Photography, a massive part of an influencer or bloggers identity can be quite hard to capture what you are trying to portray yourself but thanks to Laura Fiddaman that is being captured beautifully and with a great deal of knowledge behind the camera, photo’s you would want to keep for life.
I contacted Laura from Laura Fiddaman Photography around Christmas time as I was looking for a new photographer to help me develop Country Frantics and to produce the amazing imagery that companies want when kindly gifting me items. My previous photographer sadly had to fold her business and take a new path in life.
When looking for a new photographer I wanted someone that specialises in equine photography and could also help with photographing products and or country lifestyle shots. I had been a fan of Laura’s work for some time on her instagram account and love the imagery she captures and the message behind it so I had to contact her to find out if she would be interested and of course, to my excitement she was! But at this moment I didn’t quite realise how much we would connect on many levels and how amazing she would be as a friend and around the horses.. We met up for a piece of cake and for Laura to meet the horses one Saturday in January and we hit it off straight away having the same visions of what we wanted to get out of our blog/brand and she kindly proposed for me to be her new Brand Ambassador which was SO exciting for me!
This year Laura is working on a few personal photography projects including The Invisible Equestrian where she will be capturing beautiful images of equestrians that have a story to tell in regards to mental health and wellbeing. Laura herself, who has struggled with anxieties and losing her heart horse Rio wants to be able to help other equestrians with similar struggles through her images and quotes to create a community in the equestrian industry which can sometimes be a cruel place.
Another project close to Laura’s heart is her tailored service Tails To Treasure.. This is capturing a keep sake for our horses using their tail hair which is incorporated into a photo taken at every single photoshoot that Laura does. You can read more about this below..
I am so excited to share this amazing news and I cannot wait for what 2020 has to come with our partnership! I put together a little Q&A for you guys to get to know Laura on a more personal level and find out a little bit more about the inspirational woman behind the lens of Laura Fiddaman Photography..
Get to know Laura Fiddaman
Tell us a bit about you and your family?
I met Jim back in 2o07 at Download Festival and we got together shortly after. I always find it amusing that we had the same circles of friends but had to drive 150 miles across the country to meet. We are a little unit of 3 since Eliza was born in May 2016 and it has been the most amazing experience so far. For now are just enjoying spending time together and making the most of Eliza being the funny, quick-witted little angel she is. Come September it will all change again, as she will be starting school – The beginning of another new Chapter in the Fiddaman books. Truth be told, I’m not sure I am ready to have a school child, but all I can do is help her be the best she can be and hope we’ve done a good job raising her this far.
What gave you the inspiration to start equine photography?
In short, Eliza & my heart horse Rio.
About 10 days after Eliza was born I was hospitalised with a swollen leg, which turned out to be a serious DVT. I had a blood clot that ran from my groin, through my left leg and down to my ankle. It wasn’t pretty – my leg was twice the size it should have been, and to this day I still call it ‘my fat leg’ because its never quite made it back to where it used to be. I had a lot of time to think about what I wanted from life and actually how short life actually is and decided that I would pursue my dream when I was back up and able. Id picked up my camera and been photographing Rio and my friends horses’ for a while at this point and I knew I had the passion for it. Id love Eliza to see me doing what I love for a living and inspire her to follow her own dreams when she is older.
What is the toughest part about owning your own business?
Gosh, this is a hard one. I think the hardest part has to be the discipline and making sure the time you have is used well. Currently, I do have a part time office job in order to make sure I can provide my part of the income whilst I continue to build my business. This comes with its own challenges though, as I really have to make a plan and prioritise what to work on first and stick to it. It is also difficult when I am working weekends photographing long days at shows. There have been a number of times where I have missed out on family gatherings and little things that Eliza has done – that can be really hard.
This year, I am working more on portrait and branding commissions and starting to take a step back from doing so many events, so that I still get to enjoy time with my family.
What is your favourite part about being an equine/canine photographer?
Meeting so many lovely new people – 100%! There is nothing I enjoy more than hearing the stories that horse and dog owners have about their gorgeous four legged friends. I feel privileged every time a client welcomes me into the fold to learn about and capture the magic of the bond with their horses or dogs. It is a very personal experience and I have had the pleasure of photographing many different stories over the years already. Its always a humbling experience to see my work on people’s walls and I love going through the options with my clients to make sure they get the right product for them.
Tell us a bit about Tails To Treasure?
This is a total passion project that has come to life for me. There are so many wonderful ways we can create something a bit special with our horses tail hair now, but when I started looking, I couldn’t find anything like these.
When I lost Rio in June 2019 I knew I wanted to combine my two passions – photographs and him. I was so lucky to have found my heart horse as the first horse I owned and wanted something really special to remember him by. It made sense to me to combine a shot that I have taken on every photoshoot I have ever done, with inlaid tail hair. I can create them from a photograph you have taken as long as it is of a high resolution, or we can incorporate the end product into a photoshoot guaranteeing the perfect Tails To Treasure photo.
The product itself is created by printing the image onto special backing, which I then carefully cut away and set the tail into. Great care is taken to ensure the hair is well cared for by myself and then trusted by my framer. They install the photograph into a handmade deep wooden frame, which can be painted any one of multiple different colours. If you wish to have extra’s added, such as a name plaque or another memento, this is something we can discuss at point of order.
I adore my Tail To Treasure frame and I hope that they can bring others the same joy!
What is your favourite piece of equipment you have bought and why?
My MacBook Pro is definitely my favourite piece of equipment. When I started LFP, I was working on a desktop gaming PC. The machine itself was fine, but it did mean I was pretty tied down. With my MacBook I can work from anywhere I choose, including as press, which I have had the amazing opportunity to do at Olympia and Badminton Horse Trials over the last couple of years. It also means that when it comes down to ordering sessions with my clients, they are guaranteed a high quality display of their images to select from!
What can’t you live without?
Terribly I have to say my mobile phone. Whether it is to be in easy reach when Eliza is at nursery or with other people, for clients to get in touch, or for seeing up with the daily scroll (absolute nightmare!) I just cant go anywhere without it. It is also hugely important to keep my schedule in order, keep Jim updated on when I am due home from shoots and getting to and from sessions – thanks google maps!
What are your goals for 2020?
My number one goal this year is to keep doing what I’m doing and building the business so that I can take it on full time.
I’ve got another big goal this year around The Invisible Equestrian project, which is going to take up a bit of time and a lot of energy. This is a huge thing and very personal to me, as there’s so many horrible attitudes out there towards others who are struggling with day to day life. The people I am working with on this have been super brave in agreeing to take part and I really appreciate every single message of support I have hard regarding this project already. It’s off to a brilliant start and I hope that we can help other equestrians out through the work we’ll be creating.
On a more personal note, I’ve set myself a goal to be back in the saddle properly by September. Since losing Rio, it’s really not been top of my list, but I am starting to get the itch to ride again every now and then. Little steps!
It has been great to get to know Laura and I hope you have enjoyed getting to know her a little better too, a mum, friend, wife & horse lover alike. Laura and I have already met up to do a photoshoot together and it was filled with laughter! Laura is great around all animals and really gives you a personal experience and her full attention to capture the moments that you want!
If you are a company wanting a commission done please contact either of us to organise this as we would love to work with you! Likewise, if you are a horsey mum or dog mum, I have my own personal code to give you a discount to one of Laura’s photography sessions at your own yard and vouchers for you to purchase images from the shoot also! Just send me an email or message on my social media.
You can look at Laura’s work on her website and social media below:
Website – https://www.laurafiddamanphoto.com
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/laurafiddaman/
Thank you for reading, until next time..
Francesca x
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