What does a professional show photographer look for when photographing?
Any person with a camera can say they are a photographer and go take pictures at a horse show. The difference is the outcome. When photographing a horse show a professional specifically look for correct timing, tilt, and frame. Timing, the "peak of action," specifically when the horse's far front leg is extended highest and its knees are at their apex. Frame, the tilt and timing all in the center of the frame. Tilt, the horse should look as though it is trotting uphill. This is where you will be able to differentiate a professional horse show photographer from an amateur... you'd be surprised how many you may catch in the future after finding this out.
Why do professional show photographers charge so much for one photo?
It's simple most show photographers operate on commission. Basically, this means we rely solely on image sales to cover the costs. Horse shows do not pay photographers. I photograph every rider at a show hoping they will buy, which means taking thousands of photos but only selling a small percentage which causes the price of images to go up. Do you ever wonder why at a show there may be a different photographer who didn't return from the previous year? It's because they didn't make enough profit to justify coming back or they lost money by coming to the show.
My overall pricing is justified by the hidden costs of running a business, including insurance, travel expenses, storage, web hosting fees for viewing galleries, editing software, and equipment maintenance. As well as, capturing fast-moving horses requires professional-grade camera bodies and long, high-aperture telephoto lenses. This gear often costs thousands. (What I'm saying is if every rider at a show bought an image then I could lower my prices A LOT). It is very important I recover expenses and make a living to continue offering the services I do. I deeply appreciate all the customers who support me and purchase photos!
Can I get expedited shipping for my prints?
Yes you can! If you need those prints faster than standard shipping time add it in the notes of your order or contact me directly. All you will need to do is pay the invoice I send to you that covers the difference in expedited shipping to standard.
Why is there an obnoxious water mark on show proofs?
If I don't put a big obnoxious water mark people can screenshot and steal the image. You are taking money from us when you steal. If you steal an image through screenshotting or sharing without purchasing, and you do not remove it from the media when asked you are subject to an invoice. If it is not paid within 30 days, you will be blacklisted from my services and I will not photograph you in future shows. I personally don’t mind if you share the image with a family member to ask about purchasing, but you will not be posting screenshotted images online without purchasing them. It’s always best to ask your photographer if you have questions or concerns.
what printing service do you recommend?
if you do not order your prints through me I will always recommend MPIX.
What is included in a purchased image?
All purchased images will be straightened, cropped, color corrected, have brightness adjusted, visible manure on the ground removed, etc. Additional editing such as ear fixes, background replacement, and others are also available for purchase.
Why do show proofs look like that?
Show proofs do not fully represent what your finished image will look like. In order to get all your proofs available to you quickly at a horse show they are uploaded at a low quality compressed file.What is the difference between Web images and High resolution images?
Web/social media-sized images are for personal use only. You don’t have to tag your photographer, although it is very much appreciated. These can be shared with family members and posted on social media. It makes us happy to see you buy our photos and use them as profile pictures! Never try to print a web-sized image. Not only is this illegal because you didn't purchase the copyright, but if you print a 1 MB image as an 8x10, it will look fuzzy and pixelated because there isn't enough pixel data to make a high-quality physical copy.
High resolution Files give you free use to the image for life. it is a large, highly detailed uncompressed file intended for making physical prints, enlargements, or canvases without quality loss including publication magazines. Basically, you can use a high resolution file for whatever you want!