Meet Your Team
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Meet Your Team 👋
Kaitlyn Karssen
OWNER & LEAD CREATIVEWhether I’m piloting my mares, Elona B and Lady Like 46, around a jumper course or looking through my camera, I’m fascinated by how our equine partners so perfectly combine limitless power and quiet, gentle elegance in their every move. It’s become my life passion to capture that. I gained an intimate perspective on the show-jumping world from years spent as a groom and my 16 years as a rider - this uniquely informs the way I photograph and create. When telling the story of a rider’s competitive journey, I strive to take photos and videos of my clients that I would want of myself and my own horses.
When I first started taking photos, I was using my late father’s ancient camera and doing $50 photoshoots to help pay for horse shows. I soon became obsessed with improving, and in turn, growing my business. Through everything, the driving factor behind what I do will always be my own love for horses and the sport of show jumping. Whenever I’m not working at a show, you can find me at Trelawny Farm with Lady or when I’m lucky, working and competing at the same time!
At Boss Mare Media, I aim to foster a collaborative community and work next to other like minded creatives, to offer our clients something truly amazing.
Katy VanHelmond
CO-CREATIVEHi, I’m Katy! I started riding horses when I was six years old, and even then I knew horses and riding were something that would play a huge part in the rest of my life. For me, riding and photography went hand and hand. I fell in love with capturing the relationship between horses and riders and then started my professional photography journey in 2020. Since then I’ve had the absolute pleasure of learning and working alongside some of the sports’ absolute best professionals. That experience has given me so much knowledge and confidence to go out and capture every moment.
When I am not taking photos, I’m with my horse Pequt. Over the last six years she's proven to be the bravest, and most patient horse I could have ever asked for. Pequt is the reason I turned this passion into a profession. She reminds me everyday just how special the bond between horses and riders really is.
Quinn Saunders
BRAND STRATEGIST & CO-CREATIVEBorn and raised in British Columbia, Canada, I’m thrilled to be bringing some Canadian spirit to the Boss Mare Media team. Like my other team members, my passion for horses started at a young age. When I hit double digits, my parents surprised me with a camera that quickly found its place in my helmet bag as I ran out the door to the barn. I guess you could say the rest is history.
In 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic chaos, I graduated from the Wilson School of Design with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design for Marketing. During my time at University, I honed my skills in branding, typography, print design, video editing, and social media marketing, to name a few. My mentality with post secondary education was to become a bona fide jack of all trades, all with only one criteria – it had to seamlessly blend with my already established photography career.
Having worn many hats in the equestrian world – competitor, horse owner, working student, groom, and even the girl who had to part ways with her heart horse to pursue education – I’m beyond thrilled to have carved out a spot for myself in the equestrian industry. I'm not just a photographer, folks; I'm a graphic designer with a serious passion for modernizing the industry!