# Horse Photos - shoot critique



## Overread (Mar 7, 2015)

I shall assume silence means I've reached perfection that has left people dumbstruck 


That or the opposite end of the scale with a similar response ;P


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## KLJcowgirl (Oct 13, 2015)

I am absolutely NO professional photographer, and have no knowledge about what should be done. I will say that if I had asked you to take pictures during a horse show that I would LOVE to get pictures like this back. The timing looks real nice, except for the eyes closed in the first one :wink: but the horse looks great in that one! My absolute favorite is that last one, they look primed and ready for their next move.
But like I said, not really much pro advice. I would like pictures of me and my horse like that. (Sorry to break the dumbstruck silence!:eek_color


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## Overread (Mar 7, 2015)

My thanks KJL^^

And no worries, I don't know that much either still muddling my way through learning; but hearing viewpoints of different people all the time really helps. And yes eyes closed is a bit of a pain; sadly whilst horses pose naturally and wonderfully, they have yet to train their riders in this fine art.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

they are good. great focus in a mod deep depth of field. I like the view that almost feels like you are looking up at the horse and rider. best is this one, I think. the only improvement could be the rider looking up.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Nuts, went and lost my original post.

They're good strong photos, Overread. 

My thought is that a lot of what people like with photo content is very subjective so there's going to be no right answer when it comes to capturing live action. Therefore, if you were thinking of selling show photos you may wish to include profile/side shots along with the head on ones to cover your bases. 

I like the last one with the rider's head turned the best, btw -- although I find the sign at the base of the wall a distraction (and you'd be hard pressed to do anything about that other than to photoshop it out which I think takes away from an honest pic).


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

They are really good overread. At those angles it can easily go pear-shaped with the front end looking disproportionately large.
-The first one would be perfect if the rider had been looking up, but these things happen.
-The second one great angle to see both horse and rider but the sponsor signs distract from the focal point.
-The third one would be great if the horses mane wasn't in the riders face (so if you could have been slightly to the left, or the horse jumped at bit of an angle, or the horses mane was plaited) it would be perfect. The horse and riders heads are both above the level of the sponsor signs making them less invasive in the photo.
-The fourth one is great, the sign is a slight distraction but its not near horse or riders faces


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## elle1959 (Sep 7, 2015)

I really like them. I am interested in this thread because I'll possibly be doing some photos for a horse rescue group's website and want to learn more about how best to photograph horses. These action shots are wonderful and far more than I'll likely need to do.


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## Tracer (Sep 16, 2012)

I'm blown away by how crisp and clear your shots are considering they look to be indoor O.O

As has been said, there is _technically_ no way the photographs could have been improved, unless you had the ability to go and remove the signs from the background etc.

I have encountered the same problem a few times, and have found that it can help if you add a slight blur to the background of the image. By doing that, you make what remains crisp and clear (the horse and rider) stand out, but I don't know where you stand on post-editing. Some love it, some hate it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

*playing with cropping*

I am just goofing around with cropping


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## KLJcowgirl (Oct 13, 2015)

I didn't even notice the signs! It's funny how we all see different things.


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## Overread (Mar 7, 2015)

A great many thanks all 

Chevaux - I do like good side shots, sadly the only way I can get them at this place I go to is to go up in the balcony which raises me up more than I'd like; but also means I can't get anything but side-on shots. It also varies a lot as to if I can get a clean side-on shot or if there are way too many other jumps in the foreground.

Slidestop - the forum ate your post it seems

ShirtHotTeez - I agree I would have liked to be more left of that jump as the riders were looking out toward the left more so as it was on a corner. Sadly if I were further out on the left about 5 second later I'd have been run down by horse and rider (indeed one or two went a little wide and the barrier was shifted back a tiny bit to give them some more turning room). 

Tracer - aye indoors is a nightmare, but thankfully it was a sunny day so there was plenty (by indoor standards) of light coming in through the skylights. Actually in good (outdoor) light the indoor is easier to deal with through the day as the skylights filter the light out to make it softer (since basically the whole roof is the light sources). Outside it gets a bit more nightmareish if the sun is strong. 

I can certainly mess with editing, though I find that sometimes going in to blur a background in a shot like these takes a fairly hefty amount of time to get done right, especially as the horse is complex with hair and parts all over the place that just take ages to work around. 

tinyliny - aye a might tighter crop; sometimes when I show these I do leave them as-is without too much cropping just to see what people think. Horse and rider and jump is still something I'm sort of working on to really get a good balance for how to compose the 3 elements pleasingly or how to crop them pleasingly. 

KLJcowgirl - yep which is why its so valuable to hear what others think. I can focus on certain aspects, but I know that I might undervalue others or overvalue some. It helps me stop getting into too much of a creative/thinking/method rut to hear varying viewpoints.


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## klstarrs (Dec 8, 2015)

Wha's your purpose? you've taken some brilliant pics but crop and sell at shows? personal portfolio? etc,

eg. if selling to rider/owner the wall one cropped slightly would be a winner but the first close up is brilliant to show your talent as a photographer x

Great pictures though, not easy to get in motion shots that are so sharp!


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## Overread (Mar 7, 2015)

klstarrs - at present no long term goals. If I can get editing under control (read actually edit in a timely fashion). I might throw together something for the odd bit of income = however I'm not totally looking at making it a business. 

So at present mostly growing a portfolio and improving things; pushing beyond just getting a good sharp shot and working toward better compositions and content (timing the shot just right and prediction flows of motion to anticipate the shot). 

I'd also like to do more formal portrait or posed work - something I've really not done much of at all; so if I've got a good showjumping portfolio that might open some doors at the very least.


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

In the second, I am very distracted by the signs and there's just too much going on in general. I don't feel like the horse is the focal point. And it was taken just a smidge too late...the horse is already on the way over and most nice jump shots seem to be when the horse is at the top of the jump (probably not using the right lingo here). 

You have excellent focus in all of them so good job there. Getting a horse and rider into focus head-on isn't easy.

I second whomever said side shots would be better. The front is just not a flattering angle for the horse or the rider. I realize you aren't in full control of that though.

I think plumping up the contrast and color a bit would help a ton here as they are slightly flat. Also a slight vignette (nothing drastic, very subtle) would help your subjects pop in the non-jumping pics. 

Just my opinion. I think they are great photos, but I'm offering CC since you asked.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Do you have the ability to take multiple shots per second? What kind of camera are you using?

Your focus is good. I like them!


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## Overread (Mar 7, 2015)

My thanks Jan and Green

Jan - contrast is something I try to keep conservative; mostly as I find it very easy to take it too far. I agree that some boosting of the contrast can certainly help and that sometimes (esp with a shot like these) selective boosting over the subject only can help it stand out that bit more from the background without having to use a vignette. 

Side-on VS head-on I find that I enjoy shooting head-on more so - its far more challenging and much easier to get a mistake and I certainly get plenty of near misses; but I enjoy it. Side on I do agree is easier so long as the jump is in the clear and certainly can make for some great shots - I think for me the only downside of side-on is that I'd rather the side of the fence nearest to me were not there as it "gets in the way" in my view unless the horse blazes right over high. 


Green - I'm using a Canon 7D so I get a few shots per moment in a small burst; normally around 3 or so. I have sometimes let it go longer for a landing and a few shots after; but in general its a couple over the jump itself. So I get some room to choose from each jump; though of course sometimes the focus isn't quite right in one or something is distracting in another so not always a wealth of choice; but the burst gives me what I need.


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

I’m not a professional, but I love taking photo’s and will photograph anything if it (or I) stand still long enough!! Years ago I used to take photo’s of horses at the races on a poor quality kids camera, so I had dozens of really bad-angled pics that I learnt from (today with digital that would have been hundreds!!)

Boosting of the contrast is a whole new process in itself!! 

It’s great to be able to get good shots from different angles, doing that adds interest. There will always be a lot of near misses because there is a lot of factors outside your control and because they are action shots it happens so fast. So the main thing (IMHO) is that you (I) get good at the composition, lighting, etc and learn to pick a good spot to start with. Things like blinking, hair in face, unexpected movement are out of your control but as photographers we just have to work around it.

I like the shots you have here and there is no blurring which makes it look deceptively easy. And I should stop about here because you know a whole lot more than I do about photography and editing LOL.

:gallop:


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## Rowdyone (Sep 27, 2009)

Nothing to add other than I love the crop shot in post #11. 

Nice work. Thank you for sharing.


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