The Freelance Remuda Podcast co-hosts Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars launched “Episode 56: What’s Happening in Equine Event Media” on Tuesday, April 8, featuring guest Stacy Judd. Judd has served as the official photographer for many performance horse events and recently launched her own custom show coverage company, making her the perfect person to get into the nitty gritty of how private media and official event photographers can work together.
The podcast, which is in its eighth year, promotes education among freelancers in the equine media industry, including how to work with other professionals, like Judd and the hosts discuss in this episode. The Freelance Remuda Podcast guests continually share everything an equine media professional needs to know to be successful in the industry.
“When I served as communications manager at the National Reined Cow Horse Association, implementing private media fees to bolster the show photographer was one of the first items on our list,” said Bradley Byars. “I met Stacy there, and we have remained friends. Through her experience working with both cow horse and reining official photographers, serving as the official photographer herself, and now opening CSC – Custom Show Coverage with fellow creative Laura Adcock, Stacy was able to share a wealth of information with us for listeners. I thought I understood how private media impacts official photographers, but she shed a lot of light on the subject.”
The Freelance Remuda Podcast is produced for freelance professionals who are navigating the equine media frontier. The hosts start each episode with talk that centers on their own freelance careers, what’s challenging and what is new with their work and the industry. In Episode 56, the hosts discuss their experiences and challenges having worked major equine events. Boatwright is gearing up to work the National Reining Breeder’s Classic, which will put her in a space of serving as an editorial photographer gathering content at an event, different than social media but not the official photographer. Yet another cog in the media wheel.
“When Kate shared some of the recent event policies for private photographers and videographers, it really shows the evolution of how content is being created and shared now,” Boatwright said. “It also drove home how important understanding each event’s policies is for equine media pros.”
The second segment of the episode features Judd, who began her career in 2010 and today has photographed at many of the major events freelancers write about for online and print publications. She was free with her information, from costs official photographers face to challenges working with private media to her thoughts on where the equine event media will evolve to in the near future.
“We are struggling to keep up as fast as we can [as official photographers],” Judd said. “Shooting every horse for days on end is mentally exhausting… I don’t know that we are being as inventive as we could be, as an official photographer. Also, shows need pictures of people with the high score over the day, and they want a certain look, not necessarily something artistic with fringe flying that isn’t necessarily going to represent what they want. We have a standard set of shots we have to take as an official.”
Boatwright and Bradley Byars wrap the episode discussing contracts, freelancer guidelines and some of the business side of the media industry.
The episodes launch every other month, with additional guest blogs and special vlog content available regularly at freelanceremuda.com. Educational information is shared, as well as job opportunities, in the private Freelance Remuda Facebook Group.
Launched in 2017, The Freelance Remuda Podcast offers subscribers, followers and listeners a wealth of information about equine media, whether post in a blog or vlog on the website or produced in a podcast. While the episodes are available on freelanceremuda.com, through Apple Podcasts and Spotify, the Freelance Remuda blog at freelancremuda.com continues to spotlight a variety of creators. Additionally, video clips from the Boatwright and Bradley Byars visiting with guests are posted to The Freelance Remuda’s YouTube channel. Learn more about The Freelance Remuda and sign up to receive updates and exclusive content at freelanceremuda.com or connect on social media at facebook.com/freelanceremuda, instagram.com/freelanceremuda.
-30-
About The Freelance Remuda Podcast
The Freelance Remuda is a podcast about navigating the equine media frontier. Co-hosted by seasoned freelance professionals Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars, the podcast explores the trials and triumphs surrounding life as a freelancer in equine media, while sharing valuable tips from equine media editors and creatives doing what they love. The dictionary lists a remuda as: re•mu•da (noun): a herd of horses that have been saddle-broken from which ranch hands choose their mounts for the day. The Freelance Remuda’s mission is to help train up a herd of professionals specializing in horses, from which editors and businesses in equine media can hire to do great work. Find and subscribe to the podcast wherever you choose to listen, and for more information, go to freelanceremuda.com.
Media Contacts:
Abigail Boatwright, podcast co-host at (210) 414-6761
Kate Bradley Byars, podcast co-host at (713) 907-4329
freelanceremuda@gmail.com