"Potentially good advice written poorly in the hopes it's useful to someone."
I don't think I have once ever posted genuine photography advice and I think it's because I don't feel i'm in a position to do so. That only comes from a comparative point of view though. Comparatively I have far less experience than a lot of other photographers but then if I take that same opinion and flip it slightly, I have a lot more than others. So I thought "why not?" and here I am biting the bullet and sharing what knowledge I have.
Had you not already guessed from the title, this post is all focused on horses so if you're here for portraits or fashion then i'm sorry to disappoint. Perhaps i'll write about something more specific to those two areas another time.
So if you're ready to join Lotte's class of 2012 then you'll want to keep reading because all the useful parts of this blog will start at the end of this sentence. Or this sentence. Maybe it will never start because i'll just keep writing in more sentences. If I were you i'd just stop reading the rest of this paragraph and start reading the good stuff. Seriously if you've not skipped this bit I question your value of time.
Had you not already guessed from the title, this post is all focused on horses so if you're here for portraits or fashion then i'm sorry to disappoint. Perhaps i'll write about something more specific to those two areas another time.
So if you're ready to join Lotte's class of 2012 then you'll want to keep reading because all the useful parts of this blog will start at the end of this sentence. Or this sentence. Maybe it will never start because i'll just keep writing in more sentences. If I were you i'd just stop reading the rest of this paragraph and start reading the good stuff. Seriously if you've not skipped this bit I question your value of time.
This is a tip for when you have multiple subjects to photograph and need to know where they all are in relation to you at any one time.
This is useful not only to avoid a surprise trampeling (big and stompy they may be but you'd be surprised how easily they can sneak up on you) but you also have a far greater awareness of other potential shots whilst you're still focused on one subject. Say you are sat waiting for a horse grazing to put their head up and out the corner of your eye that's not looking through the viewfinder, you see two other horses having a bit of a scrap. You can instantly turn your lens away from the one horse to capture the action.
If you had your eye closed you wouldn't have even known the action happened and missed a great photo opportunity.
Shutter speed
In general, you'll be wanting a fast shutter speed because horses are speedy little buggers and most of the time you are likely to be wanting a nice, clean, sharp shot. In this case keep this as your main priority and balance your aperture and ISO around it, when I first started out I was given a tip to shoot in shutter priority and although this is fundamently good advice, I very rarely do. Mostly because things go in one ear and out the other when i'm given information but also I just like having absolute full control over my settings so I still shoot Manual. So here's my being a hypocrite and saying it IS a good idea to shoot in shutter priority mode if you're not all that familiar/practiced with all your camera settings. What will happen is you adjust your shutter speed and the camera will automatically alter the aperture for you thus balancing the exposure.
In general, you'll be wanting a fast shutter speed because horses are speedy little buggers and most of the time you are likely to be wanting a nice, clean, sharp shot. In this case keep this as your main priority and balance your aperture and ISO around it, when I first started out I was given a tip to shoot in shutter priority and although this is fundamently good advice, I very rarely do. Mostly because things go in one ear and out the other when i'm given information but also I just like having absolute full control over my settings so I still shoot Manual. So here's my being a hypocrite and saying it IS a good idea to shoot in shutter priority mode if you're not all that familiar/practiced with all your camera settings. What will happen is you adjust your shutter speed and the camera will automatically alter the aperture for you thus balancing the exposure.
Rhythm
Learn the rhythm to their movements and sychronise yourself with it. This is something that may be easier for photographers who actually ride themselves as it's almost second nature.
If you're aiming for an action shot of trotting or cantering, note the point at which the action is most flattering and keep your clicking in time with it. As an example, in trot it tends to be the point at which all four legs are fully extended, though it really depends on the photo's purpose. You could argue it's pointless to do this as you could just use the continuous shooting setting on your camera but if your camera can only take a small number of frames per second then there's still every chance you'll miss the crucial moment.
To help those who are not used to doing this then here's something to help.
If you listen to hooves hitting the ground you'll be able to hear a beat and count it in your head. Walk has a basic 4 beat rhythm, trot has 2 and canter is 3. There are slight variables depending on the horse as these movements can be faster or slower so taking time to get the count in your head before you start shooting can help. A 12hh pony has a much smaller stride than an 18hh shire horse so the 'tempo' will be a lot quicker.
Patience
A valuable commodity with equine photography. This is not something I am good with in everyday life but I take on a super patient alter ego when i've got a camera in my hands.
To help those who are not used to doing this then here's something to help.
If you listen to hooves hitting the ground you'll be able to hear a beat and count it in your head. Walk has a basic 4 beat rhythm, trot has 2 and canter is 3. There are slight variables depending on the horse as these movements can be faster or slower so taking time to get the count in your head before you start shooting can help. A 12hh pony has a much smaller stride than an 18hh shire horse so the 'tempo' will be a lot quicker.
Patience
A valuable commodity with equine photography. This is not something I am good with in everyday life but I take on a super patient alter ego when i've got a camera in my hands.
Horses are predictably unpredictable and by this I mean although you can't know exactly what they're going to do and when they're going to do it, there is a pattern to their behaviour which you should try and pay close attention to whenever you can.
This is applicable to even the smallest movement. For example, whilst once watching the very cute grey pony, Mr Ben, grazing one afternoon I noticed that every so often he pulled at the grass hard enough that it flicked his forelock forwards and created a nice shape to his neck. He'd done it a few times and I wanted a shot of it but I had no idea when it was next going to happen, I just knew it was. So anticipate and be prepared for them to display the characteristics you're looking for.
Inevitably though, you will always miss a shot, the action will stop by the time you get your camera, you'll spend ten minutes waiting on a horse doing nothing and they will seemingly be doing it all just to piss you off. Remember, patience. You can't torment yourself over all the shots you never got, there will always be another chance even though it will never be that exact moment.
Get to know your subject
Get to know your subject
Just like people on a shoot, horses have limits with what they're comfortable to do. Some don't even like the camera equipment if they're particularly flighty. It helps to let the horse familiarise themselves with you and your gear so that by the time you start shooting they are relaxed to be around you.
It also sets a boundary for how much you ask of them with the photos. With some horses I am able to drape material over their head and they don't bat an eyelid whilst others are spooked if chiffon comes anywhere near them. Knowing the horses personality will help a shoot to run smoothly if you have a clear understanding of what they like, dislike and ideas that are a step too far.
I never push a horse into a situation where it is uncomfortable or ask of it something it is not willing to do. The owner is your most useful tool to achieving a shot as they know the subject better than anyone else.
Shoot up close and personal
When you're shooting at a show this can be difficult because unless you're the official event photographer or have permission to go in the ring to take photos you're stuck on the sidelines, in which case make sure your lens has a cracking focal length!
However with a horse at liberty make sure you have enough confidence to move around, get close to your subject and to play with the composition. Only having one direction of movement up and down a fence very rarely warrants any good photos.
For a number of years after my leg had healed this is where I found myself. I was completely paranoid that the slightest thing would re-break my leg and I remember laughing at the fact that I was an equine photographer who was scared of horses. The trouble with this is that when you're limited by your own fear of something your photography will suffer because your work can only evolve to the limits you've given it.
This is probably the most niche problem for anyone reading this, but if you do find yourself in a similar situation, what helped me was some down time around horses I trusted and pushing my comfort zone out a little further everytime.
I never push a horse into a situation where it is uncomfortable or ask of it something it is not willing to do. The owner is your most useful tool to achieving a shot as they know the subject better than anyone else.
Shoot up close and personal
When you're shooting at a show this can be difficult because unless you're the official event photographer or have permission to go in the ring to take photos you're stuck on the sidelines, in which case make sure your lens has a cracking focal length!
However with a horse at liberty make sure you have enough confidence to move around, get close to your subject and to play with the composition. Only having one direction of movement up and down a fence very rarely warrants any good photos.
For a number of years after my leg had healed this is where I found myself. I was completely paranoid that the slightest thing would re-break my leg and I remember laughing at the fact that I was an equine photographer who was scared of horses. The trouble with this is that when you're limited by your own fear of something your photography will suffer because your work can only evolve to the limits you've given it.
This is probably the most niche problem for anyone reading this, but if you do find yourself in a similar situation, what helped me was some down time around horses I trusted and pushing my comfort zone out a little further everytime.
Expression
I must have made comments on this to people hundreds of times and there is nothing that turns me off another photographers work more than seeing shot after shot of a horse with its ears forward. It would be similar to me scrolling through the gallery of a portrait photographer and seeing a diverse range of subjects all with the exact same expression.
I'm not saying that their work isn't good in its own right, potentially beautiful, but personally I just find it shallow. Horses have more than one expression and I think once you let go of the traditional "ears forward" thinking you'll find a wealth of new potential in your own vision and how to approach a subject. My favourite equine photographer is Wojtek Kwiatkowski because his photos have depth and successfully bring about a three dimensional personality to his subjects. I look at his work and it FEELS of something and that's what I want to encourage other people to seek when they shoot.
You are in a very cool position to get your head and heart in the moment and capture what unfolds in front of you. You can't instruct a horse to be in a certain mood so start to see the potential in all of their expressions and shoot in the moment.
I've tried to keep this on track but fear I may have veered off topic a little there. Either way I hope my attempt at being a useful source of information serves some purpose and if there's anything I haven't covered in here that you want some help on then drop me a line and I may feature another rubbish guide to good photography.
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