Horse Photography – 5 Tips for Capturing the Equine
Horse Photography
Capturing horses with your digital camera can make for some great photos. Horses are one of those animals that many people feel an affinity with, and learning to capture them (the right way) will ensure you can sell more of your horse photos.
Photographing horses isn’t like capturing people, birds, or other small animals. A horse is quite large, and as such requires some simple ideas to capture them properly. Whether you’re looking for the perfect still shot, that great action photo, or even the image of the entire herd, there are a few things that should be considered.
With that said, here are 5 tips to equine photography
Horse Photography Tip #1 - Let’s talk Angles
The first thing that needs to be considered is the angle of your shot. Especially for still photo’s this single element can make or break your photo. Horses are quite long, so taking a frontal photo that is just slightly offset will likely make the horse look out of proportion. If a frontal shot is required, try a head shot, or try to get a photo with the angle slightly downward. This will ensure you don’t photograph an oblong horse.
Horse Photography Tip #2 - Time of Day / Lighting
When capturing still shots of horses, shadows can add to the shot. Ensuring that you’re out between 10am and 2pm will allow you to maximize the effect of the shadows, without the long shadows that can ruin a picture.
Horse Photography Tip #3 - It’s all about the Handler
Having a handler for the horse will greatly improve your ability to photograph it. Have someone the horse knows, lead the horse to setup the shot. Since horses are quite large, and likely don’t care whether you want a good shot or not, this will help you to setup for that truly stunning horse photo.
Horse Photography Tips #4 – Frame that Shot
Since horses are quite large, too many photographers tend to zoom way out, and leave too much empty space in their shots. Ensure the horse comes close to filling the frame. If you feel a zoomed out shot is better, be sure to frame the picture with something interesting in the background. Clouds, trees, buildings, etc – can all add an additional element to the photo by taking some of the empty sky out of the shot.
Horse Photography Tips #5 – Capturing the Action
One type of shot that requires special consideration is the action shot. Taking a photograph of that horse running, bucking, or even a day at the races can make an excellent photograph. The important considerations here are to actually not be too picky. Set your camera on auto shoot, grab a lens that allows you to zoom in close enough to get the action you want, and then capture a succession of shots of the equine subject(s) in action, and you’re sure to get a great shot. Many photographers wait for the ideal moment. When it comes to horse photography, however, that moment rarely comes. Shooting a number of successive action photos will ensure you increase your chances of getting that truly exceptional photo.
Horse photography doesn’t need to be difficult. In fact, with 5 simple ideas, you should be ready to get out and start capturing the equine!
