Meet Keli Wakeley | Photographer and Equine Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Keli Wakeley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keli, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My photography business officially launched in 2021. In previous years I would shoot clients when I was training horses and offering riding lessons. I have always loved photography and enjoyed taking pictures of my students showing their horses. My plan for a photography business developed while I was working full time for a non-profit and finishing my Bachelors of Science in Agribusiness. I remember writing my business plan with the goal of one day being an equine event and portrait photographer. I graduated in 2018 and continued to work hard to further develop my photography skill set by working on composition, lighting, and general camera operation skills. After an equine photography workshop in February of 2021, with the encouragement of several equine photographers I began to put my original business plan into action. The process has been long but my passion for photography keeps me working toward building a successful photography business. In addition to my photography business, I continue my work as an Equine Director for a large non-profit where I utilize my instructor certification and equine management experience. I was chosen to be an official photographer for a large schooling show in Ocala, Florida for the 2022 season. Becoming an official photographer was a huge goal I’ve had for many years and I’m excited to see it come to fruition.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I have enjoyed many years of working for other professionals in the equine industry, in addition to my work as an independent trainer/instructor. My photography interest began at a young age but came to life during my time as an independent horse trainer and instructor. Watching my students’ love for the horse and desire to achieve their equestrian goals encouraged me to document their journey with my camera. While training horses, my passion for photography grew and the riding clients I photographed encouraged me to pursue my interest in equine photography. In 2013 I began working for a large corporation as Equine Director, where I found myself photographing children attending camp as they enjoyed their first experiences with horses in the summer.

I have found that my understanding of horse movement, timing, and my overall comfort of working with horses has helped me in the equine photography world. Thousands of digital images later, I am pursuing my passion for photography professionally, along with digital art and print work. Having my daughter later in life urged me to show her you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, no matter how long it takes. This is something it took me years to realize. Financially I found it hard to continue my education or afford professional photography gear without working full-time. I finished college while raising my young daughter. I often found balancing work, school, and photography a huge challenge.

My road to building a photography and print sale business has been a long one, but with many great experiences and relationships built along the way. All of the photography workshops I have attended, along with encouraging photographer friends and clients have given me the confidence and encouragement to follow my dream. I will always continue to advocate for the horse and share my horsemanship skills and love for equine photography with others along the way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Recently I spent time in Fort Worth at the Stock Yards for a Certified Horsemanship Association Conference. I would be thrilled to show my friend around. As for sight-seeing, we would definitely need to see the famous cattle drive and the Fort Worth Herd. I enjoyed learning about their non profit work and all of the agriculture education that is shared to students and other guests that visit daily. I was impressed with the efforts of the Fort Worth Herd and local partners who strive to share agriculture education and preserve Texas’s western heritage and would love to share that. We would also check out the Stock Yards and the efforts to preserve much of the original architecture of the buildings. Hopefully we would check out a show at the Cowtown Coliseum and browse through the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. The history of Fort Worth is awesome, so stopping by the Fort Worth Water Gardens, one of the many art museums, and maybe the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. We would of course make time to visit Billy Bob’s Texas in the evening.For meals, we would definitely be sure to have some real Texas barbeque, and to check out the craft beers available all around town. We could also hit up the shopping at Sundance Square. The restaurants, shopping and vibe of the historic district are welcoming and the area offers many things for visitors to do and see.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This year I joined the Equine Photographers Network, EPN. I would like to thank the EPN and all of the wonderful photographers of this organization I have become connected with that encourage, educate and offer daily support to up and coming photographers. Their support has encouraged me to work hard to build my business and continue to remember that there is always something new to learn, and new skills to be developed. I would also like to shout out the Business Animal Podcast. Their weekly podcast is a great resource for valuable tips for up and coming business based and seasoned animal based businesses alike.

Website: keliwakeleyphotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keliwakeley_photography/

Linkedin: @keliwakeley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keliwakeleyphotography/