9/27/2007 9:16:00 PM Photographer turns passion into career
The Daily Courier/Jo. L. Keener
Jody Miller of Millers Reflections poses next to her Best in Show entry Wednesday at the Prescott Fine Arts Association Gallery. Miller’s work is primarily photographing horses.
Q & A with Jody Miller, owner of Millers Reflections.
Phone: 533-1951
Website: www.millersreflections.com
What service do you provide in the community?
"I offer a full range of photography services including on-location shoots. I do real estate and virtual tour photographs and business headshots. My true passion is to photograph horses."
When did you begin your photography business?
"I started in the early 1980s. I was living and working on a ranch in California. During that time, I started taking pictures of people's horses just for the fun of it. After the first couple of people saw the pictures, they wanted to buy them. I started marketing that service to the local community in California. After I built that business, I moved to San Diego and started managing a chain of photo labs.
I moved here in May 2001 and just fell in love with the Western style of living. Moving to Prescott made me fall back in love with it and I started to build that business here."
Where did your love of that lifestyle come from?
"I think it's just the magic of watching the horses and watching them interact with people and wanting to capture all of that."
What makes the horses special to you?
"They are such large animals, but they are graceful when they move. They have incredible intuition with people who get close to them."
Do you own a horse?
"I didn't own a horse and I still don't own a horse. I had a lot of friends who own horses. Most everybody is shocked to know that I don't own a horse. I have enough with three cats and two dogs."
How did you get into photography?
"It goes back to when I lived on that ranch. When people start telling you that you should do it for a living, you grab onto that."
What is most challenging about your business?
"Just getting known in the horse community because I am not a horse owner - I'm still on the outside of that circle. I go to a lot of horse activities and I donate my time just to get known in the community."
What is the key to your business longevity?
"The key to my success has been responding back immediately (to clients) and having integrity in the way I run my business."
How is shooting a picture of a horse challenging?
"When you're taking a picture of a horse, you're taking a picture of an unpredictable, moving target."
Do you donate to any charitable organizations?
"With my artwork, I donate to a lot of different charities. I donate my artwork to the United Animal Friends. I've donated to the Coalition for Compassion and Justice and the Pioneer Park Equestrian Center and the Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity."
Contact the reporter at jsoifer@prescottaz.com
Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, September 29, 2007
Article comment by:
Nancy
I've seen Jody's work. It's wonderful. She has is available at The Prescott Resort, The Prescott Fine Arts Gallery and Color My World Gallery in Prescott and The PV Pet Clinic! Go check it out.
Posted: Saturday, September 29, 2007
Article comment by:
ken
Jody is an amazing photographer. Check out her websites:
http://millersreflections.com
http://prescott360.net
