Horse Photographers please critique

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

06/16/2005 11:41:47 PM · #1

Equine photography is an area I would like to pursue and Jack is my first guinea pi...er.. subject. What tips, critique, suggestions etc. would any of you be willing to provide. It would be much appreciated. Details of shoot are provided with each photo in details area.

Sonifo

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

06/16/2005 11:45:39 PM · #2

Excellent lighting on the second one.

06/16/2005 11:52:24 PM · #3

I like both poses of the horse. I think the color of the horse in the first picture is better. To me the horse in your second pic seems to be yellowish. The cheek on the first horse is too bright. The second horse has a bright spot on the right side of the face. Maybe try a little different lighting if possible. I like the dark background. It really makes gray horses stand out better. Also maybe try getting a pose similar to the second pic but with the horses head turned slightly more to the right of the pic.

06/16/2005 11:58:54 PM · #4

The owner has agreed to let me learn on her horses and I provide some shots in return, so a return and re-pose is possible... I say re-pose lightly as I have much to learn about horse behavior and getting them to do anything. I agree the chain is not ideal for a formal type portrait shot, good catch. Something to dress it up would be a good idea. Thanks for your comments. Hope some others share their thoughts as this is a very appealing area to me.

Message edited by author 2005-06-17 00:00:49.

06/17/2005 12:03:52 AM · #5

Carrots, sugar, apples, horse cookies work well in getting their attention. Just watch out for the slobber if you feed them one when shooting pics.

06/17/2005 12:07:49 AM · #6

This image is one I have taken.

I like the pose but I am not showing her hind hooves well.

06/17/2005 12:11:48 AM · #7

So how do you get the horse to stand still a distance away, as every time I got near they all came over to see what I was doing.

A diversion did help.

Message edited by author 2005-06-17 00:23:37.

bandit

Samsung S23 Ultra

06/17/2005 12:16:50 AM · #8

Magic of photoshop!

Message edited by author 2005-06-17 00:25:41.

06/17/2005 12:17:44 AM · #9

Nice job on the cloning..why didn't I think of that..doh..

bandit

Samsung S23 Ultra

06/17/2005 12:20:04 AM · #10

Originally posted by rblanton:

Nice job on the cloning..why didn't I think of that..doh..

Cloned out cable and redish areas in background.
Duplicate image, then gaussin blur.

Finished!

06/17/2005 12:20:52 AM · #11

I just happened to catch that shot at the right time. She had been pacing around and something caught her attention for a few seconds. Just long enough for me to get the pic. With horses you just have to wait for the right moment. I have a two year old filly that when I try to take her pic she trys to come up to me most of the time. I just keep shooing her away and hope for the best shot. Eventually she will get board and go on about her grazing and get tired of what I am doing.

06/17/2005 12:35:04 AM · #12

heres is another with my filly in action just after it rained.

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D ED

06/17/2005 12:41:05 AM · #13

That brings up an interesting thought, what particular times are good / not good to attempt a photo. For instance, when are they playful, energetic or the opposite moody or tempermental?

Tony, thanks for posting those steps.. I will give that a shot later.

Message edited by author 2005-06-17 00:42:57.

megryan

Nikon D300

06/17/2005 12:41:28 AM · #14

I love horses too expecially the thoroughbred. I have a folder in my portfolio titled "racehorses" that may interest you.
Your shots are great and I'm sure you will get some fantastic ones in the future. Like all animal shots you have to have a lot of patience and the time will pay off !!

-Lisa
:-)

06/17/2005 12:44:54 AM · #15

I think just about anytime would be good to attempt to photograph horses. You can get some great shots when they are energetic and moody as well. You might just get an expression you don't always see. I think the one factor is the outside lighting. I like to shoot early morning or evening.

06/17/2005 12:53:32 AM · #16

Lisa, nice shots. Left some comments. Patience is a good suggestion as that is eventually how I got some shots of Jack and friends as they meandered off, though grass eating was not a particularly grabbing event. Some visitors to the horses gave me a couple of good shots.

Lori thanks for your thoughts, I will return to the topic later after a bit of rest.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

06/17/2005 08:59:46 AM · #17

Morning bump

Kelliloo

Sony Mavica FD-73

06/17/2005 09:07:26 AM · #18

I posted the same one twice, I stutter clicked....sorry

Message edited by author 2005-06-17 09:14:13.

Kelliloo

Sony Mavica FD-73

06/17/2005 09:13:15 AM · #19

I liked the 2nd photo the best. The horse seems to be alert and responding to something your doing (looks like that by the way the horse is holding it's head and how it's ears are straight up in the air. What did you say?).

eqsite

Nikon D7100

06/17/2005 09:34:31 AM · #20

Ron, I really like the second one. The angle and lighting help show off the shape of the head. The second one is less flattering because the angle is a little too head-on.

One piece of advice that I can give you is that each breed/discipline has different things that they care about seeing in professional photos. My wife is a professional horse trainer/breeder and specializes in Welsh Ponies and Hunter/Jumpers. She probably spends at least $500/year on professional photos from shows, and she's my harshest critic (I'm just a hobbiest). Shots that I think are beautifully artistic she will wince at.

Here's a list of some common things that she tells me to look for:
Ears up, shoot from just a little below the level of their eyes (but not too much), if they are moving, try to get them at the extended point of their stride, moving slightly towards you (but not head on).

Obviously, like anything else photographic, these are not rules, but guidelines and can be broken with great success. A lot has to do with your audience, though.

Are there any particular breeds or disciplines you are interested in, or is it more just equine art in general?

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

06/17/2005 10:33:31 AM · #21

Kelly - The horse was looking at other folks moving around behind me. I was pretty much still and just observing his change in movements.

Gary - Thanks for those thoughts! At this point I am thinking "equine art in general" until I get more exposure to the field. At some point I think photographing shows would be a good way to go, however I need to gain some experience and knowledge of horses before venturing into that arena so to speak.

eqsite

Nikon D7100

06/17/2005 10:48:35 AM · #22

A great way to get some exposure is to go to some horse shows. I've found that people expect there to be photographers around (both prof. and amatuer) and are not particularly shy. The best time to go is early in the morning when horses are being bathed, groomed and schooled. You can get some great candids and the lighting is the best. A good place to start is here:

USEF 2005 Show Search

This will be just USEF rated shows. You can undoubtedly find plenty of local shows as well. Make sure you post some more shots. I'd love to see what you can do. I'm going to a show with my wife this weekend, so I'll see if I can get anything worth posting as well.