You’ve probably seen a lot of horse and rider portraits floating around platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. They’re great ways to commemorate the relationship between people and their horses.
Who wouldn’t love a nice picture of sweet moment between their kid and pony? Something to remember old Sparkles by when you grow old and she’s long gone? What about marking milestones like high school or college graduation alongside your favorite steed?
No wonder portraits are so popular!
Horse and rider portraits are also a great way for newer photographers to dip their toes into the world of equine photography. Plus, portraits can be a solid source of income for established photographers.
Bonus: More riders are willing to spend money on photos of themselves or their family with a horse than a horse alone.
Portraits (Horse Only)
If you dream of taking stunning black background (or nature background) portraits, you’ll find a lot of joy in horse-only portrait photography.
Horse-only portraits are a great addition to horse-and-rider or sales photo shoots. Otherwise, your client pool for horse-only pictures may become too small.
There’s also a budding market for holiday “mini photo shoots” these days!
Make a wreath to hang around horses’ necks and schedule a bunch of Christmas photos!
Or, consider offering some cute pregnancy sessions for expecting mares :)
Action (Events, Shows, Vacations)
There’s a wide range of action-related photography events, but the defining feature is these images capture horses (and often riders) at work or play together.
Among action photography, riding competitions are most common.
Equine show photography is challenging, but it can also be a lot of fun.
The hours are long and grueling, and you’re exposed to all sorts of weather conditions. At the end of the day, though, you’ll have some EPIC photos.
(Just be sure to wear comfortable boots and watch where you’re walking!)
Pro Tip: Hire a second photographer to help you if there is more than one arena or class going at the same time. Otherwise, you’ll be leaving a lot of people out.
Also, many people don’t want to buy another version of the same-old, same-old photo they got at the last 10 shows they attended. Taking pictures of the champions or kids at their first shows may be a better use of your time than general photos.
You can also consider marketing yourself to individual riders or organizations that pre-pay for photos. Just be sure to contact the show organizers beforehand to make sure there are no photographers already working the event.
Promotional (Sale, Stud)
Everyone who deals with buying and selling horses, or even simply adopting them out, knows that a quality picture can attract the attention you want. Professional sales or stud photos can accentuate a horse’s best qualities, while a poor picture can make even a gorgeous animal appear less attractive.
Pro Tip: Promotional photos are often breed specific, so make sure to familiarize yourself with the types of pictures expected.
Fine Art (Close-Ups, Wild Horses, Rare Breeds)
This category is more challenging from a financial standpoint, but it can be a great palate cleanser after dealing with some frustrating clients or getting into a creative rut.
A trip out west to photograph wild mustangs can be enchanting, but not many people are going to buy those pictures.
Over time, though, fine art photography can produce passive income if you sell them on a site like Shutterstock or iStock. Don’t rule it out!
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