What kind of horse show photographer?

EquineFotography.com screenshot

As part of the transition into a less professional horse show photographer and a more fun horse show photographer, I have elected to remove the Equine Fotography by Jaime name from my business and taken down the website that many have associated with this for years.

I kept my domain name, EquineFotography.com, and simply redirected it to my online portfolio where the storage and shopping cart are.  Anyone wishing to purchase old horse show photos can still do so from this site just like always.  Now you can just type in www.EquineFotography.com and go directly there.  But in the spirit of a true ending, there will be no more Equine Fotography by Jaime.  I changed everything online to Jaime Foutty Fotography.  I just like closure ;-)

The decline of horse show photography

It's no secret that horse show photographers are not making any money.  I have had the same conversation with three well known photographers at three different large breed shows in the last 12 months.  Harold Campton flat out told me he pities the young people just getting into the field who will struggle and likely fail.  He pointed out that it is just too easy for anyone to buy a camera, shoot 1000 pictures, put the best 75 on Facebook from their hotel at night, and keep the horse show photographer from selling anything at all.  These words were copied almost word for word by the other photographers too (and of course I knew this from first hand experience), but it just hit me the most that this foundation, this giant in our field, Harold Campton, told it to me.

Now it's not that I am mad over people shooting their own pictures and sharing on Facebook, but I know people will ask (as they have been doing since I declined all the fall horse shows this year) so I just thought I'd put it out here in print for anyone to read.  Items and services that cannot compete become obsolete - it's the American Way.  And to be honest, I am super stoked about showing Kasino next year and just taking pictures for fun (I like taking pictures :-)  Some of my most fun times at horse shows were taking pictures from the bleachers at Latta Park and then posting them on Facebook later.  It's easy to see why people do it!  Between Jodie and myself, we will probably get tens of thousands of horse show pictures over the next few years.

So back the website.  I'm still a horse photographer.  I will always be one.  But things are just a little different now.  For one, there will be less pressure and more fun!

Check out my new blue and brown theme at the website and let me know what you think by commenting below or in the guestbook over there.  If you take the time to comment, I'd love to know if you have ever been disappointed that the horse show you were attending did not have a quality professional photographer.  Tell me your experiences.

horse show photography

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you comment below and then subscribe to my RSS feed!