Not sure if 'flyer' is the proper term...
I want to have a piece of paper 81/2 x 11 that I can either fold in 3 or pin on a board in boarding stables.
I want to advertise myself as photographer who can take pictures of their horses at their farm or at their shows.

I have never done this nor do I have an idea what it should look like.
Vertical or horizontal?
Does it have to be standard size (81/2x11)?
Do I use one of my photos for background?
How much information is too much or not enough?

I don't have a website yet but I want to start asap before the winter ends, cause winter makes some very nice pictures and spring has a dead time when horses are shedding and there is no snow.. until the foals are born and grass start growing again...

Input appreciated!!

Thanks in advance!

ps: this is my 'horse' Flickr account..
I have a few other pets also in case I decide to go for all pets instead of horses only...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/equineartphoto/

This post was edited by MotherOfTwo on Feb 19 2011 06:25am

Website:

Think of a domain name first. Domain name is like d2jsp.org. Go to domain.com and register a domain name of your choice (provided it is free, actually I have an idea which also free at the moment, I can tell it to you in PM, dont want to write it here) This will cost you $11 for a year. You will need some hosting which will cost you $5 a month. When you have this you can start to make a website. For this I would suggest Wordpress. Install wordpress and chose a theme for it. You can easily (without any programming skills) upload your photos and also write some short articles. When doing so make sure that you use the expression "horse photography" in the titles of your photos and articles. 18 600 people are searching for "horse photography" every month on google.
Check here:
http://www.google.com/insights/search/#q=horse%20photography&date=today%2012-m&cmpt=q

You can also offer to these people to sell your photos as prints or the Jpeg files only in high resolution.

Flyer: make one in PS and dunno, give it to people who work in horse riding schools (or something like that). Parents would be happy if they can get a photo from their children from a professional photographer(pretend that you are one!)

This post was edited by ace07 on Feb 19 2011 06:37am

Considering you're in a rural area, a portfolio of printed images would benefit you more. Only in the city do you desperately need a website. If you're selling horses, make it 100% horses - not kids, not landscapes, not ruubber duckies.

the flyer can be any size/shape you feel that fits (must feel balanced)
your image as the background would be best, make sure it does not obscure the text / what you are promoting
you dont need a website (although it will help) but certainly some sort of gallery is certainly recommended (flickr is ok for this atm)
do animal photography but specialize in horse photography

hope i help even just a little

Additionally, for any monetary endeavor, be sure to sign a contract. In it, deal with the services exactly as they are. Make sure you include a clause that specifically states that the contract is all there is, and no other deals, whether written, oral, or presumed, take precedence.
There are multiple contracts online that serve as a basis for your needs, but do get it customized asap. If you succeed in the business, run it though a lawyer. Make sure you keep receipts / copies of every expense and every source of income. With effective organization, you can easily do your own taxes.

This post was edited by onepagememory on Feb 19 2011 10:45am

Most people who own horses have a job in the city... unlike dairy farmers who do this full time.. so most will like to go browse on internet and compare...
I hate the energy I'll have to put into a website, but I think it really looks more professional



That is what I was mostly concerned about..
The thing with Flickr is it's good to expose photos, but that's it... there is no more information about the services provided
Animal photography would include more people, but besides cats and lizards, I don't think I want to do dogs...
I mean, dogs are cool but I lack the experience I have with horses and cats...

yeah a real website is the way to go, i would suggest working on it now as well, but most important is start it
therefore flickr will do until u have the site as u want it

Good luck with this then. I personally believe you'd be taking the wrong approach if you go website first upon creating this sort of business model, but to each his own
I'd go more for a horse show, personal approach.

This post was edited by onepagememory on Feb 19 2011 11:19am

I think the flyer thing is the best way to get exposure, as I'd be distributing them where clients would be: in the stables and at horse shows...

Here's my first try at it...
I took one with my own horse.. but as I said, any picture can be taken from that Flickr link I posted above...
But I still don't know what to write

Any ideas welcome, I'll translate afterwards

The people that you want to cater to - are they males or females? Are they businessmen (like sell horses for breeding) or are they enthusiasts? Factors such as this determine the language you should use.