How Stalking Makes My Business Better!
Did you ever think that stalking may help your photography business? I didn’t, until I started using Google Maps as a tool to provide better customer service, elite organization in my photoshoots, and a wider range of locations in the final collection of images.
So how do I use stalking to benefit my Horse & Rider Photoshoots?
I ALWAYS ask the inquiring client what the address of their barn is before I provide open dates and times for booking. I plug that address into google maps and begin planning what the photoshoot might look like. Here is one of my favorite Florida barns, Deermeadow Farm, owned by the lovely Claudine Kundrun, and home to olympic rider, Ali Brock.
The first thing I look at, is what direction is the property orientated to the sunrise (east, which will be our right hand side) and the sunset (west, which will be our left hand side, of the image above.). To give me more information on this property, I can click the “3D” button on the right hand side, under the compass, and it will provide me with a “2D” view. Pair that with rotating the map using the compass, I can gain even more viewpoints! I can now start to see the architecture of the barn and more areas that may be of interest to use.
I prefer photographing my Horse & Rider photoshoots using either flat shade, backlit sun, or a warm and golden setting/rising sun. With that in mind, I begin to look for ideal locations on the property that might provide me a variety of backgrounds, using a variety of lighting.
Things I like to consider are…
Driveways or walking paths (non edible surfaces are easier for horses to behave on!)
Doorways or courtyards in/around the barn or arena
Stall doors or windows horses can put their heads through
Gardens or planted trees and if they’ll over shade, leading lines, or patterns.
Wooden fences for leaning or sitting on
Locations clients can sit, if not on a fence (mounting block, jumps, stairs, etc.)
Outdoor arenas, or covered arenas that may offer different lighting (also non edible surfaces!)
Empty pastures or open fields for golden hour or silhouettes
Fun features on the property (ponds, horse statues, fancy property gates or pergolas)
(For the sake of this blog - I have added 10 black/white numbers to demonstrate the locations I utilized during Marin and Jug’s photoshoot, but wanted to include an additional 10 grayed out numbers, that would be great backup options, and ones I’ve used in the past for other photoshoots on this property.)
Now we have location options chosen, will I be able to create a better collection of images at sunrise or at sunset?
This property, has AMPLE opportunities for either sunrise OR sunset. From personal experience, my clients prefer sunset photoshoots, because it gives them time to get the barn chores done in the morning, ride their horses, and then bath/prep their horses (and themselves!) for an evening photoshoot.
However - if the property has better locations for sunrise - I let my clients know PRIOR TO BOOKING, that I recommend a sunrise photoshoot to maximize variety through backgrounds and lighting. This provides the client with a great first impression of your organization skills and expertise on useable locations! If they opt for the sunset time, going against your recommendation, than do your best, but know that it was ultimately the client’s choice.
When you email the client a click to sign service agreement/photography contract, I encourage you to add a spot where the client can list what they hope to capture during the photoshoot and/or if they have any specific photographs they want to capture. This always helps me narrow down the locations I have already scouted out on Google Maps, to ensure that the locations fit the client’s goals.
For example…
If the client is wearing a riding outfit and is celebrating a huge accomplishment in the arena, I would opt to use the barn or arena as locations to highlight those moments of teamwork and efforts, leading up to the exciting accomplishments.
If the client is wearing a long flowing dress, and has retired her horse, and she is wanting photos of the love and bond they have developed over the years, I would opt to use more greenery and open spaces, such as fields, pastures, ponds, or even the pathways lined with trees.
If the client has both outfits - I tend to like the idea of a riding outfit first, where the sun is still higher in the sky, and then transitioning into a dress as the sun sets and offers golden lighting.
Before we begin photographing on the day of the photoshoot, I like to ask the client if there is anywhere on the property the horse is not comfortable. These will be places I want to scratch from my location list immediately, as it’s not worth the horse becoming a fire breathing dragon, or the safety risk of the client, for photos.
I then want to ensure that my client’s goals for the shoot are met and accomplished, and then I start exploring more locations that offer a variety of colors, textures, lines, and lighting, capturing a variety of poses as wide angle shots, full body shots, headshots, and detail shots. Don’t be afraid to revisit a location if the lighting has drastically changed too! This will balance and expand the final collection of photos I provide to the client. (If you need posing ideas - I highly recommend my Horse & Rider Posing Guide. It is more like a novel, with more in depth information that I could provide even during a private in person mentorship, and is a great tool to use as you learn poses!)
When you get 75% of the way through the photoshoot, ask the client again, “Have you thought of any additional poses or photos you wanted to capture while I’m here?” Sometimes clients are nervous about being photographed, or think their horse may be a knucklehead during the shoot, so they don’t expect or ask for a lot of specifics in the beginning. As you work with them and both client and horse settle into the fun experience, they may request additional poses/photos.
If your horse’s battery is running low - make sure you end the photoshoot on a positive note, before the horse decides to leave the premise on their own demise! You can always return to that property to photograph additional locations on a new day, with a fresh horse.
Okay, enough education, I want to show you some of the images I capture of Marin and Jug on this gorgeous property!
(I have added numbers to each photo, that correspond with the property map numbers above.)
And here are some additional photos throughout the farm property from three other photoshoots! 👇
I hope this helps in providing an inside look on how I schedule and organize photoshoots by stalking on Google Maps! If you’re interested in learning more, check out the private mentorships, workshops and online downloadable courses I offer. Every day is a great day to invest in your education and elevate your own photography business and experience for clients!