How To Take Pro Horse Photographs

When you first took up the mantle to become an equestrian, you most likely had visions of you horse riding and perhaps even dreamed of taking part in dressage events. But did you ever see yourself as a shutter-bug? There are times when you want to take pictures of your horses, and not just any pictures, but photographs that show their strength, speed and beauty. Whether they’re for the purpose of advertising or promotion or to show off recent achievements in competitions, as a rider, you will find yourself taking pictures of your horses.

And it isn’t like you’re taking photographs to save the memory—most of the time footage are employed when you want to sell a particular stud of mare. Of course , pictures of an athletic horse performing dressage maneuvers certainly would leave a good impression on possible purchasers. But you do not need to just take any picture of your horses, you need to take good footage of them. And photography requires practice. Professionals even have degrees or certificates that attest to their photographic capabilities, so do not think you can do it how they do easily. There are a few tips you can follow to boost your pony photography.

For one thing, the film you use matters. Top of the range film renders prime quality shots. 200 ASA is great film for the 35 mm format. And if you’re going digital, you’d need higher pixel (or as it stands today, megapixel) counts. But don’t waste the top quality , high price film (or megapixel battery consumption) on a bad day. Pick good days when it’s not too dark and not so bright. Your pony would look best if the lighting isn’t too bright or otherwise. Too much sun causes darker shadows, and this won’t make for a nice picture ambience, especially for dark horses.

A note on preparing the horse you intend to take a picture of: except for making sure she’s clean and healthy, make her look her most beautiful. Use appropriate props, for example platted manes and oiled hooves if that is proper for her equestrian activity. Also, everything she is going to wear should likewise be clean and professionally maintained. The horse isn’t the one and only factor in the picture that needs preparation though, the background needs some preparation and thought too. It’s best to set her up against a uncluttered background. And any handler or rider appearing in the shot should look their finest also.

You might need an additional set of knowledgeable hands to deal with the pony since you will be doing the shooting. And when you start shooting, ensure you get the very best angle of the pony. Stay clear of going too much to the front or rear, as these angles have a tendency to enlarge specific bits of the pony. Try and catch the better part of whatever action you need your horse to be doing—capture a shot with her extending her leading leg while in a trot or canter, for instance. And ultimately, just keep at it: most picture perfect moments are accidental, so just click away and you’ll get the correct one.

Horses are Heather Toms’ passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about horse rugs.