December Q&A 2018
Q: How did you get into photography?
A: I began my photography journey after receiving my first horse, Banjo, at only 12 years old! I didn’t do it professionally for quite some time but that horse inspired me to take endless photos of him throughout the years. I then began doing a few photos for friends of mine who wanted their horse’s personality captured. After that I progressed to charging for a few rounds at horse shows before realizing that this could actually bring in some income for me. After a few years of messing around I created two styled shoots of girls and their horses to kickstart a portfolio and began offering portrait sessions. It wasn’t long before I dived into families, senior portraits, engagements, and finally weddings! Now I primarily work in the engagement, wedding, and equestrian industries. I’m always open to any type of session and still take on those senior portraits, familiar, maternity, and even events on the occasion!
Q: What has been your favorite shoot this year?
A: This is such a difficult question! I’ve had so many amazing subjects this year and of course I’m always torn between my weddings and equestrian shoots. Instead of writing out about my most favorite session, here a few photos that I’ve loved from 2018!
Q: What programs do you use for editing your images?
A: Lightroom and Photoshop, however I primarily work in Lightroom
Q: Are you hosting any workshops/styled shoots next year?
A: You bet I am! 2019 brings an entirely new side to my business that I will be gearing towards photographers. In the past I have held a few small workshops here and there but this year we are teaming up with multiple vendors to bring you and amazing shooting experience! Mentorships, as well as various photography tools, are also becoming available. A new section For Photographers is coming to the website and will be launched sometime around the new year! I’m so so excited to be connecting with more photographers over this next year and hope that I can encourage them to continue following their dreams and growing in the areas of their business they hope to.
Q: Do you have any advice for getting a horse’s attention during a session?
A: Each and every horse is so different! There are a few tricks I have up my sleeve for capturing their attention, but keep in mind that you might have to change things up depending on their personality. I usually carry some peppermints in my bag to help distract, as well as my car keys! Believe it or not the keys can really grab their attention. I have to say my all time favorite way of getting a horse’s attention would be through the All Ears Selfie app! You can download the app on your smartphone for a small fee and use the various horse noises to initiate a response from the horse you’re working with. Having an assistant with you to use the phone, or these treats, is always super helpful and I find way easier; however if you’re in a bind I find these things work even when working solo!
Q: What camera do you use and what is your favorite part about it?
A: I just began working with the Canon 5D Mark IV! I’m absolutely in love with everything!! If I had to choose a favorite feature though it would be the WiFi connection. It’s so cool having the ability to send images directly to your phone before even downloading to a computer! Another fun feature is the touch to focus. This comes in handy when I’m trying to get my focus just right on all those small wedding details.
Q: I’m working my first wedding in 2019 and nervous about shooting on my own. Do you have any tips for a lead wedding photog?
A: Don’t be nervous! I learned very quickly that going into a wedding with high nerves never produced the best work. I began thinking of weddings as portrait sessions and it actually helped me relax quite a bit. Now I totally understand that weddings are huge for people, so if you really are nervous I recommend second shooting and assisting on plenty of weddings before heading into your first one solo. The experience you get from watching and working with other photographers is priceless. I can honestly say working with so many other professionals really gave me the confidence to handle weddings on my own easily.
Q: What type of presets do you use when editing?
A: I’ve used VSCO presets in the past that I have tweaked to my liking. Although I primarily have created my own presets and been using those for quite some time!
Q: Do you have any travel plans for 2019? If so what determines where you will be going?
A: I absolutely do! So far I will be traveling to Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, and Northern California! Lucky for me I can travel just about anywhere. I have family that works in the airline industry so my flights are usually free which is a huge benefit. If you are interested in having me come to you just reach out and I can start advertising a trip for your area!
