Articles
The Horse in Focus explores the business, practice, and evolving standards of professional equine photography. Browse articles by topic, or continue below to see the latest published pieces.
Explore by Topic
Start with the area that interests you most, from the craft of equine photography itself to the business decisions and professional standards that shape the industry.
Equine Photography
Explore horse show photography, sale horse photography, equine portraiture, commercial work, fine art, and the creative and technical decisions behind photographing horses professionally.
Business of Equine Photography
Explore pricing, profitability, business strategy, client experience, marketing, sales, and the operational realities of building and sustaining an equine photography business.
Industry Standards & Professional Practice
Explore ethics, copyright, licensing, event policies, media access, professional conduct, and the standards that shape how equine photographers work within the industry.
Latest Articles
The newest articles from The Horse in Focus, covering equine photography, business, and professional practice.
The Discipline Of Show Photography
Horse show photography is often seen as simply being in the right place at the right time—but in reality, it requires consistency, awareness, and a deep understanding of both the horse and the environment. From navigating fast-paced schedules to anticipating moments before they happen, the discipline behind show photography goes far beyond pressing the shutter. This post explores what it truly takes to photograph a horse show with intention and professionalism.
Just Showing Up With a Camera
At a busy horse show, it’s not unusual to see someone standing along the rail with a camera. Sometimes they’re capturing memories. Sometimes they’re photographing friends. And sometimes, they’re something else entirely—someone who has decided to show up and photograph the event without permission. While it may seem harmless on the surface, this situation raises important questions about professionalism, expectations, and the ethics of photographing horse shows.
Cost of Goods Sold
Understanding Cost of Goods Sold The second half of figuring out what to charge for your photography requires us to figure out our cost of good sold or COGS. So what is COGS??? It is simply the costs associated with making a product. Let's use a laptop computer as an...
Starting An Equine Photography Business
Starting an Equine Photography Business So you want to make a business out of photographing horses.First of all—awesome. Before we grab our cameras and start chasing every beautiful mane blowing in the wind, we need to talk about something slightly less glamorous:...
Becoming the Official Horse Show Photographer
So… you’ve decided you want to be a horse show photographer. Are you crazy?Just kidding. 😄 From the outside, being a horse show photographer can look pretty glamorous. Let me gently shatter that illusion for you. What it actually looks like is long days that start...
Horse Show Work Flow
Now that you have been contracted to be the official photographer for the horse show, what comes next? There is a lot that needs to happen in the background to be successful at a horse show. You need to have enough photographers to cover all the arenas, a backdrop (if...
Do Halters Make A Difference?
(Part of the stock horse type conformation series) Basic conformation shots (usually used for sale horse ads, or for stallion promotion) are best done with a neat, clean leather halter. While you can use a silver halter, I prefer not using one on a horse that you...
Stock Horse Type Conformation Shots
Conformation photos aren’t about fixing a horse in editing—they’re about presenting it correctly in camera. From leg placement to balance and head position, small adjustments make a significant difference in how a horse is perceived.