From Photography Burnout To Loving Your Business Again with Bethany Quinn

Summary

The Portrait System Podcast: From Photography Burnout To Loving Your Business Again with Bethany Quinn

Release Date: October 29, 2024

Introduction

In this inspiring episode of The Portrait System Podcast, host Nikki Klosser sits down with Bethany Quinn, a talented photographer who shares her journey from experiencing burnout in her boudoir photography business to reigniting her passion through equine photography. Bethany’s story is a testament to the importance of adaptability, passion, and the pursuit of joy in the photography business.

Bethany Quinn’s Photography Journey

Bethany Quinn began her career focusing primarily on boudoir photography, embracing the intimate and empowering nature of the genre. In 2020, amidst the global shutdowns, she fully committed to boudoir, establishing a senior associate program to build her portfolio and attract clients. “[00:57] Guest Speaker: I started shooting, you know, like we do shooting everything until we figure out what it is that we want to focus on. I got into Boudoir. It was funny. I transitioned into boudoir in 2020, right when it was like shutdown mode.”

Building a Boudoir Portfolio and Overcoming Challenges

Bethany leveraged mini sessions to expand her portfolio and engage with her community. These sessions allowed her to experiment with different themes and styles, gradually attracting clients who resonated with her work. “[07:35] Guest Speaker: They would get it credit. And then these girls, I worked with, like, eight of them at the time, which was like, it was a big. I was just like, let's just get as many as we can.”

While this approach was effective in building her portfolio, Bethany encountered challenges, including clients’ misunderstandings about what was included in their sessions. “[14:37] Guest Speaker: It was a lot. Like, I got a bunch of people right in a row where it was like, they didn't get that, like, everything that came with the session.”

The Burnout Experience

Despite her success, the intense workload led Bethany to experience significant burnout by the end of 2022. The pressure of managing multiple clients and the repetitive nature of boudoir photography diminished her joy for the craft. “[13:51] Guest Speaker: But I burned out, like, majorly burned out at the end of 2022.”

Realizing the need for a break, Bethany sought ways to rediscover her passion. “[14:57] Bethany Quinn: And it's good for the well being to kind of take a step back and remember why you like it and to find the joy.”

Transitioning to Equine Photography

Bethany decided to pivot her focus towards equine photography, a genre she had personal connections with but had not professionally explored for years. This transition was motivated by her desire to rekindle her creative spark and find joy in her work again. “[24:43] Guest Speaker: Because I just will. I don't have any notifications on my phone, so I just like, okay, I'm going to post this and just forget about it and go about my day.”

She launched the "Heart Horse" project, aiming to photograph women alongside their beloved horses, capturing the deep emotional bonds between them. “[38:52] Bethany Quinn: I can relate to this just because of one of my best friends and the way she speaks about the different horses she's had.”

Success and Community Building

The Heart Horse project quickly garnered interest, reflecting Bethany’s ability to connect with her audience and create meaningful work. “[40:33] Guest Speaker: She's in the more like, affluent sort of horsey world. Like, again, like once, you know, once again, that doesn't always make or break.”

Through strategic networking and relationship building within the equine community, Bethany expanded her client base and found fulfillment in a new genre. “[41:14] Guest Speaker: Yeah. And I like the non traditional networking routes of, oh, yeah, just show up and you're here to ride horses.”

Maintaining Business During Seasonal Changes

Bethany addresses the seasonal nature of equine photography, balancing her work between indoor boudoir sessions during colder months and outdoor horse shoots during warmer seasons. “[47:48] Bethany Quinn: So what will you do in the meantime? Now that it's going to be winter and, you know, how will you keep things moving?”

By diversifying her offerings and maintaining a flexible approach, Bethany ensures her business remains sustainable while she pursues her passion for horse photography.

Notable Quotes

• “[12:03] Guest Speaker: A thousand percent. A thousand percent. That gets lost a lot of the time, too. So that's. I'm really glad you touched on that.”

• “[35:23] Guest Speaker: ...there is value in the pause. Pausing in conversation, pausing for longer periods of time. That's where the magic seems to happen.”

• “[44:17] Bethany Quinn: I'm kind of in that space myself where I, you know, because I photographed personal branding as my main bread and butter for 10 years and I started to get, you know, burned out from it.”

Advice for New Photographers

Towards the end of the episode, Bethany shares valuable insights and advice for budding photographers:

1. Mindset is Crucial: Your mindset can make or break your success. Cultivating a positive and resilient mindset is essential for overcoming challenges and staying motivated.

   “[55:56] Guest Speaker: So many things. Where do I start? Your mindset is like, number one in everything that you do.”

2. Build a Strong Portfolio: Continuously work on expanding and diversifying your portfolio to attract a wider range of clients.

   “[55:56] Guest Speaker: ...having a strong portfolio is very important.”

3. Self-Care is Essential: Avoid burnout by balancing work with personal time and ensuring you take care of your mental and physical well-being.

   “[35:23] Guest Speaker: ...take care of yourself. You don't need to stay up until 3am editing, unless that's your jam.”

4. Networking Through Relationships: Focus on building genuine relationships within your niche to foster trust and loyalty among clients.

   “[41:35] Bethany Quinn: And having some sort of connection with someone and sometimes becoming their client first.”

Final Thoughts

Bethany Quinn’s journey from burnout to rediscovering her passion offers valuable lessons for photographers and business owners alike. Her ability to pivot, embracing equine photography, not only rejuvenated her love for the craft but also expanded her business in meaningful ways. This episode underscores the importance of adaptability, maintaining a healthy mindset, and finding joy in one’s work.

Connect with Bethany Quinn

• Website: bethanyquinstudios.com
• Instagram: @bethanyquinstudios
• Facebook: Bethany Quinn Studios

Conclusion

Bethany Quinn’s story is a powerful reminder that facing burnout does not signal the end but can be an opportunity for growth and transformation. By following her example, photographers can navigate their own challenges, explore new creative avenues, and ultimately find renewed love for their business.

Transcript

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey there, it's Nikki Klosser and I want to let you know about an awesome free giveaway for people on our email list. If you haven't already, click the link in our podcast description or go to theportraitsystem.com signup to get on the list. If you sign up, you'll get a free posing 101 PDF to jumpstart things. It's an epic PDF, so you'll definitely.

[Bethany Quinn]

Want to get this.

[Nikki Klosser]

Also, just by being in our email community, you'll get deals, sales, and information about any of our upcoming events and activities. So head over to theportraitsystem.com signup and sign up.

[Bethany Quinn]

Today you're listening to the Portrait System.

[Guest Speaker]

Podcast and she's like, you need to tap back into this because I haven't seen you like this lit up in a while. I was like, oh, interesting. Okay. And even Abby, the girl who owns these three unicorn horses, she's like, yeah, I think that's what you need to do too. Here's this community, here's this, here's this. You need to check out this podcast, blah, blah, blah. And it was like, whoa. Like, I was completely blown away.

[Nikki Klosser]

Welcome to the Portrait System podcast. I'm your host, Nikki Klosser, and this show is here to help you succeed in the world of photography and business. To help you learn to become financially free, doing what you love and so much more. With over 1 million downloads, countless photographers have taken what they've learned from both our episodes and from theportraitsystem.com and they.

[Bethany Quinn]

Have grown their businesses, quit their day.

[Nikki Klosser]

Jobs, and are designing a life of their dreams.

[Bethany Quinn]

We keep it real and share stories.

[Nikki Klosser]

About the ups and downs that come with running a photography business. You'll hear real life stories of how other photographers run their business and you'll learn actionable steps that you can take to reach your own goals. Thank you so much for being here. And let's get started.

[Bethany Quinn]

Hi, everyone, it's Nikki Klosser here, and my guest this week on the Portrait System podcast is Bethany Quinn. Bethany shares her experience with being burned out from her business and how she got through that and grew to love being a photographer again. Something she has done that worked well for her was a boudoir style 40 over 30 campaign. And she talks about how she did that, but also she tells us how she broke into equine photography and she gives us a ton of tips and strategies for how to just start an entirely new genre that makes you happy. All right, let's get started with the lovely Bethany Quinn. Hi, Bethany. Welcome to the portrait system. How are you?

[Guest Speaker]

Good. Hey, Nikki, thank you so much for having me on here. This is definitely a bucket list item that's getting checked off today.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, that's so great. I love when people say that, because I have bucket list things, too, and it's like, you know, to be able to help someone achieve a bucket list item is very exciting. So. Yes.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes.

[Bethany Quinn]

And you're a Midwestern girl like me. You're in Indiana?

[Guest Speaker]

Heck, yes. Indianapolis. Yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

Awesome. Are you in, like, in the proper, like, big city?

[Guest Speaker]

We're, like, 10 minutes away. We live in, like, a neighborhood just, like, off of, like, the main road that you take on the north side to get into Indianapolis, the downtown area.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay, very cool. All right, so why don't you start by just telling people the genres that you focus on, and then we'll kind of go from there to see how you ended up where you're at.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. So I photograph boudoir mostly in black and white, and I branched off into equine about a year ago.

[Bethany Quinn]

Tell people if they don't know what equine means, some people will and some people won't. So let's just. Yeah, yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

It's horse photography. Women. I photograph women and their horses. Sometimes just their horses on their own, those sorts of things.

[Bethany Quinn]

All right. It's not an easy genre. One of my best friends has horses, and when I was first starting out, I did a shoot with her horse. And, you know, horses have personalities and can be very, like, spooked very easily and be very temperamental. Yes. So we had to take it real slow and real easy to make sure that worked out.

[Guest Speaker]

I'm laughing because I know exactly what you're talking about. You know, when I first started photographing, I had a friend who had a horse at the time, and I grew up horsey and took a break from it. So I'm used to being around horses, but there was something about her horse that I didn't pick up on. I had a light stand set up because I was going to photograph him for her, and he was just like, nope, we're not doing this. And he just kicked it over. Luckily, I didn't have any lights on, but it was just like, okay, so we're not doing that. We're going to do natural light. He runs the shoot. So.

[Bethany Quinn]

And I don't want people to tune out just because you photograph horses, because you are going to. You have so much value to share with, you know, between boudoir and switching genres. And you did a 40 over 40 campaign. So there's so much that's going to be into this. It's not just about horses. I want people to know that. But one more quick horse thing. So my friend was in and she does dressage. So she shows her horse whatever, and her one horse, Harper, he's just very. He gets spooked very easily. And unfortunately, the photographer was standing in a place that she shouldn't have been while she was showing him, you know, to get photo whatever, and it completely messed up her ride with him because he was spooked by her.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, my gosh.

[Bethany Quinn]

So it's so interesting how animals are just. It can be a real tricky, tricky genre.

[Guest Speaker]

But yes, I feel like too. And I mean, maybe I'm coming at this from more of a bias standpoint. I read Western, but I did English for a short amount of time. And I feel like more English horses are really just spooked out by everything. I mean, you get that in the western world too. But, like, English riding in particularly, I feel like those horses are just like, we're here to be pretty and we can shop pretty. And you just don't mess with me. Yeah, you have to be extra cautious with them. Not all of them, but just some.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay, let's back up. You started your business with Boudoir, right?

[Guest Speaker]

Well, I started shooting, you know, like we do shooting everything until we figure out what it is that we want to focus on. I got into Boudoir. It was funny. I transitioned into boudoir in 2020, right when it was like shutdown mode. And that was like, okay, this is what I want to do. Let's go for it. And I, you know, I got the studio. I had like a. Like an affiliate program, like a senior. Like a senior associate program, but for Boudoir. Yeah. I was in the studio for maybe.

[Bethany Quinn]

Was that successful doing that program?

[Guest Speaker]

The first round, I wasn't really sure what I was doing, but it worked out because, you know, I had like a lower fee for people to participate. And then, you know, it was like, hey, I'll reward you if you bring. Bring in people, you know. But there was less, like bringing in, like, less of the bringing in the people and more like, hey, you know, you get like half off of your product if you do this. You'll have a session on your own. Because we did them in like, mini session formats. And I mean, it was. It was worth it to me in the end to just like, photograph the women that were like, really into like, the full session, but, I mean, as far as publicity goes.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay, so you started. It started with kind of a mini, I think you called them, petite session. Is that right?

[Guest Speaker]

With the. The petite sessions are different or more. What I'm doing now. This was kind of like the associate program.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay. So someone books a shoot, and if they brought in more people, they would get, like, more products, more photos, that sort of thing.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, they would get it credit. And then these girls, I worked with, like, eight of them at the time, which was like, it was a big. I was just like, let's just get as many as we can. It'll be so cool. But we would meet up once a month, do a mini session, and then they would share the photos on their social media.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay.

[Guest Speaker]

And I got a couple of people interested from just their photos that they saw, but it was a lot of work to do to do that well.

[Bethany Quinn]

And it sounds like in the end, it helped build your portfolio.

[Guest Speaker]

It did, yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

And that's important, too.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, that was tremendous. We just had different themes for the mini sessions, and it was like, oh, okay, cool. This is starting to go in the way that I want it to as far as my portfolio went. And then, like, regular clients were coming to see me and, like, looking on my social media and my website, and they're like, oh, I really love that black bodysuit. Where do I get one of those? And so that was when it was like, okay, so this is paying off in more ways than just, you know, marketing. It's paying off. And, like, you know, you have to show what you want to sell, so to speak.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yep, absolutely. Okay. And. And I. I don't want people to kind of glaze over that part, because that's. That's really important, having that strong portfolio. And if you already have a strong portfolio, great. You know, if you. Well, if you do have a strong portfolio and you're still not booking clients, I mean, obviously there are some other things that you really need to look at of what you need to do differently. But even. Even though, you know, if you do have a strong portfolio, it's important to keep adding to it. You know, it's important to keep growing that. And that's not to say you can't use old work, because I still do it all the time. I actually just did it today. I posted something on Instagram saying I have three shoots left, you know, spots open for 20, 25, and I used a bunch of old work. Like, I'm not saying you can't use old work, but it Is important to keep growing that. And. And I like that. Even though you said it didn't bring in a ton of clients, what it did do, you looked at how it did benefit you, and that was to have a stronger portfolio and to, you know, figure out what it is that people want. And so there's always a benefit there.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, definitely.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay. So you were doing that, and then, you know, what kind of happened from there.

[Guest Speaker]

So it was like, I think I did it for, like, a year. It was the timeline of how long these girls were signed up to work with me. Of course, people fell off. They were like, okay, I'm not going to be able to come this weekend. And then, like, you don't hear from them again. And that just happens. Like, I knew it would. That's kind of why I was like, all right, let's get as many people to join this as, like, as we can, and then see what happens by the end of the year. And, yeah, it worked out great. You know, some of the people are like, some of my girls were repeat clients. They were like, you know what? I just want to come in for just a shoot to my. For myself, like, a year later.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, nice.

[Guest Speaker]

One of them, you know, she just got recently divorced from her husband, and she was like, this was something that, like, I so needed during that time in my life because I needed to realize my power again. And that was just like, okay, yep, this. Like, I'm doing something right here. This is great. Not that I wasn't doing anything right before, but it felt like, ooh, okay, like, this. Like, it was like a turning point for me. That's like, oh, this is me more than just, you know, photos of your pictures. Yeah. Like, this is impacting people in a way that I never even dreamed of.

[Bethany Quinn]

And I think boudoir has that power. I mean, I think all photo shoots can have that power, but there's something about just being vulnerable and, you know, showing who you are right now at this point in life, that can be very powerful. And, yeah, I think that's one of the benefits of boudoir, for sure.

[Guest Speaker]

And it's cool because just kind of touching on that is like, whenever you get your photo taken and you look at that photo, you remember how you felt in that moment.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, totally. Totally.

[Guest Speaker]

And that's super powerful.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. I can think back to, you know, especially when sue photographed me, I can think back exactly how I felt in that moment every single time. Yeah, it's really interesting to think about that. And. And that goes back to something that we always talk about is how you are making your clients feel during the experience.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

And it's how important it is for you to be confident so that they can feel confident, whether it's how you're posing them or how you're speaking to them or, you know, just. Just all of it, how you're connecting to them. It's really crucial.

[Guest Speaker]

A thousand percent. A thousand percent. That gets lost a lot of the time, too. So that's. I'm really glad you touched on that.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. Okay. So were you at that point you were full time booking just the boudoir clients?

[Guest Speaker]

Yes, I did that from 2020 through about 2023. I took on a couple of people in 2023. That's when I was like. So there was. When I was photographing Fearless, which was my. I did. 40 women over the age of 30 share their tales of courage. It, like, exploded for me, and I don't want to, like, say that, like, oh, it exploded for me. And life was just so much easier. And it wasn't because, you know, I worked with a lot of photographers in the education realm too. And it's like, you know, they just want to get there where it's like, oh, I just want to get there. I just want to get there. Like, let's just bring the clients and hurry, hurry. And it's like, okay, slow down. We need to think about why we want to do this. We need to have more intentionality behind it. So I just wanted to touch on that really quick.

[Bethany Quinn]

You said it exploded, though, like, as in you started getting a bunch of clients because of this campaign.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, I made over six figures. This, like, during this campaign. I don't like to call it a campaign because it's like, you don't call. You don't say that to your clients because then they assume it's free.

[Bethany Quinn]

But it's like, right.

[Guest Speaker]

So, yeah, I guess it is a campaign. But I burned out, like, majorly burned out at the end of 2022. And, like, my gala, I planned it for, like, November 9th, my birthday in 2023. And it was like, okay, I need to, like, cut back on shooting. I need to kind of recalibrate something because right now shooting is not bringing me joy. And I think sue is, like, always in my head. She's like, oh, you're cookie cutting again. And I'm like, okay, I know, but let me just, like, it's going really good. I can push through it. I can push through it. And it's like that moment where you're Realizing, like, okay, I can't even. Like, I don't even want to go to the studio.

[Bethany Quinn]

Is it because of how many shoots you were doing?

[Guest Speaker]

It was that. It was a lot. Like, I got a bunch of people right in a row where it was like, they didn't get that, like, everything that came with the session, and they assumed every. That they were getting all the photos. You know, like, sometimes we have these clients that are like, you say. You say things to them, you write it in the email, you say it to them again, and they still. You get to their reveal appointment, and they're kind of like, oh, I thought I was getting everything.

[Bethany Quinn]

And so that communication piece is like, oh, gosh, it's so important.

[Guest Speaker]

I was like, what? What happened? Because I have gotten amazing clients, the same process, and with the same process, I'm attracting these people. So what is going on? So I really just. That was. I had, like, seven of them right in a row. And I was speaking to Terry Hofford about this, and she's like, oh, yeah, that'll happen about once a year, you know, when you're shooting at the capacity that you're shooting, and you'll probably get about five to seven of those. And I went back and looked through my calendar, and I had exactly, like, seven people. But it was like, all. But I needed that break just to, like, recalibrate. I need to have fun shooting again is what I went back to. And I talked to one of my friends, and I'm just, like, trying to, like, hash this stuff out. Cause she's been a major supporter of me, and just like, you know, this is like her baby as much as it is mine. And she's like, why don't you just shoot something for fun? What do you want to shoot? Don't shoot women right now. When I say shoot, I mean photograph. Not actually, but I feel like this is a safe space to use those words. But I was like, you know what? I really want to photograph horses. And it just, like, came to me, and I was like, okay, who do I know that has a horse? Like, who in the world? I don't. I'm not in any community. I haven't been a part of this community since I was, like, 12. Like, where do I go to do this? So what do we all do when we want to book a shoot? That's like, you know, we want either a portfolio or we want to get clients. We first post on Facebook, and it was like, this was my. This is my idea. Anyone that I know out here? If you know someone or if you have a horse, I would love to come to your farm and photograph them. And it was like, hey, I will give you the photos. I just wanted to have fun where that money piece wasn't a part of that.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, yeah, wait real quick before I want to move forward on that, but before we do that, I know you did get burned out with the Fearless project that you did. Just very briefly, for people who are interested in doing that sort of project, will you explain how it worked? Like, what did they get for being part of it and then what could they purchase additionally?

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. So for Fearless, it was, of course, the 40 over 40 campaign. Well, mine was 30 over 40 women over the age of 30 where they share. They had a boudoir session with me, and that came with, like, two tickets to the event. The boudoir session, hair and makeup. I think at the time I was doing a credit for the amount of the session fee that they were paying towards more images. And then I also included a gift print as well. But that print credit was to be more of an incentive, like, more to incentivize them to buy collections, like album collections, portfolios.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay.

[Guest Speaker]

Those kinds of things.

[Bethany Quinn]

So they came in with the understanding that they're going to be part of this exhibit that you're doing.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes.

[Bethany Quinn]

And then from there you're hoping that they're going to buy photos.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes.

[Bethany Quinn]

Did most people buy. I know you said you had those seven that were kind of confused, but did most people buy?

[Guest Speaker]

Yes. I had, like, met some, like, incredible women. And it's not even about, like, how much they've spent with me. And, like, the. No sales wouldn't have bothered me. It was just like the attitude that they were. That they presented during that time. But a lot of them. Yeah, like, the majority, like, out of the 40 women. That was a lot of. Yeah, that was.

[Bethany Quinn]

That's the thing that I think it's important for people to remember is that when you are offering something kind of for free, you're going to have a higher percentage of people who aren't in it for the purchase at the end or for the right reasons or whatever. Like, you're going to have a higher percentage there. So I think that's important for people to remember. Like, when I was first starting out, I was giving away gift vouchers.

[Guest Speaker]

Yep.

[Bethany Quinn]

Where they could come in, you know, just. I would cover the session fee, they would get hair, makeup, they would get their photos done. And it worked a lot of the time. Like, you know, most of the Time people purchase photos. But I did have a couple of those where, you know, it's probably my fault. I might not have explained it clearly enough or, you know, I don't know. But because they were coming in not paying anything, there was a higher percentage. And I'm saying I think I had like two or three, but that never happens anymore because I. I'm not giving away anything free. Like, I feel like when you're. Yeah. So anyway, I just wanted to throw that out there that if that does happen to you, it might not be indicative of. Once you have clients coming in on the regular, on a referral basis and that sort of thing, as opposed to offering something free. That's not to say to not offer the free stuff, because that is offering those gift vouchers is what got me like, really moving.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

When I was first doing portraits and then once I was breaking into the personal branding sort of world back in like 2013, I also use the gift vouchers and that got the ball rolling because then people in this whole networking community saw my work and anyways, blah, blah. So there is value in doing that. I just wanted to throw it out there that it will happen more often that people don't buy when you do something like that.

[Guest Speaker]

I also wanted to touch on if it's like a new genre that I'm trying out. I always like to do a shoot for free. Or like last summer I did like 10 horse shoots for free, which was way too.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. If that's your jam, great. Not everyone is. That's going to be their jam. But I have also noticed that, like when I started Fearless, my retainer fee was $290. When you do shoot for free, I've had people come in for a free shoot and they drop $3,600. I've had people come in for a free shoot and they buy nothing. I've had people come in for $400 retainer fees and they have, you know, they won't end up with anything. So I think the retainer fee was something that, as I would adjust it, I started it at 290 and then I went up to 400 because I stopped seeing less of those people that were like, not necessarily tire kickers, but they like I use the word keep the riffraff out of like to kind of like get in people that take it a little bit more seriously once they spend that $400 retainer fee and they were reading all the stuff I was Sending them?

[Bethany Quinn]

Yes.

[Guest Speaker]

They were following directions, those sorts of things. So that was like a big difference in the type of clients that I was getting.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yep, that makes sense. And I'm assuming when you say type of clients, it's not even like a demographic. It's like, it's a mindset.

[Guest Speaker]

It's a. Oh, my gosh. Mindset. Yes, it is a mindset. Yes. I feel like too, in the Midwest, I don't see this like, West Coast, east coast sort of thing. Everyone loves to talk about how much of a deal they've gotten.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah, totally. Oh, I got it at Target. It was on sale. They had six different colors. If you go now, it's still there. Like, I love that about the Midwest for some reasons, but others, not so much.

[Guest Speaker]

And I'm like, how did you. How did you. Where did you feel it in your body? I'm like, super woo, woo. Because I'm like, but how did it really make you feel? How does that. Is there something else that you can associate with the joy that you felt here than you did finding that deal?

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah, totally. I know what you mean. Okay, interesting. Because I actually, I send some random, like, brain dump things through my email list sometimes, and I just sent an email a couple days ago about someone who said no, who did not book me. And it was interesting because I get a variety of people who book me. You know, all different demographics and, you know, affluent levels of affluency, I guess. Or not. You know, whatever. I don't know if I'm saying that right, but. And this, this particular person inquired and lives in an extremely affluent area. Like, I know this at least from where this person lives in the house they live in. Like, very, very wealthy and really balked at my prices, which is fine, you know, and I explained all this in the email that I sent out, but it was very. Yeah, that's okay. That's fine. Like, she's not my client and we're moving on. Whereas just yesterday I booked someone who I know where they live and I know, I can't assume. I don't know what's in their bank account by any means at all. I have no idea. This person could be a billionaire and just doesn't show it with what they drive and where they live, you know?

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. And it's really none of our business too.

[Bethany Quinn]

It is.

[Guest Speaker]

That's. That can be just like a release right there.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. And she, like, booked me without batting an eye. So it's like, you really never know. And that's why I think I Said that the whole mindset piece is some people are going to value a photographic experience more than others, and that's just how it is.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes. A thousand percent. One thousand percent, Nikki.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay, so you put out there, I want to photograph horses. Who's got one for me? What happened from there?

[Guest Speaker]

Because I just will. I don't have any notifications on my phone, so I just like, okay, I'm going to post this and just forget about it and go about my day. And that night, I got on Facebook and there's this. Someone, like, tagged this girl, and she had already responded in my comments with photos of her horses. And it was like. And these are, like, their gypsy banners, which are like unicorn cob horses. Like, they have really beautiful feathering, which is like, the fur that goes over their hooves. They have really big hooves, but they're really short and stocky. And they look like unicorns because they have beautiful manes.

[Bethany Quinn]

Wow.

[Guest Speaker]

Like, I couldn't ask for a better situation. And she also had, like, a baby Clydesdale there, too. This girl actually does, like, hair and makeup for me now for these shoots, which is super cool.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, that's a good connection.

[Guest Speaker]

I drove about an hour away, and I brought my friend with me because I was like, I don't know, like, what to expect. Like, I'm walking into this situation expecting to photograph horses. I don't know who this person is, so bring a buddy. So we show up, and it's just like, oh, my gosh, look at this beautiful barn. It's, like, all black. There's a unicorn on the weather vane, and. Okay. And she's, like, outside, like, come on in. And she's super warm and just super friendly, and her horses are absolutely gorgeous. And she's, like, helping with the shoe, and, like, do you want me to do this? Do this? What do you want them to do? And so I wasn't sure what I wanted. I was just kind of, like, shooting, just to shoot. And my friend was like, have you ever photographed horses before? I was like, yeah. Like, I used to ride when I was a kid. My. My grandpa taught me. It was. It's like, in my blood. My. My aunt is, like. She was a world champion barrel racer and 91 and 92. And I used to go to horse shows with her. So, like, yeah, this is something, like, a world that I'm familiar with. And she's like, you need to tap back into this because this is something I haven't seen you, like, this lit up in a while. I was like, oh, interesting. Okay. And even Abby, the girl who owns these three unicorn horses, she's like, yeah, I think that's what you need to do, too. Here's this community. Here's this. Here's this. You need to check out this podcast. Blah, blah, blah. And it was like, whoa. Like, I was completely blown away. Now, those photos, I didn't like any of them.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, no.

[Guest Speaker]

But I sent that. I edited the ones that I was like, okay, this is fine. Here's some photos. No big deal. And she's like, come back anytime. And then fast forward, I'm getting ready for my gala. It's like, I want to photograph more horses. Like, I'm really hungry for this. And I start meeting other horse girls along the way through, like, networking. I had a client come to my for her boudoir session, and she's like, you like horses? Have you met this person? Okay, you need to go meet them. And so I would meet them. We'd meet for lunch, and it would be like, oh, here's this other, like, world of horsemanship that I'm not even familiar with. And so it just like, kind of like, took off like that. It was really, like, it was supposed to happen. It was. Was really bizarre, but in a good way. So I photographed. I did. I posted in these groups that, you know, the. My new horse girlfriends told me about. And I did a post where it's like, the. I'm looking for 10 horses, and I want to do these kind of shoots. You know, the typical, like, model call sort of post that you put in groups of, like, that certain whenever you're looking for work. And I had people reach out, and I was just like, I'm just going to say yes to everybody because I want to, first of all, see if I want to add this on as a genre. Maybe I don't want to add it on, but, like, I just want to be around horses. I just want to see how this feels as I'm transitioning through whatever this is, because I feel like. Because, like, boudoir is not the answer necessarily anymore. But I want to grow. I want to evolve. I want to see where this goes. And so it came up to be the gala. I stopped photographing horses because it was the end of summer, and horses in the fall through winter and early spring, they get, like, that mammoth fur on them almost. And nobody wants to photograph their horses when they grow their winter coat. So I was like, I'll just revisit this. I have a gala to prepare for. Yada, yada, yada. So then I go through the gala. That was fun. It was amazing. Amazing turnout. Everyone was just so. I couldn't have asked for, like, a better party for this. And I kept it really simple.

[Bethany Quinn]

And this was the 40 over 30.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay. Yep. Just making sure.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes. And I'm still like, okay, do I market this to do it again? Do I? Because, you know, this is like, a big marketing event for yourself as well, and you want to just, like, seize all the opportunities as you possibly can. You have people here, you're in this venue, you're showing your photographs. Like, what better opportunity for marketing do you have? And so what I found interesting was, like, nobody booked. And so I saw that as like, okay, I have my answer. And I'm like, okay. I'm usually like, well, if this happens, then I'll do it. If this doesn't happen, then I won't do it kind of mentality.

[Bethany Quinn]

But that was your answer, huh?

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, we did have a raffle winner that I'm photographing in November, which I'm really excited to do. But, yeah, I took a break for a year and kind of did some soul searching, picked up horseback riding lessons, photographed the horses at my barn, and just kind of like, well, I don't know where. I don't know where photography is for me right now. Until one of my amazing clients, I. Oh, my gosh. I could like, sit and just, like, talk to her for hours. She was like, hey, me and my husband are going to Gulf shores for our 20th wedding anniversary. I want you to photograph us on the beach, and you can stay with us. You can stay as long as you want. You can stay the whole time. You know, you can do your own thing. Bring your husband. And, yeah, we just want photos. And I was like, I'm not photographing right now. I'm not. And, like, I had this, like, war in my head where it was like, but you've always wanted to do this, but here's your opportunity. It was like the universe was like, are you sure you want to quit? Are you sure? Because here's this thing that is unfolding before you that you've always wanted to do. And so I was like, well, yeah, I'm going to say yes, of course. It's a free vacation. And I get to photo. I get to hang out with my favorite client and her husband. And, yeah, why not? And I went to Gulf Shores. We had an amazing time. I photographed her on the beach, and she's like, so when are you going to start shooting again? I was like, you know, I'M kind of like feeling that, like, exploratory, like the new. The newness feeling again where it's like everything is exciting and you're not just cookie cutting. And like, that was something that I needed to like, jolt me out of this like haze of like, be more of the creative than the business person that you are.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah, I've definitely been there for sure.

[Nikki Klosser]

Hey, just a quick break to tell you that since you're here listening, you have access to a really great offer for our listeners only. We have a special promo code you can use to get 50% off the cost of membership. Just go to theportraitsystem.com or click the link in the description and use the promo code PODCAST50 to get 50% off of a membership. We rarely discount memberships, so this is a big deal. As I hope you already know, the membership is how I and so many guests on this podcast reached our success. And it gives you access to countless amazing videos and awesome community and all the tools you need to build a massively successful business. So use the code podcast50Now to join the community and to start building the business of your dreams.

[Bethany Quinn]

I'll see you there. And it's interesting because I'm kind of in that space myself where I, you know, because I photographed personal branding as my main bread and butter for 10 years and I started to get, you know, burned out from it.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

And I hate, I know, like, I don't want to say cookie cutters. Cause I don't want to. And I know you don't mean to do this either. Where I don't want to make it seem like I didn't give my all to my clients. Because I did. Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

But when you're doing the same genre over and over and over, it can start to feel like you're just on repeat with everything that you're doing. And I had a good year, year and a half there where, you know, I started focusing more heavily on seniors. And like, I just, like I did. I had that sort of burnout feeling. Like if you look through my Instagram, there was a period where I really wasn't doing a whole lot of personal branding. Cause I was just feeling. Not inspired anymore. And now it's so funny. Cause now I'm feeling like it's back. Like just recently I started ramping up, up the shoots again. And I just had some amazing personal branding clients the last couple months and that really like. And I have a new space to shoot in, which I love. So that has been big for Me, anyways, I feel like the fire is lit again. So anyway, not to like, you know, turn it on to me or whatever, but I can just. I can relate to what you're saying when, when there is a time that you just have to sit back and think, okay, do I need a break? Do I need to focus on something else? You know, what is it? And having that break really can help. And now, granted, I, you know, you have to bring in if you're going to take a break. Like, you have to be financially ready for that. And how are you going to bring in money other ways or whatever. But. But yeah, it's good for the, it's good for the well being to kind of take a step back and remember why you like it and to find the joy.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. Yeah. And it was like the. A wise woman in my circle once said that there is value in the pause. Pausing in conversation, pausing for longer periods of time. That's where the magic seems to happen. And to also be like, reignited like it was for me, for my love of photography, for sure. So I. I hear you, Nikki, and it is very real.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. So after that trip, I mean, were you just kind of reinvigorated again?

[Guest Speaker]

I was really excited and I felt like, oh, like, I'm still thinking about, like, you know, what if I would love to do like a fearless campaign, but like, with horses, how can I? So that's when it starts, like, percolating in my brain where I'm like, oh, would people be into that? I don't know. I don't know. I'm still going to think about this for a little while. And then my cousin's like, hey, I want you to shoot my maternity photos. And I did that. And that was the time where I was like, oh, hell yes. Like, I'm back. This feels so good. I too, was shooting in a new space and there's something about, like, where you're shooting that really impacts the way, like, your creativity. And like, I don't know, it was. How do I express this feeling? It was just kind of like, oh, I'm home again. That I haven't felt that way in a really long time. So after that shoot, took a break over the summer, September, I was like, okay, I can't, like, I don't want to sit on this idea anymore. I'm either going to do it or I'm not. And I was like, okay, I made a landing page for it. You know, you do the process of like, like preparing for launch, right? And I finished my Landing page. And I got super emotional and I have never been that way. I was like, okay, it's done, it's done. We're done with it. Okay, this is what I'm supposed to do. And I'm just going to post this in a, like one of my horse groups, like one of my local horse groups. And guess what? All of like the equine world, like 90% of the equine world is all women. All women. Which is a lot of what your listeners are like, they're working with women already. So there's. That there's opportunity to upgrade them to boudoir sessions anyway.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah, I love that. Absolutely.

[Guest Speaker]

So I was just like, I'm just going to post this in a group and see what happens. And it was like, I'm looking for, I think it was like six women to be photographed with them and their heart horse. For those of you that don't know what a heart horse is, it's like you might have had a horse. Like if you're a horse woman, you have this history of like, okay, maybe my first horse was just like the one that was kind of like dead broke, easy to ride. He was reliable. But your heart horse is the one that like you connect with on an emotional level. Like you guys just get each other. Like it's an un vocalized communication that you have.

[Bethany Quinn]

I can relate to this just because of one of my best friends and the way she speaks about the different horses she's had. I know nothing about horses other than what Brenda has told me. But yeah, I can see that. Totally.

[Guest Speaker]

Brenda sounds cool.

[Bethany Quinn]

She's very cool. I wish she lived in Michigan. She lives out in Washington. And I keep trying to get her to move to our property and just build a little home on our property and have her horses here.

[Guest Speaker]

That would be so amazing.

[Bethany Quinn]

Anyway, I digress. Okay, so the heart horse project.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. So I wanted to photograph women with their heart horses, so to speak. And I was like, okay, let's do this. Like, you've done fearless. You're my 40 over 30 campaign. You can do this with horses. And I got really energized and posted in the group. I had like 20 inquiries by that evening. And I was like, oh yeah, go to the landing page, fill out the application. I had all the info on the landing page. And then I just. That's what I'm doing this month is shoot photographing all my heart horse people that signed up in September. So I'm very horsey right now, I guess.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah, that's exciting.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. And what's cool also is that, like, I started with a western trainer, Like a western disciplined trainer. And she's like, oh, you're a photographer. I need to book two shoots with you. One for boudoir, one for this heart horse thing that you're talking about. And it was like, okay, well, this is. This is selling itself. It's great.

[Bethany Quinn]

And also working with a trainer. She knows a lot of horse people.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, yeah. And she's in the more like, affluent sort of horsey world. Like, again, like once, you know, once again, that doesn't always make or break. Like, whether or not you need to work with those people or not. Like, I want people to value my photography, but she's also, like, putting bugs in my ear. Like, hey, you know, there's a horse show coming up. Have you thought about doing, like, photographing horse shows? And I was like, oh, that would be a lot of fun. So we're gonna see what happens in the spring.

[Bethany Quinn]

Gosh. It goes back to connecting with people because like you said, you were out of the horse world for so long.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

And you have to find that way in. And by doing that, like, if you're out there listening, whether it's the horse world or the, I don't know, the chicken world or the it world or the circus world, you know, whatever it is, it's not about just showing up and saying, here's my business card, do you want to book a shoot? It's about building a relationship.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes.

[Bethany Quinn]

And having some sort of connection with someone and sometimes becoming their client first. Like, you became this trainer's client first.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah.

[Bethany Quinn]

And really that's what it comes down to. And like we talk about all the time is just, is that networking piece. Even though this wasn't networking in the traditional, like, go to a networking meeting sense, that's ultimately what you were doing through relationship building.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. And I like the non traditional networking routes of, oh, yeah, just show up and you're here to ride horses. But, like, she's going to ask you what you do for a living, she's going to ask, like, that's a part of her job. Like, as you're. She's telling you, like, okay, walk around the arena. And then to get your mind off of your own writing, like your writing position and everything else, she's going to be like, so how was your day? Just to kind of like get you out of your head. Like, all the trainers I've worked with have done that. And I love it because it's like, oh, yeah, here's a little glimpse into my world, and it kind of feels like a trail ride. Like you get to ride a horse and talk about your business. Okay, that's fine.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yep. Yep. Wow. Very cool. I'm excited for you.

[Guest Speaker]

Thanks.

[Bethany Quinn]

It's funny how we can just move in a totally different direction and have that fun and joy again, and it can really light us up. It just goes back to a couple really themes through this whole episode is the need to love what we do. And sometimes that means doing what we don't love to get us through financially. I will throw that out there. Been there, done that. Sometimes it means doing free shoots to build that new portfolio. But ultimately it's about connection and joy, you know, finding your people, finding your evangelists and loving what you do. And it's just so important.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. Yeah. I wholeheartedly agree.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. So how do you just quickly, will you. Will you talk about how this heart horse project, you know, are you doing it exactly the same as you did it with the fearless one, or.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. So instead of the questionnaire, what they did when they applied and I'll have them look over this before the gala too, is like, they answer questions that's like, what's something that you and your horse have experienced together? Why do you want to do this photo shoot? What's all, like, details about their horse, those sorts of things. They get to choose which photo they want because I'm doing reveal sessions for every single one of these sessions I'm having. Leave no stone unturned here.

[Bethany Quinn]

Is that something you'll do digitally or are you printing things out? Oh, yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

So we meet over Google meetup.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay.

[Guest Speaker]

And I just do the virtual reveal sessions like that. And I used to do same day sales, which I think was contributing to my burnout.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, yeah, that would for me too. I've always said I just cannot do it. It's just too much for me in one day.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. I did that for four years and it was like, okay, something has to get.

[Bethany Quinn]

Some people thrive in it and love it. I just. For me, it's just not. I just can't.

[Guest Speaker]

I need a nap. I need to nap before your reveal session.

[Bethany Quinn]

Exactly.

[Guest Speaker]

Exactly. So then, yeah, we will have a gala once everyone is photographed. I am. My goal is 40 horses and their people. And if they have more than one horse that they're in love with, I'll photograph them too. Like, I just want to get as many heart horses as I possibly can because there's so much emotion, like sharing, like a photo shoot with you. Know your best friend. And if your best friend is a horse, then it's even better. But I'm smiling because I'm like some of the. When I call and I go through, I look at all the photos and I edit them. It will sometimes bring me to tears because it's like, look at how he's just so proud to be next to his mom. Look at how happy he is. But it's so cool because that actually like comes through the photos and I don't know if it's just because I photographed them too. So, you know, it's a little emotional and, and fun at the same time.

[Bethany Quinn]

But I think once you do this first, you know, once you conclude and do the first gala and have everything. The horse world is such a close. I don't know if closes are right. Okay. I'm acting like I know the horse world. It seems like it is a very tight knit. People talk to each other. They know. Even if not everyone's friends, they know what's going on. Like, we're just going to spread through this community about what you've done and people are going to be. Want to. Want to be part of the next one. Or if they reach out saying, are you going to do another one? Maybe there's an opportunity to say, well, you know, not for a while. Not sure. However, if you want to book your own shoot, here's the information.

[Guest Speaker]

I love what. Oh my gosh. I am so horrible with names. I apologize. If you're listening to this, is it Christine Serrano who did the traveling boudoir sessions?

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, yes, yes, yes. Yep.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, my gosh. I love how she had just like a blog of the people that participated.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yes.

[Guest Speaker]

So it might even evolve into that. But I wanted, I really just want to have like a horse party. That's what I've been calling it.

[Bethany Quinn]

I'm picturing like the visuals I'm getting like the horses with hats and.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh my gosh, I would love that.

[Bethany Quinn]

Very exciting. Awesome. Well, you'll have to post and, you know, people can follow you and see how it, you know, see how it went and. Yeah, that's very exciting.

[Guest Speaker]

I'm hoping it will be in 2025. I like to do things in the fall because that's like, this is like my time of the year. But we'll see how many I can shoot in the spring and like early fall.

[Bethany Quinn]

So what will you do in the meantime? Now that it's going to be winter and, you know, how will you keep things moving?

[Guest Speaker]

I'm going to stay cozy in a studio. That's where boudoir and I also do a few maternity sessions. I don't want to say like, oh, yeah, I do maternity. I have a portfolio for maternity, but I get more boudoir clients as far as studio work goes.

[Bethany Quinn]

Okay.

[Guest Speaker]

But that's where the petite sessions are coming into play. Because it's like I want to shoot all of my boudoir clients that I need for the month. So I will do like five shoots and it is like a mini session setup. But I am not, like, including images with the mini sessions. I want to do reveal appointments with each of those mini session clients. So even though it's like, okay, here's the entry point. You can still do if you want to book a boudoir session, but like for 30 minutes into outfits, you just want a taste of it, then these are the sessions for you, so to speak.

[Bethany Quinn]

And then from there you sell images to them.

[Guest Speaker]

Yes.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. Okay. All right. I like this. It's like you have a little bit of everything. The mini sessions, the full sessions, the campaigns. It's, you know. Yeah, I like that. Getting you through until you're, you know, next year you do the mini sessions or petite sessions or, you know. Yeah, I like that. And it mixes things up. It keeps it interesting. Yeah, yeah, Very cool.

[Guest Speaker]

It's really confusing for my Instagram because it's like my top. I think it's like my top nine right now is like all horse stuff and then below that it's all black and white boudoir stuff. So my clients are like. Or my audience right now is probably like, what is happening?

[Bethany Quinn]

You should do a video about it. Like, hey, everyone, my business is sort of seasonal, so you might see a lot of horses at sometime, you know, sometimes boudoir. But, you know, hit me up if you want to do either one because I'm here, you know, or both.

[Guest Speaker]

It's fine.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah.

[Guest Speaker]

I used to do weekly, like coffee chats on my stories and I quit doing them and I'm going to pick them back up. But yeah, that's probably some content I could put in there. I feel like I get a lot more people that are like, responsive to my posts instead of just like, all right, I hope this works here. Go out into the ether and then maybe someone will watch it. But mostly people respond to those more often than anything else, which is wild to me.

[Bethany Quinn]

To the coffee chats you said.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah. Unlike topics that I'm talking about. Or I just keep it light hearted. What's. I don't like to talk about myself. It's just like, okay, I've been doing that for the past hour, but that's.

[Bethany Quinn]

What you're here for, so don't feel badly about that.

[Guest Speaker]

My people, my clients, want to know what's going on with me. They'll text me. They'll. Sometimes they call me, oh, yeah, I need to book a session with you. But, like, the more that I'm showing up, regardless of what kind of I'm not making it all about myself, they are reminded that, like, oh, yeah, I wanted to book a session with her. And sometimes one of those coffee chats will like, oh, yeah, I need to get ahold of her.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah, well, and people will book people that they know, like, and trust. So if you're putting yourself out there and people like you, you know, they like what they see, they can relate to you in some sort of way. Well, they're gonna. They're much more likely to book you then. So it's another reason important, you know, to get yourself out there. Yes. So, awesome. Well, thank you. Thank you for sharing all of this.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, of course.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. Very cool. It's not that often that we talk to someone who, you know, we have a couple times, but to talk about photographing horses. All right, well, I do have some questions that I always ask at the end of each episode, so we'll get into those next, if that's okay with you.

[Guest Speaker]

Absolutely.

[Bethany Quinn]

And the first one is, what is something you can't live without when you're doing a photo shoot? And it doesn't have to be a product, because we're going to talk about a product. And question three.

[Guest Speaker]

Okay, it kind of is a product, but if I'm photographing horses, one of those people, one of them is a person. So I can't do sessions without Abby, my hair and makeup artist, my assistant, she helps me keep ears forward. She brushes and scrubs sweat marks off of horses. Like, she's kind of like the beauty department. Like, she's in production. Like, she does production hair and makeup. So she is also a horse girl. So she knows, like, she can, like, adjust the horsewoman's hair and then, like, take care of the horse's hair. And then she's like, is that good? Okay, great. And then she hops out again.

[Bethany Quinn]

That's awesome. To have those extra eyes.

[Guest Speaker]

And then I use this app called Equacapture. It's by another equine photographer named Shelly Paulson. She created this app that's like, here's like, a series of poses and then also you can have like an hour's worth of horse Winnies to play at the horse to keep his ears up. So. Yeah, I can't live without that.

[Bethany Quinn]

Awesome. All right, very cool. Number two is how do you spend your time when you're not working at the barn? Because now you're writing, right?

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, I'm saving. It's really funny because, like, I was watching self value videos of sit with, you know, with sue, and she's like, let's say you're saving up for a horse. And I was like, you are speaking to me, Sue. She's talking to me. How does she know?

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, that's funny. I'll tell her you said that.

[Guest Speaker]

So. Thanks, girl. You've changed my life. Sorry, I totally lost track of what I was thinking.

[Bethany Quinn]

What was the question about how do you spend your time when you're not working?

[Guest Speaker]

Yes. Okay. At the barn, I. My husband and I love to go hiking. We take our fur babies with us. We have a greyhound and a corgi that we. My Greyhound just turned 12, so he can't hike as long anymore, but we try to get him out as much as possible, and that's always really fun. And to get the whole family, like, out and exercising, that's awesome. Or just like, like, binge watching, like a show in the evenings. I'm really obsessed with, like, horse YouTube right now. There's horsey people listening. I really love Free spirit equestrian. Like, I love the way that she trains and just like her mission behind everything she does.

[Bethany Quinn]

Cool.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, I think that's it.

[Bethany Quinn]

All right, and then question number three is a photography specific product that you would recommend to people?

[Guest Speaker]

I love prime lenses.

[Bethany Quinn]

Ah.

[Guest Speaker]

I photograph horses using an 80 mil. People with a 50 mil.

[Bethany Quinn]

I could not do an 85 or an 80.

[Guest Speaker]

An 80. Wow. Do I even know what products. I thought I had my camera right. Is it an 80? Is it an 85?

[Bethany Quinn]

I have a 50 or an 85?

[Guest Speaker]

It's a Nikon.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yeah. Is it 85?

[Guest Speaker]

See, here's the thing, too.

[Bethany Quinn]

Maybe I'm wrong. I. I don't think. I don't know. I'm not a real, like, gear head kind of person.

[Guest Speaker]

I'm not either. I'm still shooting like 90.

[Bethany Quinn]

I think it's probably an 85. Yeah, it's an 85.

[Guest Speaker]

We're like, we're on a photography.

[Bethany Quinn]

Unless you have like the 80 to 400 or something.

[Guest Speaker]

No, it's. It's a prime.

[Bethany Quinn]

Yep. So that'd be an 85. I mean, I Don't know what you mean.

[Guest Speaker]

I still shoot with my D610. My. Like a. I don't shoot mirrorless. Like, if it ain't broke, don't.

[Bethany Quinn]

Oh, my gosh. I just sent an email out about that too. How I haven't upgraded my lenses in, like, 10 years.

[Guest Speaker]

Yeah, why would you need to?

[Bethany Quinn]

And why I haven't. You know, I just. I totally just sent an email about that too. That's funny. All right, awesome. So prime lenses, that would be your go to. Okay. And number four is what would you tell people who are just starting out?

[Guest Speaker]

So many things. Where do I start? Your mindset is like, number one in everything that you do. If you're doing this as a business, like, yeah, having a strong portfolio is very important. Knowing how to work your camera is very important. But your mindset is going to either make you or break you. Like I said before, I was. I would work with other photographers to help them with their businesses through another photographer's platform. I was like her boudoir aficionado. And that was like the number one thing that people had to work on because it's like they think it's this thing over here, like their marketing. They need to work on their marketing. But it's like actually if you just switch your mindset around the thing you're currently doing, you actually need this thing over here. So it's kind of like, like I said, you got it. Will make you or break you. That has been the case. It's hard to explain that to people. And I can't overemphasize enough how much it is to, like, also take care of yourself. You don't need to stay up until 3am editing, unless that's your jam. But, yeah, I would. That's what I would say to those new. The new photographers out there.

[Bethany Quinn]

All right, perfect. And where can people find you online, Bethany?

[Guest Speaker]

I [e-mail] and I'm on Instagram. It's just all Bethany Quinn Studios all together. I'm on Facebook as Bethany Quinn Studios as well.

[Bethany Quinn]

All right, cool. Well, thank you again. I'm happy to have you on and to hear about all of this. Hey, are you going to WPPI?

[Guest Speaker]

We are actually going to Italy for my 40th birthday at that time, so I may not make it this year, but 2026, game on.

[Bethany Quinn]

All right, sweet. All right, my dear. Well, thanks for chatting and yeah, I will talk to you soon. I'll be watching for how your Heart Horse campaign goes.

[Guest Speaker]

Oh, you should come down. It'll be an indie.

[Bethany Quinn]

Ooh, maybe I will. That could be fun. You'll have to let me know when it is.

[Guest Speaker]

I will.

[Bethany Quinn]

Sweet. All right, my dear, you have a wonderful day and I'll talk to you soon.

[Guest Speaker]

Sounds good. See you.

[Nikki Klosser]

Nikki, thank you so much for listening to the Portrait System podcast. Your 5 star reviews really help us to continue what we do. So if you like listening, would you mind giving us a review wherever you listen? I also encourage you to head over to subriceeducation.com where you can find all of the education you need to be a successful photographer. There are over 1000 on demand educational videos on things like posing, lighting, styling, retouching, shooting, marketing, sales, business and self value. There's also the 90 day startup challenge plus so many downloads showing hundreds of different poses. We have to do checklists for your business, lighting, PDFs. I mean truly everything to help make you a better photographer and to make you more money. Once again, That's Sue Bryce, education.com.