The Photogenic Horse

While photography is a relatively new phenomenon, the relationship between man and horse is ages old. Historic drawings and paintings depict the affinity between horse and rider, but the photograph has the potential to further refine that relationship because of the level of detail possible with today's photography equipment. Utilizing modern digital equipment allows even persons new to photography to capture excellent images. Quality cameras with automatic or user adjustable settings allow the photographer to concentrate on the more important elements - photographing the horse and the animal's surroundings.


Even a few years ago, learning to capture the nuances that define good photography was expensive, as the cost of film and processing was prohibitive. Today, however, is a completely different story. The cost of quality digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras has dropped to the point that affordability is no longer a significant issue, and the ability to use interchangeable lenses further enhances their value. That means that photographing the horse has become within the reach of virtually anyone. Capturing the animal's physical features and moods becomes easier when countless photos can be taken to enhance the photographer's learning process without penalty. Pictures that do not work are simply deleted, allowing the horse photographer to learn from both their successes and failures.
Photographing the horse does require the photographer to have a basic grasp of horses. But, it also requires a willingness to keep the company of the animals for long periods in order to catch just that right shot. Even the best professional photographer discards the majority of their shots, and individuals learning to photograph horses should anticipate that few shots will be retained. That is the beauty of today's digital equipment - imperfect shots can easily be discarded without any expense.
Photographing the horse is an art. The ability to capture the moods and physical qualities of a horse can only be learned by becoming familiar with both the subject and the equipment used. While digital cameras used in the fully automatic setting are capable of capturing great shots, the more a photographer experiments with the manual setting combinations the better the outcomes will be.

Traditional photographic wisdom dictates that the best light results in the best photographs. That still holds true with digital photography equipment. Early morning and late afternoon light most always result in the best photos. However, digital photographers have the ability to alter the look of a photograph using resident camera capabilities or by altering the image using a computer program. While photographic purists still abhor the altering of shots, the reality is that superb results can be attained through very simple changes using programs like Photoshop. However, a truly bad shot cannot be cured through the use of computerized alteration.
Photographing the horse can be a truly wonderful experience, and may serve to enhance the relationship between horse and photographer. Further, the sheer beauty of a quality horse photograph increases public interest in horses and horse related sports. With the practice permitted through the use of digital photography equipment, the photographer can become not only a great photographer, but also a good judge of horses and their moods.

Horse Photography Tips

Horse photography is a fun and rewarding hobby. Horses make beautiful subjects and are complemented by many sorts of scenic backgrounds. While a lot of the skills necessary for horse photography are learned through a process of trial-and-error, following these three tips will make the learning quicker and get you some nice shots in the process.

Choose the Right Lens

Horses are long animals, and they have long heads. The same lenses you use for people will not always work for horses. Some lenses make the horse’s head almost comically disproportionate. It is not flattering and you will not be happy with the results. Close-ups of horses cannot be done properly with a short lens. 28 and 35 mm lenses are strictly out. In some cases, even a 50 mm lens is too short.
To get a quality shot of a horse close-up, you will want to use a longer lens. Longer lenses work to compact the horse’s body and head proportionately. A 200 mm lens works the best, but a 100 mm lens will work in a pinch. One of the best lenses is a telescopic 70 to 200 mm zoom lens. If your lens is still not giving you the results you want, you may have to take a step back and try again.

Choose the Right Perspective

Details are what make for the best horse photos. Beginners often focus too much on the horse, getting full-body shots standing or in movement. For some really great shots that you would otherwise miss, try focusing on one specific feature of the horse. Get a close-up of the eye. Look into the eye and see what it being reflected. Observe the details of the eye that are in focus.
Take a photo of the horse’s mane or tail. Try to get fine detail so that each hair is sharp and in focus. If the horse is saddled, try focusing on the saddle, the bit, or the bridal. Let the horse itself be the background. Look for qualities that make the horse special or that make it stand out from the others. It could be its hooves, a spot of colour, or its nose. Experimentation in perspective is key.

Choose the Right Time of Day

As a photographer, you must constantly be aware of lighting conditions. This is important for taking photos of people, places, buildings, and, yes, even horses. Although it seems like the best time to photograph horses, midday is actually one of the worst times. The early morning and early evening are great times for horse photography. At these times, the light is softer, and the horse will glow with smooth, warm tones. In addition, the shadows at these times are more prevalent and photogenic. Some professional horse photographers only work in short windows centered around two hours after sunrise and then again around two hours prior to sunset.
If you absolutely must work midday, look for some shade you can work with. A tree or other forms of shade will provide some natural light diffusion. Cloudy days are also acceptable.

Taking Horse Pictures

Learning to take horse pictures is an art that is very similar to learning a foreign language. It requires excellent interpretation skills, except that instead of interrupting words, you are interpreting images. What you see with your eyes is not the image that is captured by the camera. Learning to see how the camera sees will help immensely in horse photography.

Light

Light is always the first consideration in any photographic endeavor, horse photography being no exception. The kind of light and the amount of light you need will depend on the specific photographic style for which you are aiming. Horse portraits, action shots, and background/landscape shots all require different light. The best light is one that is naturally filtered by the time of day or by cloud cover. Midday light is almost never ideal for taking horse pictures. An overcast day, early morning, or early evening photo shoot will often yield the best results, especially for shots where the horse will be standing still.
Action shots require more light than still shots. Without enough light, the shutter will have to remain open longer, which will cause the subject to blur. If you need to work in bright light for taking pictures of horses in action, try to keep the light to your back. The horse’s eyes should be reflecting the sun.

Pose

If you are taking a horse picture that requires the horse to be in a posed posture, be aware that the best shots will be side or three-quarter shots. Different breeds have different poses that are best suited to them. One example of this is the Arabian horse. These horses are traditionally posed with their front legs evenly spaced but with their rear legs slightly apart. The furthest hind leg is usually a step in front of the nearest hind leg. This pose was developed because Arabians have shorter backs than other breeds, and it accentuates the horse’s natural posture. In addition, the tail is held upward for Arabian horses, and their neck should be up but producing an arch.
In contrast, quarter horses are usually shot from three-quarter poses. This can be a front three-quarter or a rear three-quarter pose. This accentuates the musculature of the horse, and shows off the horse’s well-defined legs. Avoid taking pictures of any horse directly from the front. This rarely produces a pleasing image. Front shots of horses should be reserved to comedic photography only. Before taking horse pictures, find out the breed of the horse and do some research as to that breeds traditional poses.

Frame

Although it is not absolutely necessary with modern photographic equipment and computerized photo editing, it doesn’t hurt to try and frame the horse in the shot. Just because you have the ability to crop it to your liking later doesn’t mean it’s not important getting it right the first time around. In shots where the horse is the primary focus, you will want to try and fill as much of the view as possible with the horse. For photos that are to create a balance of horse and environment, allow the background to show, but don’t let the horse be so far away as to be inconsequential. One good rule is the rule of thirds. Try to create a photo in three equal parts. For example, one third could be the sky, one third the ground, and the final third the horse. Each third should be roughly the same size, but you have a little license for adjustment.

Stallion Pictures

Action

Taking pictures of horses in action is much more difficult that still or posed shots. Getting the best action shots requires practice. The most important part of taking action shots is to keep the light behind you. It is also recommended to have as bright a light as possible. To get a good shot, do not try to follow the horse around with the camera. This is a recipe for a blurry, out-of-focus picture. Predict where the horse will be, hold the camera in a fixed position, and wait for the horse to enter the frame.

Heldenpark Stud

ELOW ARE PHOTOS OF SOME OF MY GELDING PONIES & GALLOWAYS IN PADDOCK CONDITION THAT I HAVE FOR SALE.. THESE BOYS ARE OUT OF WONDERFUL MARES SUCH AS ,BRAEFOOT PARK ROSE COTTAGE,HELDEN PARK FONTEYNE,BADEN LODGE PETITE FLEUR ETC............THEY ARE ALL GOOD MOVERS AND GOOD TYPES.

THIS PONY IS SOLD

          THIS PONY IS STILL FOR SALE...he is out of Braefoot Park Rose Cottage..Sire Willowcroft Explorer.

 

    
  This little galloway is sold.

         THIS PONY IS SOLD.....

        THIS BIG GALLOWAY IS STILL FOR SALE...he is out of Baden Lodge Petite Fleur..sire Braefoot Park Rosewood.
        THIS PONY BELOW IS STILL FOR SALE...he is out of Helden Park Fonteyne...sire Braefoot Park Rosewood.

We have some lovely new owners of some of our Galloways and Ponies, and we wish them every success, we will keep you informed as to their progress.

to be updated.....

Horse Pictures

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