Wish to get some photographic masterpieces of your pony, your pride? You may achieve it with a mix of perspective and a quick eye. Of course, you want your pony to be picture perfect, so you begin early by grooming him a lot and spraying him a bit until you can virtually see your face reflected on his skin. Last year, you had got him this fancy halter with his name on it; you take out and shine it real glossy and put it on him. You lead him out of the barn into the bright daylight, and you smirk over the simple fact he appears to be a million greenbacks. It's time to start clicking the shutter release. But that is when things begin to go bad.
Your foal won't keep still. He is uncomfortable with the fancy halter, which is on him for just the second time. He's getting bugged by a fly that just won't depart. He would like to have a go at the green grass he sees out on the pasture. He does everything but cooperating with you by posing for you. You keep brushing his mane and positioning his feet and his head and his tail, but he swears on moving everything just as you are about to click. In sheer desperation, you start clicking, hoping that chance will get you the kind of photos preparation does not. But even as you push the shutter release everytime, you know the photograph was no good. Somehow, every time he strikes up a good pose, you're a microsecond too late to capture it.
Here is some sound guidance for you.
You currently have 2 options: you can hand over to a professional snapper and see whether he does any better with your restive horse. Or you can change your whole approach.
You will do better if you simply give up any expectancies that your horse is going to pose for you. He doesn't know anything about posing and photography and he isn't going to learn. Actually, you don't need him to pose. You need to wake up to the incontrovertible fact that some of the most stunning pictures ever shot were candid shots, taken when the topic wasn't even conscious of it. Just make absolutely sure your angles are the best for your pony. If you have got a pony of lesser height, try pictures from low down, with the camera angled upward. Refrain from taking footage of your horse looking straight into the camera from close quarters right in front. Mug shots of your pony are seldom, if ever, going to look great. Try to keep your pony concentrated on some prop, something that he finds interesting. You can get him to shift angles by shifting the placement of the prop.
Take tons of photos. You must act on the assumption that just one shot in each 2 or 3 dozen will be a pippin. The rest might rather well make you ponder whether your pony is actually that ugly.
After you have had a belly-full of the barn side photos, remove your horse's halter and take him out to the field. Let him go free and get that camera clicking. You can count yourself fortunate if your pony starts to run. If not, make him run if you can. Keep the camera clicking. Try to get your hose to come snorting down to you with nostrils flaring and veins all pumped up. Keep that camera clicking. Keep it clicking even if your horse gets knackered and settles down to some grazing. When he does that, take close up snaps from low down, as low as it's possible to get and still manipulate the camera. Go further away, use the zoom and wide angles consistently. If you have trained your pony to respond to various commands, try them all out on him. You will get some great surprises. I recall once asking a pony owner chum about a photo of one of his horses that was a stunner: it had caught the horse from a great angle. The horse was close up, looking with bemused mystification at the camera. My friend said to me that he had just asked his pony to dance and that was why the horse wore such an expression. It probably had the transitory thought that its owner was nuts.
The pony knew zilch about dancing, but the picture that resulted was precious.
I also recollect one more great photograph taken by a woman astride her horse. The shot had captured the horse with its head turned back and up, its ear pricked and a frown on its face, like it was camera shy. Another notable photograph showed a horse without halter, with bowed head and neck. The pony was intently watching someone picking out its hooves. It was like the pony was awfully concerned about the standard of care he was getting.
Think natural, and think spontaneous. Then you'll get just the snaps you would like.
Your foal won't keep still. He is uncomfortable with the fancy halter, which is on him for just the second time. He's getting bugged by a fly that just won't depart. He would like to have a go at the green grass he sees out on the pasture. He does everything but cooperating with you by posing for you. You keep brushing his mane and positioning his feet and his head and his tail, but he swears on moving everything just as you are about to click. In sheer desperation, you start clicking, hoping that chance will get you the kind of photos preparation does not. But even as you push the shutter release everytime, you know the photograph was no good. Somehow, every time he strikes up a good pose, you're a microsecond too late to capture it.
Here is some sound guidance for you.
You currently have 2 options: you can hand over to a professional snapper and see whether he does any better with your restive horse. Or you can change your whole approach.
You will do better if you simply give up any expectancies that your horse is going to pose for you. He doesn't know anything about posing and photography and he isn't going to learn. Actually, you don't need him to pose. You need to wake up to the incontrovertible fact that some of the most stunning pictures ever shot were candid shots, taken when the topic wasn't even conscious of it. Just make absolutely sure your angles are the best for your pony. If you have got a pony of lesser height, try pictures from low down, with the camera angled upward. Refrain from taking footage of your horse looking straight into the camera from close quarters right in front. Mug shots of your pony are seldom, if ever, going to look great. Try to keep your pony concentrated on some prop, something that he finds interesting. You can get him to shift angles by shifting the placement of the prop.
Take tons of photos. You must act on the assumption that just one shot in each 2 or 3 dozen will be a pippin. The rest might rather well make you ponder whether your pony is actually that ugly.
After you have had a belly-full of the barn side photos, remove your horse's halter and take him out to the field. Let him go free and get that camera clicking. You can count yourself fortunate if your pony starts to run. If not, make him run if you can. Keep the camera clicking. Try to get your hose to come snorting down to you with nostrils flaring and veins all pumped up. Keep that camera clicking. Keep it clicking even if your horse gets knackered and settles down to some grazing. When he does that, take close up snaps from low down, as low as it's possible to get and still manipulate the camera. Go further away, use the zoom and wide angles consistently. If you have trained your pony to respond to various commands, try them all out on him. You will get some great surprises. I recall once asking a pony owner chum about a photo of one of his horses that was a stunner: it had caught the horse from a great angle. The horse was close up, looking with bemused mystification at the camera. My friend said to me that he had just asked his pony to dance and that was why the horse wore such an expression. It probably had the transitory thought that its owner was nuts.
The pony knew zilch about dancing, but the picture that resulted was precious.
I also recollect one more great photograph taken by a woman astride her horse. The shot had captured the horse with its head turned back and up, its ear pricked and a frown on its face, like it was camera shy. Another notable photograph showed a horse without halter, with bowed head and neck. The pony was intently watching someone picking out its hooves. It was like the pony was awfully concerned about the standard of care he was getting.
Think natural, and think spontaneous. Then you'll get just the snaps you would like.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her
extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about horse fence
extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about horse fence
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