EDMONTON – Capturing that perfect horse photo is not as easy as squeezing the shutter and hoping for the best.
A few easy tricks can make any horse look better, Cheryl Smythe told 4-H members during the Farm and Ranch show in Edmonton April 10.
“If you know what you’re doing, you can make a poor horse look good,” she said.
“Just by turning the horse’s head makes a plain horse better.”
Smythe starts by selecting a nice background and ensuring that no trees, power poles or barns will look like they’re growing out of the horse’s head or body.
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It’s important to take photos in early morning or late afternoon when the light is low in the sky to give the horse extra shine.
The low light also creates a tiny dot of white in the eye, called a “catch light,” to give the horse’s eye added interest.
“You always want the sun behind you,” she said.
The horses used during Smythe’s demonstration still had their winter hair, but the best horse photos are taken during the summer when they’ve lost their winter hair.
Smythe also removes the horse’s long whiskers to give them a smoother look. Before she begins the photography session, Smythe snugs up the halter and tucks in all the loose straps.
She then rubs baby oil on the horse’s muzzle and nose and around its eyes to give it extra shine.
She said one of the most important steps in taking a good photo is to turn the horse’s head slightly inward to capture the bulge of the eye, which makes the photo more three dimensional.
“If you remember anything today, remember to get the bulge of the opposite eye in the photo,” Smythe said.
Persuading the horse to look interested and alert is not always easy. Smythe uses a variety of props, including a mirror and a bag on a stick, to attract the animal’s attention and get its ears pointed forward.
“Oats don’t work because they always step forward to get at them.”
Photographers who use mirrors or other distractions must act quickly to get the perfect shot.
“(Horses) get bored real quick so you’ve got to be quick,” she said.
“I want expression with horses.”
Smythe recommended holding the mirror or other object at different heights to capture the horse’s best angle.
“If the horse has a short, fat neck, you want the neck down low.”
She advised against facing people toward the camera when including them in the photo. Instead, pose them parallel with the horse with their head turned toward the camera.
She said the photographer must stand slightly behind the horse’s withers to obtain the ideal angle.
