Horses C&C

CowgirlMama · Aug 30, 2012

I went out to take pictures of a friend's horses tonight (I'm free to go any time I want, just for fun) and got to experiment with shooting inside an old barn that they now have access to. I hadn't planned for the barn, expecting them to be in the pasture, so I didn't have the world's best lens for the setting, but here's what I got. I'd love pointers for what I can do better/differently the next time I go out, besides bringing a wider angle lens. The horses are loose, so, unless I bring someone out with me, they pretty much go where they want, but follow me well and at least one will "stand" on command (stay wherever he is).

1. Lucky

2. Romeo

3. Misty

WesternGuy · Aug 31, 2012

These are nice portraits, just watch the cropping, as in #2, you cropped off the top part of his/her mane.

WesternGuy

CowgirlMama · Aug 31, 2012

I was really disappointed about losing his mane.

I wish I'd had a wider angle lens with me, but I'd been planning on outdoor shooting. I might get out again tomorrow to try again.

Overread · Aug 31, 2012

Just be careful with a wider angle lens - it depends how "wide" you go and how close you have to work to the horses, but wide angle can result in distortion of the subject, where closer parts get enlarged over those further away. This is a problem for any subject, but animals as big as horses can make it worse because of their size and because they have a lot of depth to their key areas (especially their faces). I've always read that you want at least 50mm or longer (regardless of if you're shooting crop sensor or fullframe) for horses and other big subjects (and indeed even shooting people you want telephoto as opposed to wide angle - again 50mm or longer).

That said on these portraits the last is the by far the strongest in my eyes. Posture of the horse (ears forward) is good, lighting is good, composition feels good as well for the portrait. The other two do suffer some and I can see that you were a bit pressed for working space as you've pushed the boarder of the photo closer to the horse and ended up clipping some parts.

If I get picky - in the 3rd photo I would consider clone/heal too correcting the small grass stem that is blurred and starting from the bottom of the horses lip. Background lines (the blurred fence) are also more appeasing if they are straight in the frame as opposed to slanted.

CowgirlMama · Aug 31, 2012

All these were taken at 55mm. The barn is small. If I could stand in a stall and not get cornered there, it would be easier. Is there anything I can do to improve the light, besides flash? One is a baby and another is a rescue, so I'm a bit leery of flashing lights at them. I've learned what time of day to shoot them for best outdoor results, but time doesn't really affect the barn, except for which end has sun coming into it. I can see what I can do about straightening the fences. It's an odd spot. The fences are actually uneven.

PhotoWrangler · Aug 31, 2012

I don't mind the cropping in 2, as it shifts the focus to the very curious eyes of the horse.

Overread · Aug 31, 2012

Flash can work with horses and indeed any animal - but its always going to be a big question as to if they'll react well or badly to it until you try. Remember many horses today are far more used to flash than in the past (heck many are having phone and point and shoot photos taken of them, with flash, moments after they are born).
It also helps to have an experienced assistant/trainer with you when doing this - someone the horse knows well to help control and also gauge their mood.

That said always approach it with caution - if you've a separate flash system use it without the camera - any bad association that the horse might have will then be centred on the flash setup not the camera (so you can then easily just take the flash away and use the camera alone). The other tip is if you setup any extensive flash setup (eg softboxes etc...) then you have to bring the horse to the lighting gear (and there endeth my horse understandings).

Otherwise learning to work with the good light that you have works wonders - the shots you have here show that well. Flash is a great support for extending those shooting times of course.

CowgirlMama · Aug 31, 2012

I don't own these horses, but I know them as well as their owner.

She works a totally opposite schedule to me, so working together for a shot isn't an option at this point. Maybe over a holiday. (I'm day, she's afternoon, into the night.) I would probably start with really basic flash set up with these guys. That gorgeous boy in #2 is a rescue. He's sweet, but I've never seen a horse jump like he and the other rescues do. One took months to decide that the sound of my shutter wasn't a monster.

My hope is to catch one of them in the near future and do some shots with someone holding onto her. I may even hand the camera off to my mom for a bit so I can pose with her.

I'd honestly like to do that with all of them, but it requires a LOT more planning than just me going out. Coordinating schedules is a pain!

Unless the weather turns on me, I should be out there tomorrow evening, so I can post new stuff then. I'll also try to get Misty edited with the fence straightened and the grass fixed. That one was cropped a bit, so I should be able to. Off to do homework for now.