🗞️WELCOME TO ISSUE NO. 3

Starting to get in a rhythm here at “Steady, Cowboy” (name might change). For those of you new, this is is a weekly letter about what I’m testing and learning on my mission for the last eight years to become the best possible photographer and creative entrepreneur I can be. This is my attempt to share that with you so you might accelerate your own journey.

🔬EXPERIMENTS & LEARNINGS THIS WEEK

garrettking.co

View more on Instagram

1. 🎬VIDEO - Shot-for-shot remakes: This week, I tried reshooting my most popular video of all time (50K views) with new content, but keeping everything else the same. Script, pacing, approach, everything about it was nearly identical. It’s three days in and it’s over 20K views, easily one of my ten best videos. The lesson for us? When you hit something that works, don’t be afraid to bring that format back again. I will be repeating this in the future.

2. 🎬VIDEO - Compliment Attack: This is a format that I’ve had a lot of success with, and I posted one this week that didn’t go very far. From the data I can see, I lost people earlier than I’d normally expect. Here’s what I think I could’ve done better here:

   • Clearer hook visual. I picked a slow-motion video of a rodeo cowboy clearing the chute, and it’s tough to see what’s happening. Could’ve done something more easily identifiable right at the start.

   • Punctuality: I think I could’ve hit the points quicker.

   I’m still a believer in this format, it’s so much fun to surprise people with what I like about their work.

3. 🎬VIDEO - “POV - Cowboy Killer”: This video looked cool and I love the finished photos but the video didn’t travel far. It’s my second riff on the viral Josh Aikin videos. To me, I need to get better BTS visuals and I think I’ll start to get these rolling.

4. 🎞️ STILLS - Horizontal does have a place: Like many of us, I tend to shoot vertical primarily. We all know why. But there are times when horizontal makes sense, and I find that there are times when shooting on my little film point-and-shoot just feels more natural to hold it the way Canon intended it. What I wasn’t sure about was how it’d perform if I just put up a big “film dump” of horizontal shots. Here’s my takeaway:

   • That post isn’t going to win any awards for virality or how far it travels.

   • But it did resonate with some of my most “photography geek” friends, and for that reason, it’s got a place. My current thinking is that different types of posts have different roles, almost like you’re in a boxing ring, and you don’t just throw 100% uppercuts - you need a wide range of punches.

🎞️STILLS

Here’s the three sets of stills I put up this week:

1. 🌵Some portraits w/ Abigail trying to replicate the classic Dudi Hasson / Gal Gadot Vanity Fair Cover

   • Gear used: Sony A7IV, Godox XPro-S Transceiver, Godox V1S flash with magnetic dome on it, Tiffen Black Pro Mist ¼ strength

2. 📸A stack of random 35mm film shots from recent trips to Nevada and Arizona

   • Gear used: Canon Sure Shot MAX, Kodak Portra 400 (and probably a little bit of Fujicolor 200 in there IIRC)

3. Some studio work I shot with Kris

   • Gear used: Sony A7IV, Godox XPro-S Transceiver, Godox V1S flash with magnetic dome on it, Tiffen Black Pro Mist ¼ strength

Want to see future issues?

🎬VIDEOS

10/13: Saint Laurent SS25 suits aesthetic IG / TT
10/12: Step-by-step tutorial on mood board building IG / TT
10/11: Lighting tutorial: Part 10 IG / TT
10/10: Lighting tutorial: Part 9 IG / TT
10/9: BTS to finished product: “Cowboy Killer” IG / TT
10/8: Seamless instagram carousel tutorial IG / TT
10/7: Compliment attack: Part 12 IG / TT

100 day challenge progress: Also, I’m at day 82 in a row of posting a video. October 31st, if everything goes according to plan, is gonna be day 100. Giddy up.

📈AUDIENCE GROWTH

Instagram: 7329, +427 followers this week, +6% vs. last week
TikTok: 774, +23 followers this week, +3% vs. last week
Newsletter: 665 subscribers, +168 this week, +34% vs. last week

🙋GOT A QUESTION?

New section this week: Have a question about cameras, lighting, editing, workflows, whatever? Ask me here - your question may get featured and answered in depth in next week’s newsletter.

💻FREE PRESETS

If you edit in Lightroom, here’s a link to five free presets, no strings attached.

💬COMMENT OF THE WEEK

Thought this was really nice.

🔗SHARE

If you saw something you like or found interesting in today’s post - will you do me a solid and forward it to a friend or creator you think might like it?

Everybody have a great start to your week,

Garrett