Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Scott.
Hi Kristen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Ive been a hobby photographer most of my life, stealing my dads old SLR to take photos of the horses near my grandmothers house as a kid. Id stand for hours outside the fenceline taking pictures of the mares and their foals, just dreaming of the day where Id get to own my own horse. Photography as a career never crossed my mind, but I knew that I loved horses and I always loved the challenge of composing the perfect picture – even if I didn’t completely understand how things worked.
I didn’t get ‘my’ first camera until I was in my late twenties and my ex gifted me the first iteration of the Rebel T series. That was the first time where it crossed my mind that this was a potential career path for me, but I wasn’t in a position to be able to persue it then, so it was tabled and I continued down an alternative road. I threw myself into many sports and career paths over the next 10 years, but nothing stuck and I always ended up finding myself unfulfilled or burned out. I felt like a failure, because I could not make it, even though I knew I was smart enough.
When I met my husband Griffin I finally figured out what it was to have a truly supportive partner and how much of a difference it can make. He believed I had the ability to build a career out of my passion and supported me in pursuing it, even though it has been difficult. With his support I worked part time as a self employed photographer while also working full time, but I transitioned into full time photography at the end of 2019 right before COVID.
While COVID did put a strain on my business at the time, as I had planned to pursue full time wedding photography, I ended up finding my footing in an even split of equestrian and weddings that gave me consistent challenges that kept me engaged and excited. With weddings I got to work with people who were madly in love and use my ‘cool under pressure’ sales background to keep things moving and on time. With weddings I’ve built a great portfolio working with people of different races, backgrounds and body types and made many great friends along the way. With my equestrian sports and brands I have been able to combine three different passions (photography, marketing and riding), I challenged myself to learn videography and Ive been able to build a great network of friends and colleagues.
I am now an accomplished FEI Dressage rider in my own right, with my talented 10 year old imported Dutch Warmblood gelding Jaehaerys SP. I have great retainer clients and brands in the equestrian field and I get to spend hours every week working with people and the horses they love, while also being able to pick and choose the weddings that excite me at the venues I love. Finding the balance between motherhood, family and work is a struggle – but its one I will keep trying to work through every day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey into full time photography is a long one
Like many millenials, I was told the creative industry wasn’t one that could support a family when I was growing up, and I believed it. I loved animals, and thought the veterinary field would be a good fit for me – so I tried hard to push myself where I could excel and make a living.
Growing up in Saskatchewan Canada our mental health system was not well funded or supported, so my lifelong ADHD was missed because I did well in school. I maintained good grades, did sports and played music and was expected to achieve great things – but when I reached college I found it impossible to maintain. Through a series of life altering changes my mom gave me the opportunity to move to Florida and I jumped on it – though the end result for me with regards to school was the same. . . Straight A’s or lackluster marks, and there was no in between.
I ended up in the pet food industry by chance and it was a job that I truly loved, but it burned me – with nearly 300 nights in a hotel my last year in the job. I felt like a failure when I lost that job, but I didn’t understand that a lot of my struggles were due to my brain’s chemical makeup. I would throw myself into careers with passion and vigor, and that type of passion was expected to be maintained – even if it wasn’t sustainable long term. I took a minute to figure out where I wanted to go, and ended up falling into photography (a hobby I had loved since childhood)
As a lifelong equestrian (horseback rider) I had always taken photos of horses whenever I had the opportunity, and as I now was a competitive rider myself, I wanted to see if I could make a career combining my two passions. While I did not yet have the knowledge for such a nuanced field, or the network to make it full time, I did end up getting pushed towards weddings by a rider of mine who was getting married. For my first real ‘job’ it was an eye opener, as I realized I was able to handle the stress and crazy schedule changes easily – while still providing beautiful images that would stand the test of time. I had finally found something where my ADHD was not a hindrance, but a blessing.
Early 2020 I went full time into wedding photography…. and then just a couple months later the entire world shut down due to COVID. I continued to work towards my goals as a Grand Prix dressage rider, and grow my photography business. I learned how to shoot, edit and make videos, build musical freestyles, got married and had our first (and only ) child.
When I was diagnosed with ADHD at 35 I understood myself and my history to a deeper level, finally giving myself a little grace for the things I had perceived as failures. I have built a good business, and am trying hard every day to find the balance between family, passion and work. I now have a business that is fairly evenly divided between weddings and the equestrian field, putting my marketing background and out of the box thinking to work helping my clients and their brands make a name for themselves. . . While also shooting up to 10 weddings a year, where I can continue to expand my creative skillsets and work with couples in love who I enjoy to spend time with.
I’m thankful every day for this crazy journey that took me across the continent and for ending up as an entrepreneur in a field that gives me fulfillment every day
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As both an equestrian and wedding photographer I have a unique ability to work with both people and animals equally well, which is rare.
Weddings are where my creativity gets to shine, and I always make sure to dedicate at least 30 minutes of the wedding day to portraits. I am skilled at making couples feel at ease, which allows me to capture images that are natural, but still show the couple at their best. It is a very fine balance; showing the best moments creatively but also making it look candid – and I think I’ve been able to find that balance with lots of hard work and practice. I have found keeping my weddings to the single digits or low teens allows me to focus intensely on the creative aspects for each and every one – whether its photo, video or both.
The equestrian field is the difficult one, and probably the one I am best known for. Horses have specific needs with regards to lenses, angles and positioning and my sport specialty is very nuanced. . . Long story short – the small details are an important part of the big picture, and very easy to miss. I’m a FEI (international) Dressage rider myself, so I know the moments to shoot, and what to look for not only as a photographer/videographer, but also as a rider. . . It is uncommon, because it is difficult to manage both hobbies timewise, and showing is almost impossible when part of your job is shooting at shows over the same weekends.
I have been fortunate enough to work with some riders early in my career who helped me to connect with amazing brands internationally. I’ve been blessed to have built a great business in both fields, including publishing in magazines like Town & Country and multiple. My background in marketing and sales helps me put my creative goggles on in the mindset of the ideal client of either a brand or rider, to help frame the image to reflect their long term goals. Sometimes the creative aspect takes a back seat, but my goal at the end of the day is to help riders or brands achieve THEIR dreams. . . And I almost always get to have some creative fun in there too.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Jumping into full time photography months before COVID taught me that I can’t keep all my creative balls in one bucket – because the creative outlet is important to me mentally. It showed me how both the equestrian and wedding aspects to my business are important in their own rights, and that I need to continue to support both avenues of my business to be able to stay successful long term.
Pricing:
- 8 hour wedding packages start at $2350
- Full day wedding photo & video available under $5000
- Contact us for information on our equestrian & brand retainer pricing models to save up to 25%
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sunsoarphotography.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sunsoarphotography
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunsoarPhotos
Image Credits
Sunsoar Photography
