We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebeca Paro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebeca below.

Rebeca, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks for me was switching my photography business from weddings to equine portraits. It was scary to start over and rebuild my client base while learning a whole new industry. But over the years I learned to work with others that lifted me up and wanted me to succeed. That community helped me grow my photography business into something I’m very proud of and love to do.

I decided to switch during one of my first photo shoots with horses. My heart was racing with excitement as these beautiful creatures ran by. In that moment, I knew I never wanted that feeling to go away. That day I made the decision to begin transitioning my business plans to become an equine photographer. I still enjoy shooting weddings and seeing all the happy couple’s dreams come true, but eventually I realized I was happiest photographing horses.

It soon became clear that I needed to become more familiar with horses. This led me to begin taking horseback riding lessons. I didn’t grow up with horses, so this was all so new to me. There is so much to take in and I’ll never be done learning. I love that every day brings new lessons and challenges.

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

Plain and simple – I take photos of people and their horses. Horses take a lot of time, money, and sweat equity to keep happy and healthy. They are part of the family and they work hard so for us, no matter the discipline. Building trust with a horse is a hard thing to do, but when it happens it’s the most rewarding feeling. The thing that brings me the most joy and keeps me going is being able to provide clients with images that capture the bond they have with their horse.

Every client is different and I aim to create images that show their horse’s unique personality and abilities. I want my clients to have an emotional connection with their photos – something they are proud to share and hang on their walls.

Nowadays it’s so easy to get swept into social media, where everything has to be Instagram-worthy or no one sees it. I like to provide my clients with prints or other options like canvases, leather-bound books, or even t-shirts. That way they will always have something tangible to look back and smile at.

I do everything in my power to keep my clients and their horses happy during our sessions. I’m an extremely patient person and will do whatever is necessary to get the images they want.

I’ve learned a lot over the years with equine photography, but one of my proudest and most humbling accomplishments has to be finding my first horse, Mr. Fox. He has taught me so much and has helped me grow into the best version of myself. Mr. Fox is a bay Quarter Horse who is full of personality. Last year, I also added another horse to the family – her name is Cooper and she is a buckskin Quarter Horse/Arabian cross. They’re always there to keep me in check!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is working with others. I have a great group of creatives around me and we’re always trying outdo one another’s ideas.

The process of going from nothing to something – just because you had one crazy idea – really builds up your confidence. Then seeing that vision come to life… it really doesn’t get better than that!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I often think about an episode from one of my favorite TV shows, Adventure Time, where Jake the Dog says, ”Sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”

This resonates with me so much, because there’s constant pressure to be perfect right out of the gate. And that is just not realistic. The times where things don’t go smoothly are the times I find new ways to get creative. Every challenge and failure gives me an opportunity to hone my skills, adding new creative tools to my toolbelt.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rebecaparo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeca.paro.equine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeca.paro.equine

Image Credits
Profile photo credit: Mary Knack