I have spent a considerable amount of time learning to be a very, very good photographer. I have devote 100’s of hours to mastering my craft and then adding to my skills. And yet that alone isn’t enough to convince clients to go with me, because all those years and all those hours factor into the rates I charge.

There is a saying “You get what you pay for.”

Professionals use it when clients call them expensive and go a cheaper route and get nice product but not necessarily professional product. There are blurry images that circulate on social media usually with some tag about what you get when you hire friends.

The thing is those blurry images, those less than professional products are a reality of inexperience but they are necessary to gain the experience. I have nothing against someone who doesn’t have my skill level, they just haven’t put in the time yet to get there and one day they may if they stick with it. I have nothing against clients who seek out those still learning to save money, because the truth is professionals charge for all the years it took us to master these skills.

We will deliver above and beyond expectations every time, we will be confident in our skills and know how to work with struggles that arise. At some point things have gone wrong for us and we have learned how adapt and make it work, which may not be the case for someone still putting in the work.

You hire professionals for the skills we can provide and the product we can create with 100% confidence. Be it photographs or graphic designs with digital painted backgrounds making it 100% custom. And this is important to keep in mind when you are hiring someone to do equine sessions or create equine graphics.

The color scheme of this was inspired from Wonder Woman and the pose the trick rider hit during a shoot. This pose isn’t the usual for the Hippodrome but it was so powerful in that moment that I could see this poster in my head.

Not only was I hired to photograph this performer to make this poster, but as the designer. This poster has a completely digitally painted background, it is 100% custom and it is the product of my decade of experience.

This is why you should invest the money and hire professionals. Because of the level of work we can deliver. Because we can create things like this from scratch and do not have to rely on purchasing templates and learning how to manipulate them to pretend we are at this level.

Now do not get me wrong I love a good template, I made and sell templates because they exist to speed up the work flow, but I also believe that you should be able to create anything on a template by yourself before you become reliant on them.

For equine sessions such as this hiring a professional with equine knowledge and know how is important. For me I do not read my riders, I read their animal, the speed and placement and take my shot when they hit a preplanned marker in my head. I may get the shot or not, but my knowledge of equines gives me an advantage to create some truly amazing shots.

Working with a professional who has experience may be expensive, but I would argue that expensive is worth the final product. Consider beyond the product how the final product can be delivered beyond a digital, how will it print, what could it be on canvas? A professional can guarantee the best no matter how you want it billboard, flyer, large canvas, metal prints or digitals.

That saying “You get what you pay for.” Exists because it is true. Professionals guarantee their work in away those still learning do not have the ability too. It doesn’t make them less, it makes them learning, and that is why there is such steep price gaps.