Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Tellez.
Hi Katie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My love for photography started when I was a kid… snapped a picture of our German Shepherd, Macky, entered it in a contest, and to my surprise won first prize. From that moment on, I was hooked. I carried that passion through high school and eventually earned my Bachelor of Arts in painting and printmaking, with photography always woven into my studies. In 2017, I took the leap, quit my day job, and launched The KOCO Photography. Over the years, I worked with both local and global companies, eventually carving out a place in the motorcycle lifestyle space. When COVID hit, I made the tough decision to step back and take my website down, even though photography had always been my first love. After a few years away, I felt the pull too strongly to ignore. In 2025, I came back to my roots, rebranding as The Wild Rein and shifting my focus to what lights me up most, the powerful, emotional connection between horse and human. It’s been a winding road, but I wouldn’t trade the journey for anything.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road here hasn’t exactly been smooth. When I first launched my business, I had to figure out everything on my own: how to get clients, how to market myself, and how to balance my creativity with the reality of making a living. There were moments of burnout, months where I wondered if I’d made a huge mistake, and plenty of self-doubt in between. Walking away during COVID was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made because it felt like giving up on something that had always been a part of me. But that break also came with lessons. It forced me to face the fear of starting over and taught me that sometimes you have to lose something to really see how much it means to you.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a horse and human photographer, specializing in capturing that deep, unspoken connection between the two. My work isn’t just about pretty pictures; it’s about telling a story, the bond, the history, the healing power that horses bring into people’s lives. I’m most proud of being able to create images that actually feel like the relationship in front of me, not just a staged version of it. What sets me apart is that I’ve walked away from photography before, and coming back to it gave me this renewed fire. I don’t take it for granted. I don’t shoot from a checklist. I shoot from instinct, emotion, and a whole lot of grit. My clients always tell me their photos look like “them,” real, raw, and connected. That’s what I live for.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that passion doesn’t die, even if you try to walk away from it. When I shut down my photography business during COVID, I thought maybe I was done. But the truth is, it ate at me every single day. I learned that you can’t ignore the thing that makes you come alive. And I learned that success isn’t clean or perfect, it’s messy, uncomfortable, and full of failures that teach you more than the wins ever will.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thewildrein.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildrein
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildrein
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewildrein
