We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patti Monson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Patti, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

In hindsight the idea of niching down to equine photography seems like it should have been a no brainer, but it was actually a process.

I grew up with the love for horses and have been a horse owner the majority of my life. Currently my husband and I have three quarter horses that are a huge part of our lives.

My other passion in life is photography which also started at a young age. I picked up cameras throughout the years, documenting vacations, important gatherings, landscapes and other things I found interesting. I even took a black and white photography class in college where I learned to develop film!

While both horses and photography were both passions, they were hobbies and came second to my full time job as a restaurant manager where I worked fifty plus hours a week.

The day came where I was able to say good-bye to that chapter in my life and reinvent myself. I knew in my heart photography was what I wanted to do so I picked up my camera and started practicing my craft. I would get up early to catch sunrises and head out in the evenings for sunsets in beautiful settings but I wasn’t feeling fulfilled. It took some time but it was literally like a lightbulb came on in my head that said photograph girls and their horses. This was the beginning of Patti Monson Photography and “Capturing the Cowgirl Lifestyle”. I am five years into this journey and more passionate about it than ever. I believe where there is passion there is success.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Having been in love with horses all my life I can relate to my clients and the way they feel about their horses.

Every equestrians’ relationship with their horse is a little different. I feel that I owe it to each client to give them an individualized experience. During the planning phase, I ask my clients a lot of questions about their relationship with their horse(s) and how they spend time with them, etc. I also feel that taking my time during the session will help the horse and their human relax together. Sometimes those “in between” shots are the absolute best! I take pride in the fact that my clients’ sessions not only capture their true bond but produce images that they will cherish forever. One of my favorite parts the process is seeing the excitement they have when they get to see their final images for the first time. I can even show them what their images will look like on “their” walls before they purchase their wall art.

I wish I had pictures of myself with my heart horse growing up. I’m not even sure if “it was a thing” back then but man I wish I had thought to get professional pictures taken. I would love to get the message out to every horse girl in Southern California that “I am here for you” because I know they will thank their future selves for having them.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I am committed to my growth as an equestrian photographer and am always in learning mode so it’s hard to just pick one thing but the book “Creative Calling” by Chase Jarvis is an absolute must read no matter what your passion is. It’s one of those books that you mark up and revisit multiple times.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

One of the things that gave me the most confidence was attending equestrian workshops. There are so many amazing workshops out there. I wish I had gone to one sooner. One of my favorite workshop leaders is Phyllis Burchett. She is also one of the three founders/leaders of Cowgirls with Cameras another excellent resource for horse photographers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pattimonsonphotography.com/
• Instagram: patti_monson
• Facebook: Patti Monson Photography