Meet Lauren Ann Pace | Equine Photographer – Equestrian + Fine Art

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Ann Pace and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren Ann, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
This really made me think! I don’t know that I can pinpoint one thing to be the most important factor behind my success and the success of my business. There are many things that play into my success but the two that first come to mind are: The support of my family and consistency.

Because I homeschool my three children, they are home with me all day and they see me doing all of the behind the scenes things that photographers do. They are always excited to see the raw pictures when I come home and want to know the names of the horses and ask questions about my shoot. It is a good opportunity for my children to learn to be entrepreneurs and to see that they can be successful in whatever they choose to pursue. My oldest daughter has been experimenting with making horse cookie treats and wants to begin selling them to earn money. She is still a little young but the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in her. My husband has also been supportive in making sure I can get away to my shoots.

Deciding to put myself out there when it seems scary. When I decided to start my photography business, I made an Instagram account. I had never had one before that – just a Facebook account and I barely used it. I made a lot of connections through social media, many of whom answered questions and cheered me on. I have even had opportunities to meet new people in person and travel more because of the connections I made through social media, and for that I am so grateful.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I am me. That’s what sets me apart from others. I know that sounds cliche! But it’s true! I am a 39 year old wife and mom who homeschools her children and wants them to grow up with the same values and experiences that I had growing up on my family’s 40 acre ranch with horses and livestock. Hard work was not foreign to me; my sister and I didn’t have brothers to help out on our ranch. I learned that you had to work for what you wanted and most of the time that wasn’t easy but it was always worth it.

It was always in the back of my mind that I could start a photography business. But I shied away from it for a LONG time because I didn’t want something I loved as a hobby to turn into something I dreaded doing because it was now work. Finally, in the winter of 2020, I decided to take the plunge. But I had a clear niche in mind. Equestrian and equine.

Horses have been a huge part of my life since I was born, from western pleasure to cutting and team roping. In my high school photography classes I spent hours developing my own black and white photos in the school’s dark room, never even realizing the extent my passion for photography was actually developing (pun intended). Eventually my two loves finally melted together.

I know from experience that holding everything together, working the ranch, being in the barn for hours a day can take so much out of you. But the love and passion you have for this way of life is what makes you feel alive; you wouldn’t have it any other way. When I started Lauren Ann Pace Photography my number one goal was to create an opportunity for my clients to feel beautiful in their element; to create an experience that highlights the love and bond between them and their horse, essentially capturing their perfect world in beautiful, artistic imagery that they will cherish for years to come.

I have always tried to fill my home with pictures of who and what matter most to me, in an artistic manner. If you were to walk into my home right now, you would see some of my most cherished memories of my family on display. I love that when visitors come into my home they walk around looking at all of our family art like it is on display in a museum. This is what drove me to start creating beautiful pieces of art for others.

While I have learned so much from other photographers, I never wanted to be just like someone else. I have worked hard to find my own style. It is important to me as an artist to be authentic and I hope that my clients feel the same way. Not only do I want them to feel that their images are unique and custom to them and their story, but I also want them to feel that they received an experience that was unique and custom to their story.

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.
We love the little spots outside of the city. Queen Creek Olive Mill has the best olive oils and such a relaxing atmosphere! Lazy river tubing on the Salt River is always a good time and there are tons of trails for horseback riding and hiking. The views are unlike any other!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Of course so much credit goes to my husband and children. They have been my biggest cheerleaders from day one; my children have always loved being my little models. Both my mom and dad have supported and encouraged me. My mom takes time out of her schedule to assist on my horse and rider sessions and my dad’s business customizes all of my client gift products.

Aside from my family and friends, there are a few photographers who have been instrumental in my success. I probably would not have the love of photography that I do if it were not from my high school photography teacher, Mr. Ray. He taught me how to use an old manual camera and with that I fell in love with developing film in the high school dark room. I also happened upon Cassidy Bock of Cassidy Brooke Photography on Instagram at the start of my business in early 2021. I had been playing around with horse black backgrounds, and even with the information I was finding online, I wasn’t coming up with the end result that I wanted. When I started following Cassidy I was blown away by her work. And as fate would have it, she just announced that she was going to launch her first ever Black Background Masterclass. I knew that I was going to take her class. And from then on, she has been an amazing mentor and friend. There really are so many other fantastic photographers who have helped me out along the way, whether it has been answering questions or moral support (because we all need that!). Jeni Jo Photography, Lauren Maeve Photography, Kirsten Ziegler Photography, Amanda Lynn Photography, Wildy Rye Photography, Kirstie Marie Photography…the list could go on!

And I absolutely wouldn’t be half of the photographer I am today if it weren’t for my amazing friends who let me practice on them and my clients who have trusted me to capture their memories. Their support does not go unnoticed.

Website: www.laurenannpace.com

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

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

Image Credits
Photo of Lauren Pace by Jeni Jo Photography All other photos by Lauren Ann Pace Photography