book covers.

SHOW NOTES
Show notes are just rough notes, phrases and sentences to give you some clues about what was discussed during the interview.
Website: http://www.ronmcginnis.com
Ron’s Artist Website: http://ron-mcginnis.artistwebsites.com/index.html
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ronmcginnisphotography
Ron’s email: ronsphotos2@gmail.com
Started at 17
Father was a master photographer. Friend of Ansel Adams.
Still shoots with a the zone system. Started with a 8×10 large format camera.
Cameras are still a box and hole in it.
Raised around horses and cowboys all of his life.
Participated in rodeos.
Also does reproductions of marine life as part of his living (3-d sculptures). For museums and other. 75% of his career is photography.
Shooting kids growing up doing rodeo is rewarding.
His wife does the selling at computer table at the events. He does not print on site. He is very particular about quality of print work. BLACK RIVER Imaging does great work for him. Knows his lab people personally. Does a lot of 40×60 canvas wraps.
Like to shoot action events at low angles. Shoots from inside and outside of the arena depending on safety issues.
Will sometimes use wider lenses and low angles to capture a more dramatic.

Charles Hilton and I got to know each other when he was still in Equine Photographers Network and the world was changing to digital cameras. He dove right in and went digital and started learning Photoshop to enhance his beautiful images of people and horses.

Always improving his photography and business practices
As I mentioned on Facebook, every time that I see an image that Charles shares on his Facebook feed, I think, “Wow, that is better than the ones from last week.” He continues to learn and grow and learn and grow each day in this advection of equine photography.

We had a wonderful discussion with Charles about his passion of horses and people and photography.


SHOW NOTES:
Website : http://www.charleshilton.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Charles-Hilton-Photography
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/charles.hiltonca?fref=ts
Podcast Link: Equine Photographers Podcast
Took his daughter up to North Texas for her 16th birthday to explore the horse farms. Got run off many of the farms. One had a sign that said welcome and open any time. He took some pictures of a foal and took them some 11×14 prints with new backgrounds.
Invited back to do more pictures. Traded photography for a 2-year-old appaloosa.
1992 took early retirement and took it.
Debt free. Son killed in an accident.
Built a 15 stall barn over a couple of years with his daughter. Daughter was going through John Lyons certification. Did all his shoots for “the Perfect Horse Magazine.”
Went through a divorce.
Clinton Anderson called and wanted him to do his pictures.
Horse Magazine, Horse and Rider Magazine, and others.
Lots of editorial work after 2002.
More recently moving toward the more emotional captivating horse and rider portraiture. Feels that it is photography with more purpose to it. What horses mean to people.
Facebook feed.
Telling the story behind the people we are photographing. 15-year-old fighting cancer session.
Helping sharing her story and maybe write a her book. My faith is a part of what I do.
Work on my photography EVERY DAY!  We all have so much talent, and the effort we put in will determine how far that talent will take us.
Wants to do more Photoshop mentoring and classes, but I’m a shooter.
Wants to do some larger scale workshops.
Day rate for editorial work. Work for individuals is very different.
$250 minimum for any work for individuals. The $250 goes toward purchases from his price list. They almost always buy a lot more. Shows the client 30-40 images and does a selection session to make their purchases, then once they have purchased the $250 worth, then it is up to them to keep spending more if there are images they must have. Helps them to eliminate images, but the clients usually push back and say I must have this one and I must have that one. Usually $1000 to $2500 spent.
If it’s $250 it’s okay,