A Day in the Life of an Equestrian Photographer
Updated: Apr 19
Following along for a day-in-my-life as a fine art equine photographer.
One of my favorite aspects of this career is that each and every day is so different. I also love the flexibility that this career offers. My busiest season is spring, I slow down for the hot Texas summer, the workload picks up steam in the fall, and then I have a slower winter.
The rhythm of this seasonal workflow ensures that I don’t get burnt out and it leaves me hungry for more!
Here is what a typical shoot day looks like for me:
5:45 AM: my alarm goes off, but I’m snoozing it.
6:05 AM: I’ll get out of bed and make either my coffee (if I’m especially tired) or matcha latte (if I’m feeling pretty good) and immediately start reading my Bible-in-a-year reading plan.
6:32 AM: it is time to start getting my daughter ready for Kindergarten. I set out her clothes, pack her a lunch, and prepare breakfast.
7:24 AM: My husband and I head off to drop our daughter at school, and then go on to the barn.
8:17 AM: I’m on the back of my favorite horse in the world, a palomino gelding named Mojo. Most days I choose to ride him in my Thinline care pack pad, but today we put on a western saddle to practice some ranch riding.
Mojo is my husband’s team roping horse, but we share him so that I can enjoy some low key horseback time.
9:05 AM: Mojo will get a rinse, a quick hand graze session, and I’ll head back home.
10:13 AM: time to dive into emails, refresh my accounting software, and send out any questionnaires, contracts, and/or invoices to clients.
11:06 AM: I can start heading through my editing queue, usually eating my lunch at my desk. I like to multi-task while editing so sometimes I’m bounding around through emails as I edit, or I am watching TV shows in the background.
1:25 PM: I need a break from sitting at my desk, so I’ll usually go through a Peloton yoga or pilates exercise mid-day.
2:04 PM: back to editing until it is time for Kindergarten pick-up.
2:55 PM: I’m heading to the school to pick up my daughter. When we get home it is snack-time and then we usually work on crafts (her favorite is drawing).
4:30 PM: it is time to pack up for my photo session. I’ll set all of my cameras in the car, pack a big ice water and some snacks, and check about 18 times that my camera is in the car and that it turns on.
5:15 PM: I set off to the shoot location, singing along to a Spotify playlist full of my favorite worship music. I spend most of the drive praying over the session: for safety, for God’s presence, for my client, and for my health.
6:02 PM: I arrive on set and begin scouting the barn and pastures. I spend about thirty minutes chatting with my clients, meeting the horses, reviewing outfits they brought, and generating a game plan for the evening.
6:30 PM: the real work begins! It is hot out, so we begin in the shade of the barn aisle before venturing into a pasture to seek shade from the mature oak trees.
7:37 PM: we are several outfits in, any stiffness has melted away, the sun dips down into golden hour, and we are lost in laughter and great conversation!
8:22 PM: we wrap up the shoot, say our goodbyes and offer some big hugs. I’m on cloud 9 all the way home, reflecting back through my favorite parts of the shoot and savoring each sweet second we got to spend together.
9:16 PM: is a quick shower to get off the bug spray, sun screen, and dirt layers, and then I make some chamomile tea and set off to bed.
Photos by Kirstie Marie Photography
Article submitted by Kirstie Marie Jones
Kirstie Marie is an award-winning equine photographer located in Aubrey, Texas.
Her style is characterized by revealing the most beautiful elements of each girl and her horse in sun-soaked, distinctive photos to be treasured for generations to come.
To schedule a session with Kirstie go to kirstiemarie.com
To learn how to grow your photography business go to kmplearn.com
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