November 2024 Q&A

Q: How do you handle rejection and the feeling of defeat?

A: Rejection is a part of being a business owner, and the feeling of defeat is hard to avoid. I pray very intentionally over my business. I pray that God would use me and my business to advance His Kingdom. Each day I want to live on mission to share the Gospel, and I pray that He brings the right people to me. When I am rejected (by prospective clients, companies, editorial outlets, etc), I try to thank God for keeping me in the center of His will. I trust that He has a plan I don’t understand and he might be closing one door so that a different one can open. 

Q: How do you deal with difficult horses?

 A: This might be one of the hardest parts of the job. I’m not a horse trainer and I’m not being hired to discipline my client’s horse. I try to understand why the horse is being difficult:

• Is he fresh? Maybe we could lunge him.
• Is she nervous because we ventured too far from friends? I’ll ask if we can bring another horse out to the field to keep her company. 
• Has he lost his patience? Let’s try putting him back in his stall for 5-10 minutes and try again after a break.
• Is she pushy? I’ll remind my client that they can reprimand the horse as necessary — I won’t judge. It is easier to nip the behavior in the bud than let it escalate.
• Is he wiggly? I might pin him against a wall or fence to try to keep him still. Or, strategically place people at his hips and shoulders to deter him from wandering.
• Does the horse lack ground manners? If so, I need to use my judgement on poses and prompts to keep everyone safe.

Above all, I am trying to keep a fun and safe atmosphere. If the horse is being naughty, chances are high that the handler is getting stressed out. I will offer reassurance that we are still getting great photos and that everyone’s horse acts like this. However, I will tailor our locations and poses to what makes the horse the most comfortable and compliant. 

Q: What are your tricks to get ears forward?

A: An assistant! I bring an assistant to every shoot and it is his or her job to get the attention of the horse. In general, we start with a broom that we picked up from their barn. I find it is best to try to get a horse’s attention first with motion (moving objects like towels, sticks, opening a gate or trailer door, etc), second with sound (crinkling a water bottle, using an app with horse neighs, etc), and lastly with food (treat bags, grain bin, waving alfalfa). Every horse is different so it is really a guessing game. The major thing is the element of surprise: most things work the first time and then the novelty wears off to the horse so you must keep trying something new!

Q: Have you ever had a photoshoot with no help? How did you get the photo shoot done with the horse looking nice & good photos?

A: I have done this before, but I try not to. If I am unable to bring an assistant, I usually ask my client to have a friend or horse trainer there to help us. If I am alone, then I use the neighing app on my phone, throw rocks/sticks in the direction I need their ears, and try to take the horse to places where they will perk up and be on alert. 

Q: What do you do with an ultra-picky customer? Someone who is a perfectionist, hard on themselves, and have unrealistic expectations in general?

A: In an era where everyone has access to apps that can edit images, this can be really difficult. Some of my clients are used to only seeing themselves with filters or FaceTune edits. Any image can be altered heavily to some elusive standard of perfection. For me, I value real over perfect. I edit distractions out of images but try to keep a lot of truth in my visual storytelling. Therefore, there are many imperfections in my portfolio and posted on my social media. I never try to project perfection in my marketing in the hope that I attract clients who value authenticity. 

However, it is inevitable to come across some people who seem impossible to please. I do my very best to reassure them of their beauty during the session, and I try to make any reasonable editing requests they may have. If there is an edit that I am uncomfortable with, I simply tell them I cannot do it. 

Q: How much instruction do you give on what to wear? Do you ever step in and offer a suggestion if their outfit just doesn’t “work”.

A: Prior to the session, I send over a welcome magazine with suggestions, as well as a private page of my website with many links, blog posts, and ideas. I also communicate that I am available to help style the session if they want my assistance. Some of my clients like the help, but others have a strong fashion sense.

If my client texts me photos of their outfits during the planning stage, I’m always happy to provide my opinion on styling. 

When I arrive to the session I assume that all decisions have been made and I don’t inject my opinion unless asked to do so. I keep my opinion to myself unless it is asked for. 

Q: Are you going to move over to mirrorless? If not, what are your reasons why?

A: I have been shooting a D850 since 2018. In fact, I’ve bought 3 D850 bodies in that timespan. Each time that I need to replace my camera, I like to rent the latest models to see if it is time to upgrade. However, I haven’t fallen in love with a mirrorless camera body yet. 

I’m sure I’ll make the switch soon, and I will try multiple cameras from different makers before selecting my next investment. 

Q: How could involving your family in your photography benefit or harm your business?

A: I choose to see the benefit from it! 

Jake has been my partner in this business since inception. He began with a more passive, high-level role. However, a few years ago he started doing video and now we work alongside each other at many shoots. 

Because my business is an S-Corp, employing my daughter has many benefits. She does tasks that are appropriate for her age (mostly modeling). 

Q: I’d like to see a post about photographing horses in motion – not in a show setting but trot/jog. I like to have some implied motion in some photos; in other words, not statically posed.

A: Check out this post on Horses in Motion. 

Q: How has parenthood influenced your creative vision or style?

A: I think that parenthood has primarily taught me to be more sentimental. I absolutely love watching my repeat clients grow and develop and having the opportunity to document different seasons in life for them. My own daughter has taught me how fleeting each moment is and the importance of capturing each season of life.

Q: I am still learning settings and lens: What are your settings for still pictures vs movement? And what lenses you use for still vs movement?

A: I generally always have my 135m lens on at f/2.2. I adjust my shutter and ISO for the lighting scenario, but I like to be above 1/1000 for shutter and under 500 for ISO. 

When it gets dark or I shoot inside, I might have to go to a much higher ISO or lower shutter speed, but these are my general guidelines for my sessions.  

Q: I’d love see ideas for cloudy, dark days. I live in New England and sometimes we have these amazing fall days with sunshine that just lights up everything. However, often we get dreary dark days in the fall and I struggle to stay consistent with the warm glowy style I usually go for. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!

A: Check out this post I’ve done on overcast conditions. 

Didn’t see your question answered? Book a 1-hour virtual call with me to discuss your business!