Making sure you’re appropriately compensated for your time and craft is always important. You might generously agree to volunteer or provide discounts for friends and family on occasion, but once someone demands payment from the person doing them a favor, the only thing they’ll be getting is a harsh reality check.

Below, you’ll find a story that an equestrian recently shared on the Choosing Beggars subreddit, detailing her recent experience with an entitled photographer, as well as some of the replies readers have left her.

This equestrian and her expert trainer agreed to help a photographer learn more about capturing horseback riding shots

Image credits: FoToArtist_1 (not the actual photo)

But once he demanded payment, he was in for a harsh reality check

Image credits: Wavebreakmedia (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Flimsy-Field-8321

Later, the equestrian shared the email that she sent to the photographer in response to his demand

Photographers typically invest huge sums of money into their training and education

Photography, in general, is not an easy field to break into. With seemingly countless different styles of shooting and over 26,000 professional photographers in the United States, it can be challenging to become an expert and book lucrative gigs. So it’s understandable for professionals to want to expand their skill sets and learn about various styles, but this can’t often be done for free. Depending on where photographers decide to study and how comprehensive their education is, courses can cost anywhere between $125-$2,500. And if a photog wants to earn a degree, they might end up paying around $50,000 per year at a private university.

While an expert in the field can earn up to $66,000 a year, equestrian photography can be a particularly difficult niche to break into, because the average person is not very knowledgeable about horses or horseback riding. That’s why it’s best to seek information from the experts, such as Shelley Paulson, professional equine photographer and author of The Quick Start Guide to Equestrian Photography. Paulson’s book includes information about understanding horse behavior, knowing how to work safely around horses, preparing horses and riders for sessions, discovering the best poses, capturing the connection between horses and riders and more. It’s one thing to shoot photos of consenting humans who understand what’s going on, but ensuring that the horses feel as comfortable as possible is a whole other ballgame.

Equestrian photography, in particular, can be a challenging niche to break into

Image credits: Jean van der Meulen (not the actual photo)

Lauren Aubert at The Plaid Horse has also written a Beginner’s Guide to Great Equine Photography, where she details the importance of experimenting with exposure, shutter speed, ISO and aperture. She explains how a fast shutter speed will capture a quick moment of action, such as a horse jumping or galloping, while a slow shutter speed can be better for still shots and dimly lit environments. Aubert also recommends photographers experiment with different locations, angles, disciplines of riding, etc. to find their own niche within equestrian photography. “Perhaps you do not want to photograph action, but would like to specialize in horse and rider photoshoots,” she writes. “In the wide world of equestrian photography, there is a place for everyone!”

According to the experts at Horse Nation, it takes more than just skill to be a great equine photographer. It’s also best to have a passion for horses. This helps photogs relate to their clients, understand how their subjects (the humans and horses) are feeling, and makes the whole experience more enjoyable for all involved. It also takes time to become an expert, so upcoming photogs must understand that patience is involved, especially in the beginning. It can take many hours of practice and experimentation to learn what really makes a great shot. 

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And of course, networking and being a lovely person is always helpful. “Connections are everything in the horse world,” Kaylee from Kaylee Wroe Photography told Horse Nation. “They are what open the doors for you. Make friends with the people you want to work with, but be genuine about it. People can sniff out fake from a mile away. And do the right thing for the industry too. Undercutting other photographers won’t make you many friends.”

Clients are often notorious for demanding free services from photographers, rather than the other way around

Image credits: Lina Kivaka (not the actual photo)

When it comes to this particular photographer feeling entitled to payment when an expert equestrian is doing him a favor, it seems like the tables have turned compared to many of the posts that pop up on the Choosing Beggars subreddit. It’s a common theme for influencers, engaged couples and more to demand free or discounted work from professional photographers, so one would think that this man would understand the value of properly compensating artists and experts for their time and effort. If anything, he should be paying the trainer for her time and guidance as an investment in his future as an equine photographer.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. How would you have responded to the photographer if you were in this woman’s shoes? Have you ever experienced something similar in your line of work? Then, if you’d like to read another Bored Panda article featuring shockingly entitled individuals, look no further than right here!

Readers called out the photographer in the post’s replies, and the equestrian chimed in on the conversation

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