Tips for taking the best horse photo
Tip 1: watch the horse's behavior
This is perhaps the most important tip for photographing horses. You're working with an animal and that means you have to be observant. Keep a close eye on the behavior of the horse you're photographing. If the ears are back, it's angry or anxious. Hanging ears mean that the horse isn't alert. It's probably tired or very calm. Ears forward represents a happy and active attitude. You need the latter for a good photo shoot.
Tip 2: be ready with your camera
If the horse doesn't notice you, you can get the animal's attention with noises or food. If this doesn't work, don't try to force it. This will irritate the horse - and probably you as well. A horse quickly loses its patience. So make sure you're ready with your camera at the moment the horse pays attention to you. It's also useful to set up the camera in advance for the photo opportunity.
Tip 3: choose the right point of view
Not all horses are the same size, of course. But when taking a portrait photo, always try to photograph from chest height. With a large horse, this means you may need to stand on something. With a smaller horse, just bend your knees a little. From chest height, you make a picture without the horse looking bigger or smaller than it is. Don't dare to get too close? Use the zoom function to create the portrait.
Tip 4: capture at the right time for action photos
Of course, it's also fun to take action photos of the horse. When the horse is trotting, you can usually take the best photos. Especially when you capture a photo when the front right leg and rear left leg are both put forward. If you prefer to photograph the horse at a gallop, photograph during the upward motion. This is when the horse is setting off with the back legs and the front legs are off the ground.
Tip 5: photograph at a beautiful location
The possibilities at a horse riding school are limited as far as beautiful photo locations are concerned. That's why you should go into nature, preferably with the owner of the horse. You can make the most beautiful pictures on the beach with the horse galloping along the coastline. But a beautiful open field with flowers also works well. Try to discover the best options in your area.
