ABOUT BETSY BIRD
I Wasn't Supposed to End Up Doing Just One Thing.
Before I became a full-time photographer, I worked in marketing and business development.
And I liked it.
I liked figuring out why something wasn't working, coming up with a plan, and helping turn an idea into an actual business.
But I also loved photography.
Eventually, photography became my full-time career, and horses became the heart of what I
photographed.
And somewhere along the way, I realized I missed the business and marketing side of what I'd been doing before.
Not enough to stop photographing horses. Let's not get carried away.
Unbridled Business is what happened when I realized I didn't have to choose between the two.
Now I get to combine equine photography, business, marketing, technology, and education while helping other photographers figure out how all of those pieces fit together in their own businesses.
BEFORE UNBRIDLED BUSINESS
Knowing Photography Was Only Part of the Job.
When I made photography my full-time career, I wasn't starting from scratch when it came to business.
I had a background in marketing and business development. I understood marketing plans, target audiences, budgets, business strategy, and all the things that are supposed to make running a business easier.
And then I started running a photography business.
Turns out, knowing something about business doesn't mean you magically know how to run this business.
I still had to figure out what to charge. How to get horse owners to hire me. What to say when they inquired. How I wanted the client experience to work. What systems I needed behind the scenes. And how to do all of that while continuing to become a better photographer.
Over the years, I've tried a lot of things.
Some worked.
Some worked for a while and then stopped working.
Some seemed like a really good idea at the time.
They were not. 😂
I've changed my pricing, rebuilt websites, changed how I market, created new workflows, added technology, gotten rid of technology, and changed things again as my business and the photography industry changed.
There isn't one right way to run an equine photography business.
What works for me may not be exactly what works for you. But there are usually reasons something is working...or isn't.
That's the part I like figuring out.
WHY UNBRIDLED BUSINESS?
Turns out, I Really Like Helping Photographers Figure Things Out.
As I became more involved in the professional photography community, I started spending more time talking with other photographers about their businesses.
Sometimes it was marketing. Sometimes pricing. Sometimes a website that wasn't doing what it needed to do. Sometimes an image they couldn't quite figure out.
And sometimes it was simply, "I have seventeen things I think I need to work on. Which one do I do first?"
Those conversations kept happening.
And I loved them.
I like asking questions. I like figuring out where something has gone sideways. And I especially like that moment when we finally find the thing that's been causing the problem and can say, "Okay. That's where we start."
That's really what Unbridled Business grew out of.
A place where I could take what I know about equine photography, marketing, business, technology, and everything I've learned from running my own businesses and use it to help other photographers figure out theirs.
Not by handing everyone the same formula.
But by figuring out what makes sense for their photography, their clients, and the business they're actually trying to build.
I'M STILL DOING THE WORK
I Don't Teach This Stuff From the Sidelines.
Unbridled Business isn't the only business I run.
I'm still a working photographer.
Through Ride the Sky Equine Photography, I photograph horses, riders, equestrian seniors, pets, and equestrian businesses.
So I'm still dealing with the same things I talk about here.
I have to get people to my website. Turn inquiries into clients. Decide what to charge. Write emails. Plan marketing. Keep up with clients. Build workflows. Create content. Figure out SEO. And decide which new technology is actually useful and which thing everyone is talking about this week can probably be ignored.
I'm still working on my photography, too.
I enter image competition. I study. I ask for feedback. I try things that don't work. I change my mind. I learn something new and realize there's a better way to do something I've been doing for years.
I don't think you ever really reach the point where you've figured all of this out.
You just get better at knowing what to work on next.
And that's a big part of what I want Unbridled Business to help you do.
PHOTOGRAPHY MATTERS HERE, TOO
Because Sometimes the Problem Actually is the Photography.
I spend a lot of time talking about marketing, business, websites, workflows, and all the other things that come with running a photography business.
But sometimes the thing you need to work on really is the photography.
That's part of Unbridled Business, too.
Horse photography is my specialty, and I love helping photographers understand the things that make photographing horses particularly challenging.
Posing. Expression. Conformation. Working with horses and their people together.
And, of course, the occasional horse who has absolutely no interest in whatever brilliant plan you had for the session.
But my photography education doesn't stop with horses.
Image competition has played a huge role in how I've learned to evaluate my own work. It taught me to slow down, look more critically, and figure out why an image is working instead of simply deciding whether I like it.
That's something I bring to image critiques and mentoring with photographers working in all kinds of genres.
Sometimes you need to work on the business. Sometimes you need to work on the photography.
And sometimes fixing one makes you realize you need to work on the other.
That's why there's room for both here.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
I've Put a Lot of Time Into Learning This, Too.
I believe pretty strongly that if I'm going to ask other photographers to keep learning, I should probably be willing to do the same.
I'm a Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer through Professional Photographers of America.
I've earned my Tennessee Photographic Master, Educational Fellow, and Service Degrees, and I'm currently a PPA Juror in Training. But earning the credentials was never really the point.
The value came from everything I had to learn along the way.
I've spent years studying photography, entering image competition, having my own work evaluated, listening to critiques, learning from photographers who know more than I do, and then turning around and helping other photographers do the same.
I've also had the opportunity to serve the photography profession in ways that have taught me just as much about people and business as they have about photography.
I currently serve as President of the Tennessee Professional Photographers Association, Chair of the Board of the Professional Photographers of East Tennessee, and a PPA Councilor for Tennessee.
I speak and teach for photography organizations, mentor photographers, co-host The Business Animal Podcast, and co-authored Equine & Equestrian Photography: Poses That Sell.
I'm proud of those things.
But mostly, I'm grateful for what they've given me: a chance to learn from a whole lot of photographers, see how differently successful photography businesses can operate, and keep getting better at what I do.
Because I don't think being an educator means you're finished learning.
I think it means you have even more reason to keep doing it.
SO, WHAT CAN I HELP YOU WITH?
It Depends on What's Getting in Your Way.
You don't have to figure out everything at once.
Start with the thing that's making your business or your photography harder than it needs to be right now. Then pick where you want to go next.
Learn on your Own
Sometimes you already know what you need to work on. You just need something that shows you how to do it.
Find practical tools, courses, and resources for photography, marketing, communication, AI, and running your business.
Get Image Feedback
Sometimes you've looked at an image for so long that you can't tell what's working anymore.
Get another set of eyes on your work and practical feedback on what's working, what isn't, and what you can do to make the image stronger.
Get Mentoring
Sometimes you don't need another course, download, or YouTube video.
You need someone to look at what you're doing, help you figure out what's getting in your way, and make a plan for what to work on next.
Bring Me in to Teach
Need a speaker for your photography organization, conference, workshop, or event?
I teach photography, business, marketing, and AI with a focus on things photographers can actually go home and use.
Not Sure Where to Start?
That's what the Start Here page is for.
Pick the problem that sounds the most familiar, and I'll point you toward the resources that make the most sense.
No need to fix seventeen things before lunch.
Rein in the Chaos. Grow Unbridled.
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