Take a Horse to College



My three daughters have been training and caring for their own horses since they were seven or eight years old. Horses are a large part of their lives and of mine.

My three daughters have been training and caring for their own horses since they were seven or eight years old. Horses are a large part of their lives and of mine.

We currently have five horses on our ranch (two are boarders) and my girls regularly take part in dressage (horse training) competitions.  We have a show ring and a standard arena on the property and a trainer who comes to teach classes to both our girls and their friends.

Pretty girls and pretty horses…naturally we take a lot of photographs, both candid and formal.  The girls are also active in 4H and maintain care and training books for their projects, which calls for even more photos.

I am (by default) the official horse photographer, and by simple trial and error over the years I’ve come up with some tips for taking the most successful horse photographs:

  • Photograph your horse an hour or so after sunrise or before sunset, when the light soft and angled.  This is especially important if you are photographing a dark colored horse.
  • Alternatively, pick an overclouded or hazy day. Bright sunlight or a strong overhead sun distorts the shape and color of the horse and creates deep shadows where you want to show details of legs, mane, tail, and markings.
  • When photographing a horse in motion set your camera on a fast or ‘sport’ setting and take bursts of shots. This will give you a wide choice of action shots to choose from for your final horse portrait.
  • Photograph your horse against a simple background and fill the frame with the horse.
  • Adding a person, a dog, a fence ,or a tree to your shot adds interest and also gives a frame of reference to judge the size of your horse.

Another good idea is to use your best digital photo of your favorite horse and have it made into a watercolor or oil painting by Paint Your Life, the premier online photo-to-painting gallery site.

My eldest daughter is going off to college in the fall and will be taking a watercolor of her beloved horse with her to hang on her dorm wall.

Jack

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