Putting Your Concerns At Bay

Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have seen a questionnaire I shared a couple of weeks ago; some of you may have even taken part. One of the key questions I shared was “do you have any concerns about having a photo shoot?” and I must say there was a phenomenal response, so this got me inspired to write a blog post! You can either read through the whole blog or just go to those highlighted options that you feel apply to your concerns.

anxiety in front of the camera

One of the most common concerns was anxiety in front of a camera. This is something which comes up so frequently and understandably can put you off having a photo shoot. Over the 6 years that I have been doing photo shoots, I have worked with so many people in this position and there are a couple of things which may help here.

1. Every photo shoot I do is so relaxed, there is absolutely no pressure and no need to stand in front of the camera for 30 minutes straight, going between poses in a rushed manner it just isn’t my style (hence why most of the photo shoots I do take about 2 hours). I much prefer the fun relaxed environment, whereby we have a chat so that you and your horse get to know me, meaning both of you feel at ease. I will also talk through what we are going to do, so that you feel prepared. Having done this I will take a selection of photos, either of you and your horse having a natural impromptu moment or if you need some instruction from me, we can create a more posed shot. Having done this for a couple of minutes, we will move on to another location and repeat the same.
2. One of the most important things is that you feel like yourself and the best way to achieve this is through the outfit you choose. If you feel that the ballgown style isn’t for you, that is absolutely fine! I have included a variety of outfit styles in my portfolio, so have a look through and see which one speaks to you. Maybe you feel happier in a pair of jeans and a nice shirt? Through being yourself you will feel so much more confident, bringing out a lovely natural smile and that will speak volumes when you look back through your photos.
3. Being in a familiar space is proven to make you feel more relaxed. Being at the yard with your horse where you have fun on a daily basis has to be the best place for this! If you have dreams of doing one of my photo shoot days on the beach or in a flower field and you feel happy doing so, then go for it! if you’re a little nervous about this, maybe book a shoot at your yard first so that you can get to know me and see how relaxed my shoots are, which will make you more confident when planning a shoot away from home.
4. Having a photo shoot is all about celebrating a relationship with your horse, so that you can treasure the images forever. When you’re in the moment with your horse, you will almost forget that I am there, which is when my favourite images like the one below are captured.
5. Is there something you’re specifically concerned about? I have worked with clients who have been concerned about a range of things, so if this applies to you, please get in touch and I can talk you through it before you need to make any commitment to booking. It’s so important to know that you’re absolutely not alone in worrying about these things and I am here to help.
6. I am available for horse only photo shoots! If you really don’t want to be in the photos, that is absolutely fine! I have done numerous photo shoots with horses only and there is so much we can do for this, so if you would prefer what I call the “wild and wonderful” style, we can absolutely do that.

the price

As a full time professional photographer who has invested in my skill, training and high end equipment, my shoot fee is £395, however there are a number of things that you can do if this sounds out of your budget.

1. I travel all over the UK for photo shoots, but if you’re In Yorkshire, Kent, Scotland or somewhere of a similar distance, those travel charges add up, so why not advertise to others who may be interested on your yard and the surrounding areas, so that the travel costs can be split between you?
2. Is Christmas, your birthday or another special occasion coming up? why not ask for a voucher, either as a contribution towards your photo shoot (I can do any value over £25) or there is of course the option to purchase a full photo shoot gift voucher.
3. Save the pennies. If a photo shoot is what your heart desires, work towards treating yourself. You could message me now to get a photo shoot scheduled for Autumn 2021 (lets say the 5th November) that’s 45 weeks away. If you were to save £9 each week (£36 a month) that is your photo shoot payed for! I can offer payment plans if this is something you’re interested in.
4. Share your photo shoot with a friend or two. This instantly splits the cost by half or in to thirds, making it a manageable amount between you. We can get images of you together and also individually so that you each have a mini session within one shoot if required. This also means that when buying digital files, you can choose to purchase All images from the shoot and share the cost between you too! (An example of an image from shared photo shoot can be seen below).

concerns about the photographer

I felt it was important to put this under the concern listed above, as they do actually connect!

When I read through the answers relating to this, it gave me a heavy heart, answers such as wether the photographer will be “rushed”, “Know how to get the photos I am looking for”, “bad quality photos”. Unfortunately, for the concerns above it does come down to the photographer’s experience which usually relates back to price, so this is definitely something to consider. I know there will always be photographers cheaper than myself, as my shoot fee is £395, however through having a photo shoot with me you are guaranteed a premium service from a highly reputable photographer, with stunning images due to the investment I have put in to myself, my business and my experience.

horse behaviour

Another concern which was raised a number of times was “what if my horse won’t cooperate?” so here is a breakdown of how we can amend this.

1. Do you have someone who could come and help on the day? I have a number of tactics we can try if there is an extra pair of hands, which will engage your horse’s attention. (Please note, this is being written during the Coronavirus pandemic, so at this time, I have someone from my household who comes along to shoots which require an extra pair of hands to adhere to social distancing regulations).
2. Horses (particularly those who don’t travel in the trailer/lory regularly) are more relaxed at home, so in this situation, if you’re worried about your horse’s behaviour it would be best to have a photo shoot on your yard, rather than on one of my photo shoot days when they would be in an environment they aren’t used to.
3. EMBRACE IT – Horses will be horses and every shoot will include a couple of images where things may not go as planned, but these photos are often filled with character, like the image below, which is completely unposed and just shows a loving moment between a horse and his owner.

what to wear

when booking a photo shoot with me, you will receive an information pack, containing a full outfit guide, which will help to advise you on what may be best for you. You can also look through my portfolio to see what you think you would feel most comfortable wearing.

Before booking a photo shoot, I recommend having a photo shoot consultation with me over the phone, which is free of charge, and can be arranged by contacting me. This way I can advise you based on your specific requirements.

weather

A brief answer for this, as if the weather is looking bad for your chosen date, we can reschedule!

If you have any questions which I haven’t answered in this blog, please do contact me either via the contact page, by emailing amelia.hart@somethingfromthehart.com or by messaging me on Facebook or Instagram.