First horse show

[sfinkernagel]

I had the pleasure of shooting my first horse show this past weekend- I am only learning now about things I should have looked for- straight ears? All 4 legs on the ground? This is much harder than it looks.....

Anyway- here are some samples....








I have another show scheduled for 8/14- C&C are welcome!

Thanks!

[swampler]

I'm not an equine expert, so will leave the critiquing to them. I do question the "all 4 legs on the ground" criteria. Looks good to me, especially for the 1st time shooting them.

[sfinkernagel]

I'd be interested to hear from the Equine experts on this-

Apparently, parts of the show are judged on some minute details. At one point, I guess all 4 hooves have to be on the ground, joints straight, and that is an ideal time to get a picture. Sadly, I didn't get that info until after the show.

Anything you guys can provide is appreciated!

[Sarah-Anne]

I just learned to shoot horses in June, and I'm not an expert by far, but I can give you advice for future photos such as the first photo. When the horses are going over jumps you naturally anticipate when to hit the shutter button. When you think you should press the button, hesitate for half a second. My jump shots started out with the back hooves still on the ground, and the guy teaching me told me to "hiccup" and then press the shutter button. This way the horse has actually launched and no hooves are still on the ground. It doesn't work all the time simply because not all horses will launch the same or properly, but taking that "hiccup" when you feel like you should press the shutter button will help get your timing right.

[Steven G Webb]

Four hooves on the ground? I'm having a tough time figuring that one out. Horses move in rhythms called gaits. There are three beat and four beat gaits depending on the breed and disclipline involved. I covered some of this in the PM conversation we had earlier. The only time I can think of when a horse would have all for hooves on the ground and all joints straight is standing for confirmation.

For your research you may want to check these associations who are the major governing bodies for equestrian events. US Hunter Jumper Association and the USEF The US Equestrian Federation is the US affiliation for the FEI which is international. The USHJA publishes the rules and judging guidelines for each class- halter, one the flat and over fences. These are the authorities for English discliplines.

Your 4H folks probably subscribe to AQHA standards for Western discliplines. They too publish performance standards. For their classes.

When you've learned what the judges are looking for, then you can try to catch the horse or rider doing it. Remember, you are looking for perfection and you're never going to see it. Your customer is looking for perfection and thinks YOU should have captured it.

Steve

[sfinkernagel]

The four hooves on the ground comment came from the event director- probably not my best source for photo advice, and he may very well have been talking about the showmanship portion. I have to confess to being overwhelmed at that particular moment.

What I have gathered so far is this- for jumping, target on the up angle, with the rail between the front hooves and the girth. Walk/Trot, look for the moment when the legs are scissored /\/\. Canter, there is one "moment of suspension" that is ideal. The whole horse needs to be in the frame, the rider should be sitting up straight, horse's ears pointed. Most of that applies to English, some terms seem to be slightly different for Western, but the principles may be similar.

Thanks for all of the suggestions- This is a tremendous help. If I have something wrong, or if there is more, I am all ears....

[sfinkernagel]

I had the opportunity to spend some time at a local barn and chat with the owner and a rider to get some tips as well- I got a few shots of one woman as she trained her horse, just for some practice on timing. Apparently, the horse was restless during her lesson, so she took him out to the round pen to encourage him to buck, and it seemed to me that she was working on some commands as well. Here is some of what I got....

Legs scissored....


Moment of suspension...


Bucking is probably not expected at a show, but was interesting here...


More bucking, (I think), but one that I liked....


And a more tender moment near the end...


Am I getting this?

[Steven G Webb]

Walking and Trotting are two different gaits and they don't photograph the same way because the physiology of each is different. So your walk picture will not look like a trot. You'll see the /\/\ shape at the trot. At the walk the front leg further from you will be bent at the knee, the toe of the hoof just about to break the ground, the rear leg nearer you will be extended, the tip of the hoof just about to leave the ground. Some photographers watch the front, others the back. For gaited horses like Tennesee Walking Horses, American Saddle Breds and Rocky Mountains I watch the rear because their gait is different and the opposite front leg is doing something completely different. With European bred English disclipline horses I watch the front-end.

You previous advice about 4 hooves on the ground may have been for standing poses. Horses rest their hind legs by rolling the hoof and standing on the toe. That would be unflattering for a show picture. The owner/trainer/handler wants to see a picture of the horse doing what it's supposed be doing and doing it perfectly.

Flexability is highly important to both English and Western horses. If you photograph a horse in a turn, catch the "lead" leg crossed over in an X. Be sure to shoot the correct lead or the horse will appear to be falling over. Most times there is an awkward looking step and a pretty one. The awkward looking stuff won't be desirable.

I hope all the advice and reading is giving you ideas. Don't study yourself into a hole. The important thing about head knowledge is applying it (in real time) to the task at hand. Take what you know and what you've learned and try to keep it applied to your shooting. Don't panic when you blow it. There are hundreds of shots to be taken over the course of the show. Don't delete in the camera though. Wait to dump your lost shots until you've reviewed them on a full size monitor you cannot learn from what you do not look at. Like everything, photography gets easier, the more of it you do. Most people don't remember learning to drive a car. After several years many of the things you've been taught to do, you no longer think about. "Watch your speed, watch your rearview mirror, watch the car in front of you, watch your fuel gage, watch the speed limit, watch the traffic signal", remember when all those things were daunting? Surprisingly over 85% of all accidents involve a driver with less than two years experience behind the wheel. And when we see really good pictures, we here comments like, "Well, its what you'd expect; he's been taking picutres for 20 years."

Best of luck with your endeavors. Maybe you'll find a niche and turn this into a profitable business.

Steve