Excited to introduce you to Shelley Paulson, the talent behind some of the most captivating equine photography in the industry. With a lifelong passion for horses and a journey that weaves through graphic design and photography, Shelley has honed her craft to perfection. Join us as we delve into her world, from the art of capturing perfect horse portraits to the exhilarating challenges of commercial equine photography.

Website: shelleypaulson.com

Instagram: @shelleypaulsonphotography

Equine photography. Tell us how you got into this niche.

Do you have any fun facts about Equine photography that our readers might not know?

Horses generally look best in photos with their ears perked forward. This is not their natural state, so we go to great lengths, with bags full of interesting props, to get them to put their ears forward for photos!

What is it like being on set with Shelley Paulson? 

You’ll want to wear your boots! Most of my shoots take place in and around horse barns, out in fields or down gravel roads. My gear gets dusty and I often have to wipe horse slobber off it!

I’m a lifelong Canon lover. I have the R5 and love the big files, especially for commercial work. When photographing horses for their beauty, I always reach for a 70-200 lens to keep them in proper proportion. Wide-angle lenses easily distort horses because they are very long from head to tail.

But when I want to take a more storytelling approach or have to work in smaller spaces like a horse stall or trailer, I reach for my 24-70. There may be some distortion, but perfect proportions aren’t the goal of those images.

Describe your dream photo shoot.

Late day, golden sunlight, mountain views. dust floating in the air creating beams of light with a beautiful horse standing perfectly placed with a soft, alert expression.

Could you share a favorite project or clients you’ve worked with? And why?

I’ve had a long-standing relationship with Nutrena Feeds. Their parent company, Cargill, is based just 40 minutes from my farm. They were my first real commercial client in 2009.

That first shoot showed me I wasn’t ready for commercial photography. Fast forward to 2016, when I started doing some smaller shoots for their social media, working directly with their marketing department. I gained confidence and trust doing those shoots, and the following year, I was hired for a five-day multi-animal photo shoot for a company rebrand, led by their Minneapolis agency, Yamamoto.

One of my favorite things about that photo shoot was tethering wirelessly to an iPad and having the art director give input as I was shooting. I learned a great deal from her and felt good knowing I was getting the images she envisioned for the projects she was working on.

Before the shoot, I had heard they still had reservations about whether I was the right choice, but after seeing proofs from the first day, the person who had communicated this went out of her way to tell me she thought I was doing a great job!

It’s gratifying now to see so many of my images in their advertising and on their packaging.

What advice do you have for someone aspiring to become a successful Equine commercial photographer?

Find a commercial photographer in your area to assist so you can learn how commercial sets work, what the roles are, and what skill sets are needed. Beyond that, learn all you can about lighting, as many jobs are scheduled in such a way you can’t depend on just natural light. Finally, learn how to bid a commercial job properly, and if you are unsure how to do that, find a bid consultant to work with.

Can you describe a moment in your career when you felt particularly proud of your work?

Every time I walk into a tack or feed store and see my photos on banners, treat bags, feed bags, etc., I feel proud!

What’s a personal goal or aspiration you’re currently working toward?

Most of my clients have come to me through word of mouth or through a networking event I attend each year. I would like to expand my client list this year by pitching potential new clients.

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