Equine Photo School: Recent Episodes
Olie Moss
Olie Moss and his guests disclose all their 'secrets' of the horse and rodeo photography business. To help you to improve your skills so you can thrive in today's market! You'll learn how to shoot rodeos, photograph stallions, sell images to corporations, and market your services. You'll soon be creating the life and pictures you've always wanted. If you're looking to just take better horse pictures or go full time with your photography business, you'll find this podcast worth listening to. Since 2014 Olie has been supporting himself and his team with photography and helping others do the same. Olie and his guests share openly about their struggles and how they overcame them. Olie will guide you through the journey with productivity tips, relationship building, lighting, printing, gear, and even avoiding burnt out. There will be solo episodes and interviews with the leaders in the equine industry.
Friends and students, I’m here today to share some bittersweet news. I’ve decided to begin the closure of Equine Photo School.
Don't feel like reading? Watch the video here:
Equine Photo School has been a source of knowledge and inspiration for many equine photography enthusiasts, bringing together a passionate community of students, mentors, and experts.
As we embark on this closing chapter, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation to each and every student who has been a part of this incredible journey. Your dedication, curiosity, and unwavering commitment to honing your craft have been nothing short of inspiring. You have not only captured breathtaking images but have also formed lifelong friendships and shared invaluable experiences within this community.
It is important for us to share the timeline for the closure of Equine Photo School so that you have ample time to make the most of your remaining resources. Course enrollment will be available until August 2023, allowing those who wish to join our courses one last chance to embark on this transformative educational journey.
We understand the significance of continued access to course materials, which is why we have decided to extend course access until December 2023. This will ensure that you have ample time to complete the coursework at Equine Photo School.
*ALL COURSE MATERIAL IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD* You are now able to download all the content for the courses you are enrolled in.
Our cherished podcast, which has brought insightful interviews, expert tips, and countless moments of inspiration, will also conclude in December 2023. We encourage you to savor the remaining episodes while they are still available, however the video episodes will remain on YouTube.
The coaching services that have provided personalized guidance and support to our students will be available until February 2024. We encourage you to take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to fine-tune your skills and receive expert feedback before bidding farewell to this chapter.
Lastly, we must inform you that the Equine Photo School website will be shut down in November 2025. We encourage you to archive any important resources from the website before that time.
As we reflect on the incredible journey we have shared, we extend our deepest gratitude to each student, mentor, and contributor who has been an integral part of Equine Photo School. Your passion, dedication, and artistic vision have left an indelible mark on the equine photography community, and your contributions will continue to inspire generations to come.
While this chapter may be drawing to a close, we have no doubt that the spirit of Equine Photo School will live on in your hearts and minds. We encourage you to stay connected, support one another, and continue to celebrate the beauty of horses through the lens.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for being a part of this remarkable journey. May your passion for equine photography continue to flourish, and happy shooting!
Please reach out with any questions or concerns. I’m here for you.
- Olie Moss
If you'd like to learn the business of #horsephotography and #rodeophotography, follow Equine Photo School. I'm posting content and courses frequently to help you dominate.
Follow us on social media:
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Website: www.equinephotoschool.com
Email: info@equinephotoschool.com
Gear List: https://equinephotoschool.com/olies-images-inventory-for-reference/
Links to Joe Duty's Workshops and Photography pages:
Teaching website https://texasphotographyworkshops.com/
My personal work https://joeduty.com/
Facebook Joe Duty https://www.facebook.com/jduty3/
Instagram Joe Duty https://www.instagram.com/joedutyphotos/?hl=en
Instagram Texas Vision https://www.instagram.com/texasvision/
Texas Vision on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/texasvisionphoto/65
If you'd like to learn the business of #horsephotography and #rodeophotography, follow Equine Photo School. I'm posting content and courses frequently to help you dominate.
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://equinephotoschool.com/facebook
Instagram: https://equinephotoschool.com/instagram
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@equinephotoschool
Twitter: https://equinephotoschool.com/twitter
Pinterest: https://equinephotoschool.com/pinterest
Website: www.equinephotoschool.com
Email: info@equinephotoschool.com
Gear List: https://equinephotoschool.com/olies-images-inventory-for-reference/
Today we are on the road with Kristen Schurr Photography. Kristen shares so much gold in this episode. You're going to want to take notes.
Follow Kristen on Instagram at @kschurrphoto
If you'd like to learn the business of #horsephotography and #rodeophotography, follow Equine Photo School. I'm posting content and courses frequently to help you dominate.
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://equinephotoschool.com/facebook
Instagram: https://equinephotoschool.com/instagram
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@equinephotoschool
Twitter: https://equinephotoschool.com/twitter
Pinterest: https://equinephotoschool.com/pinterest
Website: www.equinephotoschool.com
Email: info@equinephotoschool.com
Gear List: https://equinephotoschool.com/olies-images-inventory-for-reference/
If you've thought about photographing barrel racing or you've gotten started, but you're not making enough money from it, let me help you.
I have been where you're at, and now I'm here to help you reach your goals. I've shot some of the most prestigious barrel races on the planet with payouts in the millions.
Photography is a hobby that could easily surpass your current income at your real job while still only working weekends.
Find the blog at www.equinephotoschool.com!
- What is it about photography that motivates you to get out there and go through all the hassle of taking a picture?
- Maybe that's not even in the niches of horse and rodeo photography.
- What do you like to do that isn't photography related at all?
Have any questions?
Drop a comment below or leave us a voicemail with your questions by clicking the button on the right side of our website. We will do our best to answer it ASAP.
Follow us on social media:
- Facebook: @equinephotoschool
- Instagram: @equinephotoschool
- Twitter: @equinephotoedu
- Pinterest: @equinephotoschool
Website: www.equinephotoschool.com
Email: info@equinephotoschool.com
Gear List: https://equinephotoschool.com/olies-images-inventory-for-reference/
How to shoot big events without being the official photographer.
There are a few ways to get in and shoot these events and still get paid to do it.
For more info check out www.equinephotoschool.com and look for the podcast blogs.
Watch this episode on Equine Photo School's YouTube Channel.
Check out the podcast blog post at www.equinephotoschool.com for details.
Talking points
- Meeting customers where they are at.
- What are your customers already accustomed to doing?
- What do customers wish you would do?
- Where in the client journey are you trying to get people to bend to your will?
- Listen to your customers, they aren't always right but they just might be on to something.
At www.equinephotoschool.com we believe in pushing out as much free content as we can. The course "Getting Started in Photography" might not be the best name but it's free and the content in there is valuable.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @equinephotoschool and tell us what you'd like to hear next.
My friend Dave McKissick and I have a conversation about how working together with other photographers and creatives can be beneficial to all involved parties.
Enjoy!
- Define Event Photograph?
- Event photography is different than rodeo. There is a single event or a couple of very similar events going on for an extended period in one place.
- For example, barrel racing and maybe pole bending. Or breakaway and tie-down. Or ranch sorting and team penning.
- In event photography, you can start out small. There are week-nighters or weekend jackpots. These could be just a few hours or a day or two.
- Then, as you grow your business you can take on bigger events that last 3 days or more. These are where many photographers decide to go full time because these start to get profitable enough to replace their 9 to 5. These longer events also eat into their regular work schedule too.
- How is it different from other genres?
- In event photography, you have partners and customers. In other genres like portraits, weddings, and commercial work you have clients.
- Clients are often paying a large sum of money, hundreds or thousands of dollars, for you to shoot for them. You might be taking pictures of them or of something they want you to do.
- Customers are a lower tier. Customers buy a product from you that you've created. They do not have much if any say in the product prior to purchase. An example is someone who browses your photos online or at your booth then chooses their favorite one.
- Partners on the other hand may or may not pay you directly but are potentially your biggest source of income albeit indirectly. I think of the event producers as partners, we are on the same team with goals and ambitions that work well together. For example, we both want their event to be as big and successful as possible. The better their event does, typically the better our business does too. We help each other succeed. Some partners will value us so much they insist on paying us and that's ok.
- In event Photography, you might have a different partner for each event or you might have a few partners that host several events. Both can be lead to great results.
- At each event, you might have hundreds or thousands of customers depending on the size of the event. In other genres, you might just have one client a week. There is safety in numbers. Having thousands of customers makes it more likely that you'll do well.
Talking points
- Shooting horses isn't everything
- $20 Challenge
- Practicing at Home
- Go out into nature
- Product Photography
Talking points
- Money is a taboo topic
- But... it doesn't have to be.
- The more we talk about it, the less taboo it is
- In this episode, I'll be sharing some ideas from Olie's Images.
- Mindset
- What could you trade instead of money?
- How can everyone win?
- Who gets charged and how much?
Visit www.equinephotoschool.com for more!
Talking points
- Money is a taboo topic
- But... it doesn't have to be.
- The more we talk about it, the less taboo it is
- In this episode, I'll be sharing some stats from Olie's Images.
- This isn't to brag but to inform
- We weren't the biggest company out there and don't claim to be.
- My hope is that this info inspires you to step it up
- So many just don't realize that there is enough abundance out there for them. They don't see that there's enough money in this niche to live on.
- Some of you are in a job they don't like and doing horse and rodeo photography for fun but wouldn't it be great if you quit the job you don't like and just enjoyed your life all the time?
- If that's you, reach out, and let's chat about it. After all, that's why I'm here.
As we approach the end of 2021 it's time we look back over the past year and decide what worked and what didn't work. Then moving forward we keep doing the things that worked and stop doing the things that didn't.
They are going to call me crazy for doing this but I'm going to walk you through step-by-step how to do black background photography two different ways!!! You won't want to skip this episode. This is my Christmas gift to you!
Today's episode answers a few questions that I get asked all the time.
- How did you get started?
- How do you get more gigs?
- When is it time to go full time?
- What was it like early in your career?
- Etc.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
Here's a secret that no one likes to hear. It is ok to shoot JPEG for some things. Watch this video to find out why I shoot JPEG sometimes and why it's necessary to shoot RAW other times.
This episode is part of our Free Course about Getting Started in Rodeo Photography!
Find it at www.equinephotoschool.com!
I've heard just about every excuse in the book. I'm telling you this as a friend and business advisor. Do not delete another photo until you hear me out because deleting old photos isn't saving you money it is costing you money.
Are you running out of storage? Do you feel like no one will ever want 'old' photos? Have you ever had a customer ask you for photos you deleted? Maybe you just haven't had these problems yet.
I've sold 7 figures in photos and here to tell you that a surprising number of those photos were purchased more than a year after I shot those photos in the first place. Deleting old photos isn't saving you money, it is costing you money Be sure to watch the following video or listen to the podcast episode so you can decide if you ever want to delete another photo.
This is part of a FREE COURSE on getting started in photography check it out at www.equinephotoschool.com.
Be sure to check out the upcoming workshop: www.equinephotoschool.com/coaching
There are 3 ways to stop time in photography, Shutter Speed, Flash Duration, or "both". Ok, so it's more like 2 ways but you get the picture.
If you're like me you get asked a ton of questions and many of them are repeated almost daily. Our default reaction is to reply via text or a phone call but there is a better way. If you record a video to answer these questions or to train your employees it will save so much time in the long run.
Instead of replying to the message with a half-baked answer, you can reply to a link to your video on YouTube or saved it to your camera roll. Then you're using your own well-thought-out words and visuals to answer the questions and do the training.
This podcast episode is also a video on Equine Photo School's YouTube Channel.
Check out the accompanying blog post at www.equinephotoschool.com.
Check out the blog and start your Equine Photo School coaching at www.equinephotoschool.com.
Visit www.equinephotoschool.com to find the accompanying blog with links and resources for today's episode!
Ben and Jodi Clements with X-Treme Team Roping produce some of the best team ropings in the industry. They drop a ton of tips and insights on us today from their point of view as team roping producers. Learn how to succeed as a rodeo photographer with these tips!
These all come from my years of experience and after selling tens of thousands of pictures annually. I've done lots of experimenting with different methods of selling photos but this is generally how it breaks down for me.
- In-Person / On-Site
- Customer's Value This
- Metting Customers in the Moment
- 75% of My Gross Revenue
- Website
- Customer Convenience
- Photographer Convenience
- 20% of My Gross Revenue
- Sponsor/Advertisement
- Some Come from the Booth
- Some Come from the Website or Social Media
- 5% of My Gross Revenue
Check out www.equninephotoschool.com/courses to learn about the courses we have available now.
Robert is Zenfolio's High Volume Success Specialist and YouTube Jedi Knight!!
He has helped me so much with my website for www.oliesimages.com and is a constant inspiration to many on YouTube. Catch his weekly shows every Tuesday and Thursday on Zenfolios YouTube Channel.
If you're interested in getting started with Zenfolio, use the code: OliesImages. That will get you the best discount available and a free trial.
I love gear, all of it. From the camera bodies to the lenses and even the grip equipment. In this episode, I give you my thoughts on gear. Why and when to upgrade as well as what happens when you spend a little more to get the good stuff.
Do you ever feel like you're just spinning your wheels? You're working hard all the time but never going anywhere? Today, I want to talk to you about doing less, having more free time, and making more money doing it.
Check out equinephotoschool.com/courses to see what courses are available now!
You can find more information from today's guest at bcreativebybrenna.com or on Instagram @brennaramsden!
Links from the Podcast Episode
www.equinephotoschool.com/courses
ssylvesterphotography.shootproof.com
In today's episode, Brenna Ramsden and I chat about using speed lights. We discuss some pros and cons of using speedlights versus natural light and studio strobes.
If you're interested in the Custom Collage Creation Course click here: www.equinephotoschool.com/courses.
Flash 101
- Introduction
- Define Flash Photography
- dictionary.com - using a momentary flash of artificial light as a source of illumination.
- This is a huge topic
- Books, Courses, Workshops, etc.
- What you need to know
- Flash is brief
- Several ways to use flash
- Fill Shadows
- Overpower Ambient Light
- Multiple flashes in a single shot
- Using Gels
- High-Speed Sync
- First Curtain Sync
- Second Curtain Sync
- TTL
- Shape the light
- Umbrellas
- Shoot Through
- Silver, Gold, etc.
- Soft Boxes
- Grids
- Snoots
- Scrims
- Flags
- Hard Reflectors
- Shoot Through Shapes
- Umbrellas
- White Balance
- Define Flash Photography
- Types of Flashes
- Speed Lights
- Small and usually powered by AA batteries
- Can be attached to the hot shoe
- Can be triggered remotely
- Great for run and gun when the direction of light isn’t important
- Awards Ceremony
- Strobes
- Much more powerful
- More power means more control over ambient light.
- Usually plugged into a wall but can be battery powered
- More options for light modifiers
- Triggered Remotely
- Great for Controlling the Quality, Quantity, and Direction of light
- Much more powerful
- Speed Lights
In this episode, Brenna Ramsden and I discuss shooting in natural light. Brenna has been working and traveling with me for a couple of years now so I thought she'd be a good person to chat with about natural light photos.
Find out more at www.equinephotoschool.com.
Rodney and Olie discuss their businesses and how Rodney started out in photography. Rodney discusses how he became the official photographer for NBHA Canada and so much more!
This is an episode you will want to stick around until the end.
This is the last episode in this series on the basics of photography.
Be sure to check out equinephotoschool.com for more information!
The Basics: Focal Length
The focal length is one of the fundamental aspects of photography. It is how we describe lenses, and it's how we change perspective without moving our feet. Changing your focal length will have a dramatic change in your final image.
What is the focal length?
The focal length is a calculation of an optimal distance from the point where the light rays converge to form a sharp image to the digital sensor or film at the focal plane of the camera.
The focal length of a lens is determined with the lens focused at infinity. The millimeters that we use to describe a lens describes the focal length, not the physical dimensions of the lens itself.
What does focal length tell us?
First of all, it tells us the field of view and angle of view or put simply, how much of the scene is captured on the sensor. We generally refer to this is a wide-angle (zoomed out), or telephoto (zoomed in).
Secondly, it tells us the magnification or how large the individual elements will be captured on the sensor. So, the longer the focal length, the narrower the field of view, and the higher the magnification. The inverse is true for shorter focal lengths. Short focal lengths will have a wider field of view and lower magnification.
Check out the cheat sheet to see examples.
Types of Lenses
There are two types of lenses, zooms, and primes. Zoom lenses have a variable focal length. You'll see this noted on a lens like this: 18mm-55mm. This means that the focal length of this lens can be adjusted "zoomed" between 18mm and 55mm, as well as all focal lengths in between. Prime lenses, however, have a fixed focal length. This means they cannot be adjusted. They will only have one focal length listed, such as 50mm.
Zoom Benefits
Zoom lenses are more versatile. They offer a range of focal lengths, so you don't have to move. This means you can get a variety of shots without changing lenses or moving around. When shooting horses, this means you'll get less dust on your sensor because you do not have to change lenses so often. If you shoot subjects that are moving, but you cannot move, then zoom lenses will let you get more images that are framed how you want. Zoom lenses are what most camera companies use as kit lenses.
Prime Benefits
Prime lenses are typically lighter weight and more compact because they only cover one focal length. They also tend to have a larger maximum aperture (smaller number). Example, 85mm f/1.2 or the 200mm f/2 compared to the 70mm-200mm f/2.8. Although this seems like a small difference on paper, it is a massive change in the final image. Because of this larger aperture, you can shoot pictures with a faster shutter speed, shoot in even lower light, have a blurrier background (shallow depth of field), and prime lenses typically have the better quality glass. Since there are fewer moving parts, the manufacturers make fewer compromises in image quality.
Continue reading by finding the blog post at equinephotoschool.com.
Support the Equine Photo School and save 20% on a beautiful and functional website with Zenfolio by clicking this link: https://www.zenfolio.com/?refcode=YNF-APX-BGA.
Follow us on social media:
- Facebook: @equinephotoschool
- Instagram: @equinephotoschool
- Twitter: @equinephotoedu
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Website: www.equinephotoschool.com
Email: info@equinephotoschool.com
Phone Number: 307-851-9847
ISO adjusts the brightness of your photo.
Define ISO:
ISO adjusts the brightness of your photo. It increases the sensitivity of your sensor. In a non-geek talk, this means that as you raise the ISO, you increase how sensitive the sensor is to light. This can brighten your image by raising the ISO and darken it by lowering the ISO if all other settings are the same.
Raising the ISO has consequences, though. When you increase the ISO, you add grain/noise to your images. The photos produced at higher ISO’s are less sharp and less detailed. Generally, we want to use the lowest ISO we can.
I typically adjust my ISO after setting the aperture and shutter speed because I use it to get the exposure right. If the ISO is too high, then I’ll see what I can do about adjusting the other settings (aperture and shutter speed). Later we will talk about adding light, but for now, let’s assume we can’t do that. If you can’t open the aperture more and if you need a fast shutter speed, then you’ll have to deal with having grainy/noisy pictures.
There are, of course, options for using a lower ISO with less noise while keeping the brightness (exposure) of your photo where you want it. For one, you can upgrade to a better camera with cleaner high ISO photos. You can find better light or shoot from an angle that sheds more light on your subject. You can add light via strobe or constant light source.
Let’s try at home!
Set your camera to manual mode, grab your owner’s manual.
Start on ISO 100 (or 200 for some cameras). If you’re inside, then try 1/500th of a second shutter speed and f/4 for your aperture. That should make for a pretty dark picture. Later, try increasing your ISO and taking more photos. Raise it until your image is bright enough. Then, raise it until it is too bright.
Try other settings too! Take your camera outside. Pick out some random settings and then adjust your ISO, so your images are too dark, too bright, and just right. ISO adjusts the brightness of your photo.
Support the Equine Photo School and save 20% on a beautiful and functional website with Zenfolio by clicking this link: https://www.zenfolio.com/?refcode=YNF-APX-BGA.
Be sure to listen to this week’s episode here:
Please leave us a voicemail with your questions by clicking the button on the right side of this page. We will do our best to answer it in the next episode of the podcast.
If you loved this episode, please give us a rating on Apple Podcasts! www.equinephotoschool.com/apple
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- Facebook: @equinephotoschool
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- Twitter: @equinephotoedu
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- Website: www.equinephotoschool.com
- Email: info@equinephotoschool.com
- Phone Number: 307-851-9847
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This episode is an overview of the basics of how your camera works. It is the first part of a 6-part series on the basics. We talk about Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Focal Length, and Sensor Size in this episode.
Being burned out sucks. Zenfolio helps me avoid burnout by handling the orders for me. They take care of all the printing and email so I can focus on working on my business instead of in my business. To get 20% off Zenfolio follow this link: https://www.zenfolio.com/?refcode=YNF-APX-BGA.
In this episode, I discuss what burnout is, how it happens, how I avoid it, and what you can do when feeling burnt out.
Zenfolio Discount Code: YNF-APX-BGA Save 20% when you use this code. This is an affiliate link and the Equine Photo School does get compensated when you use it. :)
In this episode, we discuss shooting photos for other photographers, companies, and my experiences working for others.
- Horse Photography: The Dynamic Guide for Horse Lovers - Carol J. Walker
- Photographing Horses: How to Capture the Perfect Equine Image - Lesli Groves
- The Digital Photography Book - Scott Kelby (Series - Sorry I Cheated)
Would it really be school if there wasn't any recommended reading? I don't think so. :) You are here because you have a desire to learn, right? These three books are solid choices for beginners and will even have some intermediate to advanced lessons inside them too. These books will help you build a solid foundation to build upon. If you don't master the basics, then you'll forever struggle with more advanced concepts.
Personally, I'd order just one of these books, then come back after you finish it and then get the next one. I'll share with you the links to these books on Amazon, but these are not affiliate-links at this time. I just want you to get some great information and start preparing yourselves for the launch of the Equine Photo School Podcast coming January 2, 2020.
Have fun!
In this episode:
- First I answer some questions about how much the Equine Photo School will cost and what is coming in the future.
- Then we go over what you should do with your first camera or a new camera!
- Zenfolio is sponsoring the Equine Photo School.
- If you're in the market or a website host who is teamed up with the best print labs in North America, then check out Zenfolio.com and use the code: YNF-APX-BGA to get 20% when you sign up!
001: Introduction to the Equine Photo School with Olie Moss. In this first episode, Olie introduces himself and lays out a plan for the school. Then he gives a quick tip on how to shoot indoor rodeo events without strobes.
Thanks for listening! We will have show notes for you soon on our website.