There are many ways to show your confidence or lack of it, it could be your wardrobe, your language or maybe the way you hold yourself.
Today I want to talk to you about showing your confidence in the three areas that are the most important in order to succeed in this industry.
Confidence in your images
Confidence in your service
Confidence in your prices
Confidence in your images
Ok, I’m starting with the obvious, confidence in your images. Without this your business is going to stutter. There are a few exercises that can propel the rate you believe in your images and feel the true confidence. You need to be able to assess your images without too many personal emotions to enable you to get better. Easier said than done, believe me I know. However, if you can master the art of hearing feedback, assessing your images and getting over the emotional toll it can take, you will get better and better and therefore your confidence boost is natural and worthy.
Raise your confidence by:
Education/Mentoring/Portfolio Review
Submit a panel to a professional body for feedback
Enter awards
Now lets focus on showing your clients the confidence you feel in your images. Hold your hand up if you use these sentences…
“I hope you’re going to love your images”
“Im pretty sure I have some lovely images of you and your horse”
“Fingers crossed you will love them all”
Really listen to what you’re saying here. Using the word ‘hope’, they immediately think “Oh boy, I hope so to” and worse of all, they may start thinking that its their fault that you’re not sure whether you have a wonderful set of image.
Here is the fix – yup, I’m giving you the full fix and you’ll never have to sound unconfident again about your images. Ready?
I want you to say:
“I know you are going to love your images”
“I know we nailed gorgeous images of you and your horse”
“Oh my, you are going to LOVE all of them!”
Now you’ve told your clients that you are good at your job, that they nailed the shoot, so did their horse and they should be looking forward to seeing the images. This isn’t cocky, or big headed – this is confidence that your clients are looking for. Believing in your images should be fundamental, don’t let yourself down by not believing.
Confidence in your service
Who here has taken time to walk through the experience you offer your clients? Does this fill you with confidence?
In order for your client to trust you and feel confident they need to be managed well. If something is going to take 6 weeks, tell them it will take 6 weeks. Don’t tell them 4 weeks because thats what they want to hear and then they feel let down when it takes 6 weeks.
Confidence in your service is all about ensuring you have your ‘ducks in a row’. Each step of the process has been thought about and processes have been put into place.
As soon as a client asks about the next phase of the experience and you don’t know, they loose confidence and so do you.
Top Tip:
Map out the perfect client experience, here’s an example for you:
Take clients payment
Confirm via email and in writing
Send them a welcome pack and style guide
book in call before the shoot
double check all shoot details 48hrs before shoot
SHOOT
Confirm viewing dates 24hrs after shoot
Remind them about viewing 48hrs before and confirm directions and timings
VIEWING
Confirm order in writing
Confirm delivery options and timings
Delivery and follow up thank you letter
You can add as much as you would like to this, but having a solid workflow for your clients builds huge confidence.
Confidence in your pricing
Ok, who has had the question, “How much is that frame?” and you say “ummm, well, I think, it’s around, let me have a look, Ill get back to you, sorry”
If that sounds familiar, lets turn that around right now! Firstly, do not EVER apologise for your prices. Your prices are your prices and you never have to justify them.
I hear you shouting, “Hannah, my clients will ask my why my frames cost £600 when they can go to John Lewis and get one for £100”
Do you know when they will push back like that? When they hear you don’t have confidence in your prices. I know that my clients cannot walk into John Lewis and buy the frame that Im offering, do you know why? Because John Lewis doesn’t have the image that makes it priceless for my clients.
Feel this confidence with your pricing and you will start attracting clients who enjoy spending money with confident people. No one asks Tiffany & Co to justify their paper clip bookmark that they sell for £155, because they have confidence tin the product.
The other side to your pricing confidence is having a professional price list. No picking numbers out of the sky, get those numbers down on a nicely presented price list and never, ever apologise for them.
As soon as your client asks how much that frame is, say with confidence “That frame is £600, would you like one or two?”
Ill leave you with…
Confidence does not come easily or naturally to most – especially creatives. Go through this post and implement as much as you can.
Believe in what you produce and how you produce it so that your clients can too.
Lastly, compare the 2:
A £25 photo shoot, no processes, no price list, unconfident and not quite sure how long things will take.
£495 photo shoot. Processes all in place. Have a printed out price list and everything is clear and concise.
You know what sucks? Fear. Throat-clenching, cold sweat, tingly fingers fear. It makes you lose your train of thought, stumble over your words, and it takes all the conviction out of your up-sell. It’s the reason that basically no photographers likes the hard sell. But you know what? It’s also totally universal, which means that everyone has had to find a way through it – and I want to fill you in on mine.
But first of all, there’s something I need you to acknowledge. Say it out loud, write it down and stick it on your computer screen, whatever – you just need to know that you know it. It’s going to be your mantra.
Everybody – literally everybody! – wants beautiful, personal images in their lives, in their homes, and in their collection of memories. The catch? They might not know that they do.
Why is it so important to know this? Because knowing it
means that you have an unshakeable conviction to fall back on when the fear of
selling kicks in. It’ll act as that little inner oasis of calm when your client
is viewing their images, and it’ll remind you of why you’re doing what you’re
doing.
The key to kicking your fear is to learn how to obliterate
your negative thoughts. A lot of the time, these come from the worry that your
client is going to hate the photos you’ve taken – and I get that! Being a
creative is tough, and it requires you to be vulnerable, showcasing something
truly subjective as a tangible product.
When I was first starting out, showing my clients their
images was my least favourite part of the whole job. I’ve never done online
galleries, which made it both better and worse – I’d be able to see their
immediate reaction, even if it was a bad one, but I’d also be able to try to
rectify things on the spot as needed. But oh man, I lived in fear.
The funny thing is, nobody ever actually ended up disliking
their images. No one said, “you’re not actually very good,” or, “these aren’t
up to standard,” or even, “god, you’ve made me look enormous!” All those
impostor-syndrome nasties in my head turned out to be just that, and the
clients spotted the intangibles – their relationship with their horse, the
love, the memories – and adored the photos.
So here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to stop
thinking that you’re about to be ‘discovered’ as a fraud. You’re going to stop
sighing with relief after each viewing, relieved that you ‘got away with it’
again. You’re going to start truly believing that you’re the talented professional
that you are – and it’s going to help you banish the fear and sell more photos
than ever.
All it’s going to take from you is a commitment to changing
your mindset. Remember – your clients have paid you (and trusted you!) to
capture them and their horse. You’ve helped style them, you’ve chosen the best
locations, you’ve made sure they knew what to expect and how to prepare for
every stage of the process. You’ve had it all covered – and you still do.
It’s also so crucial to remember that you’re not springing
any surprises on your clients at this stage. They know what the shoot fee is –
they’ve paid it, after all! – and they
know what’s included in that price. They’ve had a copy of your price list from
the beginning, and they know their own budgets – that bit has nothing to do
with you. You can’t shock them now.
A hard sell can sometimes feel like forcing someone into something they don’t want to do, but if your client has committed to a shoot – and all its time and expense – in the first place, this absolutely is something they want. It’s up to you, now, to make the experience a special one. It’s time to think of yourself as an advisor, as a curator, and as an unveiler of wonderfully happy things, not as a salesperson. Put on a great outfit that makes you feel amazing, pour yourself and your client a glass of champagne, and always remember – you’re about to show someone something they’ve been waiting for all their lives. How lucky are you?! Now embrace those butterflies and dive in!
Hands Up – who is on a budget or knows they don’t want to chuck
their savings at a new business?
First of all, it’s true that you can create a sustainable and
profitable business from photography. We promise you; it can be done, and it can
be fun. Hard work, but fun!
Second of all, this can be equine ONLY photography – yes you heard
me right, you don’t need to fill in the gaps with Christenings, Weddings or Landscape
photography, if you don’t want to. If you get your business and photography ‘Ducks’
in a row, you can create the dream business.
Tell me if I’m hitting home for you?
You’d love to answer the question, “What do you do?” with “I’m a photographer”
You want to be financially independent
You want to run your own diary
You can say NO to jobs you DON’T want to do
You know how to find and contact the perfect clients
You don’t
want to spend thousands on setting up your new business
If you are answering yes to these questions, then read on my
friend!
Let’s tackle that last one.
Starting out without spending thousands
It’s a myth that you need all the gear, ever invented for a
photographer, in order to be successful or taken seriously in the photography
industry.
Many high profile, highly successful photographers actually use very
little equipment. Of course, the possibilities are endless and there are add-ons
when it comes to running a business, but right out the gate lets simplify what
the ESSENTIALS are.
If you’re not going to use it – DON’T BUY IT.
Unloading your car with 16 bags of equipment does not make you
look more professional or give your client a gold standard experience. In fact,
it can have the opposite effect.
Think about how nervous your client is about having a photo shoot
of their beloved horse. They want to know that the professional they have
trusted with this task is caring about the horses needs and can do the job as
calmly and effortlessly as possible. They also don’t want you running across a
field weighed down with multiple bags of redundant equipment.
Keep it simple
If are a natural light photographer then you simply need a camera and one lens. I hear you screaming at me, “What do you mean one lens!!” both Emily and I have created hugely successful equine photography businesses by using 1 lens – the queen of equine photography lenses is the 70 – 200mm f2.8.
After this you want a spare battery, 2 or 3 cards for the camera,
a lens cloth and that’s it folks!
Seriously, for capturing beautiful shots of these majestic creatures – that it all you need! The most important equipment or accessory you need is knowledge. You need to know how to photograph this horse to show it’s best side, its personality, the job that he or she does with their owner and show off the location your client has chosen. This does not come from having a medium format Hasselblad that set you back £30,000. This comes from knowing how to use your camera, one lens and understanding the horse.
Setting up the business side – will this break the bank?
Speaking of banks – let’s start with setting up your business bank
account. Most banks will offer a charge free period, so that’s another thing
ticked off that hasn’t cost you anything.
Hardware – this is where people can fall over with the cost of equipment.
Ask yourself, what’s important to my business right now? Do you really need the
brand new 27inch imac to start the business? No, you know you don’t. The
business needs to earn itself a wage before you dive into investing in big
hardware. Do you have a laptop or a home computer that will do the job? Most
homes, now a days, have this.
Ok, so you already have the hardware, now for the software and
great news on this front too! A few years ago, if you wanted Photoshop and
Lightroom, you needed to grab your plastic friend and pay a pretty penny. But,
drumroll please, Adobe has a ‘Photographers’ Creative Package and it’s £9.98 a
month! Yup – for all of the editing software you could possible need, it’s
under £10 a month.
Insurance – go to the best. Call them and ask them whether they
will cover you in a worst-case scenario situation. Talk to them about the exact
type of work you will be doing. This is worth paying for and is a great selling
point to new clients.
Professional Email Address – If you can’t quite afford a website
just yet, that’s fine. With the use of social media platforms, you can get away
with starting your business and pointing people to your Facebook or Instagram
account. But, you do need a professional email address, something like hello@nameofbusiness.com
Next steps and Upgrades
As you begin to grow your business and start making a bit of money
there are some investments, we would add as Step 2.
External hard drives – keep those precious images backed up and
safe.
Extra SD cards – These babies are worked hard, it’s good to have
multiples in case of failure.
Presets – Start to get a feel for the type of images you want to
deliver to your clients and invest in actions or presets for Lightroom or Photoshop.
Marketing – start with postcards or something smart you can hand
out to yards or equestrian businesses. You don’t need 1000’s of them, go for
lower quantity but higher quality.
A client database – keep your business professional and easy to
run. There are many online client databases’ available for a few pounds a
month. If you get this right from the start you can run your clients and
business smoothly and 5*
Don’t overdo it
As with everything we do in business, you will change and grow as
time passes, so allow your equipment and support to do the same. Starting the
business of your dreams does not mean you have to take out a mortgage.
There is a feeling within the creative industry that you should be
a ‘starving artist’ in order to be taken seriously – not true. Map out this
dream, plan well and go forth.
Even if you hire a camera and lens for your first test shoots to
see what this is all about, do it! Don’t let the expenses of setting up a business
stop you from achieving your dreams, as you can see you don’t have to re-mortgage
to take the first steps.
I’ll finish with this
If there is one thing you really should invest in, its education! Knowing
how to create the business so it can stand on its own two feet from the get-go
is a huge advantage. Capturing the perfect shots for your new clients and
growing the connections will get you to your dream much quicker.
Both Emily and I came into this industry through education and learning
from others who were already successful. We both knew we wanted our passion for
our business. And they needed to be successful and self-sustaining businesses,
and if someone has been before us, made it work and is willing to share those
secrets, then we were taking the short cut.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane – right back, in fact, to
the birth of my photography business. Back in 2006, I owned and ran my own
graphic design company. And when I say I ran it, I mean I really ran it – everything from setting it up, to teaching myself
how to keep a business afloat, to doing all the admin before I finally brought
in a team to support me in the trenches.
And you know what? It was great fun, and I was able to work
with some wonderful clients on projects I was really excited about, while
travelling to some seriously inspiring places around the country.
While I was running my business and working with these
clients, I started to offer up my photography skills on the side. For example,
if I was building a website for a veterinary client, I’d suggest we schedule in
a photoshoot so we could get all the imagery in order – a much easier solution
than going external. I’d offer this invaluable service for a small add-on price
of £90.
Yep, you read that right – £90. That teeny-tiny price would
include a bespoke set of images, with all the editing included, a fast
turnaround and, of course, curation on their new website. The dream package for
a business, right?! So why was I under-selling myself so drastically? Well, let
me explain…
First of all, it
wasn’t because I didn’t think my images were worth more. It also wasn’t
because I didn’t value my time. Instead, it boiled down to something really
simple – I loved photography and so desperately wanted to spend more time doing
it, so if someone was willing to let me, my creative vision, and my camera
loose with their brand, I was blissfully happy.
I was already being paid to create the client’s website, put
together all their branding, and build an online structure, for which I was
charging a suitable amount, and one I could live off. Picking up the
photography felt like a little treat – a way to gently monetise my down-time,
which I’d have spent with a camera in hand anyway. For me, it was a win-win.
Because I’m a self-taught photographer, too, I’m able to
look back on those £90 shoots with nothing but positivity. I was able to learn
an almost endless number of lessons while making an extra cash injection. For example…
How to set up and capture product shots
How to adapt to different coloured backgrounds
How to use both natural and artificial lighting
How to edit product images, as opposed to
portraits
How to capture lifestyle images for commercial
shoots
How to figure out exactly what the client’s
audience will engage with, and shoot accordingly
How to maximise ALL my camera’s settings (Manual
mode, I’m looking at you!)
How to make my editing software work for me
How to resize, sharpen, and export images for
the web
How to create a bank of images for clients to
use for touch points
How to resize and sharpen for print
How to combine multiple subjects in one shoot
The list really does go on and on, but one thing’s for sure
– if I hadn’t diversified my existing business, with its inbuilt financial
safety nets, in this way, I wouldn’t have had quite so many immediate
opportunities to develop my craft and build a strong portfolio. I would also
have had to work for free for a period of time to build up that portfolio!
I’m not saying you should undervalue or undersell your work.
Quite the opposite – I’ll always push you to charge more than you think you
can, because as creative types, we often make our own businesses unviable by
undercharging. But in the very beginning of your career, when learning and
building is your modus operandi, it pays to be strategic.
The final thought…
Every day really is a school day, but if you’re always open
to networking and creative about seeking opportunities, you can benefit in
multiple ways. Build your portfolio, build your client base, and build your
confidence – all while building that savings account, paying your web-hosting
fees, or investing in a new piece of kit. You’ve got this!
Let’s get real for a second: taking on your first-ever
photoshoot is scary. You haven’t
built up a safety net of confidence yet, and as a result, you’re plagued by
doubts: can I actually deliver images my client will like? Am I going to be
chatty and encouraging, or will we both find it painfully awkward? And what –
heaven forbid – do I do if my equipment malfunctions?
It’s so easy to let these doubts stop you before you’ve even
begun. But here’s the thing – everyone feels them before their first
photoshoot, and 99% of your fears are just in your head. Feeling nervous can be
a really positive thing, too – if you harness it properly, you can use it to
make sure you’re perfectly prepared and ready to perform.
Get Kitted Out
There are loads of little things you can do before a shoot
to make sure everything runs smoothly on the day, and one of the most
straightforward – and essential! – places to start is by checking your kit is
all in working order. Ask yourself a few questions:
Do I have everything I need?
Is everything working properly?
Have I formatted my memory cards?
Is everything clean?
Always make sure everything’s packed and ready to go the
night before, to minimise stress in the morning. On a non-shoot day, put
together a checklist of everything you need to have in your camera bag, and
then refer back to it when you’re in prep mode.
If you’re going to be using a bit of kit that you’ve never
used before or haven’t used in a while, schedule in some time for test shots a
day or two before. They don’t have to be the sort of images you’ll produce in
your photoshoot – you can snap anything you like, but preferably in natural
light, so you can be confident that everything works properly.
Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
Nobody benefits if you go into a shoot blind. Instead, ask
your client some essential questions, preferably at the point of booking, but
anytime before the shoot itself.
What sort of shoot do they want? Are they after
a set of playful images with their menagerie? Or do they want to commemorate a
special occasion – for example, with romantic, equestrian-themed engagement
photos?
How many people will be involved with the shoot?
How many animals? Find out a bit about them all – names, ages, relationship
with the client. Animals have distinctive personalities and back-stories, too –
learn about them and you can use them to your advantage.
Do they have any particular locations in mind
for their shoot?
Get the admin sorted: make sure you have all the
address, phone numbers, gate codes, and so on. Make note of the yard landline,
too – it’s not much fun getting lost down a back road and realising you can’t
get through to your client’s mobile!
Make a list of all the above and, Santa
Claus-style, check it twice. Particularly if you’ve had the pre-shoot chat with
your client way in advance!
Provide an Itinerary
It’s important to remember that your client might be
nervous, too – after all, it can be intimidating being in front of the camera,
and some people can feel quite vulnerable. To ease these concerns, make sure
your client feels as prepared as you do.
Send them an email, ideally when you’ve confirmed the
booking or a few days to a week before the shoot. This email should cover all
bases: when you’ll arrive, how the shoot will be structured, and what they’re
expected to provide for the shoot. How many outfits do they need? How can they
ensure their horse is looking his best?
There’s a lot that might seem obvious to you as a
photographer, but always remember that many people have never had any sort of
photoshoot in their lives, so they need you to be a leader and guide them
through the process.
On the Day: Location-Scouting
We like to carry little palm-sized notebooks and a pen in
our camera cases – there are SO many moments when it’s crucial to jot down a
piece of information or a stroke of inspiration as soon as it comes to you. But
there’s another great use for this essential bit of kit: location scouting.
When you arrive at the client’s property, and after you’ve
had a lovely chat and a cuppa with them, you’ll need to suss out the best spots
to actually take the photos. You’ll be taking notes as you go – jot down the
spots you find, make note of which way the sun is facing, and sketch out your
posing ideas in that location as needed. It’ll be a godsend if you hit a
creative roadblock during your shoot!
Fake it ‘til you Make It
And no, we don’t mean you should make promises you can’t
keep or sell a product you’re not able to deliver on. This one comes down to
confidence – that elusive quality that only comes with time and practice, but
which you must always display to your clients. After all, they’re way more
nervous than you are – so you need to be that beacon of calm and positivity for
them.
Sound like a challenge? It needn’t be. Take a genuine
interest in them, and in their horses – ask leading questions about their
partnership, where they’re located, and their story. All of these things get
the conversation flowing, and will also raise your client’s enthusiasm levels.
We all love talking about our horses, after all!
While the shoot is underway, be vocal and be a leader – make
sure your client always knows what’s going to happen next, and tell them if
you’d like them to try a certain pose.
Keep it Professional
If you’ve booked a two-hour shoot, you need to make sure you
stick to it – don’t short-change your client and stop after an hour, but
equally, don’t drag the process out longer than scheduled. You want to leave
your client feeling happy and excited, not hot, bothered, and wrestling with an
impatient horse. Try setting a timer on your phone that will go off halfway
through your session.
Some photographers are happy to show clients images from the
back of their camera, but this is risky business. If your client is
self-conscious, they might see something they dislike in the image – they might
think their nose looks big, or their outfit is unflattering, and then their
confidence will be shattered.
It’s always best to keep the surprise until the viewing. Or
you can compromise – tell them you’ll send them two teaser images that evening,
making sure they’re processed as final copies.
A Final Thought…
Above everything else, it’s so important to make the
experience as fun as possible for everyone involved – and that includes you!
Remember, this is your dream job, and for many of your clients, being photographed
is a dream experience – so manage all the variables and you’ll have the mental
space to enjoy yourself.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your shooting style, images,
and business won’t be either. But if you can tick all the boxes, you’ll invest
as much in the journey as you will in the destination – and that’s the key to
standing out!
Okay, fellow creatives, hands up if you’re guilty of
project-hopping. You know what I mean – you start working on something, only to
be struck by a new idea or a burst of inspiration for one of your other
projects. You change tasks – just briefly, you tell yourself – and before you
know it, you’re two hours into a Pinterest rabbit-hole, gathering tutorials and
inspiration for a stylised photoshoot you’re planning with three racehorses, a
castle, and Madonna, if her schedule allows for it.
It’s not exactly the most efficient use of your time, but as creative types, we can’t help it – we’re hard-wired to follow those flashes of motivation as they appear. Who knows when you might be so inspired again, after all?!
But as much as the word might make your skin crawl, it’s important to exercise some discipline. By turning your workflow into a funnel of productivity, you can put the muse to good use – giving you way more time and freedom to pursue your next projects.
I’ve spent years running my own business, and honestly?
After a while, you learn a few things, mostly from trial and error. In my case,
I learned from filling too many of my waking hours, busting a gut trying to get
through everything. The problem? I hadn’t streamlined my workflow.
It took a while, but I learned how to do it – and now, I
have something dangerously close to a work-life balance. Weird, but so not impossible. Want to know how I
did it? Read on!
Step One: Learn the Art of Leveraging
Leveraging, or outsourcing, is one of the most important
things you’ll ever learn to do as a self-employed creative. You might be able
to work 80 hour weeks right now, and you might be able to juggle everything in
your life while you’re doing it, but sooner or later, something’s got to give.
Running yourself into the ground means that eventually, the quality of your
product will suffer, too.
So how do you fix it? First of all, you start with a
spreadsheet – those colour-coded bastions of joy and organisation. For the next
week, I want you to document everything you do for your business, every day.
And I do mean everything – jot down the time you spend replying to
emails, the time you spend making and answering calls, ordering prints,
editing, doing your accounts…
At the end of the week, you’ll not only have a comprehensive
list of the essential tasks that make your business function, you’ll also know
just how long you spend on each of them. Chances are, a lot of your time is
wasted on admin tasks that just about anyone could do. The great news? It’s not
that hard to find someone to do them.
I’ve always outsourced my accounting. It only takes me one
shoot to make the money that a bookkeeper costs me, but the hours I rescue every
month allow me to spend an afternoon really fine-tuning my marketing – a job I
actually like to do! I can get creative with marketing, but I can’t really get
creative when I’m trying to figure out how a latte at Pret should be filed in
my expenses.
There’s loads that can be outsourced. Social media, for
instance, is a really common one to send elsewhere – it takes up a tonne of
time, and there are loads of students who aren’t just willing to do it, they’re
really good at it, too. Or you could outsource your mailing list maintenance,
your bookings…the list is basically endless.
Step Two: Select the Right Software
Rules are made to be broken, but there’s one I’ve stuck with
for years: Keep It Simple, Stupid! (Rude, but fair.) Never has this been more
apt than with software. As a photographer, you’ll be bombarded by adverts for
new, expensive software constantly – software to file your images, to edit
them, to create slick albums and web portfolios out of them.
Great. But do you actually need all the functions in these pieces of software? And is it
really worth remortgaging your house for them? Probably not. In fact, going for
the all-singing, all-dancing option can dent your productivity – you’ll start
to wonder, and worry, if you ought to be using more of the features.
Instead, stick with what you know, and make sure you know it
inside-out. If you’re a die-hard Lightroom user, that’s great! There are loads
of ways to simplify your editing process, organise your files, and publish to
the web from within the programme. Find some tutorials and make sure you know
all the hacks, before you’re persuaded to spend money on something you don’t
need.
Step Three: Commit to a Task
Alright, Pinterest rabbit-holers and project-hoppers – this
one’s for you. It’s going to be painful, but this is the tough love medicine I
know you need – because I’ve been there, too. You want to get things done?
You’ve got to learn to pick a task and stick with it – all the way to
completion.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying you need to edit
all 2,000 photos from a shoot in one sitting. But at the beginning of each day
– or the end of the day prior – you need to make a list of your Most Important
Tasks (or MITs). This should include 3-5 jobs, which could include selecting
your final images from those 2,000 starting files, or writing a blog, or
following up on five leads.
If you have a longer list, prioritise your tasks by writing
A, B, or C next to each job. A jobs are your most important tasks, so complete
those first, and then move onto the Bs, and so on. But resist the urge to do a
bit of one, and then a bit of another – do a job in its entirety, stop for a
coffee break, and then do the next job. Compartmentalising will help you focus,
which means the job will get done twice as fast.
Before I implemented this system, I could start an email at
10am, and find it unfinished, hidden by 35 other browser tabs, at 3pm.
Suddenly, the thought of trying to get that email finished – and I mean, what
was it even about? – was the most
overwhelming thing ever. Now, I just feel focused, uncluttered, and
delightfully productive – and I can finish working at a decent time, too.
Step Four: Work ON Your Business, Not Just IN It
Don’t quite follow me? No worries. Picture this: it’s a busy
day in your studio, and because your kids need to be collected from school
later, you’ve got to try to get through your list of jobs between 10am and 3pm.
How are you going to plan your day?
Your priorities are probably things like sending orders,
designing albums, and ringing clients. All essential tasks, yes, but unless the
deadline for them is today, they might not actually be the best use of a
limited working day. On these short days, I actually find that it’s most
productive to working on building my business.
First, split that time in half. Until noon, I want you to
make those important calls, close sales, and hit send on that order. Then, I
want you to down tools, take half an hour to breathe, eat something nice, and
refill your mug of essential caffeinated nectar. Refreshed and reinvigorated, I
want you to devote the final two and a half hours of your day to growing your
business.
What sort of tasks will you be doing? It’s all the
forward-facing stuff: social media scheduling, sending press releases and
images to local press, applying for a stand at an event, putting an advert in a
magazine. Anything you can do to get your name, and your stunning images, in
front of new faces.
You can spend all your work hours producing your clients’
images, sure. But unless you commit to working on your business too, eventually
you’ll run out of clients.
Step Five: Embrace the White Space
I have so many
conversations with photographers that go a little something like this: “well,
I’d love to do X, Y, or Z, but I have five shoots booked in this week, and then
a wedding at the weekend, and then I have to fit client meetings in on Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Friday, and I’ve got a set of images to deliver on Sunday, and…”
Honestly, I’ve been there. I’ve been that person who thought
that constantly working meant that I was a success, and having an afternoon off
meant that I was a failure who wouldn’t be able to provide for my family. But
you know what? It’s crazy. It’s foolish. And it leads to burn-out, which can
kill off your inspiration and make you resent what you do.
The cure? Leave white space in your diary, even if, at
first, that white space just represents time spent in the studio. Even better,
make it represent movie night, or a day out with the kids, or a weekend away,
or two hours to just sit with a good book. You are an essential part of your
business, so you need to make sure your headspace is a happy one. Life’s too
short for 80 hour work-weeks.
Back to You:
Have you been a victim of your own workflow? Or have you
suffered from burn-out? Do you have any of your own miracle cures for bossing
your to-do list? Drop them in the comments!
No matter who you are or what you do, if you’re
self-employed or own your own business, you absolutely must have a website.
It’s totally and completely non-negotiable – but if you outsource the job, it
can also be eye-wateringly expensive. Fortunately, site-builders like
Squarespace make it easier than ever to build your own – and I’m here to help
you get it right.
Your website has one primary purpose: it’s there to convince
potential clients that they shouldn’t look any further than you for their
photography needs. Your Instagram feed, your Pinterest pins, your Twitter, and
so on and so forth, should all just be the delicious breadcrumbs that lead your
customer back to your website – and, ultimately, to a sale.
Basically, a great website is the machine that converts
punters into profit. Done well, it’ll work for you 24/7, promoting your work –
and your charms! – and filling your diary. But first, you need to make sure
you’ve got the right stuff on it. Here are the seven essentials your
photography website NEEDS to succeed…
Essential Element #1: Simplicity Is Supreme
You’ve heard me say it before, and you’ll hear it again now:
Keep It Simple, Sweetie! Once you’ve written the copy for your pages, take a
step away from them and read them as though you’re a potential client.
Is it straightforward, easy to understand, and quick to read? Or is it a bit, well, loud? By that I mean, is there so much information that you feel a bit overwhelmed trying to absorb it all? Or is the wording aggressive and a bit too pushy? Remember, the people reading it won’t have any background knowledge on your or your business. And right now? They don’t need it!
If you Google some of the world’s most famous photographers,
you’ll end up on very simple, stark websites – there’s not a lot of textual
information, and probably not a lot of design trickery, either. Instead, their
sites are aimed at showcasing a selection of images as best as possible. It’s a
bit like entering a gallery.
At its core, that’s what you need: your photography website
is your personal gallery, and you need to let your gorgeous images speak for
themselves. Yes, you can add backpages with a short bio, and information about
your packages. But let your clients navigate to them when they’re ready, and
keep the front page simple, beautiful, and effective.
Essential Element #2: Be Authentically You
First impressions are crucial, and these days, your website
is your representative. In fact, your web presence is the first chance your
client will have to ‘meet’ you – and if they don’t like your vibe then, it
could be the last.
Think about it like this: before the internet took over our
lives, equestrian photographers would have spent much of their time on the
road, at photography shows and exhibitions, at horse shows, and popping to
local yards, meeting people face-to-face and handing out brochures.
If you had to do that now, how would you go about it? Well,
you probably wouldn’t put on a fake voice and adopt someone else’s mannerisms,
that’s for sure – it would feel weird, and smarmy, and you wouldn’t be able to
maintain it.
So why do so many people hide behind turns of phrase and
flowery wording that just doesn’t sound like them? Lack of confidence is
probably one of the big culprits, particularly if you don’t think of yourself
as much of a writer. But here’s an idea: instead of writing your web copy down
straight away, turn on sound recording on your phone, and try describing
yourself and your business out loud.
Okay, so you might feel a bit silly at first, but the very
best and most inviting writing is the writing that sounds like you. It’s the stuff your best friends
could read and actually hear your voice in their heads. It’s chatty, and it’s
natural, and it’s like sitting down with you for a cuppa and a catch-up.
Another great exercise to try is to write an email to a
close friend or family member, describing your business as though they don’t
know anything about it. Explain why it’s great, and what you have planned, and
why you’re excited about it. You don’t need to send it – just save it and look
at it the next day. I guarantee you’ll find some sentences and phrases that
work wonderfully on your website.
It should go without saying, but all the images on your
website need to be your own – except the image on your About Me page, which can
be taken by someone else, but needs to be of you! Photoshoots are so personal,
and your clients aren’t just booking a product – they’re signing up for an
experience. Letting them get to know you will convince them it’ll be a great
one.
Essential Element #3: Good is Good Enough
Writing might not be your ‘thing’ – and hey, that’s totally
fine! You’re a photographer, not J.K. Rowling, and no one expects you to be
amazing at everything. Yes, it can be intimidating writing copy for your
webpage – but honestly? No one will scrutinise your writing as much as you do
yourself.
Okay, real talk time? They will notice bad spelling, poor grammar, and broken links. But those
are three issues that are so easy to tackle – use a spell-checker, ask a
particularly literary friend to give it a once-over, and always, always triple-check your links. When it
comes to engaging copy, though? Good is good enough.
There’s no magic combination of words that converts leads
into customers. There’s not a certain ‘level’ of writing competency that’s
going to make a sale. Ultimately, the bottom line is your images – you just
need to be your likeable self and get the job done with the copy. Perfection is
overrated.
Essential Element #4: Only Show Your Best Work
This is so, so important – and it’s going to save you a
tonne of time, too! I’ve spoken about this phenomenon before, but it’s well
worth repeating. Basically, when faced with multiple options, people will
always subconsciously look for a reason NOT to choose something.
For example: you’re looking at a selection of hotels for an
upcoming holiday. One of them is well within your budget, has a view of the
beach, and the rooms are beautiful and airy. The only issue? You’ll have to pay
an extra daily charge for breakfast and wifi. Are you going to commit? Not
likely – you might keep the tab open, but you’re going to keep scrolling,
right?
It’s exactly the same when people shop for a photographer.
All it takes is one image that they don’t like, and they’ll move onto a
different website. Seems a bit harsh, right? Most people don’t even realise
they’re doing it – but if you know, then you can game the system.
Picking 10-20 images for your website is a savvy move for a
few reasons. First, it keeps the overall impression clean and uncluttered.
Second, it forces you to objectively pick out the very best work you’ve done.
Third, it gives a potential client a much smaller chance of seeing something
they don’t like.
Need some inspiration? Go through your images as though
you’re putting a selection together for an enormous, one-million-pound
photography prize. Which photos are you the most proud of? Display them loud
and proud and let them represent the wonderful work you do.
Essential Element #5: Links (They’re Not Just For Sausages)
Ready for some short and sweet information? Of course you are! I mentioned this in point three, but actually, it’s so important that I’m going to mention it again as its own point. Go check the links on your page. Every last one of them. Right now!
There is nothing
more off-putting than finding a beautifully put-together site, which appears to
offer everything you want in a photographer – only to click through to the
booking form and wind up at a dead-end. Unfortunately, most people won’t search
for another way to get in touch – they’ll just move on.
Make it seriously easy to book you by making sure every
single link on your website leads where it’s meant to, and make your booking
information and price list really easy to find from every single page. People
are fickle – so don’t give them any excuses.
Essential Element #6: Don’t Play Hard-To-Get
Following on from the last point, your contact information
needs to be super easy to find. You can – and should – have a contact page
linked in your navigation bar, but it’s also incredibly helpful to put your
phone number and email address in your footer, too, so it appears on every
page. Catch them at the very moment they decide they love your work, and
they’ll be yours.
Essential Element #7: Become a Blogger
I mean, not as a career choice, unless that’s what you’re
really into. But blogging is free to do and can make such a huge difference to
your online presence. Not only does it give your clients the opportunity to get
to know you, it also drives new leads back to your webpage from social media
sites like Pinterest.
Plan to blog at least once a week, although you don’t have
to write the pieces every week – just as you can schedule social media posts,
you can write a bunch of blogs in one go and then plan to publish them each
Saturday, for example.
You can write about anything and everything on your blog –
that’s the beauty of it! Write about something that’s inspired you, or a funny
moment from a recent shoot, or somewhere beautiful you went with your camera.
Write about your dream photoshoot, your favourite competition to snap at, your
biggest editing revelation. The more you write, the more inspired you’ll be!
Back to You:
Armed with inspiration? I hope so! I’d love to see your
website – and I’m always on the hunt
for a great new blog to read! – so drop your links in the comments and share
your hard work!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: photographers
never, ever stop learning. We’re a
creative bunch of people, which means that we’re naturally curious – and that
curiosity drives us to constantly question the world around us, to explore new
techniques, and to try to improve and streamline our own practice.
But constant learning – especially if you’re self-employed –
isn’t always about those ‘eureka!’ moments when you discover something that
totally changes the way you shoot, or market, or edit.
Sometimes, it’s about trial and error, with an emphasis on
the error! Making mistakes isn’t a sign of failure – instead, it’s one of your
most valuable opportunities to grow. I’ve made some absolute whoppers in my
time – and there have been three, in particular, which have really shaped my photography
business.
Life Lesson #1: You Are The Only Person Standing In Your Way
Sounds totally bonkers, right – after all, you know you want to succeed, and you’ve been working
your rear end off to make it happen. But here’s the thing: no one – not a
single soul – is ever going to give you permission to be as awesome as you
absolutely can be. There’s never going to be a golden letter that comes
whizzing through your letterbox, proclaiming:
“Dear Miss Freeland,
CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve done it! You’re the equestrian industry’s most in-demand personal photographer. Those doubts in the back of your mind? Chuck them out! You’ve made it!
Go forth and be awesome!
Lots of love,
The Universe.”
Nope, not going to happen. Instead, YOU have to be your own barometer of success – and the only way to do that is to learn how to silence those little voices in your head that say, ‘but what if you’re not good enough?’
Look, here’s the truth: there’s an awful lot of people in
the world, and every single one of them has their own set of opinions, their
own tastes, their own threshold for quality. You won’t ever please all of them
– not in a million years! But you can certainly wear yourself down trying.
Some of the best, and most famous, photographers in history
have been on the receiving end of critical take-downs – some from fellow
professionals, and some from casual viewers who have decided, for one reason or
another, that they don’t like what they see.
(Don’t believe me? The New York Times once referred to Steve McCurry’s portraits as ‘astonishingly boring.’ Yes, that Steve McCurry, of ‘Afghan Girl’ fame. Possibly the most lauded photographer in history. Boring! Who’d have guessed it?!)
Ultimately, you need to learn to rise above the opinions of
others and shoot in the way that inspires you. Then, people who love your style
will seek you out, while those who don’t will go elsewhere – and that’s fine. No one produces truly brilliant,
emotive, honest work if they’re trying to change what they do to suit somebody
else. You’ve got to be true to yourself.
I definitely learned this one the hard way. I stood in my
own way for years, letting my lack of confidence and my fear of negative
opinions stop me from doing what I loved and loving what I do.
My mentor would suggest all sorts of brilliant ideas for my
portfolio, and I’d smile, nod, and then get into my car and talk myself out of
doing any of them. “You’re not good enough. Your camera isn’t good enough.” And
on, and on. It drives me mad to think of the time I wasted stopping my own
photography business from growing.
Eventually, I learned to try, and each time, I became a
little bit braver. Now, I jump into new ideas with both feet, knowing that I’ll
either succeed or I’ll learn. And both options are infinitely better than
staying in the same place forever!
Life Lesson #2: Keep Your Gear Up-to-Date
First of all, let me make one thing very clear: I don’t
believe in the idea of a camera ‘not being good enough’. I firmly stand behind
the old photography adage that the best camera for the job is the one that you
have with you in the moment. No matter your budget and no matter your tools,
you can produce top-notch images.
The catch? You’ve got to take care of what you’ve got.
Sounds obvious, right? Sure – but when did you last send your body and lenses
to get serviced? Have you ever popped your camera on the ground while you made
adjustments to your subjects? And have you ever been caught in an impromptu
rain shower while shooting?
We photograph horses, so wear, tear, and a bit of arena sand
is to be expected. Cameras, these days, are tougher than ever, and they can
hold their own admirably against the elements. But nevertheless, it’s so
important that we treat our kit as well as we can – the big bits, and the
little bits.
Let me tell you a story. I was offered a fabulous commission
a few years ago for a major magazine, who wanted me to provide a cover image
and six pages’ worth of editorial images of an Olympic rider. I was to share
the shoot day with a film crew from Channel 4. It was a VERY BIG DEAL.
The shoot day came around, and what a day it was – the rider was a dream to work with, the weather behaved itself, and I was so excited about the results, which I was sure were the best work I’d ever produced. I raced home on an absolute high – I couldn’t wait to start editing!
Once home, I popped my memory card into the card reader,
buzzing with excitement. And then? Nothing. Niente. Zip. Zilch. Nada. No icon
telling me that the machine had read the card, no folder chock-full of images,
just tumble-weeds, and a sudden, icy feeling of panic.
My memory card had corrupted, and worst of all? It was a
64GB card, which meant that I’d done the entire shoot on it. I’d lost everything. To say I cried is a woeful understatement.
Fortunately my partner, Matt, is a bit of a tech wizard.
Fuelled by the prospect of having to spend the whole night listening to me
crying, he delved into the problem. By 3am, we’d saved about 90% of the images.
I got REALLY lucky. But more importantly? I learned some valuable lessons.
Namely…
Cards CAN just corrupt. Always re-format them after uploading your files!
If you haven’t used a memory card in a while (gulp – eight months!) maybe don’t pull it out for a very important job. Test it first!
Multiple small cards are better than one enormous one. If you use three 16GB cards and one corrupts, at least you have the images on the other two!
Periodically take your kit in for a bit of an MOT. Better to spend some money on an annual service than to lose a day’s pay (and dent your reputation) because your equipment failed.
Life Lesson #3: Keep It Simple, Silly
Or, more to the point, don’t fill your online photography portfolio
with 120 images. First of all, ain’t NOBODY got time for dat, and second of
all, you could actually lose a potential client as a result.
Sound drastic? Let me explain a little bit about sales
psychology. Basically, humans are hard-wired to look for a reason not to commit
to things – so when presented with a product, particularly one with variables,
like a photoshoot, they’ll subconsciously look for things they DON’T like about
it. Then, they’ve got a tailor-made reason not to commit to it.
People make up their minds pretty quickly, and first impressions count for a lot. It actually only takes a few shots for someone to decide whether or not your style is for them, and by giving them an endless stream of images to sift through, you’re only increasing the likelihood that they’ll stumble across something they don’t like. Instead, select 10-20 of your absolute favourite shots, preferably showing the full range of what you can do. Don’t choose 15 shots of a variety of clients all in the exact same pose or location – mix it up a bit, making sure your style is apparent in each shot, but that each shot brings something new to the table. Leave them wanting more, and they’ll be yours!
Back to You:
How about you? What are some of the big lessons you’ve learned the hard way while building up your photography business? Have you made any of the same mistakes I did? Leave your story in the comments!
Here’s a handy tip for you. Always leave 20 mins at the end of a shoot to be really creative.
Go through the process of photographing your client and their horse on their yard. In your head, you have finished creating the standard imagery that you know will sell and you know your clients will be totally in love with….
Now spend the next 20 minutes being super creative and trying different things. You might want to look at Pinterest- look at images that really inspire you, images that are a bit unique and out there! Try to use this inspiration to play around with new locations, poses, angles, lighting…
Make sure you ask your client if they’re up for it- often they are really keen to try different things and have a bit more fun!
Start to brainstorm some ideas ready for your next shoot…
Just a quick one today. Because we get asked this question a lot…
“How long do you take editing your images?”
Our answer is almost always the same…
“If we shoot for an hour, we edit for no more than an hour”
Imagine this: I have shot a set of images that have an obvious distraction in the background. I spend the next 3 hours alone editing that object out each of the images I want to show to my client.
The client shows up to the viewing, picks her images for her album and frames- NONE of which include the images I spent all those hours editing.
The outcome is- massive time wasted!
If you notice something in the background you might want to edit out, wait until your client has seen the images.
If they pick the image in question, mention that you’d be happy to remove the distraction for them before framing. This way, you haven’t wasted any of your precious time.
If you want to learn more post-production, and exactly how we edit each image in under 30 seconds ready to present to our clients, check out the dates for our next action-packed 2-day course!
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all.
We are absolute suckers for that cute, cuddly shot. The ones that make you feel like you are like a fly on the wall. The horse and owner are having this beautiful cuddly moment in between poses, and you just keep clicking…it should be as if you aren’t even there.
To get this kind of shot, you need to shoot tight to eliminate any distraction from the background. Keep focused on the pair having that interaction. Usually owners hands are soft, the horse’s ears may not be pricked, but the relaxed look on both of their faces is so amazing. The minute the owner looks at you, that connection is lost.
Most of the time, these moments happen completely un-posed. Although there are ways of trying to create this shot yourself. Asking your owner to rest their head on their horses forehead, or asking your owner to just look up at their horse with love works really well too.
Just remember, these are often the shots that make the album- so try to start thinking about chances for you to recreate or capture this on your shoots.
More often than not, your clients have no idea what to wear on their photo shoot- what looks good? What goes with the location? What goes with the horse? It’s helpful to give your clients a rough styling guide- it will ensure they are more confident in choosing outfits if you direct them towards them.
If you haven’t already, start to think about what you like- is it the typical country style? Tweed, wax jacket, long boots… you get the gist. If you’d rather be more general, tell clients what works well- tell them to avoid bright, clashing, highly-patterned prints, and make sure they are wearing something they are comfortable in.
Outline your wishes- Pinterest is a great way to accumulate images of styles you like and outfits that look good together.
Most clients are under-confident in their style. When you arrive at your shoot, help them decide what to wear. They will normally bring a bundle of clothes, shoes and jackets with them that they would like some direction with.
We aim to narrow down to about 3 outfits, and its often easier to adapt one outfit, rather than changing into 3 completely different outfits. I.e- change the jacket for a jumper, add a hat, then change boots to loafers. Experience certainly helps- you will start to learn what styles work and become really confident guiding your clients to the perfect outfit choices. Below are some examples of outfit adaptation without changing into a whole brand new outfit…
You have to remember, at the end of the day, it’s the client’s choice! It’s their shoot and you are being commissioned to capture them, their horse and their style. Be sure not so change their identity!
Picture this- you arrive at a yard. All you can see is a flat grass field and an average stable block- and you panic! “Where on earth am I going to place my clients?!” You then just fluff your way through the day with no idea where to direct yourself- let alone your client.
The proof is in the pudding- we have created awesome shots from all sorts of locations, from a flat field with electric fencing, to the most magnificent yards you have ever seen. This is because we have become experienced in how to work our environments. Photographically, the rickety old, run-down yard is our FAVOURITE! These give so many amazing backgrounds and textures to play with.
Lets have a look at the example below. This series gets you to start thinking about how you an transform that simple stable-shot into your client’s favourite. Stables are AWESOME to shoot in because they are so versatile.
The owner is asked to lean against the stable wall and put her foot up on the side. This is a nice, relaxed shot and it would be shown to the client.
Notice how in the next cropped-in image, the edge of the stable door creates a really lovely texture to frame the pair. The horse and owner still look beautiful, but you can see the shot is improved.
The next image is just that bit more special again. It is shot from a crouched position and is much more intimate. This is the kind of shot owners want on their wall!
Luckily for us, this horse was perfectly behaved, so the owner was more than happy to remove his head collar. You almost forget this is shot in a stable. The natural light that falls on the subjects is so stunning and is hard to replicate in other locations.
Next time you are using the simple stable as a location, think about how you can play around with angles and crops- take your shots from good, to GREAT!
If you still think you struggle with location scouting or making the most out of each location, check out our upcoming action-packed 2-day course!
This comes up time and time gain- many delegates feel like they’re lacking in confidence- you have the perfect horse, owner and location- but just don’t know how to work it, and don’t know what to do with the subjects.
You start to feel pressure that your client is expecting you to start taking photos- so you just end up taking photos that aren’t well planned or executed, and when you get home, you’re disappointed because it didn’t quite work.
This all comes down to lack of confidence in knowing how to work with, and pose your client. As you become more confident in your posing skills, it will be easier for you to start analysing your posing in more depth…
Take a look at the shot below. This is a perfectly good shot that we would 100% include in a viewing. The owner and horse are smiling nicely, she is leaning on the gate and looks easy, the horse looks nice- take the photo.
Time to think- how else can the image be elevated? In the image below, I have crouched down, eliminated the gravel track, and asked client to sit on the gate. This creates a more dynamic shot. The horse still looks great. But notice how changing the angle slightly and changing the owner’s pose has totally uplifted the image.
We want you to start being more confident and think this way- take that first image- but consider how can you enhance it to make it just a little bit better.
What you’ll find, when going through the viewing process- they will more than likely choose the second image to be framed or put in an album- they themselves don’t quite know why, but they just know they like it better!
Unplanned moments can sometimes make the BEST shots!
If you are too busy changing your settings on your camera or fiddling around trying to find a snack in your bag- you will miss these moments!
They often happen when you have shot your main set of images, and you’re just about to put your camera down. Then something funny or cute will happen…the image below is a prime example!
Hannah had just finished a lovely set of images with this owner and her horse in the stable. She went to move the horse out of the stable and he gave her a quick nuzzle and a kiss- catching the owner completely by surprise and sending her into fits of giggles!
Moments like these can’t be staged or posed. Always be ready to capture these little moments and don’t let anything distract you!
We cannot stress the importance of this enough. Over the years, we have become pretty hot on this! It is so so vital that you direct your clients into the exact poses you want, or often your descriptions will get lost in translation!
So, lets set the scene…
You see a gorgeous location that you think will be perfect for your client and her horse. There is a cute little log in a beautifully lit area in the woods. You can envisage exactly what you want…the client to sit on the log, with her horse cuddling into her.
However- when trying to explain this to your client, they don’t quite get your vision. They are sitting awkwardly and the horse is standing too far away.
You could spend the next 5 minutes shouting instructions at your client, but in the end, you’re wasting everyone’s time- yours included.
Find a location, then physically put yourself where you want client to be. Walk over to that area, show them where to position the horse, stand exactly where you want the client to stand, then shoot! Even down to the finer details like where to put their hands, where to put their feet- these are vital, and often, clients don’t know how to pose themselves- they need YOUR direction!
The horse position- find a location, put horse and owner in
it, see where the horse naturally stands- then quickly match a post next to
their horse- some horses aren’t as relaxed or like standing still for long,
Make sure that directions are clear and positive! Stand up tall! Keep smiling! Look at your horse! Look at me! Keep looking through your camera, adjust if needs be, and capture!
Posing can be a real bug-bear when it comes to shooting on location, and so many photographers get really worried about it- it’s so simple when you have structure and confidence! A big part of our 2 day Foundation of Photography Course is focussed on posing your clients to ensure you get the BEST shots- check it out!
When you train you eye to really see the best of your area, you are already winning! Try and work out how it what you can use around you, and how it will look with a horse and owner in it…
Natural frames
This is the art of spotting natural areas that can frame your subjects. Overhanging trees, walkways, stables/barn doors, archways, leading lines….. these are all key things to look out for, and more often than not, you will have access to plenty at your client’s yard. Here are some examples for you…
Use natural props…
Often, owners who have not been photographed before will be quite anxious in front of the camera (unless they’re a professional model already!!) and this can often come across in photos. They usually feel much more comfortable leaning or sitting, than just standing, staring at you blankly!
Get owners to sit on, or lean up against props. Logs, gates, trees, chairs, walls, mounting blocks, sleepers… you get it!
Do you often struggle to get your clients looking comfortable on shoots? Not sure about how best to pose your clients? We have the PERFECT course for you. Our brand new 2 day group training allows you to get the best out of your clients, and produce the best images. Check it out here…
This is something I didn’t even realise was a secret until really recently. I was teaching a group of delegates on location and said to them…’don’t forget to find your square!!’….
The fact that I was met with 6 blank faces made me realise they had NO idea what I was on about!
SO, when shooting at a client’s yard, I am always looking for locations that are roughly 2m x 2m- a square. As you can see from the image below, we have scouted a barn with lots of straw bales. However, I don’t want the whole scene in. There are some distractions either side like the pillars and some untidy areas- I want to zoom to capture one small area.
Provided there is a 2mx2m area of something beautiful- I will put my clients there!
There is always the option to shoot wide, then crop in during post-production. However, sometimes you don’t get the shot you expected when you crop in after- you can miss the intensity and connection between horse and owner.
Try to implement this rule on your next shoot and see how you get on! Or if you think you need more help staging the perfect shots, check out our upcoming 2 day group training course!
The most important lesson I ever learned is to NOT be underprepared! I remember when I turned up to one of my first shoots, and halfway through my battery died….but I had NOT packed a spare!! Embarrassingly, I had to borrow a camera off one of the guests at the party… I have never forgotten this, and it taught me to be over-prepared, if anything!
Before you leave for a shoot, make sure all your kit works- this may seem like a REALLY obvious thing- but if you turn up and your cards/batteries/ lenses are not working- you will be the ONLY person responsible!
Stay consistent with your kit and camera settings- one camera, one lens, minimal changes, camera settings. A 70-200mm lens is a must have in our eyes.
Always have a box of tricks. You’ll need an assistant… mainly to help with organisation, but also to help get the horse’s ears pricked. This is a key element on an equine shoot. The best tools we’ve found to get a horse’s attention is tupperware full of gravel, polos, a noisy crisp packet, and a bucket of nuts- what is in your box of tricks?
Always have a creative notebook- when you arrive at your location, take a walk and note any locations you see that stand out. A notebook is also handy for writing down names of your client’s horses…and the 5 dogs, 4 cousins and group of friends that turn up and want to get involved in the shoot!
There are so many bits and bobs I HAVE to take with me when I turn up for a shoot on location. Do you struggle to plan for shoots? Feel like you are underprepared? Let us walk you through the planning process and ensure you are always prepared and confident for your equine photoshoots- check out our awesome Foundations of Equine Photography Course
We took our delegates to a shoot on location with Kate and Michael. And what a beautiful spring morning it was!
We went out onto the open forest to capture them, their two horses and their little dog! Kate and Michael were great fun and the delegates loved photographing them.
Some really special moments were captured between the pair and their horses- great practice for our delegates!
Lauren and her partner Phillip modelled for The Training Barn for this gorgeous shoot back in the spring. We photographed Lauren a few years ago, so it was lovely to see her again- with a new horsey addition!
Lauren rides on the GB endurance team, and has done for some years. She has such a wonderful bond with her horses and it comes across amazingly on camera.
This shoot allowed our delegates to get to grips with photographing a couple- always a different angle than photographing a mum and daughter combination, for example.
The two brought their adorable whippet to play too- how cute!
So we thought we would open up to you guys and let you in on a mistake that we made. Please learn from us and trust your gut!
It was a crisp summer evening, with the sun streaming through the studio window and a well earn’t peppermint tea in hand… only kidding we can’t set the scene as well as this, but basically we had just finished a 2 day training course and were reflecting on our brand and following.
We had made a decision that our brand (you remember the dark blue with gold?) was too corporate and we wanted something that reflected our personalities and the fact that we work in the New Forest with ponies – so we decided to use our collective skills as creatives and past graphic design talents and come up with a new colour scheme and logo.
Queue the cute pony and subtle tones of greens… once we had created this beauty we decided to whack it out there, to the world! Changing the website, social media, newsletters etc etc we were flying! Until 2 days later we looked at the branding, then to each other and back to the branding… whoops we moved way too quickly and are way to close to our own brand to come up with something spectacular and in line with out 5 year plan.
Here’s where you guys can take a lesson from this, instead of sticking with our (bad) decision we got pro active and contacted a designer Hannah has worked with for 12 years. She dissected our goals and values and discussed at length what our ideal look and feel would be, and would you believe it, employing a trusted designer to do the job they are good at has paid off!
We have a new, and perfect brand to show you. We have quietly updated our website, social media and newsletters, Im sure you have all noticed that we have changed, but we wanted to acknowledge the mistake, in being transparent you guys can benefit.
Go forth and put the best people in the best place for your business. Don’t try and do this all by yourself, we cannot be everything to everyone!
What a GORGEOUS time of year this is!! We recently took our awesome team of year-long mentorship delegates to photograph Fay and her majestic 18 hand dressage horse Bengal, on the Ornamental Drive in Rhinefield, the New Forest. This place is renowned for its stunningly tall redwood trees and evergreen forests- the perfect location for an autumnal shoot on location.
We were a little worried before this shoot, because the forecast was for rain- and lots of it. Once we arrived however, the sun decided to put his hat on, and we had the most amazing morning shooting.
Fay also brought her dog, Ben, along for the shoot. This got a little confusing when shouting “Ben!” at both the dog AND the horse!! But I think you’ll agree- a gorgeous set of images that really show the bond Fay has with her animals.
We were TOTALLY spoilt for choice for locations- the little stream with its rickety wooden bridge, the open spaces lined with incredible trees and the little winding paths through the undergrowth.
I’m sure our delegates would agree- an awesome morning! Where is the most beautiful place you’ve photographed on location?
Emily and her mum, Sue, modelled for us earlier this year with their horses Charlie and Otto. Their bouncy pooch Murphy joined in too! We spent the afternoon at Smugglers, on the New Forest.
The weather, although threatening serious rain with those black clouds, ended up staying sunny long enough for us to get some awesome shots.
Emily and her mum, Sue, have such a lovely relationship. It makes it so much easier to photograph a mother and daughter when they are close like this. It was a really great chance for our delegates to capture that special bond. Emily has grown up around horses, so the pair were so at ease with everything we thew at them!
Another glorious Autumn shoot under our belts. We took our 3 day course delegates to Laura’s yard to photograph her with her two homebred warmblood horses, Cecil and Daisy- and what beauties they are! It’s as if they’ve been modelling for years!
We were so lucky to have the use of Laura’s extensive home farm. The corrugated farm buildings made for the most beautiful textured backdrops- have you tried this before? It’s not always the obviously beautiful buildings that make the most striking photos!
Laura’s yard consists of beautiful old stables with big oak beams and doors. There’s nothing I love more than old farm buildings- they have such charm and character that you can never recreate with a brand new stable block. We also found a pretty little stream and a magnificent oak tree to use to our advantage.
All in all, a stunning shoot in a country location!
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