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The Importance of Photos in Selling Horses

Why using a Professional Photographer is Worth the Cost

by Stephanie Severn

With our current economy, sport horse breeders must discover new ways to catch the attention of potential buyers in any manner possible. Long gone are the days where your potential client base was limited to a hundred-mile radius around your farm.

With the explosion of internet marketing opportunities, your potential clients are now, truly global.

Splashy full-color ads, expensive online classifieds, YouTube farm pages, Facebook pages; these are all means that breeders are considering to promote their horses.

However, breeders must not forget the basic fundamentals for selling horses - showing your horses at their very best. With competition fierce, breeders should consider using a professional photographer to put their horses in the 'best light' possible.

We've asked professional photographer, Heather McManamy of Shorthorse Studios, for input and advice.

Heather says "You, as the seller, are responsible for presenting your horse (literally) in the best light possible in order to compete with the growing number of other sellers who have access to the same buyers you do. There are more and more breeders, and better and better horses. It's possible for your message to be lost amongst the throngs of other breeders and sellers clamoring for your buyer's attention, especially online.

"While you may know exactly what your horse can do, or will be capable of doing once started under saddle or in harness, your buyer has no knowledge of your horse's capabilities outside of a possible knowledge of bloodlines and what they may produce. It is your job to provide your buyer with the best information that can be immediately assimilated and recognized as ideal.

"If you are able to do that with your camera on a lovely sunny day, fantastic! You are ahead of the pack. However, if you take an honest look at the images you are presenting to your buyer, what do they say? Would you buy that horse based on just the image? That is all your buyer has to go on at that moment. Do you have the skills of timing and lighting, knowledge of conformation, movement, and experience with (and cash for) not only appropriate camera equipment but editing software that will present your best image to your buyer? Professional photographers are equipped with all of these things."

Having the correct camera body and lenses are important, and as Heather mentions above, require a large monetary investment. Knowing how to get the full potential out of them requires skill when photographing moving animals, something that is learned through years and years of practice and training.

The bottom line is, hiring a professional photographer to handle the difficult aspects of photographing your horse, and capturing that perfect shot, can be the difference in getting a sale, and having to spend more and more time and money on caring for and promoting your stock.

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