PHOTOGRAPHING HORSES

I love photographing horses. They are beautiful animals and so graceful. I like the way they respond to the human touch. I prefer to photograph them like I would a person--in their environment, and often just doing what they normally do. Sometimes I photograph only one horse; sometimes a few in the same scene. Whatever approach I take, I want to capture their natural beauty.

I usually use a telephoto focal length to keep my distance. Keeping my distance assures that I capture them doing their thing, so to speak. 

Here are a few examples I'd like to share this month.

I'll start with these beautiful horses surrounded by natural yellows--I believe they're called Goldenrods. The horses were grazing as I photographed them, but I wanted a more personal touch.  I didn't want to spook them. It occurred to me to simply snap my fingers to get their attention. It worked! I was pleasantly surprised. In a split second, they all lifted their heads and turned to look at me. Click.

I saw these other three horses in the dry high plains in Colorado. It's not just the horses, but their context that attracts me. In this case, the desert-like background. They were at the foothills of these mountains. I was actually looking up at them.

One early morning, I saw a herd of horses on a ranch. And then one of them slowly inched away from the rest. I liked the lighting on her, as well as the backdrop. But I needed more. I patiently waited until he flipped her tail. Click! I always have my camera set on fast continuous shooting in case I encounter these situations. As soon as I saw his tail move, I rattled off several quick consecutive images.

Leroy. One of my former students and her husband ran a small ranch in Colorado. I asked her if I could come by and photograph their horses. She and her husband kindly treated me to breakfast before I started shooting--photos, that is. They kindly orchestrated the shots I wanted. This one is of Leroy galloping in one of their wide-open spaces.

My shutter speed was set at 1/320, to capture detail on Leroy. I had my camera on my tripod, but loose so that I could pan my camera as I followed Leroy galloping. Panning is a cool technique because as I pan (or move) my camera to mimic the movement of the horse, the background "moves" in the opposite direction.

It wasn't until I saw the image on my computer screen that I realized Leroy had a chunk of grass in his mouth as he galloped! Too funny. 

And then there is this "Brotherly Love" image. Even horses share emotional gestures.

I also like horses engaged in official competitive horse races. There is an official racetrack, Oaklawn, where I live in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The key photographic components to photographing horses flying fast across the plane of view are exposure and shutter speed. I always take test shots to make sure I have my exposure right. I do this by aiming my camera, more or less, where I am going to aim it during the race. I set my focal length as well. I like to leave myself extra space because I won't know for sure how many horses will be in view as they are running across. At the same time, I make sure I have a fast shutter speed set, anywhere from 1/500 to 1/2500.

With that introduction, let me share a few horses at the races. Betting is allowed. 😁   

                                                                                

This one is after the race, with the beautiful horse, the jockey, and an assistant watering the horse down after the race to cool the animal down after a fast race. 

So, if you like horses like I do, go out and find some--they're out there. And, don't hesitate
to ask the owners permission to stage some shots or simply photograph them doing what they naturally do. Enjoy!