November 2020 Q+A

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Q: What is the benefit of having an email list? Do you need one if you are just starting out or once you are more established?

A: Email newsletters are one (of many) of my marketing strategies to ensure I am connecting with my target audience. Because my potential client base is so connected to their email (most people have access to checking it constantly on their phone), it is a very effective way to communicate. One of the most important things about my email list is ownership. While I do not own my audience on any social media platform, I do own the thousands of email addresses I’ve collected over the years. I highly encourage everyone (from hobbyist to old pro) to begin collecting email addresses.

I have a few tips for building your email list here.

Q: What is your go-to lens?

A: My Sigma Art 135m lens almost never comes off my camera. See everything in my bag here.

Q: How do you get great bokeh?

A: I achieve this look by using a long prime lens (135m) at a very shallow depth of field (usually f/2.2).

Q: For a beginner with Nikon: how do you capture motion so sharp?

A: A high shutter speed to prevent motion blur, back button focus to lock in my focal point, and a high-quality lens.

I have a post about getting sharper images here. 

Q: What is your recommended lens?

A: My strongest recommendation is to rent multiple lenses to get a feel for what you love! The most popular lens among equine photographers is the 70-200m. The zoom capability gives you a lot of flexibility.

For me, I prefer prime lenses so that I can shoot with a shallower depth of field. However, this means I have to “zoom with my feet” and move CONSTANTLY during the session.

I recommend renting both prime and zoom lenses to see what fits your workflow and aesthetic the best!

Q: Recommendations for cameras with low light capabilities?

A: I am not a camera/gear expert by any means, but I own the D750 and D850 and both do exceptionally well in low-light conditions. You might want to rent several camera bodies and test them to push them to their limits to see which you prefer!

Q: I’d love to attend a shoot with you and learn new things! Do you offer that?

A: I do not offer any shadowing positions. If you want to do a one-on-one mentoring session in Dallas I offer those! Contact me for more information.

Q: When is the prime time of day to take pictures?

A: This depends entirely on your preferred aesthetic. I like to shoot when the light is softest: the first couple hours after sunrise and the last couple hours before sunset. Practice taking pictures at all times of the day to discover which lighting you prefer!

Q: How many photos do you take on a shoot? How many do you give to a client?

A: I generally take about 1,200+ photos per hour and deliver 100+ to the client.

Q: Can you walk us through a commercial/fashion shoot? How much direction do you give creatively and to the models?

A: Every commercial shoot is different, but a lot of planning goes into pre-production with the marketing team. This depends entirely on the product, the brand’s aesthetic, and the end-use of the images. We discuss the mood boards, shot list, inspiration images, required shots, and every location. The direction and posing I give at the shoot is derived from the conversations we had beforehand about everything the company needs.

Q: Any tips on how to make it in the equine industry if you don’t live in a highly horse-populated area?

A: If there aren’t a lot of horses in your area, I would make sure that I was marketing heavily to every barn in the vicinity (across all breeds and disciplines). Be a part of the industry by taking lessons and meeting with the owners of boarding facilities. Know every tack shop, feed store, etc. Also, understand that you might need to drive farther or travel more to surrounding areas with more horses!

Q: How do you get so many varying depths of field to be so clear while having such great bokeh?

A: I shoot with a very shallow depth of field (usually f/2.2) so I make sure that all of my subjects are on the same plane to ensure everything is properly in focus!

Q: How do you evaluate the spook factor of a horse before using props to get their ears forward?

A: The key is to introduce each thing very slowly. I bring an assistant to every shoot to get the horses’ ears forward. My assistant normally starts by doing nothing to assess how the horse acts naturally. Some horses are very curious (or hot) and don’t need any more stimulation. Other horses might be lazy or uninterested, and so my assistant will start by moving something like a hat or towel slowly. The trick is the do the least amount of work as possible to get the ears forward. If you spook or startle the horse it can be difficult to calm them back down. Some horses can’t handle the horse neigh apps, and others don’t like plastic bags.  Slow introductions to each item are key to keep the horse calm and comfortable.

Q: What is your current camera/lens set up?

A: Nikon D850 and Sigma Art 135m lens.

See everything in my bag here.

Q: Posing tips for squirmy kids and animals?

A: I am no expert at photographing kids… but I do know it is important to establish a relationship before you start photographing them. With no camera in hand, get down on their level and have a conversation first. It is also important to keep things FUN so make sure your posing prompts include a lot of playing! For active horses and children, giving them an activity to do (walking, chasing, laughing, running, etc) can help focus their energy.

Q: How to train your husband? Like how to train your dragon…

A: Similar to horses, you must understand motivating factors. Bribery (mostly food) works well ?

Q: How did you find an editing style that fit your photography? I’m trying to find mine.

A: I have a post about finding your look here!

Q: How long was it before you booked your first paying client?

A: I purchased my camera in December of 2011 and started practicing while I had my friends model with their horses. I spent 2012 building my portfolio and business plan and started my business in 2013.

Q: How do you manage being booked up with sessions and still have time to post consistently on social media, Pinterest, blog, etc? Have you ever had a virtual assistant or outsourced editing? 

A: I built up my photography business while working a full-time job in finance, so my workflow has always been very efficient. I streamline my entire life through 17Hats which handles my workflow tasks, calendar, invoices, and contracts (Use code KMP50 to receive 50% off your first year). I try to blog 2-3 times per week using BlogStomp to resize/name my images and WordPress on my website. My social media posting follows a very similar pattern of preview, fun post, blog post, so I have a constant flow of content. It doesn’t require much preparation or thought.

I have outsourced Lightroom editing during very busy seasons when I was still working my finance career. Since being fulltime, I haven’t needed to. I do outsource my black background clipping to ReTouchUp.

Q: Do you have a website designer you recommend?

A: I haven’t had good experiences with web designers. I have paid thousands for custom websites 4 times now that always break and were impossible to make changes myself. So now, both of my websites I have created myself using templates from Davey + Krista (click here to shop their designs!)

Q: Since you travel so much, do you have any general travel hacks? (For example, things you always bring with you, packing a certain way, renting cars from certain places, etc.)

A: I always fly SouthWest. I have personal and business Rapid Rewards credit cards with SouthWest that both go into the same rewards account, so I accrue a LOT of points. This gets me a companion pass so that my assistant always flys free with me, and a-list status! I love that SouthWest has 2 free bags and Dallas is a hub. I stay in Hilton hotels to accrue points with them, as well. Normally, I use Budget Fast Pass for car rentals but I’m having a LOT of issues with them after Avis acquired the company (currently looking for a new car rental company!).

My camera bag is always packed and ready to go! I bring my Think Tank Roller Derby to every shoot (local or far away) so it stays ready. I also have separate toiletry and makeup bags just for travel that stay packed and ready to go. This way, my only packing for each trip is snacks + clothes!

Q: How do you keep a conversation flowing with clients during your shoot?

A: I love getting to know my clients. I ask them questions throughout the entire session: about themselves (their career, how they got into horses, riding background, where they grew up, etc), their horse (breeding, training, how they found them, favorite quirks, etc), the barn (trainer, friends), and upcoming events (vacations, horse shows, anything to look forward to).

I highly suggest reading the book How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Q: Tips for shooting in locations with no open areas. Many boarding facilities around here only have indoor arenas and are on small densely wooded lots. 

A: This is my worst nightmare. Honestly, you might need to start and end the shoot earlier to have more light available. Wooded areas tend to lose light very quickly. I’m always scouting locations based on what will make skin tones look the best. Be very aware of any colors casting back on your subject. You could also ask if they would be willing to haul to a better location.

Q: What f stop do you shoot in?

A: Typically f/2.2 and black backgrounds f/2.8-4.

Q: Does your husband assist you at every shoot? Or do you have other assistants that tag along?

A: From 2013-2017 my husband assisted me at almost every shoot. When I went full-time in 2017, I brought in a college intern (who turned into a paid assistant) to help me on my shoots. My husband continues to help me as his schedule allows.

Q: Do you add clients to your email list once you photograph them or do they need to sign up?

A: I have multiple lists. I have a list just for clients, a list for KMP Learn, a list for Kirstie Marie (sign-ups), and a giant list of everyone!

Q: Tips for better use of autofocus and preventing images from coming out blurry?

A: You might need to pinpoint the source of blurriness.

Does your lens need to be calibrated to the camera body? You might need to send it in, or do a micro-adjustment at home. Is there motion blur? Maybe your shutter speed is too low. I have a few tips for sharper images here.

Q: How did you get bookings when you first started?

A: Because I spent most of my life in the horse industry, my business has grown very organically. Most of my first bookings came word-of-mouth from friends in the horse show world and recommendations from my early models.

Q: How do you prep your clients before a session?

A: The preparation you give you clients is not only pivotal in how successful the session will be, but is also is a huge component of delivering a high-end experience. I have a blog post here about how I prepare clients for a session. I also have a course on Welcome Magazines!

Q: When you send emails to blogs, magazines, etc. to get your work published (like unpaid shoots with popular/famous people), how do you normally word your message to make it sound like something that would benefit them?

A: The email I send typically includes a genuine greeting, what I have to offer (images of WHO doing WHAT), a link to a curated set of these images, and I name the benefit(s) to the outlet (why their readers would care, what would resonate well, why I thought of them as the perfect fit, etc).

Q: Do you have a flat travel fee for everyone, or if you have to drive further for one client do you add a fee on top of theirs? (For example, you go to Seattle but someone wants to schedule a session 3 hours from Seattle, would there be an additional travel fee on top of your flat rate?) 

A: I charge a flat fee for every person on the trip but I normally make sure they are very close to each other. A six-hour (round trip) drive would likely incur a separate fee.

Q: When you open up your calendar for the next year but don’t have dates set, do you just have a list of people that are interested- or do you have them pay the retainer/sign the contract to get on your list for a location?

A: First, I gather interest and collect emails for everyone in the city who might be interested. Next, I work with them to coordinate schedules and find the best dates (this step is nearly impossible because everyone’s horse show schedules are so different). Lastly, I send contracts/invoices when we are ready to reserve their specific day. Once the contracts and retainers have been returned I book my flights and hotel rooms!

Q: Best editing tips for shooting with horses?

A: When culling, I try to make sure I only keep flattering images of the horse (standing square with ears forward and neck looking nice). When correcting color, I generally edit for skin tones but always want to make sure it is a natural and true edit of the horse’s coat color. I have a course on editing here.

Q: How do you edit skin tones?

A: In my Working with Natural Light course, I go into detail about how I place my subjects (in relation to the light source) for flattering skin tones. In my editing course, you can see exactly how I edit for skin tones. (You can buy these two courses together in a bundle here). 

For my editing style, white balance and exposure are the two major components for how I edit for skin tone. I want a creamy and luminous skin tone.

Q: What did you do to gain awareness/book clients when you were first starting out your business?

A: Even though I was no longer showing, and I no longer owned a horse, I did my best to stay very involved in the equine community near me. My marketing plan was quite robust and included email marketing, social media, visiting events, hanging posters at local tack shops and horse shows, blogging, features in various publications, print advertisements, etc. I also used my portfolio-building sessions strategically in my marketing endeavors.

If you are interested, I have a course on marketing here.

Q: Do you have any tips for white background photos (if you do them)? 

A: I do not do these often and have not offered them to clients. When playing around with personal work, I have practiced by placing the horse against a white background (white wall, white horse trailer, or the sky).

Q: General posing advice/how to make the rider feel more at ease in front of the lens?

A: Yes! I have a thorough blog on Posing tips here.

I have a course on posing here.

Q: How many shots total, and how many different poses/looks are you able to get in the “golden hour?

A: Assuming the session is one hour long, I would have my client wear 2-3 outfits (looks) and deliver about 100 images.

Q: Steps to take to start getting published! Paid Freelance work for magazines vs free publicity to use images?

A: Reach out to the publication(s) you would like to work with with a very curated gallery of images to submit for their consideration. Make sure your gallery fits their aesthetic, discipline(s) and readers’ interests.

Q: Did you ever do other types of shoots while building your business?

A: Absolutely! I quickly found out that I didn’t have a passion outside of capturing the relationship between a girl and her horse 🙂

Q: How do you get good pictures of horses if you don’t have anyone to assist you?

A: I always bring an assistant with me because I’ve learned that I can’t get ears, set feet, and take pictures at the same time. I would ask your client to bring a friend/parent/horse trainer or someone they trust as a set of extra hands!

Q: How do you pose a horse with a swayback if you don’t want to draw attention to it?

A: Do not photograph the horse’s profile if you don’t want to show the swayback. Pose the horse facing straight to you, or at a 3/4 angle. You can place your equestrian in places to block/hide the horse’s back.

Q: Where do you draw the line between editing to improve the photo and editing that draws the focus away from the subject?

A: My goal while editing is to minimize distractions to bring more attention to my subject, or the story I’m trying to tell!

WHOAAAAAAA that was definitely the longest Q+A I’ve done! If you made it this far, THANK YOU, and sign up for the newsletter for a HUGE Black Friday sale!