Horse photography ideas

4 years 6 months ago #661941 by Little Kate
I've been hired to photograph some horses.  It's a friend of mine who I warned that I have not photographed horses before.  But she is OK with it and wants me to take their photos.  She has 11 horses on her farm.  

Any tips or ideas you can share about photographing horses? 


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4 years 6 months ago #661948 by garyrhook
Go online (google images, Instagram) and look for images of horses. Figure out what you like and don't like: angle, focus area, depth of field, light, stance. Consider those elements as what you'll want to incorporate.

Your friend should work with you to understand what makes a good horse portrait. For example, ears forward, toward something that interests them. If they're moving, exactly when to take the shot (leg position).

You don't say anything about what your friend is looking for, what the horses will be doing, environment, location, etc, so not much else to add.


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4 years 6 months ago - 4 years 6 months ago #661961 by Nikon Shooter
Hello Kate,

In my experience, being clean, precise, and pertinent
in the shoot will get you to score points. 

You may go for the personality or the features of any
given horse, in any case be aware of the background,
the focus point in every single shot.

Some examples…




Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 6 months ago #662050 by fmw
When I shot horses I always had my wife accompany me.  She would stand behind me and wave a jacket in the air to get the horse's ears aimed at the camera.  Nikon shooter's horse portrait above is an excellent example of an effective result.


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4 years 6 months ago #662073 by garyrhook

fmw wrote: When I shot horses I always had my wife accompany me.  She would stand behind me and wave a jacket in the air to get the horse's ears aimed at the camera.  Nikon shooter's horse portrait above is an excellent example of an effective result.


In the first photo, yes. Except that the plane of focus appears to be on the crown of its head, and the bridle along the jaw. Not the eyes.
In the second, it's listening to its rider.


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