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Photographing Horses
- Thread starter Weggy
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M
Marik
Guest
Fast shutters on the jumping bit, use a long lens, tripod if needed. I assume?
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- Renee
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No tripod as you need to be able to move. But a monopod is helpful with a heavy lens. Take a look at my first try as Colin gives some excelent advice and you get to see what not to do!
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=11576
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=11576
dod
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http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=19221
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=18707
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=18617
If you're doing portraits you might actually find it more frustrating than you'd imagine.
Owners like to see the horse with both ears pointing forwards. Take something which you can use to attract the horses attention, rustling a plastic bag usually works pretty well.
The best angles are probably 45 and 90 to the horse for static shots. Try a couple of tighter crops on the head, eyes as well, sometimes they work sometimes they dont.
here's a selection of stuff I've done recently which actually sold
http://www.enduropics.com/keith/index.html
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=18707
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=18617
If you're doing portraits you might actually find it more frustrating than you'd imagine.
Owners like to see the horse with both ears pointing forwards. Take something which you can use to attract the horses attention, rustling a plastic bag usually works pretty well.
The best angles are probably 45 and 90 to the horse for static shots. Try a couple of tighter crops on the head, eyes as well, sometimes they work sometimes they dont.
here's a selection of stuff I've done recently which actually sold
http://www.enduropics.com/keith/index.html
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I can also recommend bringing some carrots along as the sound of a carrot breaking is great. When I used to just have horses not into the whole photog thing I always had an "ear" person. A third person whose sole job was to get the horses ears up. You might recommend that to the owner!
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I'd be careful with the plastic bag bit - some of the horses at my local stables (oncluding my g/f's horse) will stop dead or even skit away at the sight or sound of plastic bags - can be a bit dangerous in a crowded stable.
Check with the owner what they do to attract the horse's attention - as above carrots & polo mints are usually a good bet, but be aware they will nuzzle for more!
Edit - just noticed you going on Sat morning, stable yards can get very busy on Weekend mornings, (as well as any available menage/jumping arena), there will be probably be a lot of vehicle traffic as well... take care!
Check with the owner what they do to attract the horse's attention - as above carrots & polo mints are usually a good bet, but be aware they will nuzzle for more!
Edit - just noticed you going on Sat morning, stable yards can get very busy on Weekend mornings, (as well as any available menage/jumping arena), there will be probably be a lot of vehicle traffic as well... take care!
dod
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Fair point, I just picked that tip up after one of the early ones I did where the horse wouldn't have moved if you'd exploded a bomb under it.
- much appreciated 
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The colour of Sainsbury's bags
Seems a little more pleasing to the Tesco's bags
espcially if they are full of carrots
The first set of pictures of mine that were "linked" were taken with a 70-300mm IS usm lens
The second 100mm prime usm (non IS) both "Canon"
Varoius S/speeds but 1/ 250 seemed to work?
Seems a little more pleasing to the Tesco's bags
espcially if they are full of carrots
The first set of pictures of mine that were "linked" were taken with a 70-300mm IS usm lens
The second 100mm prime usm (non IS) both "Canon"
Varoius S/speeds but 1/ 250 seemed to work?
The colour of Sainsbury's bags
Seems a little more pleasing to the Tesco's bags
espcially if they are full of carrots
The first set of pictures of mine that were "linked" were taken with a 70-300mm IS usm lens
The second 100mm prime usm (non IS) both "Canon"
Varoius S/speeds but 1/ 250 seemed to work?
Any opinions on Waitrose bags?
I don't have a decent lens as yet, but am about to get a 100-400 from Kerso... Thankfully the horse owner is a friend, so I'll have plenty of opportunity to get down there and practice....
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That was pointed out to me as one of my mistakes, on all 9 the the camera "randomly selects" either the jump or horse ( if you look closely at some of my shots you can see the effect)
I haven't had a chance to use a single point yet but I can see what was meant now!
Hacker
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I can't add much more to what has been said already.
Key points for showjumping:
Try and be at about a 45 degree angle (in front of the jump) to begin with and try and judge when the horse is going to be stretched up with the front feet tucked in, if you take the shot as the horse is about to jump you will find that with reaction time/delay you should get it about right. This is a 'classic' type jumping shot:
Having said all that don't be afraid to try some side on or in profile with either the horse stretched out as in one of the links earlier or actually clearing the jump like this one:
Notice also the exposure nightmare on this shot, light grey horse, dark background and very bright/sunny day. :bang:
If you haven't got a telephoto or zoom lens you can still get good shots, this was taken with the 18-70mm kit lens, just be careful if are close to the jumps as horses can veer off at the last second:
If you haven't done this before try and get the light behind you so you can have a reasonably easier time exposing. also try with the light at 90 degrees to the subject as the shadows will pick out the muscle definition and veins like with this horse;
I don't know what camera you have but use single point or group dynamic for fosusing, don't use all the sensors for the reasons mentioned above and use AF-C (or equivalent) so the focusing tracks the horse. Use as fast a shutter speed as possible for jumping so you can really freeze the action.
I wouldn't entirely agree with Renee's point about focusing on the eye when shooting showjumping. Two reasons for this, with single point it will be difficult to maintain accurate focusing on such a small subject, I tend to concentrate on the area near the bottom of the neck just in front of the shoulder and saddle. The other reason is that is you are shooting on quite a wide aperture (and you may well be to get a fast shutter speed) your depth of field will begin at the eye, whereas if you focus on where I do the chances are that you will have the horses head and rider in focus.
If you are doing some portraits keep an eye out for the more unusal shots. This is one of my wifes favourite shots, if you want one similar stick a wide angle on and stand just out of reach of the horse, you'd be surprised how many stretch out like this to try and reach you.
I can feel a tutorial coming on....
Key points for showjumping:
Try and be at about a 45 degree angle (in front of the jump) to begin with and try and judge when the horse is going to be stretched up with the front feet tucked in, if you take the shot as the horse is about to jump you will find that with reaction time/delay you should get it about right. This is a 'classic' type jumping shot:
Having said all that don't be afraid to try some side on or in profile with either the horse stretched out as in one of the links earlier or actually clearing the jump like this one:
Notice also the exposure nightmare on this shot, light grey horse, dark background and very bright/sunny day. :bang:
If you haven't got a telephoto or zoom lens you can still get good shots, this was taken with the 18-70mm kit lens, just be careful if are close to the jumps as horses can veer off at the last second:
If you haven't done this before try and get the light behind you so you can have a reasonably easier time exposing. also try with the light at 90 degrees to the subject as the shadows will pick out the muscle definition and veins like with this horse;
I don't know what camera you have but use single point or group dynamic for fosusing, don't use all the sensors for the reasons mentioned above and use AF-C (or equivalent) so the focusing tracks the horse. Use as fast a shutter speed as possible for jumping so you can really freeze the action.
I wouldn't entirely agree with Renee's point about focusing on the eye when shooting showjumping. Two reasons for this, with single point it will be difficult to maintain accurate focusing on such a small subject, I tend to concentrate on the area near the bottom of the neck just in front of the shoulder and saddle. The other reason is that is you are shooting on quite a wide aperture (and you may well be to get a fast shutter speed) your depth of field will begin at the eye, whereas if you focus on where I do the chances are that you will have the horses head and rider in focus.
If you are doing some portraits keep an eye out for the more unusal shots. This is one of my wifes favourite shots, if you want one similar stick a wide angle on and stand just out of reach of the horse, you'd be surprised how many stretch out like this to try and reach you.
I can feel a tutorial coming on....