Event Photography: Olie Moss
Photo courtesy Olie Moss
This is our final post in our equine event photography series. We’ve got tons of nuggets of wisdom from Olie Moss of Olie’s Images, founder of Equine Photography School. Olie has been in the equine photography business for six years. He shoots primarily team roping events, but he also covers rodeos and barrel races. He mainly shoots in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado and Tennessee. We hope you enjoy today’s interview. Check back on our podcast for an upcoming episode with Olie in a few weeks!
* Don’t miss pass interviews with Primo Morales, Lisa Dean and Kelsey Hellman.
Photo by Olie’s Images
What was your path to doing equine event photography?
I was given a camera as an early birthday present, then a week later, I shot my first barrel race. I had made more profit from that first two-day barrel race than I had made in the past five days at my "real job." That was pretty exciting because I didn't like my job or any other job before that. I've always wanted to work for myself, which seemed like this could be a good fit from the start.
Can you share a bit about how you structure prices?
Digital copies for social media use are our least expensive option at $25 each. From there, we go to $30 for 5x7's and $40 for 8x10's. Many customers want a package deal where they get the social media copy and a print, so we do the combo for just $15 more than the print alone. We offer about 300+ options online through pint labs and self fulled products. We sell a ton of metal prints too. They are aluminum with a white coating, the image printed on that, and it pops. It's my favorite because it's a great product that will last a very long time.
We also offer two types of collages, Basic and Custom. The basic college has a design fee of just $50 plus whatever the customer wants it printed on. The basic collages are what customer's usually mean when they want a collage. Custom Collages are something that I've created to fill the need of the customers who want that high-end product that really is something special. These are my specialty. Each image is cut out and layered onto a unique background. The layers are separated to give depth, and there is usually text added and stylized. The Custom Collages are not for everyone, but those who order them receive a piece of artwork. We can print either type of collage on anything, but the Vivid Metal is the go-to option for most of the Custom Collages.
For those who need commercial use or wish to do their own printing, we offer high-resolution commercial use images for just $100. In this way, we keep the options very simple because people tend to struggle a lot with resolution and usage rights. So, we have a very limited and very cheap option, which is the social-media-only-use only version where no printing is allowed. Or, they have the $100 option where they can pretty much do what they wish with the image.
What are some challenges equine event photographers like yourself are facing?
Equine event photographers face different challenges at different levels. I've created Equine Photo School to help those at all levels to meet those challenges head-on and blast right through them. We all struggle with people stealing our images from our websites and even taking pics of the screen as we try to show pics in the booth. There are wanna-be event photographers who will try to poach our events. If my producers don't have my back and help me put a stop to that behavior, then I absolutely will not come back to their event next time.
I hire quite a bit of help, probably more than many of my "peers." I'll have anywhere from 4-16 people working for me at any given event in one location. Sometimes we split off and do more than one event in a weekend, but I'm doing less of that as time goes on. It's better to cover one big event rather than a bunch of little ones.
I don't have many struggles at this point in my career. Things have always come pretty easy for me, but as I level up, I find that there is so much less competition at the higher levels.
What do you enjoy about your work?
I enjoy crafting the light to light my images in interesting ways. Lighting the way I do it makes the constants and their horses to pop off the print. I like the images to be very sharp and detailed. Customers notice and being there to hand them their print is the best.
Since the first calendar year, Olie's Images has been traveling south for the winter and north for the summer. It's nice to have a job where I can be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Although I used to schedule events nearly every weekend, I now only have room for 1-2 per month, and I will schedule a month off now and then. I like to have free time to work on my skills as a photographer and dive into other projects. I've been secretly working on a big change coming for Olie's Images. I can't go into it now, but when I reveal it, it's going to be a game-changer for me, and I'll have some product offerings that no one has seen before
Being a photographer has proven to be quite lucrative. Olie's Images has joined the 7-figure club earlier this year.
What is something you learned the hard way about this job?
Some older and wiser photographers have tried to tell me to protect myself from repetitive stress injuries, but I always ignored them. Now, both wrists are in pain most of the day, as well as my right elbow. A few of my fingers will occasionally hurt pretty badly too. So, lately, I've been trying to mend those injuries. That sure makes my job tough. But, after 2.6 million photos, I suppose it makes sense.
Photo credit: Olie’s Images
Thinking about new show photographers, what advice can you give them about breaking into this industry?
They need to put in the reps. It's like anything else, and they need to do it, again and again, thousands of times to get better. Many of them fall into the trap of thinking that their first few attempts should look like my attempt number 2,600,001. I know that browsing Instagram can be disheartening because, as a new photographer, you haven't developed a style, you haven't gotten the timing down, you aren't selling like you think you should, and so many other things. Put down the phone and pick up your camera. In my first 3-4 years, I shot hundreds, even thousands of pics every day. It didn't matter what the weather was like, if I was stuck inside, or if I was at an event. It didn't matter what my friends wanted to do. I just had a burning desire to push that shutter button. I'd rush to my computer and edit my pics as soon as I could each day. I'd complete the cycle sometimes a couple of times a day. It was so fun to figure out how others made those killer shots that I saw on social media, but it was more fun to create my unique images from my head.
On my YouTube channel, youtube.com/oliesimages, you'll see where I create "challenges" for myself, especially when I was broke. I'd take a $20 or $10 bill and go to the antique store, craft store, dollar store, etc. Then, I'd try to put together a scene with what I could buy with that small amount of money and anything I already owned. Sometimes my friends wanted to join, but they didn't have $10, so we would go to a park or somewhere free and pick up trash or leaves, anything. Then either shoot it right there or go home and see what we could make. Most of us already have loads of interesting objects around the house and in the junk drawer. Every one of those challenges helped me become the equine photographer I am today even though most of them didn't have horses as the subject matter.
I think too many people are waiting for the perfect conditions and this amazing landscape with the majestic wild horse. They are waiting for a huge glamorous event of falling into their lap before they decide to turn on their camera. I'm the total opposite. I suggest making pictures every day. You will have to make the time for it. It won't just happen one day. Start with the basics. Read the manual. I can hear you all groaning as I write this. Haha. Read the manual with your camera powered on, in your hand, with a lens attached. Push all the buttons; see what they do. Then repeat this often. There are endless YouTube videos, books, blogs, websites, workshops, and other ways to learn photography. They all require you to take the initiative. No one can do it for you. If you have the desire and ambition to learn, no one can stop you, but if you lack the drive, no one can do it for you.
What are some things they should avoid doing?
Avoid comparing yourself to others. I've made stickers that say, "You are your only competition," and I hand them out freely. They are responsible for their learning or lack of learning. There are plenty of people who will try to bring them down, but they have to put their heads down and keep shooting. At this point, it's really easy to see what other photographers are up to, and the images they create can be inspiring, but they can also be disheartening.
Instead, put down social media and read a book. There is a series from Scott Kelby that I highly recommend called The Digital Photography Book. There are several books in this series. What I love is that each page or spread of pages is a skill. You can read the page and then practice that skill or technique. He calls them "photo recipes," They are a great way to figure out how he got the shot and then give it a shot for yourself.
The most important thing they need to have/know to get started?
They need to have an open mind to get started and a willingness to learn. Listen to the producers, some of them can be very helpful. Listen to your customers. Anytime you get a chance to show customers your photos in person, you should take it. In the beginning, I found that I had plenty of time to sit and show photos after an event is done. I would relieve my crew member so they could have a break, and I'd soak up everything my customers said. I would intentionally overshoot in the beginning to learn what shots people liked and didn't like. More importantly, I learned why.
To get started with event photography, look close to home. There are probably weekday events or someone practicing nearby. For the most part, people love to have their pictures taken of them doing what they love. So, 99.9% of them will be thrilled to let you practice while they practice or allow you to shoot their jackpot. These are just a few of the ways you can get your reps in. You wouldn't expect to do one sit up and have a 6-pack, so keep shooting until you think you've shot enough then shoot 10X more than that.
Do you have any recommendations for resources to learn more?
Shameless plug, haha, Equine Photo School is my little contribution to helping horses and rodeo photographers learn the ropes. When I started, there wasn't anyone willing to help. It was crazy. Now, the whole photography community seems to want to help the newbies except horse and rodeo photographers. My peers seem to be clinging to the past, but I'm here to help unveil any "secrets."
Otherwise, YouTube is huge. Like I said earlier, there are books, coaches, workshops, courses, blogs, and many other resources to learn photography in general and in different niches. There are very few in comparison to our niche. I'd strongly suggest learning from those other niches because the same ideas and thought processes can be transferred over to equine photography. For example, I use a modified version of portrait lighting for arena lighting. I just scaled it up and made some adjustments to suit my needs and dreams.
Is there anything else you want to tell aspiring show photographers?
There are many ways to go, and you might even invent your own. You can do what I do and sit in one spot for the whole event and churn out good shots predictably, and that has been proven to result in a solid plan for me. You can do like others do and run around the arena trying to capture interesting shots at different angles. You won't always get the shot, and you won't always make something cool, but it could be worth quite a bit when you do. You can sell to contestants like I do, or sell to companies. Some producers will hire both types for the same event. This way, they know they will get the classic shot and some other interesting shots from the Official Photographer, and they will also get a bunch of awesome shots from the other shooter.
You could work for another photographer or head out on your own from the beginning. You can shoot events from big brands that need you to capture their sponsored athletes, or you can set up a system where contestants can shop in your booth throughout an event and then online 24/7 after that. Either way could be quite lucrative. It just depends on your personality. Try all the different ways and see what you vibe with the most. Then dive in. I've found that choosing one thing and doing it extremely well has netted some far better results than just kind of trying a bunch of things.
Anything else we haven't talked about that you want to mention?
For those looking at replacing their current job and going full time, I want to help you develop a framework to think about it. First, I'd suggest picking up events that you can do during the weekends and evenings when you have time off. That way, you can keep your day job and have some "extra income" to invest back into your business. Try not to live off your newfound income and instead figure out what gear you don't have but need. Once you have the equipment you need at least at an entry-level, you might look into upgrading your gear. Only upgrade when you need it like when you have outgrown it and not just when the new camera body comes out. The gear itself will not make your images better. You will get better by putting in the reps and gaining new skills. It won't be long before you see where a new lens, lights, or maybe even a camera body will let you do the next thing. Entry-level gear certainly has its limits, but most photogs never even get close to those limits before they shell out for that new shiny object.
Soon, you'll see that you're making enough to replace your current income. Once you free yourself from your day job, it is easy to kick back and coast, but that newfound 40+ hours could be invested back into learning new skills and techniques. Your new day job is to practice photography, work on your website, call producers to book events, learn Lightroom, Photoshop, and create a workflow. Now, you're wearing more hats than ever before. Personally, the first thing I did was sit down with an accountant, and she helped me create an LLC, and she helps me nearly daily now. Having a CPA is huge for me because accounting is one of my many weaknesses. Nowadays, I eat, sleep, and breathe photography.
Can you share how people can follow you online?.
facebook.com/equinephotoschool
instagram.com/equinephotoschool
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