A Photographers Tips To Buying Gear

Around the holidays I am asked a lot about camera gear; "so and so is interested in photography what do you recommend"

I try to find out exactly what will so and so be photographing because there are so many directions you can go.  Is it for pleasure or are they planning to start a business?  Is it indoors or outdoors, is it portraits or action?  The one thing you want, just my personal opinion, when your looking to get a camera or your giving a camera as a gift is ask yourself a few questions.

What do I want my camera for
Am I doing it for fun
will I be using it outdoor days or indoor nights

The last one is a big one, if your buying a camera just for fun you can get by with a starter kit that most camera stores, Best Buy, Walmart, etc offer during Black Friday.  The kit lens that comes with the camera is perfect to start out with.  Get to know that camera and if your interest stays with you then you can progress.  Most of your money will be in the lens you add to that first camera.  You can buy as low as $100 and spend as much as $10,000 it just depends on what you want.

I highly recommend if you decide to keep going to rent; rent locations at Arlington Camera, Competitive Camera, Borrowlenses.com Lensrental.com. Those are amazing if your thinking of buying a lens but your not sure you want to drop a lot of money, rent it for a few days or few weeks to try it out first.  I do this a lot before spending money on a lens.  At the profession I am at I have spent up to $3,000 on a lens, thats not easy to turn loose, so you do want to make sure its going to work for you and you will get a return on your investment.

Cameras, you can do a lot with just any starter camera, when I get messages on what to get I always recommend a DX or Crop Sensor, it's smaller and lightweight, you get about an extra 80mm of reach vs the big FX that I use for portraits and commercial work.  Their more affordable.  The camera I use for all of the action photos is a DX, I like the extra 80mm of reach on my 200mm lens and its lighter, even though I use a monopod Most jobs you can get fatigues just holding up a large kit.  Look at Megapixels are you just printing 5x7, 8x10 or are you looking at build boards?  do your research, the one thing you want to avoid is buying something a year later because you didn't do your research.  New gear comes out faster than new car models, but you WON'T get a good trade or cash in on camera gear, it depreciates very fast.

YOUTUBE for research, I've watched a lot of videos trying to narrow down a purchase, my newest camera the Nikon D850 boasted a hefty $3200 price, I saved for a year and watched video all year to make sure that was the one I wanted.  It was in such high demand you couldn't get it for the longest time nor could you rent it.  When my name came up on the wait list, I bought it and it was a great investment.  I plan to keep this camera for quite a few years - its my only camera body for weddings, senior portraits, sale horses, stallions and such. I don't use it for barrel racing, it cost to much to get dusty.

There are some great stores that sell refurbished. B&H and Adorama, they are 100% photo and video related stores so they receive a lot of gear, I send all of mine to Adorama to trade for new gear, they give me the best value, offer free shipping and no sales tax.  as a business every penny counts and thats who I choose to do business with.

One last thing to remember is if you just want a carry around camera don't forget the advancements of the iPhones or any phone.  Most now have 4K built in, they have so many great lens on the camera and you can buy additional lens that attach to your phone. You would be surprised what high quality is out there just for a carry mourned lens.  I bought the iPhone 10 and I've started to play with the camera and settings and I'm pretty blown away, when I do my scouting trips a lot of times the photos I am taking to do my research and map out sessions is from the photos I have taken from the iPhone.

Just do your research before you pay, remember that gear is pretty amazing, but it doesn't hold the value thats why we keep our gear as long as we can until we just can't do without that new shiny model and have to have it

www.JoHPhotography.com

Why I Love Portrait Photography

The past few years I've seen my business grow more toward portrait photography, a little back history about me I started out photographing a local Youth Organization and from there a few of the moms would ask if I also did portraits.  I started out playing around with it but when I decided to really pursue portrait photography I started to attend workshops from more experienced photographers.  I learned that I really love taking portraits, I especially enjoy when they include things they love if its horses, sheep, cars, trucks, boats.  Anything that in 20 years from now will remind them of this time in their life.

As a portrait photographer that is working to photograph the seniors in your area, think about this occasion.  It is one of the last big moments in that young persons life for his or her parents.  The parents have had so much time with this person capturing memories and now its time for you to give them one of the last biggest memories that parents will have as this young person is probably going off to college.  If your a photographer, talk to the parents to have them as involved as possible - this is such a great memory for them and they know its just a few months away before this life they have been consumed with is about to go off to adulthood.

Be as creative as possible in the senior sessions, ask a lot of questions, what are your interests, what are your hobbies, what are some of the things you love to do, do you play sports etc.  Incorporate as much of their personality and likes in their session - as young people move on to other things in life they may end up leaving behind something that consumed a lot of their lives at this point, give them a lasting memory

Don't forget the critters in your sessions, everyone has a special horse, dog, or cat that they are so close to, I have the above young lady booking a session a year to capture the growth of this palomino, it's the best feeling knowing that you will be seeing them yearly and each year will be different in theme and in the meantime we are capturing memories that she will cherish for a lifetime

When someone contacts you for a session, along with answering all of their questions, please ask them questions as well, you want this experience to be amazing for them, when they receiving their photos you want them to love them so much they are all over their home printed, framed and there for all of her friends and family to see.

www.JoHPhotography.com to book your session

My Most Recent Session

My most recent session happened to be held at one of my favorite locations (Infinity c Ranch) in Farmersville Texas and was with a few of my favorite ladies since I picked up my camera.

When Alyson contacted me for a quick shoot she wanted something special with herself and her daughter.  We originally planned to have the session at the State Park close to Sanger, but ended up moving the location due to some obligations closer to home for this duo.

I remember walking around thinking, Boy this Sun is harsh, there's not this, there's not that and I had all this worry I wasn't going to get them something to brag about.  I walked here, walked there, held my camera up, down, upside down (haha) and then finally walked to a spot and turned 1/2 way around and knew that was the spot.

Even with all of the scouting, all the prep sometimes things aren't ideal, but that teaches us as artist to just take a look around your surroundings.  You will be surprised what is right in front of you.  I ended up being very blessed with this golden field with the sun just right and the ladies so beautiful there was no way we were going to walk away unhappy.  That little 15-20 minutes in that field turned out to be some of my most favorite work as an artists.  It helped that I had two beautiful ladies in front of me and gorgeous horses as their props.

As an artist if your a photographer, painter, sketch artist, anything just look around without walking in all directions and you will be surprised what's in front of you.  Picture a person or thing in that spot and you can make magic.  Don't overthink it, let the artist in you go free and you will capture a memory for someone that they will proudly display on their wall.

My most recent session made me happy because the mother/daughter that I photographed were happy with their photos and displayed them proudly on facebook and I know will display them on their wall.

www.JoHPhotography.com  #johphotography

Follow me on instagram @joh_photo

Communicating with your Client

As a photographer or any small business its our job to make sure we communicate to the client/customer so they have full understanding and no confusion in any way.

I like when I receive messages thru email, Facebook messenger or even text.  Having it all written out to me is very helpful so they can go back and read over your answers and have everything in writing. Even if someone calls me I will do a follow up of what we talked about in writing so they have the discussion in text form to refer to.

Being clear on "What they get" for the price your asking is very important.  How many photos are included, Do they get digitals, do they get prints, will it be emailed, is it flash drive.  All of those things should be very clear and discussed with your customers.

How many outfit changes do I get?  I'm one of those that I don't care if they change clothes 20 times, it's their time slot if they book me for 1 1/2 hours they can change clothes over and over, that their time to do as they wish.  They need to know the more they change clothes the less photos I am taking but I feel if they want to change thats up to them and I want them to be happy.

I often scout or ask for photos of the location so I can have an understanding of the area, where is the sun coming from, are there props for us to use to help pose them.  Those things help when planning a session.  I often write a script based on the location and the outfits, horses, dogs or just the people; that way we can utilize our time wisely and they will get the most for their money.

I do my best to deliver 50 to 75 proofs that might be a 15 digital package; I want to make sure I capture a variety of backgrounds so they don't have the same boring background photo after photo.

When I finish a session, I also hand the customer / client a "Whats going to happen next" page that they keep.

I go over my process and tell them when I get home this is what happens, they know exactly they will be seeing their proofs by a certain time, they get a free photo to share immediately, their photos are ordered, I touch up and do. my best to enhance the photos in a certain way, what edits are done, when they will be finished, where to order their prints from.

They shouldn't have any questions after they finish a session with me, moving forward I plan to move that process into the next level and I'm excited at the changes that are coming up for Jo. H Photography to make the customer experience a quicker and more efficient process.  Speed and accuracy is a must and thats something I am always working on.

Make sure as a business you discuss everything, don't assume anything, explain, type it out, say it over and over so you are doing your job of letting the customer know that their money is well spent.

www.johphotography.com to book your session

Your Ah-Ha moment

Photography is kind of confusing when your first staring out.  There wasn’t a lot of youtube on photography back then and you had to read articles and try to learn from other photographers.

Well we are kind of a weird bunch when it comes to learning, a lot of photographers just won’t help you because they are afraid you will get there clients (theres only a bazillion people on earth believe me there are plenty of clients to go around).  I was told large amounts of money to work with me and the articles I didn’t understand.

I remember reading over and over the same articles to try to understand camera settings.  ISO, F stop, ISO, Shutter Speed all of that is very confusing to a new photographer.  I remember when I was first learning rodeo photography I belonged to a camera club (no longer a club) and a few of the members helped me out.  I wanted to freeze action, I wanted you to look at a photo and think “Wow how did she do that”.  My Ah-Ha moment was practicing in my front yard on a very small sprinkler and trying to stop the water droplets in the air.

I spent so much time practicing on that water sprinkler, uploading photos, adjusting settings (I had no idea what I was doing or why) and then seeing how things looked then again uploading photos re looking at them.

It took awhile for me to make sense of all those camera settings, but that practice time in my front yard on that little water sprinkler was my ah-ha moment that helped me be the photographer I am today.  Mainly learning my camera, not shooting on auto and adjusting settings to make the most of my photos.

When a new photographer messages me I always recommend a lot of practice like the one I used to do, its the best way to learn.  Shoot, download, look and edit, reshoot, download, look and edit.

Your an work with the best in the world but if you don’t practice you won’t improve and you won’t have your ah-ha moment

Www.JoHPhotography.com

Tips for the Bride and her Upcoming Wedding

Its that time of year where the 2020 brides are working on their weddings for next year.  This is what I have to say "SMART GIRL".

The best tip I can give any bride is "Don't wait too long" to book anything for a wedding 8 months to a year out.  Vendors, and anyone working around a wedding will book up that far in advance.  I currently have 3 weddings in my calendar for 2020 and they have been booked 8 months in advance.

Look up a checklist of everything that needs to be done on Pinterest if you are planning yourself, even if you are hiring a wedding planner.  Get started early with everything for your very special day - if its choosing colors to choosing venues, vendors, anything that applies to your wedding.

Get started on that checklist early, venues go fast very fast, don't just rely on a message on email, or facebook, go visit those venues.  For example.  I photograph at Hollow Hill Event Center in Weatherford (located off hwy 199 between Springtown and Azle). they offer multiple wedding spots within their one facility, you can be indoors, outdoors, under the trees, under the stars.  You need to visit this location at the time of your ceremony so you can see how the light will hit that location and decide which best fits what your lookin for and I'm sure each location has a different price with it.  So visit with them, I know they take clients around on a Golf Cart and show them each location to help you decide, I'm pretty sure all venues do a tour at no charge to you but make sure to ask

Florist is another big one, depending on if you would like artificial or real flowers they need to know far in advance because if its live flowers those may be out of season.  Talk to your floral arrangement specialist as soon as you can so they can start trying to find what your looking for to work on a budget for you.  I can recommend a few for you reach out to me and from experience and photographing arrangements up close I would be happy to pass along some names and phone numbers

Your cake can be made in so many different ways, use your imagination when creating that special table for the bride and groom, the bakers are artists, you never know what fun creative thing they can create.  Contact them early they are one of the busiest of all the vendors and making sure you have them on your day is going to be one of those early phone calls you need to make, visit and see examples to help you decide.

The Dress!  Oh my goodness the dress, there are so many places to choose a dress, I think visiting some bridal shows is a great way to see the best variety in one location, if not, ask for recommendations from your friends and visit a few shops in your area.  They will have a wide range to fit any budget.  Pick the dress that will be the dress you always imagined when you were a little girl and you knew your dress was going to the prettiest dress ever.  This is your Princess day, make it so special you will remember it for a lifetime.

Make up- a lot of people do their own makeup that day, nothing wrong with that, I always recommend for ladies senior photos and weddings, go that extra step and book someone to help you look more beautiful than you already are.  MaddGlam has been my #officialmua for the past few years and I can't recommend her enough.

Last but not least of course is your photographer and videographer.  There is a budget and experience with both of those, when you ask if someone photographs weddings, make sure you see photos of weddings, ask "What is included in your price" So many times someone asks what I charge, I tell them they disappear, but they never ask me what I offer.  I offer 4, 6 and 8 hour packages, each one includes all photos GASP! photographers are falling dead all over.  I give ALL photos because thats the day they need to have every memory, it might be uncle bob laughing so hard his teeth fell out, or Dad crying when he gives his daughter away. The bride (in my opinion) should not have to choose the memory she wishes to receive.  I go against all the rules on the wedding and give them all the photos.  my prices are not cheap, but their not expensive either, they fit what I know I am offering.

ASK! ask the photographer, for the price what do I get, make sure you understand exactly and you know the work of the photographer before you agree.  I also offer gift certificates so people can help you pay for those weddings, lay a way to pay it out.  There are so many options to help you not be under stress when everyone is needing payment to help you with your wedding.

Vidoegraphers, same, see a body of their work, ask what is the time frame you will receive your finished video - ask how busy they are, what equipment they use, everything.... there is a lot behind what videographers do they have to watch tons of footage to build your story that will remind you of the day you said "I Do".

All in All - Don't wait to the last minute, plan far in advance so you can book the vendors you wish, the venues you want.  Ask for lay a way plans, ask do you offer gift certificates and put those on your wedding gift list.  Its your day, you don't want to worry, have everything in place, make your list check it twice then stop worrying and enjoy your day.  PICK a Go To person for all he vendors to go to in case they have questions, I always ask Who is my Go To person, because the bride has enough on her mind.

I'm not an expert but if you ever need help don't hesitate to reach out to me and I'm willing to help in anyway, if you book me or not, I'm happy to recommend and offer any advice to help you on your wedding.

www.JoHPhotography.com

Giving back thru Photography

One of the most rewarding things that has happened to me is using my photography and photography gear to “Give Back”.  Doing for others and giving back to a good cause has come to my heart more and more this past year.

I decided to find some organizations to help with my camera, being a HUGE animal lover I thought what better way than reaching out to a few rescue programs to help them find loving homes for the animals they are rescuing.

I reached out to TWO organizations in this area (Wild Heart Rescue in Boyd Texas) and (ShelterHearts in Bowie).  Both are great organizations with loving people with huge hearts doing everything they can to find homes for loving pets wanting a forever home.  I took photos of each of the pets and then they posted them on their site for families to see and hopefully not live without and adopt and take home forever and love them the way God intended when he created these beautiful creatures.

For Wild Heart Rescue in Boyd we did something a little different, we had pet mini sessions, donation only so the families that showed up to have photos taken with their pets made a donation of their choice direct to the Wild Heart Rescue.  It was so much fun and I felt so good helping out a great cause.  We are putting on two more of these this fall November 3, 2019 (this one is full) and November 10, 2019 has a few openings left.  This mini session set will be a little different, we will be creating a Christmas Card for them to share with their friends.

The second rescue program I was happy to help is Sacred Heart from Bowie, I found 

them thru a shared post on facebook and on that post was the dog that would find

his forever home with OUR family.  Ted the beagle/basset mix was a little guy in

the back yard of the shelter, all alone, the saddest face I had ever seen but something

in that face pulled at me and I had to bring him home.  So happy that I found him because

he has made a special place in our family and in our hearts and if I hadn't showed up that

day to photograph and help other dogs find homes, I may not of found him.

If you have a talent, be it photography, videography, graphics, marketing, ANYTHING give back to a good cause.  use your talent to help others, it will make your heart feel so good.

www.JoHPhotography.com   Info@JoHPhotography.com

What Inspires Me to Photograph

I don't have the years behind me that a lot of photographers do, but I know I have found what I love to do and it was thru a hobby.  I started out around 2013 by going to Wolfe Camera (out of business now) and walking in to say "I've always been interested in photography".  The man behind the counter handed me a Nikon D40 and a kit lens.  I looked at it and thought "Crud, now what? I have no idea what to do with this".  They offered 6 weeks of lessons to anyone that bought a camera so I signed up and tried to understand the lingo they threw my way (ISO, F-Stop, Shutter Speed, etc).
Through those lessons, I learned a few things which got me on my journey.

What inspires me to photograph is getting better!  Each and every time I pick up my camera to photograph barrel racing, portraits, weddings, newborns, sale horses, I want it to be better than the last time I photographed.  When I started with Barrel racing photography I discovered "Pixel Worx" Their photos are famous by photographing BBR, I wanted my photos to be that good and I told myself even though my sights were not to go to NFR or BBR World or NBHA World I wanted to be the Pixel Worx or the small arena.  After time I would try different angles, but the barrel racers do love that famous 2nd barrel photo that shows everything going right.

What inspires me to photograph?  Trying new things with new lighting and new angles. You never know what you will get and when your lucky enough to get Multiple NFR contestant Stevi Hillman in front of your camera you know your going to get a good action photo.  Trying new angles inspires me to bring out the most in a photo, a photo should tell a story and draw the viewer in for a closer look.  Thats what inspires me!

What Inspires me to photograph?  doing a great job for the client! When I get a call and someone needs photos for a sale catalog I know that horse has got to stand out from the other photos in the catalog, something I've been working on is my equine sale photos.  I have to bring out the best in that horse in order to draw a potential buyer to the sale or to the seller.  I get inspired knowing that I can bring out the natural beauty in what God Created.  The HORSE!

What Inspires me to photograph? I love to create an image thru my camera for a mom and she falls in love with it so much she will put a 20x30 canvas or print on her wall to show the photo off to anyone visiting her home.  I look forward to each and every session and when someone comes to me with a unique idea I absolutely cannot wait to photograph and capture what they want for their home art.

What Inspires me to Photograph?  Doing my best each and every time I pick up the camera and doing a great job for someone paying me to do what I already love to do.

www.JoHPhotography.com to book your session

Barrel Racing (limited events each year)
Portraits
Weddings
Newborn
Sale Horses
"For all your photography needs"

Tips for Photographing Horses

I am no way an expert in the field of Equine Photography and poses, it is something I work at each and every time I am asked to photograph for the owners.  If it's a sale photo, stallion photo or just sentimental photo.

One of the things I require is that the person asking me to come out has a "handler" a person that will help.  Unless you have a world champion halter horse, you have to put a lot of work into getting the horse in the best position to show off what God created.

It's not easy, its hot, its sweaty, its cold, its irritating, but if your going to do a job for a client you want to do a good job.  I apologize throughout the session because their having to bend over, repeatedly and move the horse in the position I am asking them to.

The end result will be so much better than just a quick iPhone photo, when your needing photos like this ask for a extra person to help you.  The photographer can't move back and forth and place legs because the horse will move before she gets back in place and that makes the process so much more slower.  I would recommend having a person hold the horse, one to work with positioning and if your lucky you have a third to get ears up, if not the person moving the legs has 2 jobs.

This allows the photographer to be ready to take that photo before the horse moves.

contact me if you need professional equine photos

www.JoHPhotography.com

A Day In The Life Of...

Have you thought about what all you do in your daily life?  I thought I would go through a routine day for Jo H Photography and what all I do on a daily basis.  It all of course depends on my workload but most days are pretty similar

My day always starts off at 6:30am with a morning walk with my amazing rescue dog "TED"  I'm so thankful for him because he has given me motivation to get up and get moving.

When I get back from the morning walk, I have to get he Java going, I'm ready for coffee and Bible Study, I "Write out" my bible study, I feel like it helps me understand and take in every work that's in my Bible.  I'm currently studying Psalm,

At that point, it's breakfast and into my home office, We converted the guest room into a office for myself.  I had been working on the coffee table, dinner table, anywhere I could set my computer down.  That was causing me so much wasted time carrying things back and forth I needed more organization.

I pulled the carpet in that room and repainted walls and trim and this weekend we are putting down wood flooring to finish out my home office, next week the organization begins constructing my desk and storage areas.  I like to be as efficient as possible and would like my work to flow and stay organized.

If I don't have any photography jobs then my morning is spent in the office working on order, or learning something new.  After lunch its time to do some house chores and trying to keep the home clean and organized for my family.

After lunch and cleaning its back it the office if there is more work to be completed or projects to work on.  If i have a race to photograph I start loading up my gear an hour before I have to leave.

Depending on the photography event, I may carry 2-3 lights, i rarely take all 5 lights unless I am working a remote camera or photographing youth rodeos.  I pick up Kathy (she works the photography booth) and we head out. We plan ahead using MAPS to see what time we need to be at a location.  I like to allow 1 hour of set up time before the race, if I have time I like to capture a few behind the scenes photos or talk to some of the contestants for that night.

The race depends on a lot of things, some races run 25-30 an hour, some 40-50 an hour.  We of course love the faster races that keeps up in and out as quickly as possible and we like that.

Kathy runs the photo booth and does an amazing job, we download 10 runners at a time to the booth laptop, so runners can come up and see their photos right away.  Unfortunately I stopped posting photos online due to so many people using their phones to take snapshots and posting them, they didn't buy them so I had to stop this process.  You can see photos on site immediately; depending on the race, I may work on your order right there in the arena so you have them to share immediately.  If it's  a really dusty arena I won't do that because it can ruin my computer equipment.

After the race and after everyone leaves the photo booth, we load up all of our equipment and head home, if I need to finish orders I work on them at home and make sure all digital orders are finished the same day.  Print orders are done by noon the next day so I can get all prints on one shipment as I overnight them to myself to get them out to everyone within a few days.  I know some photographers print on site, it's just not something I will do, I give every photo if it's a $15 digital to $50 print the same care, I want to know what you get is 100% perfect in my eyes.

Bed for me on most days is 11pm depending on work load or how far we have to travel.

I'm blessed to do something I love, photograph, capture memories of people and events.  I have the biggest support system around me with regular clients that keep me going.  I couldn't do what I do without everyones support.

for 2019/2020 I've decided to cut back on some of the bigger races and stay with some of the ones that I know I can be finished in 4 hours or less, we are picking up youth rodeos and of course portraits and weddings is a primary focus to grow into for 2020.

If you need a photographer reach out and lets see if we can do some work together.
www.JoHPhotography.com

Swimsuit Session

I think of myself as a equine portrait specialist, when I have an opportunity to step outside my expertise it’s always fun.  Kylee (senior rep 2019) asked if I would be interested in doing a swimsuit session as her send off to College.  Of course, I loved the idea.  After a few scouting trips (which I highly recommend if your a photographer/videographer) we picked our location and then it was getting our schedules together.

Lake Ray Roberts Johnson Branch served as the perfect background for our beach/swimsuit session.  The beach is clean and there are not a lot of trees blocking the water which if angled correctly gives you a ocean look.  Not a lot of people were on the beach during the week so at that point it was working on ideas and angles

Kylee came prepared with about 6 to 8 swimsuits and outfits. We didn’t want all the phots in one outfit so we outlined what angles and poses we wanted in each suit.  I was so happy with the outcome of this session (Kylee makes my job as photographer easy, she follows direction and can hit all the poses and looks anyphotographer would want).

I wish this young lady the best, she’s been on my sponsor team for two years and I know her future is bright and I can’t wait to see what all she accomplishes.

Photographer:  Jo H Photography

Model:  Kylee Scribner

Photographer Assistant:  Nana :)

Location:  Lake Ray Roberts

Www.JoHPhotography.com to book your session

How Important is Quality

Recently I was asked “How Important is Quality to you”.  Thats a no brainer, since my first day of photography I wanted to put a quality photo out there if it’s on social media or on print.

Unlike some photographers I won’t print my photos at the barrel races, some days I get them SOOC (Straight out of camera) perfect and could print on site.  I like to take a look at them to see if they need to be straightened, exposure is too high too low etc.  I give each $10 social media tag the same amount of attention as I do a $26 8x10 print.

Quality is very important to me, and my answer to that person that asked me that was “I will quit before I sacrifice quality”

Portraits same thing, things go a little slower (most days) than a fast paced barrel race, but I pay close attention to my background, ambient light, artificial light, people, horses, dogs, everything comes into factor when creating a piece of art for someones wall.

Quality should always be your top priority as a business, artist or individual.  I want to be known for my quality work not for settling for less.

If your looking for a quality photographer, look no further JO H PHOTOGRAPHY is your photographer.

Www.JoHPhotography.com. Check out my work and let me take care of “All your photography Needs”

Improve your Skills

Even though your a professional and you make your living doing what you do, it’s always great to go out and work with someone else to work on your skills and learn new things.  I’m not a big studio type photographer so was thrilled when two of my favorite photographers got together to put on a workshop.  Both very strong with studio photography and both amazingly talented with senior photography.

To stand out in todays OVER Saturated market of people with cameras you have to stand out, do things differently, this weekend I learned both of those, My photos will stand out and I will be working to do a few things differently.  I know my seniors in this upcoming year and years to come will be happy with the things we accomplish at their sessions

Www.JoHPhotography.com to book your session, you won’t be disappointed 

Networking for success

Networking!  What is Networking?  Networking is using all avenues to help yourself get noticed to increase awareness to you as a business.  What are you doing to help network your business?

Social Media has become so popular to help bring awareness and eyes to your business; are you using social media to your advantage? Are you networking with fellow small business?  If your not you need to.

One of the ways to reach more people is to collaborate with some of the other small business owners you know.  I often times barter my photography work to other small business in the area.  In hopes that they advertise the photos I’ve taken to draw attention to their business also draws attention to mine.

Something I would like you all try to do to help each other is find someone to network with, if you are advertising another persons page, doing work for each other to help bring eyes to that person, a video, a photo anything to help each other out.  This week I plan to visit a few business in Sanger to collaborate and network in hopes that a photo or video will help bring more likes, shares and potential clients to Jo H Photography.

Give it a try and see how it helps you

Www.JoHPhotography.com

Setting Goals

As a photographer I wanted to challenge myself and One of the things I wanted to add is at least one out of state barrel racing event.

This year we (my booth assistant) and myself made the trip to Topeka Kansas to photograph for MR Barrel Productions.  This was my first trip up to Kansas to photograph and my first time to work with this promoter.

I was very impressed with MR Barrel Productions, as a vendor that works at an event you love what you do but you don't want to be there any longer than necessary,  Michelle and her crew were able to run 50 + an hour thru the arena which is not easy to do.

The arena personnel made sure we had everything we needed, No extension cords were pulled out and drug all over the arena, they had outlets that came down from the ceiling and dropped down on a pulley which sure made it easy for me to set up lights and not have to worry about taping cords to the concrete.

Last year I flew to Oregon and wanted to go back, but the more I thought about it the more I didn't want to have to worry about flying all my gear back up there.  So this year we opted to drive (7 hours to Topeka) and I am glad we made the drive.

The competition was fierce and I was able to make a lot of new friends on this journey.

Setting goals and working to accomplish them is one of the most satisfying things for me as a photographer.  On to the next goal

www.JoHPhotography.com

The 2 P’s Patience and Practice

This week I met an extraordinary young lady, she will be a junior in high school and after introductions I asked her how long has she been doing Ballet.  She told me 12 years, for such a young lady, she’s been working on her art for 12 years and it showed in every photo we took this day.

This made me think back to my photography and I feel this could apply to anyone trying to improve.  So many don’t have patience to wait until their ready to see the improvements of practice.  This applies to anyone, photographer, barrel racer, musician, artist.  Your craft takes time, don’t feel like you have to see results right away (there are a few that do) but it does take practice, repetition, working on what you love in order to see the results.

This young ladies mom told me during the session when I complimented on how well her moves were, how precise, she said “Thats from everyday practicing what she loves”. Remember to have patience and the reward will come

Www.JoHPhotography.com

Copyright and useage

I feel like it would be a good thing to discuss as a photographer my job is also to help communicate.  Please remember every photographer probably does something different so it’s YOUR job to ask.

At my photo booth on location we have a sign up right by the monitor where you see your photos on what you can do with a facebook digital.

I sell 2 types of digitals.  Facebook and High Resolution.  Both are for USEAGE, meaning I keep the copyright of the photo, which gives you the purchase or useage purchaser NO rights on that photo except to share it.

When you purchase a facebook digital from Jo H Photography you may share this photo on your 

personal facebook, website, use it as a profile, instagram, any social media platform.  When I post my albums after a race, I ALWAYS put “Photos are ©Jo H PHotography, do not alter, edit, crop, filter, remove watermark, download to print, or alter photos in anyway including phone apps and editing software, share using the share button and feel free to tag your family and friends.”  Some occasions I ask to be contacted before submitting to your sponsors because if they are using the photo to promote their work, thats income for them and I want them to understand the useage.  I 99% of the time always say you can send it to your sponsor but please ask them to not Resell or print etc.  

High Resolution Digital, you are again using the photo, you receive a print release to print as many copies as you like but i again MAINTAIN the copyright.  I will NEVER give up my copyright. Which means you CANNOT alter the photos in anyway.  Your printing them because you have a release and your posting them to social media no problem.

When we see someone alter our photos even in the most innocent way you have to remember if I took a paint brush to alter the Mona Lisa, (sp) I have altered the original.  I may never be the BEST photographer or most famous, but that is my work and I don’t want it changed.  If you don’t like the photo, don’t buy it.  There is always going to be another photo.

Another thing to remember is when a graphic person uses your photo for any type of ad, they need to contact me for a release, if they use the photo- alter the photo in anyway in their graphic that is copyright infringement as well.  I again will always say Yes, but I want to talk to them to see what they have in mind before saying Yes.

Again, all photographers are different, some charge more, some charge useage, i’m Very easy and don’t do that.  But I ask that my work be respected and not changed.  With all of these phone apps and editing software remover Jo H Photography photos are off limits. 

If you have any questions, your more than welcome to message me, come see, me stop me at a race (if I am not between drags) I’ll be happy to answer any questions pertaining to me.  I can’t talk for other photographers, its best you ask them if your confused on what you can and cannot do with a photo.

Www.JoHPhotography.com

Dallas Arboretum is the perfect location

Last year I photographed at the Dallas Arboretum on Garland Road for a few sessions; I loved it so. much that I bought a annual pass which turned out to be one of the best things I purchased for my business.

I like having a gorgeous location that is well maintained year round to offer for anyone wanting a pretty location for their senior, engagement, maternity and even cake smash photos.

I was so happy to photograph my first maternity session there this past week, The arboretum is very easy to drive to, lots of parking and has so many backgrounds that your clients won't be disappointed by the time they walk out at the end of their session.

I'm able to photograph about 90% of the sessions in natural light, with a large variety of trees and floral arrangements you can find the perfect spot even in this harsh Texas sun.

If your looking for a great location to photograph, don't forget to get a pass, each pass is individual and allows more people than others and free parking.  You absolutely cannot beat this location.

www.JoHPhotography.com
Info@JoHPhotography.com to book your session

Teamwork makes the Dream Work!

Kylee Scribner is no stranger to the rodeo arena or winning awards, she has been competing for as long as she can remember.

Having a great team of horses in your trailer along with a talented athlete makes this Great Team Successful.

First Fire Frost aka Billy is an 11 year old gelding she runs barrels and poles on.  Billy won the toughest high school rodeo region in Texas in barrels and poles two years in a row.  This team currently holds 5 barrel racing arena records in North Texas area and nearly 10 pole bending arena records.  He qualified for the American Semi Finals; has won the open and the youth moonshine race, and countless buckles.  This horse was on top of the world when he took a devastating blow from EPM.  A week into his treatment vets were wanting to put him down because they weren't sure he would be able to walk again, it was pretty set in stone it looked like he would never compete in the rodeo arena again.

BELIEVE!  Kylee knew better than that, She buckled down, kept God as her priority and knew that Billy had the heart of a champion and he would be back on top.  Six months later, Billy started his rehabilitation, within 2 years time, insight laser therapy, outlaw equine and a might mighty GOD, First Fire Frost is moving back into the arena and is consistently climbing the leaderboard.

While Billy was down, Kylee had already qualified for many rodeos just weeks away and was without a horse to ride.  She received a call from her aunt offering her cousins high school rodeo mare. This came with a catch; "sister" had alley issues, kicked and had been turned out for nearly a year.  With little time left before the rodeos she took Sister home and did as much prepping in the 2 weeks she could.  With less than 5 runs in barrels and poles they were on their way to the IFYR.  Not that this mare filled in for Billy while he was out, but she placed 17th in the average of 250 girls around the world.  Kylee has been blessed enough over the past 2 years that her aunt let her purchase Sister.  This mare may have her quirks but she has kept Kylee in the standings and given her all every run.  This mare has stepped up to the plate, qualified her for the state finals and once again showed me what a true gritty horse is.

Last year I invited my senior reps that I felt would be a great role model, representative and ambassador for Jo H PHotography.  Kylee has not disappointed me one bit, she has served so well in representing my small business.  I am so happy to see all of her success and I know this is just the beginning.

www.JoHPhotography.com

Step outside the Box

I photograph all of the barrel races that are held once a month at Parker County Arena in Weatherford, I haven't tried a lot of different things there, I would photograph on the right barrel side or photograph on the left barrel side.

Finally yesterday I stepped outside the box and put one of my dramatic lighting effects in place and I walked away pretty happy with most of the photos.

The photo of Blake is my favorite one from the day, I did do some extra photoshop to this one because I liked the angle, the dramatic look, the light coming thru the window and his awesomeness I just wanted to do a little more to this photo.

Photographers, think to yourself if your doing the same thing over and over, don't you think the barrel racer is tired of seeing the same thing over and over, or maybe would like something different.

Let's make sure we step outside the box and deliver something new and different for them.  I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve and I plan to start pulling those tricks out so the promoters I work for can offer something different in the way of photos.

www.JoHPhotography.com to book your event, portraits, weddings, sale horses and professional headshot photography

"For All your Photography Needs"

The Wedding Dress

When one of your brides messages you about an idea and you hear it and you can't wait to photograph it, you know it has to be a fun idea.  Alexia will be getting married in May of this year and had this amazing idea of something fun to photograph in her moms wedding dress from 1985.

When she became engaged her and her mom (Charlena Cutaia) thought it would be fun to pull out this wedding dress and do something fun, of course it had to do something with barrel racing.

It's funny this session even happened because Charlena is not one to save things, if she has no use for something it gets recycled, trashed or given away.  This dress was stored and wrapped up for years and made it's way from Arizona to Texas.

One of the most memorable things from this session was that Alexia is wearing her moms wedding dress from 1985 and performing the barrel pattern on her moms horse.  She said that it was such a huge honor for her to wear her moms dress and run her moms horse in this special photo session at Infinity C Ranch, her parents have been married 34 years this September and if she has half the marriage her parents do then she will have a pretty amazing life.

Make sure to check out this amazing mom daughter duo at Infinity C Ranch on facebook, they offer lessons, boarding and even hold barrel races at the ranch when weather permits.  I've known them both for quite a few years and consider them friends of mine and I'm so happy and honored to be asked to photograph Alexia wedding soon.

Photographer:  Jo H Photography www.JoHPhotography.com
Photographer Assistant:  Kathy minteer
Location:  infinity C Ranch Farmersville Texas

Annika Barry Senior 2020

Being a photographer you meet some pretty amazing, driven, hard working people in this line of work.  It's busy season so this time of year I am photographing a lot of high school juniors and seniors  I had the pleasure of capturing a couple session with Annika Barry and Colten Cunningham.

I met Annika about 4 years ago thru my event photography and I am thrilled she has applied for my senior rep program for 2020 (winners announced soon).  She is a very active member of FFA for the past 3 years and competes in the quiz team, horse judging and is an Ag Advocacy.

She has been riding horses since she was 5 years old and competing at the ripe ole age of 7 years old. She competes in Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Goat typing, Playdays, Racking Horse Shows, Western Pleasure, Hunter under saddle, trail and many more classes.  She has been blessed to make it to the finals all 3 of her high school rodeo career years.  In 2015 she placed 5th at the World Paint Horse show against some fierce competition.

She is also an entrepreneur, working for herself giving riding lessons and taking on client horses for tuning and training.  She was been nominated for the NTHSRA student board for the 2019-2020 school year which is an amazing honor.  She also has been on the Marcus rodeo team for 3 years now, serving as secretary for 2017-2018 and Marcus Queen for 2018-2019.

When she came to me about a photo session, she knew exactly what she wanted which makes things go so much faster and smoother, I photographed 95% of her session with Colten in natural light with poses that are appealing to her and him.  I thoroughly enjoyed how they incorporated their dog into almost all of their photos and such a pleasure to photograph them.  We picked a great location at the local state park which provided the background we need to obtain the look they wanted for their final photos. Both of these young adults were so much fun to be around, great personalities, polite and respectful.  

I look forward to more sessions with her and watching as her future unfolds in front of her.

Photographer:  Jo H Photography www.JoHPhotography.com

Photographer Assistant:  kathy Minteer

Location: Lake Ray Roberts State Park