Dressage show

Hacker

Hacker

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Colin
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I was covering a dressage show this evening and thought I'd post a couple of images. The light was bad due to the backdrop of trees which the sun set behind and I had to keep upping the ISO. Also managed to get another couple of shows out of it as well!

Lodge-Farm_0607_029.jpg


Lodge-Farm_0607_123.jpg


Lodge-Farm_0607_088.jpg
 
Nice Colin ... getting the hang of it are we ... :LOL:

Eye on the first nag is quite scary ... looks like a false/coloured lens it has in ...:eek:

:p
 
I was surprised when he walked past me, and obviously because I was standing there with a zoom lens on a monopod his eyes were swivelling round in his head!

The second phototgraph is a standard shot as offered by most photographers but I'm also trying to throw in one of each horse that competes along the lines of the first and third images, some are nice portraits and it also offers the customer something a bit different. We'll just have to wait and see if it works.
 
Hacker said:
The second phototgraph is a standard shot as offered by most photographers but I'm also trying to throw in one of each horse that competes along the lines of the first and third images, some are nice portraits and it also offers the customer something a bit different. We'll just have to wait and see if it works.
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Nice shots Colin. I think you are right to look for different angles but would be interested in how succesfully they "sell".

My daughter had a number of shots taken of her at a recent event (I was not there as with son at MTBing) and she and mother both chose the "classic" shots.

BTW your's are much better quality than those offered to my daughter!
 
HIMUPNORTH said:
BTW your's are much better quality than those offered to my daughter!
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Thanks for that. This is one thing that really annoys me about the majority of event photographs that I have come across. My wife has bought pictures in the past and when they have arrived I have not been that impressed with the quality of either the shot, the post processing or the printing. From what I have seen they just print the image as shot from the camera whereas I do a little bit of PP on every order placed, usually just levels, curves, USM etc but sometimes a horizon needs to be straightened slightly. The amount of pictures I have seen that could benefit from this is astounding and it doesn't take much time, I realise the riders who buy the shots are not necessarily interested in the finer photographic details but they CAN tell the difference between an okay shot and one that has been properly finished, and let's be honest, it only takes a couple of minutes. I also have them professionaly printed by Photobox on gloss paper and that also makes a difference. I'd rather build my reputation on quality rather than quantity.

This approach does work as the show I attended last night was the direct result of an image I sold to one of the organisers a few weeks back (at my first proper event) and from that one image and her recommendation I have been booked for five other events. Funnily enough the image I sold her was not a 'stockie' but similar to above, and whilst the more convential shots probably sell better it doesn't cost any more to throw in a few like the above.

Rant over. :D
 
Hacker said:
Thanks for that. This is one thing that really annoys me about the majority of event photographs that I have come across.
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Nice shots mate, might pinch an idea or two from that ;)

I know what you mean about people just printing right from the camera. I saw a couple lately where the horse and rider were a dot in the middle of the frame and they paid £9 for a 7X5. :shake:
 
dod said:
I know what you mean about people just printing right from the camera. I saw a couple lately where the horse and rider were a dot in the middle of the frame and they paid £9 for a 7X5. :shake:
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Exactly, it's bloody outrageous! (you've set me off again :nono: )

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in.......
 
I think you'll do quite well on the close up's, I took one without thinking too much about it last year of a horses head and used it for display. The number of people coming up asking if I could do one ot their horse was encouraging.
 
I've just given the photos I took of my gf's instructor to her and she was gobsmacked (here). Not that I'm saying they were particularly brilliant but she showed me some of the ones she previously bought from a so called 'pro' and they were shocking. Bad angles, cars in the background, horse jumping out of the shot, dull, grey and blurred.

She's suggested that some of her clients would be very interested in my taking some photos of them but if I'm honest I don't want to make a habit of it esp. not of the pony club (kids grrr!). However, I don't mind turning up to an event and targeting a few riders that she knows. If I get some good shots then they can have the photos.

So what do you guys charge say for a 12x8?
 
Some good shots there Sammy, I must have missed these when I was on holiday. I charge £15.95 for a 12x8 which appears to be a couple of quid cheaper than some others charge.
 
How much does it cost you to get them printed?

I paid £0.82 for each print plus £1.90 for the delivery for mine. I've not been able to find cheaper and the quality is as good as Photobox. The only problem I've found is that they only do gloss but most people are happy with that I guess.
 
SammyC said:
How much does it cost you to get them printed?

I paid £0.82 for each print plus £1.90 for the delivery for mine. I've not been able to find cheaper and the quality is as good as Photobox. The only problem I've found is that they only do gloss but most people are happy with that I guess.
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That's cheap! Where are getting them done? I try and lump my orders together so I only pay one lot of postage (£1.50) and 10x7 prints are £1.50 for five or more which drops to 99p for 20 or more. The service I've received from Photobox is outstanding, usually in my hand within 24 hours of ordering and all good quality.
 
It's a online print shop called Pixum. They're based in Germany so the prints take 2-3 days to arrive.

I've used them a lot and never had any problems and always been happy with the result. The only issue I ever had is that they only print on glossy paper.

Try them, see what you think.
 
Interesting thread here guys. (y)

Visited the pixum sites and I like the jig-saw idea!
 
Heh heh! Just sold a 15x10 of the black and white horse shown above.

 
Good stuff Colin!
 
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