Equine Photography

[phoenixfyre71]

I am hoping that someone can help me out. I want to become better at equine photography. It seems to be harder than just shooting our house pets.

I have a Canon Xti with the 18-55mm, the 28-70mm and the 70-300mm lenses. I just got the last two for Christmas and the camera I got at the end of October so I am still learning it.

I wanted to get the telephoto so I could shoot them at a distance better but I seem to get quite a few blurry pictures when they move. I use the sport setting on auto focus because it is impossible to keep a camera manually focused on a fast moving subject. At least for me it is.

Are there any tips or tricks I can use to help me get the shots I am looking for. I want a really shallow depth of field so that my subject stands out.
Also, how do you get well lit shots on an outdoor animal? When the sun is bright and pretty, they have harsh shadows and I cannot run around a pasture with an reflector umbrella, even though it would be humorous to see. When it it cloudy, their coats look very dull. So how do I find that perfect light I need? I usually shoot later in the afternoon when the sun is not as harsh or directly overhead.

Any help would be appreciated. Here are a couple of examples of what I have done so far while trying to learn the camera.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee124/phoenixfyre71/photography/canon327.jpg
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee124/phoenixfyre71/Aslan/canon394.jpg
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee124/phoenixfyre71/honeyeye-1.jpg

[handyhaver]

I love to shoot horses also. Make sure you are using a fast enough shutter speed if you are shooting a moving horse. Also at 300mm it takes a very steady hand. Cranking up the shutter to at least 300-325 along with a steady hand (or mono pod) & panning depending how fast the horse is moving.

As far as getting the right exposure, you should try spot metering just the horse, use exp. lock, & then you can recompose your shot.

[handyhaver]

another

[phanatic]

If you don't mind hearing from a fellow horse loving newbie, I have learned a couple of things. One is just to take pictures of horses, another is to "zoom" my lens all the way out and move myself to the distance needed. I am trying to download a couple of pictures now. They are not great, but we are both learning, right?
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j53/CattyT_2006/IMG_5584.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j53/CattyT_2006/IMG_5578.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j53/CattyT_2006/IMG_5612.jpg
http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j53/CattyT_2006/IMG_5616.jpg
None of these have been doctored yet...I just took them on Wednesday.

[Karl Johnston]

Why not call them horses?:P

[CanadianKitKat]

I shoot a lot of horses and like to use a nice wide open aperture to keep the background nice and blurred. I find that I usually end up shooting 2.8 to 3.6 and usually try to keep the shutter up around 1/1000 for action shots. I like to keep aperture wide open and then just up the shutter speed as much as I have to for proper exposure.

To get the nice shallow depth of field, a wide open aperture, and a long focal distance, between 200-300 will serve you well if you are fairly closer to the subject. The less distance between you and the horse with the longest length on your lens and largest aperture will give you the shallowest DOF.

If you use the search function and type in horse or horses in either the pet, sports, wildlife and even landscape sharing sections you will see lots of examples of some excellent equine photography come up.

[rickdog]

As it's been said already, long focal length is good, use the 70-300 when the light is sufficient. However, you can still get nice portraits with the shorter zooms, since the XTi is cropped. Multiply 1.6 times your focal length and that'll be your true length. Then just stand closer. Also increasing your shutter speed will usually require opening up the aperture and that'll get you the bokeh you want.

One thing we do most of the time is shoot late in the afternoon and around sunset. The light and colors are best then. Sunrise is nice too, but who likes to get up so early!:lol:

For action, we tend to use Tv rather than the sports mode and set the shutter to at least 1/500 and let the camera do the rest. If you're not getting enough light, adjust the ISO accordingly. I know you can probably drop the shutter to 1/320, but the faster the better I think.

Finally, save up for some better glass. Get an "L" series and the quality of your pictures should improve.

Also, keep shooting and trying all functions until you're familiar with your camera and can consistently get what you want out of it.

Have fun!

--Oh yeah, when you can, brush up the beasts and give them a good clipping, then get a friend out in the pasture with a long whip or a paper bag or something to get them moving, then stand by for some great action shots!

[kitacanon]

Here are a few shots I've taken lately that might give you some ideas...taken with the 80-210 with either the 30D or XT...

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/1298/jr5sr.jpg

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/6241/jr10sr.jpg

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5143/mg1886c150pu13.jpg

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/9262/mandfcuk1.jpg

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/936/sasm25xsrbo8.jpg

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/5871/sasm22c6p175u13id1.jpg

[thesilent]

Though I haven't used it more than once myself, I have been told multiple times that the XTi's auto-focus is poor and can produce out of focus "blurry" subjects. The solution? Shoot manual whenever possible. Understandably this can be bothersome and impractical when shooting horses at liberty, but for all of the images you shared, manual shouldn't have been too hard. Being able to manually focus an image with ease is a good skill to have regardless.

As for the lighting, you seem to know the answer. On a sunny day, mornings and afternoons, without the sun directly overhead, will probably give you the best results if that's the look you're going for. Don't totally dismiss a stormy sky though. It's an entirely different mood, but it can produce great moody pieces. The key here is just to think about the images you want in advance, the feeling you want to convey, and plan the time of your shoot accordingly. Going out and photographing the moment is great and can work, but planning ahead of time definitely has its rewards. Also, contrast and what have you can be adjusted through an image editing program which may help some of your shots where the light and shadows feel too dull.

Equine photography isn't necessarily harder than pet photography, just different. (To be honest, I love shooting my equine kiddos but my dogs are the bane of my existence.) Browse around equine photos and pay attention to what makes them good in your eyes, then just get out there and experiment. Always look for new angles. You'll catch on to what seems to work and what doesn't!

Of course, I'm a mere highschooler learning the ropes myself, so these are just my two cents that may or may not have been any help at all.

Why not call them horses?:P

Blasphemy! Hahah.

[Jon, The Elder]

If you are interested in shooting competition, check out our galleries and email me your specific questions. Glad to help all we can.

[kitacanon]

In response to "thesilent" I agree that single shot-single focus is better than shooting servo...you can also manual focus....pre-focus on a spot and then just wait for the horse to get there...

[jeepster]

I shoot a lot of horses and like to use a nice wide open aperture to keep the background nice and blurred. I find that I usually end up shooting 2.8 to 3.6 and usually try to keep the shutter up around 1/1000 for action shots. I like to keep aperture wide open and then just up the shutter speed as much as I have to for proper exposure.

To get the nice shallow depth of field, a wide open aperture, and a long focal distance, between 200-300 will serve you well if you are fairly closer to the subject. The less distance between you and the horse with the longest length on your lens and largest aperture will give you the shallowest DOF.

If you use the search function and type in horse or horses in either the pet, sports, wildlife and even landscape sharing sections you will see lots of examples of some excellent equine photography come up.

In response to "thesilent" I agree that single shot-single focus is better than shooting servo...you can also manual focus....pre-focus on a spot and then just wait for the horse to get there...
Agreed on everything here. My wife competes, so I head out when I can to practice. :) There's plenty of time to move between the times they are at the jumps to frame and then focus.

http://www.kcprod.com/sigma/horse1.jpg

(I know it looks compressed and such, just a quick example of the subject matter... this one, the jumper was really close, so I was at 70mm of my 70-200... filled the frame pretty much, but the angle doesn't give much to a blurry background as they'r emore or less going up more than forward).

--kC

[MysticalPhoto]

Check out my portfolio.. I am an Equine Photographer.. If you have any questions.. ask away

The best lens IMO is 70-200mm 2.8.. it's very versatile!

[jeepster]

Check out my portfolio.. I am an Equine Photographer.. If you have any questions.. ask away

The best lens IMO is 70-200mm 2.8.. it's very versatile!
2nded! :)

[RacingMoose]

I love to shoot horses also. Make sure you are using a fast enough shutter speed if you are shooting a moving horse. Also at 300mm it takes a very steady hand. Cranking up the shutter to at least 300-325 along with a steady hand (or mono pod) & panning depending how fast the horse is moving.

As far as getting the right exposure, you should try spot metering just the horse, use exp. lock, & then you can recompose your shot.


Great shot. As someone who rarely attends horse races but has a track nearby, do they normally permit you to enter with a camera to take photos? That's something I've never done and would be fun to try.

[handyhaver]

Thanks.......got a bunch of keepers that day. As far the track letting me in with my gear, there was no problem. This was Phila Park & we were there most of the day. Great place to shoot. Had a great time. Also bet on a few long shots & tried to scream them into winning. Must not have heard us :cool:

What track are you near?


Great shot. As someone who rarely attends horse races but has a track nearby, do they normally permit you to enter with a camera to take photos? That's something I've never done and would be fun to try.

[RacingMoose]

We're near Penn National, which is now the Hollywood Casino at Penn National since they opened the casino part last year. After the first few races I'll probably be broke and will have plenty of time to take photos. :lol:

[handyhaver]

Well worth the trip out for the day.........Beautiful graceful animals.
I went to the Devon Horse Show last week & was kickin myself in the butt for not bringing the camera. Lotsa shooters there also.

[Kazdog]

Not sure if this has already been said, but defiantly work on panning action shots and leave as much room as possible on around the horse to crop in. I took this on a film a few years ago in photography class when I was still learning ( hence the cut off of the back leg I was panning too quickly). Also you want to spend a few minutes trying to get the horses personality, it helps when trying to play up the shots and get character into the picture ( the paint being truly just that lazy ;))

[zerovision]

Make sure the eyes are in focus more than anything. If the eyes are sharp, then everything else falls into place. If you are shooting jumping, you can use one-shot to get the action but if your DOF is not wide enough you should expect the horses head to be slightly out of focus. If you are shooting indoors or in evening light this does not work as well. AI Servo and pan with the horse in these conditions or if you are trying to shoot a horse running in the pasture or race track.

Most of all practice, practice, practice and remember your settings when you practice.

[bob_r]

For events, my favorite lens is a 135 f/2L. I've use a 70-300, a 70-200, a 100-400 and an 85 f/1.8, but the 135 has become my favorite.
For horse portraits, I like either the 135L or the 200L.
I normally shoot AI Servo to handle the movement and aperture priority so I can control the DOF.

Here are a few sample shots taken with a 30D.
Event shot with 135L- 1/1600s f/2.0 at 135.0mm iso100
http://www.pbase.com/bob_r/image/96467312.jpg

Portrait shot taken late afternoon with a 200L - 1/800s f/2.8 at 200.0mm iso400
http://www.pbase.com/bob_r/image/89117791.jpg

Here are a couple of shots taken with a 70-300 IS
Casual ride - 1/320s f/4.0 at 75.0mm iso160
http://www.pbase.com/bob_r/image/105741168.jpg

A portrait - 1/640s f/4.0 at 75.0mm iso160
http://www.pbase.com/bob_r/image/105680706.jpg

[matonanjin]

The 135 F/2 is definitely on my "next list". Everybody that I talk to that has it says there is something just special about it.

These are all great shots. That first one I'm surprised you got that much in focus at F/2. I guess the cropped sensor gave you enough more. Great use of DOF.

[bob_r]

These are all great shots. That first one I'm surprised you got that much in focus at F/2. I guess the cropped sensor gave you enough more. Great use of DOF.

Thanks. You can get by with f/2 on side shots since nearly everything is on the same plane. Shooting from the front requires a little more DOF to get the horse and rider in focus. The following shot was also taken with a 30D and 135L.
1/2500s f/4.0 at 135.0mm iso400
http://www.pbase.com/bob_r/image/96290539.jpg

[matonanjin]

Thanks. You can get by with f/2 on side shots since nearly everything is on the same plane. Shooting from the front requires a little more DOF to get the horse and rider in focus. The following shot was also taken with a 30D and 135L.
1/2500s f/4.0 at 135.0mm iso400


I understand that it is all on the same plane but was still just wondering how much you felt was due to cropped sensor. You've got just perfect DOF in all of these. In this last one seems like the edge of the focus plane is just about her blouse. It is just starting to soften there.

The portrait of the roan horse has absolutely gorgeous background (bokeh) with the 200 f/2.

So you never answerred my question although I guess I posed it more as a statement than a question. Is that 135 F/2 as special as everyone says? I'm shooting the Central Plains Reining Futurity next month and the South Dakota cutting futurity the month after that. They're indoors and that F/2 is a necessity. Last year at the cutting I used 100 F/2 and it was a little short. I'll probably rent it first but then I know I'll want it;)

btw, on this last one and the last one on your group of 4 you might want to do a little straightening.

[bob_r]

btw, on this last one and the last one on your group of 4 you might want to do a little straightening.

If you'll look at the fence posts, you'll see that they are straight and the rails will follow the lay of the land. They may be off by a degree or so, but not as much as the rails make them appear.

Not sure what you're asking about the DOF, but it will be less on a crop camera than on a full frame.

[PHS]

I just skimmed the replies, so I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this. One of the most important things in shooting a whole horse, moving is to time the gait or the stride such that the legs are in a good and pleasing position. Generally you need to see some separation in the legs, and usually in a wide spread (versus the point in a stride where the front and back legs may almost be touching). Just my 2 cents.