Horsey Folks: Wish us luck!

[michelen]

My husband and I have become horse show photographers.
Wish us luck!
If you want to see our work, check out www.nelsonpics.com
We don't have anything as nice as Terrie's photo, but we'll work on it

Best regards to all,
Michele

[terrie]

Hey!!! Long time no hear...hope you are doing well...

Love!!! the pic and caption on your "who we are page"...'-}}


A few suggestions for your website...

1. Don't assume that everyone knows where you are or where Vacaville is...put your state in on all your pages

2. On your "who we are" pages: assuming there are indeed 2 of you, who is the other person--name please

3. On your "who we are" pages: something like:

"We are located in xxx, xxx and shoot shows in xxx - xxx area. We will also come to your location to do a custom shoot".

Or something like that....

4. You also need more identification on your home page--who you are, where you shoot, etc.


>> We don't have anything as nice as Terrie's photo, but we'll work on it

Thank you very much...shooting shows doesn't often lend itself to "artistic" shots...'-}}

Hope the new business goes well...

Terrie

[michelen]

I haven't been around in a while. A lot going on. Like starting a business, for instance.

Thanks for the kind words, and also for the good advice. I will discuss your comments with my husband, Mark (the other person in the "Who We Are" photo) who is the web master.

We both shoot. We shoot raw files with Nikon D-70s. Mark does the initial batch processing (after we both do some ruthless editing). Then we do some cropping, straightening, etc. Then Mark creates the jpegs and gets the galleries up. When we get orders, I do the final retouching, color correction, etc. and create final files for the lab. Mark drops off and picks up things from the lab. I do the books. It seems to be working out so far.

As you can see, we've only done a few shows so far, but the response has been pretty good. We've already booked a couple of shows next season, including a 3-day affair in Santa Cruz.

I have a pretty demanding full-time job--these days I am Prepress Manager at Mac Publishing--so it's convenient that Mark doesn't have a job at the moment. We need to make enough money at this so he doesn't have to get one

One advantage that we have is that I showed horses for a long time, so I am familiar with what goes on at horse shows and, I thought, what kind of photos will sell. Interestingly, we've sold quite a few portait shots--Mark is better at those than I am. I think it's good that we have different styles. We've probably sold a few more of his shots than mine.

Thanks again for the advice and best wishes.

Regards,
Michele

[terrie]

michele: I will discuss your comments with my husband, Mark (the other person in the "Who We Are" photo) who is the web master.

I recently started a part-time job where I work with a lot of different websites and it drives me nuts when there is an assumption that people know where the site originates (so to speak)...'-}}


>>We both shoot. We shoot raw files with Nikon D-70s. Mark does the initial batch processing (after we both do some ruthless editing). Then we do some cropping, straightening, etc. Then Mark creates the jpegs and gets the galleries up. When we get orders, I do the final retouching, color correction, etc. and create final files for the lab.

You should put something like this on your website--not too techie but something like this is informative...


>>we've sold quite a few portait shots--Mark is better at those than I am. I think it's good that we have different styles. We've probably sold a few more of his shots than mine.

It's in this area that I think you will make the most $$$...there is a local equine photographer who is just fabulous--Janet Hitchen. Her website doesn't really do justice to the work of hers that I've seen in local equine pulications but this page will give you an idea...


>>Thanks again for the advice and best wishes.

You're welcome...keep us posted...

Terrie

[michelen]

Terrie,

Thanks for the info. I checked out Janet Hitchen's website--very, very nice stuff.

We've got another schooling show next Sunday. I think I might try some "artsy" stuff, just for fun. After all, in this digital world, "film" is cheap.

Regards,
Michele

[terrie]

michele: Thanks for the info.

You're welcome...


>>I checked out Janet Hitchen's website--very, very nice stuff.

Yeah...she has a wonderful eye...


>>We've got another schooling show next Sunday. I think I might try some "artsy" stuff, just for fun. After all, in this digital world, "film" is cheap.

LOL!! Indeed...I like taking shots from what might be considered odd or unusual angles...doesn't always work but sometimes you can get some really cool stuff...

Had an idea for your website...it might be useful to put up and example of a "standard" show shot (as it comes from the camera) and then an "after" shot showing what you guys do to make the shot special...

Did you get my reply to your email? If not, let me know and I'll send it again...

Terrie

[michelen]

Terrie,

Yes, I got your very informative e-mail, thanks a bunch. Mark is interested. Most web sites drive him crazy for various reasons, so he might be a good rater.

I like your idea of running the before and after shots. I'll run it by the webmaster.

There is a guy who shoots locally who is a "sports" photographer. He's got some of the shows we want. He doesn't know or care about horses. He doesn't edit anything; he just throws everything up on a web site and the customer is supposed to wade through hundreds of shots and then choose the crop they want through a rather laborious process. I found it slow and awkward with DSL, folks with dial-up haven't got a prayer.

I contacted the manager of one local summer series, and she is very interested in giving us a try. She was surprised that there were other options for show photography, and was impressed with our web site. This is hunters and jumpers up in the Oakland hills, about three miles from home. Nice gig if we can get it.

Michele

[terrie]

michele: Yes, I got your very informative e-mail, thanks a bunch.

You're most welcome...


>>Mark is interested. Most web sites drive him crazy for various reasons, so he might be a good rater.

Oh yeah...sounds like it...tell him to email me if he has questions...


>> There is a guy who shoots locally who is a "sports" photographer. He's got some of the shows we want. He doesn't know or care about horses. He doesn't edit anything;

See...there you go...you just need to market yourselves as knowledgeable horsepeople and given your description of how he works, you could (subtly) via your website design show how much more you offer than he does.

It's been a long time since I've shown (and I was an eventer so it's a bit different) but I know that shows hire official photographers. What I don't know is the etiquette (liability???) of just showing up and shooting and then passing out a business card or brochure to the riders you shoot. Could you do that?


>> I contacted the manager of one local summer series, and she is very interested in giving us a try. She was surprised that there were other options for show photography, and was impressed with our web site. This is hunters and jumpers up in the Oakland hills, about three miles from home. Nice gig if we can get it.

Very cool!!! I was just going to suggest that in addition to your website, I would think that doing up a brochure with before and after shots and sending that to the various show organizers might be useful too?

Another idea might be this cool idea in the last Before & After mag where they created a trifold business card (they call it a teeny-tiny brochure...it's (#0632 on their homepage)...

It was pretty slick but I don't know of anyone who actually sells the cardstock of the right size and it would probably be a real pita to do manually but it might be worth the effort...

Terrie

[michelen]

Terrie,

I am already working on a tri-fold brochure than I intend to mail out in January. And the idea is to emphasize that we specialize in equine photography--we know horses. The Bay Area Equestrian Network has a good website that is a gold mine of information and contacts, and they have an extensive event calendar. We are also running ads in a couple of club newsletters.

I also still have some contacts from my showing days. My old friend that we did the ranch shoot for has been extremely helpful. He breeds Shetland Ponies and Miiniature horses, is a national judge for several breeds, and does his best to promote us wherever he goes. If we get really lucky, we'll be in Tulsa next fall for the American Miniature Horse Association National Championships.

FWIW, when shows "hire" a photographer, they don't actually pay anything. Basically, they give us permission to come and shoot their show. We set up a little table with a display board of some of our best photos, a portfolio with more photos if someone is really interested, business cards, and order forms. The announcer gives us several plugs throughout the day. But we are shooting on spec--we don't get paid for showing up, we make our money on the prints we sell.

We are fortunate that we found a really good lab that is giving us a nice professional discount on our prints. The unfortunate part is that the Scharffenberger Chocolate Factory is halfway between home and the lab.

Michele

[terrie]

michele: I am already working on a tri-fold brochure than I intend to mail out in January. And the idea is to emphasize that we specialize in equine photography--we know horses.

I figured you were doing that but wanted to make sure...'-}}


>> The Bay Area Equestrian Network has a good website that is a gold mine of information and contacts, and they have an extensive event calendar. We are also running ads in a couple of club newsletters.

I know of them but living in VA, I've never had occasion to actually visit their website...good to know they have a lot of good info...


>> If we get really lucky, we'll be in Tulsa next fall for the American Miniature Horse Association National Championships.

Way cool! I'm keeping my fingers crossed...'-}}


>>FWIW, when shows "hire" a photographer, they don't actually pay anything. Basically, they give us permission to come and shoot their show.

I figured that what I didn't know is what would happen if you just showed up at a show ('-}}) and while not setting up a table or anything, just shot and gave out bus cards to the people you'd taken shots of. Would the show organizers be unhappy with you?

Hunter/Jumper shows have always struck me as stricter about that sort of thing than one would find at horse trials/3-day events perhaps because the H/J shows all take place in set rings vs. how spread out a horse trial is...


>>But we are shooting on spec--we don't get paid for showing up, we make our money on the prints we sell.

Right...I think most show probably work that way...


>>We are fortunate that we found a really good lab that is giving us a nice professional discount on our prints.

I was wondering about that...


>>The unfortunate part is that the Scharffenberger Chocolate Factory is halfway between home and the lab.

ROFL!!!

Keep me posted!

Terrie