Learning to Photograph Horses Beautifully

Photograph Horses  – Horses are considered some of the most beautiful and graceful animals in the world. These magnificent animals are often the subjects of photo shoots.

Photographers often try to take the same approach here as when photographing pets, but this is completely wrong.

Many people specifically come to the racetrack to do a photo shoot with a horse, so sooner or later you will have to deal with such work.

By the way, such photo shoots are often posted on social media, such as Facebook, so you may be subjected to additional processing.

You can prepare for such situations in advance and see how to resize the FB cover photo on Skylum’s blog page.

This knowledge will help you in your future work.

In the following material, we have selected for you the most valuable and effective tips to make your horse photo shoots (with or without people) very easy and stress-free.

If you put these tips into practice, it will be much easier to get a good shot the first time.

Pay attention to comfort and safety

One of the most important factors becomes safety. This is important not only for the animal but also for the model and the photographer. Take care to observe the following rules:

• Do not disregard the trainer’s advice, listen to his opinion, and do not overstep the established boundaries. Even the kindest and calmest horse in a stressful situation can hurt a person.
• Be attentive to exactly how the horse reacts to your behavior. Even the nicest shot is not worth a frustrated or frightened animal. Prioritize the well-being of all subjects in the photo shoot.
• Spend some time with the horse before you photograph it. A great solution is to arrive a little early and try to build rapport with the horse, give him some treats and take a couple of test shots to see how he reacts.

If you feel that you have caused the horse to become restless, then switch to a telephoto lens.

These are very intuitive animals that sense humans. Don’t be nervous, aggressive, or shouty, always control your own emotions.

Keep the situation under control so that the horse feels your confidence and does not worry.

When the model is involved

It is very difficult when the model is afraid of the horse. Try to reassure her and show her that it is safe to interact with these animals.

If the shot is a little off, you can always correct the situation with a photo editor.

Be prepared that you might be asked to edit a photo for a Facebook cover or a profile image.

Equipment recommendations

You should only bring equipment that matches the proportions of your subject. If you are photographing just one or a couple of horses, avoid lenses with big distortions.

You need to show the beauty and aesthetics of this graceful animal. It is best not to take a wide angle or artistic lens, only in some cases where it is really necessary.

The best option would be a lens that allows you to get an image as close to the natural human view.

This way the picture will be as natural as possible for the viewer. A great focal length for a photo shoot with horses is 50 mm.

The wide-open aperture is great for taking photos with a shallow depth of field and low light.

A telephoto lens is useful when you need to sit farther away and watch the horse catch a good shot.

Be sure to bring a special filter for your lens or cloth, because it can get pretty dusty at racetracks and stables. That way you can protect your equipment.

A bit about photo modes

You can try switching the camera to continuous shooting mode when the horse is in motion. This is a good way to catch a very good shot.

The continuous focus will also be useful. You’ll maintain proportions much better and show the correct aesthetic perspective if you photograph at the animal’s eye level.

When photographing a horse and rider in motion, use panning. Leave more negative space. If you frame the photo so that there is little negative space, the image will appear constricted.

Use less flash

Try to use more natural light and be extra careful with the flash. Remember that you can get the most gorgeous shots in the morning or right at sunrise.

Horses that have competed before may not be afraid of flash. However, the character of the animals is often unpredictable.

If you want to add more realistic lighting, try using a photo editor.

Excellent suit Luminar Neo, as it contains special tools that analyze the image and create three-dimensional light. In the same editor, you can resize a photo for a Facebook profile.

Show attention to detail and get the background right

If you want to add more creativity to your photo shoot, then focus on the details. Depicting a horse’s beautiful deep eyes or just a bridle looks unique and allows the viewer to perceive the picture in a completely different way.

Never forget the background. If it blends too much with the subject, the photo will look rather flat, even after professional processing.

The right contrast between the foreground and background creates a lot of interest.

If you are limited in space and have to use only the stable, then try blurring the background with a wide-open aperture.

Another good recommendation is to try to capture the moment of intimacy between rider and horse.

People often pet and soothe the horse after a ride, take a picture of that.

If you are working with a model, allow her to find contact with the horse and just take pictures without interfering with their communication.

That way you’ll get great portrait images that are great for uploading to social media.

If you want to learn how to resize FB cover photos perfectly, we recommend additionally reading the article from Skylum.

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