Christmas Gift Picture Help (Horse Pictures) (Frog)

[NFS07]

So this year I am going to be giving pictures to some of the owners at the stables that I talk to and like. There are a few horses and of course I can't take just one picture and I can't pick one by myself. So I'm asking for help. I will break the horses up in a few threads over the next few days as not to flood the forum. You guys vote on which picture you think I should have printed out, get a frame for, and give the owners for Christmas. Thanks in advance for your help. I really do appreciate it. I am also able to get new pictures so if you have tips on what type of picture I should try to take please feel free to let me know.

First up is Frog. Frog is a 9 year old TB, was never raced. The owner has raised him since he was a colt and they have been showing off and on for some time.

 

[NFS07]

Two more pictures. Again. Thank you.

 

[MegF.]

First picture. He's cute in that. Either that or just the head photo. I had someone give me a nice head shot of a horse I used to lease for Christmas. Loved it.

 

[tyflier]

You might want to consider pulling back from the horse, and finding a really nice background. If you have a chance to get the horse out in pasture at early evening, you might be able to get some really excellent lighting with a nice landscape/background to really let the horse's natural beauty shine through. Under the right lighting, even the red barn that is partly visible can be a very fitting background for a horse. Your lighting is gonna make or break it.

If you're gonna do a closeup on the face, try to get the head upright and alert, and looking at the camera with at least one eye, which should be the sharpest point of focus. This will give the viewer a sense of connection with the animal, and make them want to look at it more. Again, lighting can break a shot like this, but early morning or early evening will give you good, low angle light, and really draw out some nice, warm hues in the color of their coats.

Composition can also make or break a photo. When you're looking through your viewfinder(or on the lcd screen), imagine it being divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Where those lines intesect are your strongest points of interest. If you're shooting long, try to gfet the horse positioned where the upper left intersection is. Try to get the horizon(fence) on or close to the top line. And if there is an apple tree you can put on the lower right intersection, you got a County Fair winning photograph...

Don't hesitate to ask if have any questions. I love photography, and enjoy helping others learn to love it, too.

 

[dionythicus]

I chose #2 because you can see more of the horse's body with really nice light on the coat colour. There's also the autumn tree and the barn that add a touch of nice colour. I love the way the forelock is split in #1, it looks so darn sweet, but for overall appearance, I picked #2.

 

[ZoologyGirl]

I picked # 1, 2 and 6. With 1 being my favorite because he looks goofy cute.

 

[NFS07]

You might want to consider pulling back from the horse, and finding a really nice background. If you have a chance to get the horse out in pasture at early evening, you might be able to get some really excellent lighting with a nice landscape/background to really let the horse's natural beauty shine through. Under the right lighting, even the red barn that is partly visible can be a very fitting background for a horse. Your lighting is gonna make or break it.

If you're gonna do a closeup on the face, try to get the head upright and alert, and looking at the camera with at least one eye, which should be the sharpest point of focus. This will give the viewer a sense of connection with the animal, and make them want to look at it more. Again, lighting can break a shot like this, but early morning or early evening will give you good, low angle light, and really draw out some nice, warm hues in the color of their coats.

Composition can also make or break a photo. When you're looking through your viewfinder(or on the lcd screen), imagine it being divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically. Where those lines intesect are your strongest points of interest. If you're shooting long, try to gfet the horse positioned where the upper left intersection is. Try to get the horizon(fence) on or close to the top line. And if there is an apple tree you can put on the lower right intersection, you got a County Fair winning photograph...

Don't hesitate to ask if have any questions. I love photography, and enjoy helping others learn to love it, too.

Thanks for the tips. This was kind of a random idea I got while out taking pictures so I did not do much in way of planning, as you will see by some dirty horses in the next few postings. The area at the horses are at is not very pretty and its on a Marine Base so I am limited to what I can and can not take pictures of without getting the base commander to sign off on it. I can't show any buildings, the red things are turn outs and don't count and I am not allow to show "to much" of the surrounding area. I had a few really nice pictures with the stables in the background but I can't post them for public viewing. I ran into a problem with the base when I was just taking pictures of a lake they have and got a few of the boat house and put it on my facebook... who knew. Not looking for another run in. However I will be out there around sunset time later next week so I can try to get some then but most horses will be inside by that time and I can only take a few horses back outside without asking and thus having to explain what I am doing to the owners.

I will try the three part idea, minus the apple tree because I dont know where to find one if there even is one on base. lol. Which I had thought of this when the trees had just started to change and not look so dead.

Thanks for all the votes!

 

[tyflier]

Thanks for the tips. This was kind of a random idea I got while out taking pictures so I did not do much in way of planning, as you will see by some dirty horses in the next few postings. The area at the horses are at is not very pretty and its on a Marine Base so I am limited to what I can and can not take pictures of without getting the base commander to sign off on it. I can't show any buildings, the red things are turn outs and don't count and I am not allow to show "to much" of the surrounding area. I had a few really nice pictures with the stables in the background but I can't post them for public viewing. I ran into a problem with the base when I was just taking pictures of a lake they have and got a few of the boat house and put it on my facebook... who knew. Not looking for another run in. However I will be out there around sunset time later next week so I can try to get some then but most horses will be inside by that time and I can only take a few horses back outside without asking and thus having to explain what I am doing to the owners.

I will try the three part idea, minus the apple tree because I dont know where to find one if there even is one on base. lol. Which I had thought of this when the trees had just started to change and not look so dead.

Thanks for all the votes!

Closeups. With limitations like that, go for closeups on the face. Doing this you don't have to wait for sunset, you can do them indoors, using either flash or standing shop lights...even available light.

Pay close attention to your backgrounds, still. If you're using flash and a narrow aperture(higher number), your backgrounds will be visible and semi-crisp, so make sure what can be seen you WANT to be seen. You can always open your aperture(smaller number), which will allow more light into the camera and also blur your background, which is a nice look, and elimates *some* of the background clutter issues we all face.

The insides of barns and stables can make excellent photographic subjects, often times. Wood that has been brushed against by humans, horses, and other animals, over time, developes very warm hues and a nice gloss and can add tremendous depth and texture to the overall image. The tools that hang on the walls, benches, even dust and hay particles all create incredible ambience and can add loads of character to your shots. Stablehand feeding an apple wouldn't be a bad shot, either.

If I were you, I would delve deeply into the manual for the camera, and find out how to adjust your aperture and ISO. This way YOU can decide if you want long depth of field or narrow to either bring the background in focus or blur it out, instead of leaving it up to the camera. Than see if you can get permission to go to the stables on your day off and shoot. And just shoot literally hundreds of pictures of all the horses, all the people, all the "goings on" within a day's activities in a barn. Bring as many memory cards as you can, and shoot as many pictures as they will hold. Hopefully you'll get 1 good one of each horse.

If you can put their horses in a photograph that would sell to the general public, you will find some incredibly greatful owners. Plus...it's gonna cost money to get them pruinted, matted and framed, so you might as well make them photographs that anyone would be proud to display over their mantle in the living room. To give you a rough Idea, I pay about $70 to get an 11X16 print matted and framed to 18X20.

Anyhow...my point is that you have fantastic subjects in a potentially fantastic setting. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of skill to get really nice shots. 90% of it is being in the right place at the right time with camera in hand. Just a little bit of technical advice and creativity makes up the rest, and I'm happy to answer any questions, publicly or via PM, to help you out.

P.S.--remember to have fun

 

[NFS07]

Closeups. With limitations like that, go for closeups on the face. Doing this you don't have to wait for sunset, you can do them indoors, using either flash or standing shop lights...even available light.

Pay close attention to your backgrounds, still. If you're using flash and a narrow aperture(higher number), your backgrounds will be visible and semi-crisp, so make sure what can be seen you WANT to be seen. You can always open your aperture(smaller number), which will allow more light into the camera and also blur your background, which is a nice look, and elimates *some* of the background clutter issues we all face.

The insides of barns and stables can make excellent photographic subjects, often times. Wood that has been brushed against by humans, horses, and other animals, over time, developes very warm hues and a nice gloss and can add tremendous depth and texture to the overall image. The tools that hang on the walls, benches, even dust and hay particles all create incredible ambience and can add loads of character to your shots. Stablehand feeding an apple wouldn't be a bad shot, either.

If I were you, I would delve deeply into the manual for the camera, and find out how to adjust your aperture and ISO. This way YOU can decide if you want long depth of field or narrow to either bring the background in focus or blur it out, instead of leaving it up to the camera. Than see if you can get permission to go to the stables on your day off and shoot. And just shoot literally hundreds of pictures of all the horses, all the people, all the "goings on" within a day's activities in a barn. Bring as many memory cards as you can, and shoot as many pictures as they will hold. Hopefully you'll get 1 good one of each horse.

If you can put their horses in a photograph that would sell to the general public, you will find some incredibly greatful owners. Plus...it's gonna cost money to get them pruinted, matted and framed, so you might as well make them photographs that anyone would be proud to display over their mantle in the living room. To give you a rough Idea, I pay about $70 to get an 11X16 print matted and framed to 18X20.

Anyhow...my point is that you have fantastic subjects in a potentially fantastic setting. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of skill to get really nice shots. 90% of it is being in the right place at the right time with camera in hand. Just a little bit of technical advice and creativity makes up the rest, and I'm happy to answer any questions, publicly or via PM, to help you out.

P.S.--remember to have fun

Getting permission takes at least three weeks to get which does not leave me with much time to do much of anything since I am leaving the area Dec 18th. Im not sure what the rules are for photos inside the barn, I will have to look into it. Though the barn has been around for about 30 years with little to no changes, its not very pretty anymore. I want to give them something that they are going to enjoy looking at.

Why don't you take a little trip on down here and work one on one with me?

 

[jlindp]

I picked picture 2 because you can see his cute face and his pretty, shiny coat! :} I also like the nice fall foliage in the background, too!

 

[NFS07]

Thanks for the votes. Pic 1 and 2 are running really close. Which I could take his face from 1 and his body from 2.