Photo Envy

[dunbnwild]

Okay--I've asked some of y'all this before...but I'm asking again--many of you take amazing AMAZING photos--Joan, Dianne, Tracey, Michelle, and many others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Can you all share some tips--and specifically--what camera you use and do you use any software for touch ups, etc??

I would love to have pictures that do my girls justice, but half the time they have their noses right in the lens anyway, LOL.

Thanks!!

Cindy

[angelsdream]

I always have my camera handy just in case they are in particular good moods and want to play, so you can get those funny shots! I have a digital Kodak camera - its ok, I would like a canon or something else cause this doesn't take good action shots. My camera came with its on software that I downloaded and it's pretty handy! You can do all sorts of things to the pics.

[DianneC]

I splurged and got a Nikon D70 years ago with an 18-70mm lens. You can probably get one pretty cheap now, even used, as newer models have come out. I also bought a Mac computer and the built in software is very easy and does great stuff. The best thing for our cold cloudy weather here is that it can warm a picture up, looks like the sun is out!

The trouble with the camera I had before was a wait between when I pushed the button and when the picture was taken. I had lots of pictures of the butts of horses as they had moved out of the frame. Then there was another longgggg wait before you could take another picture. Very frustrating for action pictures. My new camera can be turned on and shoot in just a second or two. You push the button and you can take one or many pictures in sequence for action shots. There is so much resolution that you can cut a piece out of the middle of a picture and still have a good picture - so I don't use a bigger telephoto which is slower. That way you can catch action further away, when they don't have their nose in the camera. And if they do come toward you its easy to go to wide angle. I'm not an expert and use automatic exposure and focus all the time. Someday I'll figure that all out.

One thing I do is be aware of what's in the background and foreground. No buckets laying around, parked cars etc. - as simple a background as possible. Then crop the photo so that there is a little more room in front of the horse than behind - wildlife photographer, Art Wolfe, said in a video that he gives his animals room to move in his photographs.

[dunbnwild]

That is exactly my problem--the camera takes too long to get the shot and too long to take another one.

I also have the problem of my girls looking too relaxed and slouchy unless something exciting is going on. I feel like a stage Mom telling them to straighten up and ears forward, smile with your eyes.... and I still get a big yawn. LOL.

[DianneC]

If you have some "stage hands" it helps a lot. I have my nieces run around the yard, to do video I have them run in the pasture and chase the herd. They are soccer players and much better at the running stuff than I am.

[JoanMRK]

Everything Dianne said is really big help -- watch your backgrounds! Secondly, try to second guess what move your horse is going to do, sometimes you know you're going to have an exciting show so keep your camera handy and run out the door! I know I have a big advantage around here because we have large acreage which puts the horses in a more natural enviornment, those with smaller corrals are going to have a hard time getting those "free" shots because you always see something around them.

A DSLR is the way to go, much faster focus and timing. I used to have a little point and shoot and got some good photos but I had to really try hard and set up my shots as much as I could. I know that a lot of you like my little colt rearing photo and that was shot with my P/S so it can be done... it just takes a lot of effort and practice!

I use Photoshop CS3 for my editing which is mainly sharpening and some color boost. If you are shooting on auto the SOOC (straight out of camera) shots tend to have a gray haze so it would be a good idea to add some sort of color boost to your photos(I normally run on aperature priority or shutter priority if shooting action shots w/ horses.) If you do shoot auto, your exposure (naturally from the camera) will be slightly under exposed or over exposed and thus the gray haze. I am shooting manually more and more but have found that if I shoot slightly under exposed on my meter, they come out perfectly. Then I'll just sharpen in PS CS3 -- which seems to always be a must, especially if you're resizing for web formatting.

Good luck and have fun! ;D

PS: A lot of people get carried away with the camera body and upgrading that... it is always better to buy good glass (lenses) as your photos will be way better the better glass you're using. The body isn't nearly as important. I haven't upgraded in YEARS but have been buying glass and am still super happy with my Nikon D50 which is an ancient dinosaur to the Nikon users nowadays. I hope to get a D300 someday but can wait...

[desperatehorsewife]

Oh, I'm really not even in the same company as most of those you mentioned...surely not Joan! She's in a class all her own.

I've got a Nikon D50 and, better yet, PHOTOSHOP! And there you have it, my secret is out. I manipulate, manipulate, manipulate until I come up with something that remotely resembles a photograph, and then I go to bed.

The end.

[JoanMRK]

LOL Tracey! Yeah, right! You take great photos... you have a true gift. And you're wonderful in PHOTOSHOP! ;D

[dunbnwild]

Tracey--what are you saying --you take amazing pics. They capture spirit and soul, and they're gorgeous and vivid. I feel like I'm right in the pen with the horse.

Looks like I'm going to have to get a Nikon...

[DianneC]

OK, I'm going to have to learn Photoshop. I love what Joan and Tracey have done.

[JoanMRK]

Dianne -- anything by Scott Kelby is a huge help and very easy to work through. His books are awesome! PS is very addicting and very fun but there really is a steep learning curve as you have to learn to think in "layers" which is hard to do right off the bat but once you really get it, it comes easily. Have fun! ;D

[DianneC]

Thanks! I was trying t figure out where to start.

[desperatehorsewife]

Heh...and the curve is much steeper for some of us than others! (Huffing and puffing on up the curve...) I have to ask my children how to use it. And then I forget. Many times. And ask. Many more times.

Yes, get a Nikon; they do the work for you. I'm the queen of expensive, multi function point and shoot ;D

[sbutter]

Well...I just made a huge investment and got a Canon EOS 50D. I am absolutely in love with it! I can't wait to get home and take pictures of horses again and I am really excited about my camera. Joan is right about the glass. My cousin is a professional photographer, so I picked her brain a little about what she would do. She uses Nikon, but likes the Canon's glass more, but she has invested everything into Nikon. I don't think you can go wrong with Nikon or Canon, both are really good.

All of the pictures I have posted were using my little Canon powershot S3IS. I am a very visual learner and I have learned to look at pictures and try to picture myself there and pretend I am the photographer. Flip through all your favorite horse pictures and see what angles they were taken at. How tall was the photographer? Were they crouching on the ground or standing straight up? Then after you look at those pictures, visualize your horse in that exact pose and the movement that is taking place. Is it a pause in the middle of a canter? Practice going through everything in your head and then go out and do it.

It is hard to get the horse to cooperate most of the times. You can try switching up the surroundings. If the horse has been in a pen all day, then go and take them out into a pasture or arena for a run. Make sure that any dust is watered down, because that can get annoying. Also make note of where the sun is, you typically want it to be behind you. Also turn them out in the morning or evening, the lighting is better and they seem to play more when it has cooled down. Try to figure out a way to get there attention off of you, because they may just prefer to stand next to you and steal your camera. Those are some tips that I can think of right now.

[dunbnwild]

Excellent tips!