Q&A With Gianna Hesslau Of Feiner Dream Media
- Gianna Hesslau, Feiner Dream Media
- 3 hours ago
- 9 min read
What inspired you to start Feiner Dream Media, and how did your personal equestrian background influence that journey?
GIANNA: I started Feiner Dream Media in 2019 after taking my mom’s camera to take pictures of my friends at a schooling show. Little did I know that it would spark my love for photography. I started by doing portrait photography for my friends, which later turned into clients, then horse shows, and now I do everything under the sun. Over time, I added videography as the popularity of TikTok and Instagram Reels grew. I did this for a few years, and my interest in photography became a newfound hobby.
Once I started attending college, I was hired to do a marketing internship. It was then that I had an idea. Instead of creating strategies and producing results for a marketing agency, why not do it for my own business? So, that’s what I did. I added social media and other marketing services to my business offerings and have not looked back since! I focus on equestrian businesses, but have worked with a few non-equestrian ones. But honestly, as an equestrian, working with fellow horse people is something that I can’t beat. If it weren’t for horses, riding, showing, and all the things, I probably wouldn’t have done any of the things that I have with Feiner Dream Media.
What are the biggest challenges unique to equine photography and videography compared to other types of visual media?
GIANNA: One of the biggest challenges that working in equine media brings is how closely you have to pay attention. While it is always important in any kind of photography or videography, I have found that it is extremely necessary when working with horses. If I put down my camera for one moment, I could risk losing the perfect ears up shot or the cutest expression.
This plays a huge part when I do horse show coverage. The fast pace of horse shows adds a whole new element. Getting to know the course before a rider goes in is huge to not miss any shots or get the perfect photo. It is such a big loss to take a picture and miss the best angle!
When I work covering all weekend-long shows, I usually communicate with my clients on what their ride times and classes are, so I know when to show up. As someone who is super detail-oriented, I always double-check the start times online the night before the show. I always remember one particular weekend when it turned out that my client’s classes were actually starting 4 hours earlier than we both initially thought. That morning, to be on the safe side, I decided to arrive earlier than usual to be safe. Thank goodness I did, as the earlier start time was when she was scheduled to show. Had I not done that, I would’ve missed her whole show day!
Safe to say that paying close attention to the details, always being prepared, and double-checking things makes all the difference.
How do you approach developing social media content strategies for clients who may not know where to start?
GIANNA: When developing a social media content strategy, one of the biggest things I do is research. I want to learn as much as possible about a client’s business. Some of the important details I like to have are: what they do, who their dream customer is, their business goals, their current workload, their current frustrations, their current wins, their competitors, how much they are willing to contribute, how much they want to hand off, their inspiration, and everything in between. After learning everything I can about their business, I then research their target audience. This helps me ensure that the strategy not only exists but also meets their goals and effectively reaches their target audience. Once I have all the appropriate information, I create a detailed strategy that they can execute themselves, with my help, or entirely by me!
Can you walk us through your creative process — from initial consultation to final delivery — on a typical shoot or campaign?
GIANNA: The process I go through for clients is different depending on their needs, but I do have a general outline that I follow for everyone. After the inquiry, I always like to schedule a discovery call to find out if we are a good fit. I am quite selective with brands that I want to work with, as my roster is kept small to ensure that my clients get the dedication from me that they deserve. Once we agree that we are a good fit, then I onboard them into my system. This includes an onboarding assessment as well as a 1:1 strategy call to go over a complete overview and finalize a plan. After that, we execute!
For photography and videography sessions, I have a slightly different system that I recently relaunched. After the inquiry, scheduling, and session type are decided, I provide a contract as well as a questionnaire. In the questionnaire, clients can include facts about themselves and their pet, their goals for the session, and they can also upload images for a “moodboard” of their shoot. The moodboard is a new addition to my system that I am loving so much! Being able to see exactly what my clients want, from poses to editing style, is very helpful and allows me to be creative while executing their vision. After the session itself, I go through all the images or videos, cull and edit them, and then upload them into an online gallery that they will have access to via a personalized password. Once I email them their gallery, they will be able to download, request revisions, create favourite lists, and purchase prints all in the same place!
What role does intentional content planning play in helping equestrian businesses grow their audience and book more clients?
GIANNA: Intentional content planning makes all the difference. When your strategy is sporadic, it's harder to keep a loyal audience. One of the biggest things I see people forget about content planning is the end goal. Every piece of content that you put out needs to have a reason. Whether it’s to build brand awareness, educate, build community, get people in your DMs, get sales, or something else, having a goal for each content piece is essential. Content without a purpose is wasted time, money, and potential clients.
How has your strategy for social media evolved with the rise of video (like reels) and algorithm changes?
GIANNA: When I first joined Instagram, photos were all the rage. I never posted videos on my business account and didn’t even do videography for the first two years in business. As video content began to grow, the data spoke for itself, and it became clear that strategies needed to adapt.
What once was a photo-only strategy has now become a video-first strategy. This doesn’t mean that we should ditch photo content altogether, as carousels perform very well, but good video content is certainly my new priority.
At this point, I make an effort to include video in every content strategy I work on, even if the business owner prefers not to be on camera. There are so many ways video content can be done, and it does not have to be just riding videos or just talking heads. That is honestly one of my favourite parts of video content, how wide a variety is possible, and how many fun concepts you can test!
What are some common misconceptions equestrians have about professional media and content strategy?
GIANNA: There are five misconceptions that I see most frequently when working with equestrians or in online community discussions.
Horses have to behave perfectly for good photos
In my opinion, no horse will stand “perfectly” for portraits. Why? Because they are horses.
Horses are easily distracted, many are high energy, all of them attract flies, and so many other reasons prevent them from being able to stand still for long periods of time. So no, your horse does not need to stand perfectly because that is impossible.
Many equestrians get frustrated when their horse doesn’t have its ears forward or isn’t standing perfectly square. But that is where editing comes in. Straightening ears, cleaning up cuts, fixing legs, and so many other things are possible in the editing process, which means I don’t have to worry if a horse can’t stand very still.
On the other hand, horses that don't stand still for long can often allow me to be more creative with poses and other aspects of a session. Capturing movement creates unique photos and emphasizes your horse’s confirmation in a way that is often very flattering.
To my equestrians who worry about their horse's behaviour for photography sessions, I promise that it won’t ruin their photos.
Private client photography costs
I have had potential clients often surprised at the cost of private coverage during horse shows. Many think it is too expensive compared to purchasing from an official photographer, and that my prices should be lowered.
The real problem is that many do not realize the actual cost of private coverage. In my area, there are some venues where I am not even allowed to shoot due to exclusivity contracts, and some where I have to pay a hefty fee just to take photos at their locations. In addition to that, I am often capped on how many clients I can take on per week.
For example, the most popular venue I attend charges $750 per show week with a maximum of 8 total clients. Many more popular venues charge $1,000 or more. Factor in travel, food, the time I take to shoot, equipment, insurance, and editing time. If I were to charge a minimum of, let’s say, $800, and only had one client, I would make $50 for the whole weekend without factoring in all other costs and my own wage.
This in part demonstrates first, why private client packages are so expensive, and second, why so many photographers require a minimum amount of clients before fully committing to photographing your weekend.
I completely understand when someone prefers to go the official photographer route, and I am one of those people myself. But at the same time, I think that equestrians need to know that most private photographers charge the best rate they can afford to charge.
Screenshotting/recording media
I see tons of equestrians screenshot photos from their sessions, and all I have to ask is, please stop. Screenshotting your final images lowers the image quality and makes them appear way blurrier than they actually are, especially if you plan on printing them. Instead, download the image. Your photographer and your Instagram feed will thank you!
The same applies to videos; please download them, blurry videos will also look bad on socials and websites. If you don’t know how to download them, just ask your photographer/videographer, and they will gladly show you how.
Another screenshotting issue I see more often than I’d like to is screenshotting and posting proofs. Photo proofs are often done by the official photographer at a show, but some portrait photographers also use a proofing process. Now, it’s one thing to screenshot and share with friends to pick the best one, but posting them is legally considered stealing. Many photographers blacklist people who publicly share screenshotted photos, and some could sue you (and win!). So I say this not just for the photographer’s best interest, but also for your own benefit.
Not looking at analytics
Many businesses or creators don’t realize how important and helpful analytics are. By analytics, I’m not just talking about how many views, comments, or likes a post received. I’m talking about profile views, link clicks, engagement rates, etc. Analytics are a vital part of creating and maintaining a quality marketing strategy. If your strategy isn’t working, your analytics will reflect that, and vice versa if it is. Analytics are a great way to learn about your audience, what content works, and what posts get you more customers/clients, build brand awareness, grow your following, or achieve your business goal. Without looking at your analytics, building a sustainable audience and strategy becomes a lot harder.
Trend chasing
I see this the most with barn social media profiles. This refers to constantly doing trends, which are either for the purpose of going viral or because everyone else is doing them. Now, I am not someone who hates trends, as I believe they are good on occasion to help build brand awareness and to showcase relevancy, but many trends do not align with brand positioning. If you own a luxury brand, posting a “trendy” video around a joke or silly dance waters down your positioning and throws away that luxury feel. This applies to more than just luxury brands. Just be cautious and selective when following recent trends, do your research, and be sure it truly aligns with your branding and values.
What advice would you give to someone looking to combine a passion for horses with a career in creative media?
GIANNA: To anyone looking to combine horses and creative media, first and foremost, I’d say to have fun with it. Try everything you can, take pictures at horse shows, with permission, take pictures of your friends, take pictures of your own horse or lesson horses at your barn, research everything you are curious about, and take advantage of every opportunity you see, even if you think it’s a long shot.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, it’s normal and how you grow and learn. I have made countless mistakes over the years, and every one turned into both a learning opportunity and the discovery of a silver lining. Honesty is key, and will help you to build relationships rather than just clients.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to reach out to experts with your questions. Being able to help out those just starting is something that we always enjoy doing!
Gianna Hesslau
Feiner Dream Media
Gianna is a lifelong equestrian and the founder of Feiner Dream Media, a boutique marketing agency specializing in equestrian businesses. With a strategic approach to creating high-quality content, she helps brands build a visual identity that creates a recognizable presence across platforms. Drawing from her experience in both marketing and the equestrian industry, Gianna builds strategies that balance aesthetics and performance to support brand growth. Through Feiner Dream Media, she partners closely with clients to deliver purposeful content designed to strengthen brand trust and long-term growth.
Website: feinerdreammedia.com
Socials: instagram.com/feinerdreammedia
This article is from the April 2026 issue of Equine Business Magazine
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