Meet Kirsten Ziegler | Equine Photographer

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

Hi Kirsten, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think what I can attribute my success to is my involvement and commitment to the equestrian community. I build relationships and connections with my clients because I’ve been in their shoes. We’ve all shared struggles and success that comes with horse ownership, whether it’s battling a mystery lameness or winning a big class. Every shoot feels like I am working with a friend, and at the end of the day that leads to the best images!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I think my eye is what makes me unique. I am constantly playing with light, shadows and composition during shoots and trying to give not only variety to my clients gallery but to show them how I see the world. As my craft has grown I have found myself pushing the boundaries and exploring just how creatively I can capture a moment.

My equine experience is incredibly diverse as well, which is another reason why I am able to connect with all types of owners. I grew up being very competitive in the Hunter/Jumper world, a few years ago I bought a quarter horse and made the swap to Reining, and my full time job is in the Team Roping industry.

My career path wasn’t always crystal clear for me. Anytime someone asked what I wanted to do with my life I said “I want it to involve horses and no math”. I always loved taking photos, my dad is an amateur photographer and I caught the bug from him very early on in life. Growing up showing horses and basically living at the barn I always took photos of my friends at shows. I also had Photoshop on my computer since I had access to a computer. When I went to college I started with a major in business management (because we always hear about being a starving artist and that there’s no way to be financially stable in that world). A year and a half into business school and I wasn’t having a great time, no surprise that math was a real challenge for me. I remember calling my dad upset because I just hated it and he asked what I wanted to do instead and I said art. He was so incredibly supportive in that decision and was happy that I found something that fueled my soul. I changed my major that day to Graphic Design and it was like the direction in my life finally took shape.

My photography business loosely started taking form in 2018 and is now what I like to call my “full time side hustle”. I’ve worked in full time creative roles since I graduated, and in 2022 finally brought the “horses” part into my career when I was hired for the Western Sports Group division of Equine Network where I work on the team that puts on events such as Ariat World Series of Team Roping, Cinch National Finals of Team Roping, and The Patriot.

I always want my clients to have an experience where they feel most themselves. Photoshoots are supposed to be a fun bonding experience, celebrating the connection between horse and owner. I think they should also be a reflection of creative expression for clients in the outfits that they choose and the vision they have. Nothing makes my heart more full than when I client tells me that the result exceeded the idea they had in mind.

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.
There are so many great spots here! I have a friend coming to town this weekend so this is a great time to answer the question. We are going to spend most of our time in Cave Creek, brunch at Brunch, hopping around the consignment shops seeing what hidden gems we can find, dinner at Italian Daughter, finishing up the weekend by making jewelry at Made It Myself Workshop in Fountain Hills. My husband and I will usually take our guests to walk out to the crested saguaro too! It’s an easy walk that everyone can do. If I have horse friends in town we will go trail riding at Browns Ranch or Granite Mountain.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh gosh how long can I make this list?! First, a lot of credit can be given to husband and family for always being my number one cheer squad. I think all of them have their own “Kirsten Ziegler Original Art Gallery” in their homes. Even my family that doesn’t own horses have ordered artwork from me and hung it in their home which is just incredibly special to me.

I have been fortunate enough to meet a lot of photographers who have been so encouraging on my journey. I want to shoutout to Nichole Chirico (Nichole Chirico Photography) who is always my voice of reason when imposter syndrome creeps up. Kim Klein (Wild Fern Photo Co), who I hired as my wedding photographer (and then she hired me for her wedding several years later), mentored me very early on, second shot for me, and always answered all my nitty gritty questions. Other amazing photographers to have been monumental in my journey are Cassidy Brooke Photography, Ashleigh Magnus Photography, Jeni Jo Photography, Kirstie Marie Photography, Emily Thurner Photography and SO many more.

Lastly, my clients. When I first started out I always heard that you should never be friends with your clients. This seems completely silly to me now because I think all my closest friends are because of photography and have been my clients. Thank you to all my clients who refer me, cherish the work I deliver and continue to support my craft.

Website: www.kirstenziegler.com

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

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

Image Credits
Nichole Chirico for the main photo.