July 2022 Q+A

Q: How do you handle multiple clients in one day? What does the schedule look like? Do they get discounts since it’s less personal and some people may get better lighting than others? 

A: The majority of the time I have one client each evening. However, if I’m traveling and book several people at the same location, I generally have them alternate at each outfit change. I try not to shoot longer than 3 consecutive hours so that everyone has similar lighting and comparable images. Sometimes I’ll book one person in the morning at sunrise and the other at sunset.

Q: How do you send sneak peeks and how many photos do you usually include?

A: I post my sneak peeks on social media and generally include 1 or 2 images. I tell my clients that the preview will be posted within a week after our session and, when I say that, some people ask me to send any images directly to them first. If they request that I always honor it and generally send over 5-7 and ask them to choose which ones are posted on social. Because of the way my workflow works… all of the images are ready when I post a preview. So my client will receive the full gallery with all of the images shortly after they see a preview!

Q: Do you reach out to shows to be media or do they reach out to you?

A: Sometimes I am asked by media outlets to cover certain events, but most of the time I pitch my coverage (and story ideas) to a media outlet when I want to attend an event. As soon as I’m approved by the media outlet for an assignment, then I need to apply for media credentials from the horse show or the event I am attending.

Q: Do you do location scouting in advance? What happens if the location for the shoot isn’t ideal?

A: I will look at the location beforehand on Google Maps satellite, but I generally do my scouting when I arrive 30 minutes early to the shoot. Truthfully, many training facilities are not ideal for portrait sessions. When I don’t have access to trees and/or pastures, then I am scouting for great light and plain, pleasant backgrounds. Some portrait sessions I am more focused on tight shots that show the relationship than images that show a lot of landscape and scenery.

Q: Which camera do you have?

A: For photography, I use my Nikon D850. For videography, Jake uses a Sony a7siii. You can see my full gear list here. 

Q: Do you have any travel hacks? Flights are so stressful right now.

A: Traveling is very stressful right now. I have Southwest credit cards for my personal family and for my business. Both of those accounts rack up points into the same flight rewards account, which earns me a “companion pass” each year. On most flights, my assistant flies free using the companion pass. I also use Hilton Honors to accumulate points, and rent with Budget using FastBreak or with National using their Emerald Isle.

I try to always book a travel day before I need to shoot somewhere in case my flight is delayed or canceled. In addition, I try to book the first flight of the day so it has a better chance of going out. If it is critical that I am there, I book 2 refundable flights on 2 different airlines to make sure I can get to my destination in time and then I cancel the second flight when I’m boarded.

Q: How do you find your ideal clients?

A: Defining your ideal client is an important step. If you are trying to find someone, you need to know who you are looking for. I have a very specific ideal client that I am trying to reach, and I do my best to study that market to know how to best communicate with them. I know who I am, what I offer, and who I am aiming to help. I do my best to stay in front of that audience in as many ways as I can with the same consistent message. 

If you need help crafting your story and identifying your ideal clients, check out my Marketing course.

Q: What is an appropriate turnaround time for proofs/finals when you’re fully booked?

A: My contract says 4 weeks after the session, and I communicate that the final gallery will take 2-3 weeks to complete, but I’ve delivered under a week for several years now. I average about 3-4 days during busy season. 

Q: How can I market and gain exposure/clients to make money to learn how to market?

A: There is so much marketing education that you can do for free. First—study how you are being marketed to. Thousands of advertisements are thrown your way daily. Take inventory of what is working and not working. Watch your purchasing habits: why did you buy that candy bar/what made you choose that water bottle from the lineup/how did you decide which toilet paper brand to grab? Next—use YouTube! There are so many ways that you can search for very specific education that is entirely free. 

Keep shooting and building your portfolio. A strong portfolio of the type of work you want to book is what will attract future clients. 

Q: For aspiring photographers, should we learn mirrorless cameras?

A: Definitely! I don’t think it matters if you learn on a DSLR or a mirrorless camera, but the industry is certainly trending toward mirrorless.

Q: How are you pivoting your business during this economic change?

A: I have made no changes to my business plan thus far, and don’t plan to make any adjustments until I see changes within the equine industry.

Q: Do you select images that will be delivered to clients, or do you send them proofs and let them select their package quantity?

A: All of my packages include all of the finished images. I don’t send proofs, and there are no selections to be made. I deliver a full gallery of the edited images!

Q: What is the best advice you’ve been given?

A: Great question! I think “your last client gets you your next client” has been incredibly true for me. The horse industry is very small and word of mouth is critical.

Q: How, if at all, has your faith been challenged or tested in this business, and how did you handle it? 

A: One of the biggest ways my faith was tested was when the Lord told me to bring this business full-time. It was difficult to leave my career in finance that I had really thought was my “dream job.” So much of my identity was in that career and field, and so it was a big release of an idol to transition to being a photographer.