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What does it take to craft a solid equine photography business?

Getting your business foundations right is essential if you want a thriving equine photography business.  We believe in equipping our delegates with the essential business foundations necessary for a successful career. This is why on our first 2 online days (11th...

Building your best portfolio

The presentation of your images is one of the most important things you can spend time getting absolutely perfect.  When a prospective client comes across your website, one of the first things they will do is look at your portfolio. They will have a rough idea in...

How to add equine fine art to your portfolio

Many people feel quite intimidated by fine art photography, thinking it is something not many people can do and is outside of their reach.  The best definition we can find of fine art photography is the following: "Fine art photography is a style of photography...
Kate and Michael, April 2018

Kate and Michael, April 2018

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!

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Lauren and Phillip, April 2018.

Lauren and Phillip, April 2018.

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...

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Putting the right people in the right job

Putting the right people in the right job

Branding - we made a mistake! 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...

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Fay and Bengal, November 2018

Fay and Bengal, November 2018

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...

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Emily and Sue, April 2018

Emily and Sue, April 2018

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...

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Laura, Cecil and Daisy, October 2018

Laura, Cecil and Daisy, October 2018

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...

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Emily and Steph, October 2018

Emily and Steph, October 2018

This was the MOST fun! Arranging to take 2 girls and their ponies down to the beach for a sunrise shoot with our delegates was the best idea for a shoot on location. What an awesome morning we had. Emily, her pony Smudge and her Golden Retriever Murphy, were joined by good friend Steph and her two ponies Isshe and Mole. We got down to Avon Beach in Dorset at 7am. It was the most beautiful morning- clear and fresh, with the low sun casting the most stunning light on the quiet beach. The girls...

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Sarah and Family, May 2018

Sarah and Family, May 2018

This was a real family affair- two sisters, two daughters, a grandchild, 4 horses and numerous dogs, to be precise! The delegates were lucky enough to get down to business and practice photographing multiple owners and horses together at once. This is a real skill, and a scenario that scares the life out of most equine photographers! The beauty of this situation is that Hannah and I are present to guide our delegates through the processes of shooting this many horses, enabling them to go on...

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Willow and Tess, March 2018

Willow and Tess, March 2018

Theses two sisters modelled for us back in March earlier this year. These lovely girls brought their two ponies- Frosty and Ben, to allow our delegates time to practice photographing two people and their ponies together, but also individually. We were able to use the Woodland just outside the front door of The Training Barn, here in Burley, The New Forest. This wood is so beautiful- the ancient old beech trees make such an interesting, textured backdrop for capturing gorgeous images.  The...

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Maria and Corle, September 2018

Maria and Corle, September 2018

We were so lucky with the weather this Autumn- September still felt like Summer! We spent a lovely warm morning with Maria and her stunning dressage horse, Corle, at her yard at home in Sway, The New Forest. Maria often models for us- and has done since she was young! She is always up for helping us out, and the delegates are always spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting their final images. We found the most amazing blue storage container to use as a backdrop- to most, a bit of an...

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Helena, September 2018

Helena, September 2018

We enlisted the help of Helena, our awesome friend who has worked for Emily since she was 16! She is now off training to be an equine physiotherapist- but she can't get away from us that easily! She regularly rides this cute New Forest pony, Frosty, in her spare time. Our delegates had a really great shoot- let's just say Frosty wasn't feeling it, and was rather tricky! He didn't want to stand still for more than 2 seconds, which made it great practice for our delegates when presented with...

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Sarah Kate Coward, June 2018

Sarah Kate Coward, June 2018

Phew- hot doesn't even quite cover it! This shoot was arranged on one of the hottest days of our Indian Summer we experienced this year- but hey, no pain no gain! As a photographer, you have to be ready for the job, come rain or shine, sweltering sun or snow! We arranged this shoot for our delegate who was on a one-to-one shoot with Emily, who had also been on our recent three-day course, to Sarah Kate's gorgeous property in the Hampshire countryside. We were spoilt for choice for dreamy...

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Fay and Maria, May 2018

Fay and Maria, May 2018

Fay and Maria are always keen to model for us here at The Training Barn. They are fab subjects to photograph as they have a great relationship which comes across really well. Having 2 models at one shoot allows our delegates to practice posing the pair together, and individually also. Fay had some new additions to her horsey gang- a new Irish pony that loved jumping, and an enormous dressage horse- some new projects to keep her hands full! They were both a dream to photograph- and how...

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Top 5 things I use for my equine photography business

Top 5 things I use for my equine photography business

  Database and management software I use Lightblue for storing clients’ details and organising photo shoots. This is where I create leads, booked clients, shoots, workflows, invoicing, ordering and any follow ups.   I have tried many different databases and CRM’s in the past and although Lightblue isn’t the prettiest, it’s the most efficient and very easy to use. It does what it says on the tin.     70-200mm lens. This may surprise some people but I use 1 lens for 99% of my...

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A week in the Life of Emily Hancock

A week in the Life of Emily Hancock

  My life, you could say, somewhat changed following the addition of my two beautiful bundles of joy. I am no longer 100% focused on me and my business working; no longer working 60 hr weeks. So you won’t be surprised to read that my working day is frankly no more than a quick sprint.  Hear goes the week in the Life of Emily (I think I am going to surprise myself…)     Monday 8.00 Drop Kids at School 9.00 Meeting with Stuart and Hannah – Strategy brainstorm 12.00 Working lunch...

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My Modelling Experience with the Training Barn

My Modelling Experience with the Training Barn

I recently volunteered to model for the Training Barn on an equine photo shoot. They had a group of 6 friendly photographers who were keen to hone their photography skills, using my pony and I as their subject!   It was an exciting morning. I was up at the crack of dawn- apparently this time of day hosts the best light! It was the morning after the first lot of rain we’d had in weeks- my grey pony had made the most of this and was completely black- An emergency bath was in order!  ...

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What does your portfolio say about you?

What does your portfolio say about you?

By Hannah Freeland We all know that the first thing a potential client wants to see is our portfolio of work, but what are they looking for?   Who have we previously photographed? What type of feeling comes across in the image? What does a typical client look like for the photographer? What type of yard do they photograph at? Are they an expert? Are they horsey and understand when a horse looks good? Have they worked with anyone famous?   And many many more, but the point is –...

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Why I love Ashley Longshore Art 

Why I love Ashley Longshore Art 

  I have followed Ashley Longshore for some time now. I was told about her by one of my business mentors, who said she sells her work on Instagram- and it literally sells out in minutes. I’m not talking one piece being sold. I’m talking, like, hundreds of pieces being sold within minutes of her posting “the shop is open”.     I got sucked in left right and centre- this lady is the most incredible, insanely...

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My earliest photography memory

My earliest photography memory

By Hannah Freeland I was recently asked about how photography entered my life. I had to really think about this as there was no ‘lightbulb’ moment.   When I was about 6-7 I borrowed my father’s film cameras and started photographing objects around the house and garden.   I remember picking a single rose from the garden, bringing it into the house, finding my mum’s cut crystal vase and setting up the rose and vase onto the dresser for the oak back drop. I had no idea why I was doing...

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Why I used to charge £90 for a whole shoot, and I’m not even sad about it. 

Why I used to charge £90 for a whole shoot, and I’m not even sad about it. 

By Hannah Freeland   Back in 2006 I owned and ran my own website and graphic design company.     I set it up, trained myself in running a business and hired a team to support me as I walked through the trenches.     I worked with wonderful clients on exciting projects and managed to travel to inspiring places around the UK.       While I was working alongside these clients I would offer my ‘Photography’ skills on the side. We would be building a website for a vet client and I would...

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20 Facts about Me 

20 Facts about Me 

 By Hannah Freeland   I have loved and ridden horses since I was 2 I have 3 sisters, of which I am the eldest, and they are my best friends I am useless at Cross Country- I'm just not brave enough! I didn’t know being a full time equine photographer was a job or business until 12 years ago I believe furniture should be moved frequently for a clear mind and because my Mum does it I swapped from Canon to Nikon a year ago I have a trusted team around me who help support and run things with...

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20 things you might not know about me

20 things you might not know about me

By Emily Hancock I am a book worm – you will always find me reading when I have 5 minutes I play the piano and sing I play the Ukulele (loosely speaking...!) I can ski and snowboard I’m OBSESSED with stationary I have a huge stamp collection- over a decades-worth, in fact! I have a very large family- at my wedding my immediate family took up 60 seats! I am a dog person I have owned horses all my life I competed in Dressage competitions up to Advanced level I took 2 gap years and travelled the...

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What’s in my photography kit bag?

What’s in my photography kit bag?

By Hannah Freeland    I am sure my Peli 1510 case is unlike most with what is inside…    This is because in the last year I actually took a leap from Canon to Nikon.     Unlike others who have done this, I didn’t sell my Canon kit. So currently in my case is:    Nikon 850d  Nikon 70-200mm Lens  Canon 5d Mark III with battery grip  Canon 70-200mm Lens  Canon 50mm prime lens  Card Readers  2 x Peli card cases  Spare batteries for both camera bodies    That’s it!     I don’t need to have other...

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When your client flies a Zulu tribe to the UK for their daughter’s 21st Birthday Party and you majorly F***k up! 

By Hannah Freeland   I’m not going to lie to you, this still hurts. I was commissioned at age 17 having been recommended by another photographer friend to photograph a 21st birthday party. I jumped at the chance as this was going to be one of my first “big” paid jobs I had done. Sharp and keen, I jumped in with two feet and was confident that I could produce a nice set of images from the party. I was promised £500 to do the...

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The day a £500 party turned into a deposit for a house!

  By Emily Hancock   I wanted to share with you a rather exciting little event that happened over 10 years ago, and kick started the photography business I went on to create.   I was a recommended supplier (back in the days where I photographed weddings) at a very nice 5-star hotel. One day I received a phone call from the wedding coordinator. She said they had a regular client who would be hosting his 80th birthday party at the venue and wanted a photographer for a couple of...

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3 Personality traits I’m proud of

3 Personality traits I’m proud of

  By Hannah Freeland. My connection with horses.   This has been the case since I was 2 years old. I am very quiet and calm around horses. I like to get to know them, their character and personality.   This next bit happens fairly frequently… I’ll be chatting to the owner of the horse on a shoot, and they comment that their horse isn’t normally as settled with new people as they are with me. I remember a few years ago that I was chatting with an owner whilst her lovely horse...

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5 Must-Dos for your Equine Photography Business

5 Must-Dos for your Equine Photography Business

We’re sure you scroll through Facebook and Instagram on a daily basis and come across posts that say stuff like “increase your income by 100%” or “work a 1-hour week and still earn a full-time rate” ... Some of these are genuine, achievable claims, and some are, well… just not! It can be a little loud, daunting and confusing in the online world. So, we wanted to take this blog ‘Back to Basics’. We know full well that this may sound a little boring, and you may feel like you have exhausted all...

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Establishing your ideal client

Establishing your ideal client

By Hannah Freeland   Let’s talk about what we mean by 'ideal client' This is the ONE client we all hope knocks on our door, calls us in the studio or pings us an email saying, "I have seen your work and cannot wait to get a photo shoot booked in with you, when is your next free date?"  This client will be educated in the way you work and see value in the finished product.   So, who is going to educate them…?    YOU    First of all, we need to establish who your ideal client is. We want...

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10 ways to grow your database list

10 ways to grow your database list

First thing's first- add a sign up form to your website – for those random people who come across your website and want to follow your journey. This is super easy to do- just google it if you're unsure!   Offer a complimentary gift to sign up. i.e you may like to give a gift of your image of the month as a screen saver (might be a nice landscape or fine art picture of a horse).   Be consistent with your social media posting, and remember to drive people to your website. Make sure you...

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The Business of Equine Photography 3 day course is nearly here!

The Business of Equine Photography 3 day course is nearly here!

  We only have a couple of spaces left on this wonderful course so if you are hesitating, but would hate to miss out give us a call to discuss any questions you may have. If you haven't seen this course before, let us show you some highlights over the 3 days we have together in the Newforest... 3 Photo Shoots in 3 different locations. While we hand hold our delegates on these shoots, we also push them to get creative and produce images they thought they never could. No pressure shoots,...

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Are you a product collector?

Are you a product collector?

 By Hannah Freeland I’m going to paint you a picture, and I want you to admit if this is you.   You’ve been to SWPP, you picked up all of the brochures on anything that took your fancy, you watched demonstrations of software, cameras, lenses and gizmos. You spoke to lots of trade stands about their frames or albums, while they tell you how amazing their product is and that you can get 75% off if you purchase in the next 3 minutes (ok, that’s an exaggeration, but you get it). You were...

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What’s in store for our exclusive 3 day course?

What’s in store for our exclusive 3 day course?

We couldn't be happier to announce that we have opened up the course dates for the much sought after Business of Equine Photography course! This 3 day intensive course will be held on 11th-13th September 2018 at the Training Barn studio in Burley, Hampshire. Not heard about this course yet? Want more info? Keep reading... Do you have these questions running through your head?   "I want to make money from my photography business, but I don't know how" "I feel like I have so much un-tapped...

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An average week for HFP

An average week for HFP

By Hannah Freeland    I thought you guys might get a good kick out of seeing an average week for me?   I have left out the numerous phone calls and 10-minute jobs, but this should give you an insight to what a week looks like at Hannah Freeland Photography HQ!     This was the first week of June 2018:-  Monday   8.30am - Call with new client - who booked  9.00am - Facetime with Emily for morning catch up & plan for the week  10am- Pack welcome packs  10.30am - Set up new CRM for Training...

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Shoot and Shadow Course – January 2018

Shoot and Shadow Course – January 2018

Last week I ran the January Shoot and Shadow Course in Buckinghamshire. I met 5 wonderful photographers and had a blast photographing our TOP MODEL Rob Waine Dressage at his lovely yard. Thank you to Rob for his excellent modeling (along with Cici and Naz) and for your hospitality. It was a super fresh (some might say chilly) morning, but, luckily we had coffee and biscuits on hand. We had 5 delegates on this course. We started with a quick getting to know you, and finding out who we are,...

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New year, new you!

New year, new you!

  It's a brand new year, and it is VITAL that you set yourself goals, so that everything you do actually has a purpose, and doesn't just happen by chance. Yes, be sure to you push yourself- but set goals that are achievable! Your business Set realistic goals for where you see yourself by the end of 2018. What clients would you like to target? What new locations have been on your mind for the past few months that you're dying to shoot at. How can you develop your business that makes you...

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Hello from Hannah Freeland

Hello from Hannah Freeland

Hello all you lovely current and future trainees. I would like to introduce myself. You will see on the About Us page that there is a new addition to the Training Barn... ME! Emily asked me if I would like to join her and come on board as a associated trainer. Of course, I jumped at this opportunity as I have so much experience and advice to share and secondly, because I run a successful equine photography business. I have created my business from nothing and have some interesting and...

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Having a trade stand on a budget

To continue on 'marketing to our ideal client', you should now have your best clients bio created. If you missed the last blog post about creating this, click here. Now that we know who our ideal client is we need to be able to speak and connect with them. We have so many avenues to connect to our potential clients, here are my top 5: Trade stands Social Media including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter Collaborations with livery yards and tack shops Client referrals Newsletters Trade Stands - I...

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Identifying your ideal client

Hi there, Hannah here! When you are creating a marketing plan for your photography business you need to know who you are talking to. Its a good idea to create a bio of your ideal client. What do I mean by ideal client? This is the one client we all hope calls us in the studio and says "I have seen your work, looked at your website and cannot wait to get a photo shoot booked in with you, when is your next free date?" Here are my top tips for creating your Ideal Client Bio. Give them a name....

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Online Marketing

Hi there, Hannah here from the Training Barn. I have created this short video on online marketing. I talk briefly about how I create my monthly content and organsie the constant connection with potential clients.   If you would like information on training with me at the Training Barn please email info@trainingbarn.co.uk

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Taking Time Out

Taking Time Out

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Organizing Your Life

Organizing Your Life

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Finding Inspiration

Finding Inspiration

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Your Business Content Plan

Your Business Content Plan

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Building Your List

Building Your List

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Autumn is here!

Autumn is here!

I love the autumn time. The smell and colour of the leaves makes me so happy, and from a photography point of view, you literally can’t beat the bright, golden-yellow back drop of the Autumn woodland for a seasonal equine photo shoot!

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10 Top Tips on training with Emily

10 Top Tips on training with Emily

Equine photographer Leslie Bliss has worked and trained with Emily for a few years now. She has kindly written her top 10 tips on how to get the most from training with Emily, as well as her experiences working in the competitive equine photography industry..

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Why train with The Training Barn?

Why train with The Training Barn?

One of the Training Barn graduates has kindly written a little blog post about her experiences of working with Emily at the Training Barn. The most important thing in life is to actually enjoy what you do! Read Esther’s story below to see how training with Emily changed her outlook on photography…

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Essentials of Marketing: Tips for Photographers

Essentials of Marketing: Tips for Photographers

As a new equine photographer, marketing your photography business may be a hard task- it can become very frustrating since it seems like nobody approaches you. When people think about marketing, they immediately assume they need to have a big budget or a lot of time in order to see any results. This isn’t true; however, you do need to be creative so that potential customers will choose your services over someone else’s.

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Photography Business: Leveraging the Visual in Your Marketing

Even if you’re already using Social Media, especially Instagram, to show your photos, you may not be seeing the results you were expecting.

Since Instagram is a visual social media network that only allows people to share images or small videos, you might be facing a lot of competition. However, there’s always a solution. Better yet, there are always several solutions that can make your Instagram account shine.

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Creative Careers: Building a Career as a Photographer

Creative Careers: Building a Career as a Photographer

If you’re just starting to build your career as an equine photographer, you may find things don’t go to plan and that you make a few mistakes- it’s just the way things are with all small businesses, so don’t panic! I have compiled a list of top tips that can help you develop your successful equine photography business.

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Choosing a career: how to retrain as a photographer

Choosing a career: how to retrain as a photographer

With all the technology that is around us, you can see most people taking photographs, editing and uploading them via social media. So, people tend to assume being an equine photographer should be easy. However, making a living from being an equine photographer is completely different. You don’t just take a photo, add a filter and make an instant profit!

Here’s some info and tips you should know about how to effectively retrain as a successful UK equine photographer:

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The Training Barn Story: Who We Are, What We Do and Why

The Training Barn Story: Who We Are, What We Do and Why

Photographers don’t often think about the importance of promoting themselves when they’re choosing a career. Most people entering the photography business believe their images will speak for themselves, and – while this is true to some extent – it’s also true creative careers require work behind the scenes. Meaning, everyone who runs any type of business must earn clients.

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Equine Portfolio Building and Sales Day – Group Training

Equine Portfolio Building and Sales Day – Group Training

I had a fabulous day with 5 photographers in my Equine Portfolio Building Sales Day Group Training course.

Our wonderful day started with the sun joining us for our morning shoot. Mitch Asher from the New Forest joined us with her beautiful chestnut horse, Zara. Both were fantastic models.

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The Essential Resources for the Equestrian Photographer

The Essential Resources for the Equestrian Photographer

When choosing my career, I did not realise how much difference there would be between the types of photography we can do and the types of resources we need to complete a session. I certainly learned that the preparation for an equine photography shoot can be a bit different for other types of photography sessions.

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“Mentor Me” Equine Photography Programme – Kate Alford

“Mentor Me” Equine Photography Programme – Kate Alford

Last September Kate Alford signed up for the basic photography one day course. Her initial intention was to learn how to use her camera.

She decided after the course to continue working with me and signed up for the 3 day equine course. Kate felt both courses covered everything she needed and the content was incredible and a great source of information. She wanted to ensure she did not get distracted by the daily slog as a mother of three children. Kate wanted to push herself forward towards her dream job, so she joined my “mentor me” programme

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