Lighting for horse barrel racing outside at night

I am desperately trying to get shots of barrel racers outside at night. The arena lighting is horrible. I have tried a 85mm/1.8 lens,still not enough light to get the needed shutter speed at 3200 iso. My question is, has anyone tried halogen lights? thinking of trying to constantly light the entire barrel area. Will this work? Your thoughts please. Not allowed to use flash!!

Is this a competition, or something you're trying to capture? If you could modify the situation, I can see a cool old lantern sittin gon the barrel, shedding light.

If competion, while it may not be the best angle, the last barrel should have better light so that they can get a good time on the rider.

Let me know, I have a good friend whose daughter races, I can ask her!

yes this is in competition. A small local horse show. I have been ask by numerous riders for shots of the barrel race. The barrel races are the last events and always start after dark. The arena lighting is very poor. I have been told by some of the riders that they do not have a problem with flash HOWEVER some of the competitors are very young and very amateur, I want to get shots of all the riders so I am afraid to use flash . I have tried all the barrels with no success.

I was thinking of trying to light just one barrel continously with some sort of flood light placed above the barrel to get the shots. Never done this before and wondering if it will work thanks

Have you considered using a remote flash so that it can be positioned out of the line of sight of the riders like someplace slightly off to one side and up high, if possible?

Using a continuous light may present a slight logistical problem. Will there be an electrical outlet where you can plug in the light?

PRS....when you find a workable answer, please PM me. Speed events are fun to shoot, but we only do day shows. 4H events are notorious for running into the evening.

We have been shooting horse shows for years and still can't get reliable stuff in poor light.

If I HAD to shoot that, then strobes would be my answer, too, although you had better sharpen up your "Get it in one shot" technique.
Arena Lighting

Pocket Wizard basics and then some! (Part 2)
Plan on one side light & one on camera, minimum. A backlight would be icing on the cake.

Strobes put out much more light per unit of time. And at the distance you'd probably have to shoot, I guess you'd need at least a 2,000 wt focusing spot. Then you'll run into issues like blown fuses, people tripping over the cable...

Then, IMO, you're screwed. I suggest that you get permission to do a test at an event & have the organizers poll the riders after. See my comment here:
https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=2906448&po​stcount=42

PhotosGuy wrote in post #5737448
If I HAD to shoot that, then strobes would be my answer, too, although you had better sharpen up your "Get it in one shot" technique.
Arena Lighting

Pocket Wizard basics and then some! (Part 2)
Plan on one side light & one on camera, minimum. A backlight would be icing on the cake. Strobes put out much more light per unit of time. And at the distance you'd probably have to shoot, I guess you'd need at least a 2,000 wt focusing spot. Then you'll run into issues like blown fuses, people tripping over the cable... Then, IMO, you're screwed. I suggest that you get permission to do a test at an event & have the organizers poll the riders after. See my comment here:
https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=2906448&po​stcount=42

With the flash set to manual mode and at most 1/4 power, you should be able a couple of frames fired off in sequence although you should still try to get "it" on the first shot.

Re "Not allowed to use flash!", I missed that last line in your first post. If flash is not allowed, then I'll echo Frank's sentiment.

I can understand why the management may not allow flash. .. I had a horse who *every single time* would spook at a flash. As an adult, I could ride it out.. but mgnt might not want to take a chance with some of the 4H kids.

I'd vote for a stationary light source. ... In one of the forums, I remember someone had set up a video light (in a poorly lit area).. and was shooting stills from that. ... but even with that being said, I don't know if they were getting the fast shutter speeds required for horse events. .. I usually try to shoot horse events no less than 1/1000sec.. or.. in a pinch 1/800.. (but I see motion blur). .. I've just about decided not to shoot in covered arenas though. I don't have the equipment for it.

If it's the last event, and IF you are NOT getting your shots.... perhaps approach it like a 'wedding'... in that you can 're-stage' a few shots after the show?? ... that way, you can actually go down into the arena to get closer to one of the barrels.. and get a 'perfect'' shot of each girl. (at least for the gals who requested photos & whose horses don't spook with a flash?).

In one of my events (4H in a covered arena), the lighting was so bad that I felt I was wasting my time... so I just let it be known that I'd be taking portraits of the kids with their horses. ... they LOVED that!! (but I didn't make many of the action shots available.. ) ............... anyway... just an idea.

I am an experienced horseman.
I just started using flash with horses in the last year or so. So far, I haven't had a single horse spook. I have used ABs and Speedlites.
I was very concerned that horses would spook from the lights but am finding that this is just not so. I have heard rumor of horses having trouble with it but have yet to find one.
My Appendix gelding is one of the spookiest horses I have met and he just exhibits a little twitch.
Before the show or shoot, I prepare by setting off the flash numerous times in and around the area where I am going to use it in the hopes that I will reveal the spooky horse before it is a problem. So far, this hasn't happened. To date, I have a sample of perhaps a few hundred horses.
This includes a shoot I did a week ago of some teen girls with their dressage horses using flash for fill on a flash bracket. The horses didn't show the slightest reaction.
Always ask first....have the announcer state that you are using flash and to please tell you if they don't want their picture taken.
I have shot barrel racing from the arena floor within 50 feet of the barrel with a speedlite on a flash bracket. I think putting a few AB 800's in the rafters would work better but would be a lot more trouble.
I think the odds of a horse reacting are less in speed events because horses feel safer when they are running as they are prey animals. When I have trained horses to handle a whip for fox hunting, I have always done it with the horse running and have had very good results.
So....there is my experience. But if something bad happens, don't blame me. Just being around horses involves risk.
Again, always ask people if they mind if you use flash around horses.
Here is a shot from March taken at an indoor arena.

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I just shot at an indoor arena. There was a house pro there and his setup was fairly basic. He had 3 White Lightning strobes setup for the second (left) barrel. He was at dirt level about 30' from the second barrel and to the left of the start. One was on the left at the top of the stands about 25' up and 60' from the barrel and about 25 degrees behind camera. One was directly behind and above camera about 8' off of arena floor and 40' from barrel. The third was camera right at top of stands about 25' up and 85' from the barrel about 25 degrees behind camera.

I looked at his proofs he was selling and they looked pretty good. The strobes where a lot faster and didn't seem as spotlight bright as many of the P&S people how where in the first row.

As stated before, without some sort of additional light you are not going to get very far. Unless you really want to spend money. Then you can get a camera with ISO6400 and a faster lens.

One horse did spook going into the first barrel when 3 P&S people flashed directly at the same time.

I shoot a lot of Horse events and I never use flash and I cant believe people are using flash around Horses, it only takes one Horse to react and you will have a very large lawsuit to deal with. I use a 1dmk3 and an 85mm f1.2 to shoot indoors and I have never run into lighting problems working.

Borderfox wrote in post #5771724
it only takes one Horse to react and you will have a very large lawsuit to deal with.

Agreed - I've seen well-meaning parents spook horses more than once, trying to get shots of their kids competing...

It's pretty much a given in the U.S. and Canada that flash is going to be used for indoor events. The only discipline that frowns on flash is dressage.

I have never, and know of no other equine photographer that has experienced a problem.

I find that amazing in such a litigious country that flash is used in any Equestrian sport. It is not only discouraged here in Ireland but mentioned on pa systems and signed. For human athletes its not too bad although distracting but for a Horse its downright dangerous, I have a Horse myself so I am speaking from experience.

For the most part you just need to have beter trained horses or as the photographer not to photograph you. I did a barrel race this weekend out of 500 runs I was asked not to shoot 5. That was because they are young horses.