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BeckyBoodle
Gold Member
 Australia
795 Posts |
 Posted - 30 May 2009 : 4:18:00 PM
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Tried to get some pictures of Eba in the sun and had a nightmare trying to get any decent ones. Most of the time she is a black outline with no definition. I must also not be going for the best angle as much of the time she looks like she has a huge head and no legs!!! Someone said to crouch down, but I don't think that has helped me much. Also most of the time the ears are in the wrong place so she looks like a mule which isn't true!
I also had hoped that she might move or show off. Whenever I am there she is just chilled or grazing, yet I know when I am not there she blats around as everyone loves to tell me about it - in a nice way about how impressive she is - afterwards.
These are the best of the 200 or so I tried!!!!
Any hints or tips gratefully received.
B
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Rui
AL Admin
6761 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 4:30:33 PM
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Yeah, it's kinda hard to get those pictures given the differences in lighting between the mare the background. Probably the way to go would be to use flash, in what is called fill flash. Whether you can do that or not may depend on your camera, but you can try.
Another option is to use some sort of partial metering, in which you force the camera to calculate exposure using just the part of the scene that includes your mare and as little as possible of the background. Again what you can do or not depends on the camera.
The former method will allow you to get both the mare and the background better exposed. The latter will probabkly get you an overexposed background, so maybe try the former... |
How to post flickr photos on AL | How to post photobucket pictures on AL | How to post facebook pictures on AL |
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BeckyBoodle
Gold Member
Australia
795 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 4:35:06 PM
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Cool. Sounds like I need to read the manual. It is a Sony SLR (?) and I know you can change exposures and stuff, but finding it all a bit baffling. Might try to see if there are any local camera clubs that teach club hands like me how to use anything other than a point and shoot camera!
Thanks very much.
B
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Rui
AL Admin
6761 Posts |
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mogwai
Platinum Member
England
2717 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 4:49:59 PM
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Lol, you sounds like me (and mine aren't black!) My horses are so pretty, and they all look like donkey's in pictures! The lady who lives at the bottom of the field tells me on a daily basis how wonderful they look when they're floating round the field with their tails in the air, but i rarely get to see it!
i think she looks absolutely beautiful, so she must be amazing in the flesh!
Ros x |
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Mrs Vlacq
Platinum Member
Wales
3776 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 5:20:53 PM
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| dark horses in bright sunlight is a really hard one - they just end up looking a bit bull! Dappled light gives a lovely effect on blacks.... take her to the woods! Or try on a cloudier day - which sounds daft I know!! |
    
- V Khazad - V Calacirya & V Sulime - Quarida(L) - V Boogie Knights - V Hamra Tofiq |
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BeckyBoodle
Gold Member
Australia
795 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 6:23:10 PM
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Thanks for all the advice, I shall be trying shade and different things with the flash if I can get it to work.
In terms of angle, are you better crouching down or standing up? The below is a typical example of what I get which is a huge head and then tiny behind. I know her behind isn't muscled up - mostly, being three, all she does is eat and come for walks with me - but I think I must be doing something wrong.
Thanks again,
B
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 6:25:35 PM
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Actually I think you have done very well; I am with the "useless with a camera" brigade.
I took some photos of my stallion with his head over the stable door, he looked absolutely lovely as he was in a beam of sunlight. When I looked at the photos I couldn't believe my eyes. All he needed was the antlers; he looked exactly like a moose and he has a lovely head! Needless to say they were deleted before anyone saw them.
No tips from me unless "how not to take a photo of a horse".
Barbara |
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haggis
Silver Member
England
278 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2009 : 10:00:24 PM
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| To avoid the " large head small bum " look, take a fully side-on view. the parts that are nearest the camera will always look bigger!! |
    
CUMBRIA |
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Eeyore
Gold Member
1181 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2009 : 09:57:19 AM
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What a lovely horse  I have always dreamed of owning a black mare but last time I was horse shopping I ended up with a grey gelding, still not sure how that happened 
The main problem I have when trying to take photos is that they just can't leave me alone. I'm having to defend my camera from curious noses and get loads of shots of whiskers! My boy was having a lot of fun in the sun yesterday and was rearing on top of the hill, I thought wow that would be a fantastic shot, ran to get my camera but as soon as I went to take photos all he wanted to do was have a fuss off me, posing was over. |
Heléna
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Edited by - Eeyore on 01 Jun 2009 09:58:34 AM |
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Rui
AL Admin
6761 Posts |
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Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2009 : 10:31:41 AM
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Becky, thanks for the PM. I'll let you know if i get anywhere with the contacts you sent me.
Eba looks lovely..! She has a lovely kind eye and a more defined head than my boy. I know what you mean about taking pictures. I tried to get some of Ozzy the other day when it was lovely and sunny and his head ended up looking like a moose with his ears flapping out to the side. I also tried sitting on the floor and taking some shots and he kept coming over and sniffing me. I'll try and load them up later today and put them on this thread so you can have a laugh... |
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Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2009 : 11:14:04 AM
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One basic tip - make sure the sun is behind you.
I'm quite a good self-taught photographer but still have my camera set to automatic as I don't "get" the whole aperture/shutterspeed/depth of field stuff, but what I have found most helpful is getting a digital SLR rather than a digital compact camera, summed up by Nichole who quotes "moose ears" as the compact has such a delay between pressing the button and the shutter actually going off so the pose has gone, whereas with an SLR the activation time is so much quicker.
I'm also a ruthless editor of my own photos - I delete probably 80% on first viewing at the time of taking the shot, so when I review on the computer and edit again I've only got the better shots to scrutinise.
One final tip - sieze the moment! An example is this shot I took - purely by fluke - as the new horse (Marcus, the Arab on the left), met some of the herd, namely Cirrius (the grey Arab) and Tufty (Welsh cob) while Kharidian was nowhere to be seen (he hangs back, sees if anyone else gets beaten up by a newbie and then says hello if it's safe)!
I couldn't get this shot again if I tried:
Caryn |
Kharidian (Prince Sadik x Khiri)........ Alkara Cassino (H Tobago x Rose Aboud)
aka "Roger".................................... aka "Chips"
     
The first image is from an original painting by Pat Shorto.
South-East Essex |
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Gerri
Platinum Member
England
4211 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jun 2009 : 11:21:39 AM
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Ooooohhhh, she is gorgeous, what a beautiful girl, sorry I cannot help as regards the pics, as you may have noticed already, I am absolutely useless when taking pics, they always look like something completely different |
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Cage Alma Arabians
Bronze Member
England
226 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2009 : 7:36:34 PM
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My Mum takes all ours. I'm useless- can't even catch them in frame unless they stand completely still!! But we have a few blacks. She tends to take lots and edits out the weaker ones. Background helps, my Mum like them in our manage on a nice clear day with the moors and hills behind because they tend to stand out really well against it. The angle at which you stand changes a pic completely. I.e head on doesn't work! Also, if you want them to perform for pics teach her to play a bit with an old drink bottle with a few bits of gravel in. Our stallion loves this so much he frequently gallops round with it in his mouth if there isn't anyone to shake it for him!! Also, opportunity- the pic in my sig of our black stallion rearing, my daughter took 3 years ago. We were at a show and he was having a mad five after a long journey before we went in the ring and she just snapped it through the fence! If you want head shots, its usually better if you stand a little behind and call them- check out some of Sweet photography- they get loevly pics and will give some idea of angles etc.
If you have a look on our website my Mum has taken some fab pics which are on there- might give you some ideas on blacks! Good luck and keep zapping- you'll take loads you don't like and then suddenly get some where you think "WOW!".
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www.cage-alma-arabians.com
Derbyshire. |
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2009 : 7:46:21 PM
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| Remember that a professional photographer will consider it a good shoot if they get one decent pic out of several hundred shots. Just keep on going. Use fill-in flash as already suggested; a light, unbusy background (out of focus if you can manage it); and take millions...! Don't crouch down (unless they're lying down) - you'll end up with horses with weirdly huge heads! |
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
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misterei
Silver Member
United Kingdom
455 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2009 : 11:50:50 AM
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The lens you use will also affect the outcome of the images. A wide angle lens will make the animal appear longer for a side shot, and close up will accentuate the size of the head. A longer lens will require more light and will have the adverse effect. A good choice for the images you have shown would be to have a focal length of around 55-70, which should give quite natural results. A second factor is how you view them, on a wide screen PC/laptop the image can also appear stretched, even if taken with a 'standard' lens.
Light is definitely a major factor in photography, the more the better with moving subjects. For a dark horse, having the sun behind you is an imperative, and if you have somebody who can attract Eba's attention so she is focusing on something is always good. The ears are really the horses indication of where they are focusing their attention, so if the person stands behind you, you will get pointy ears in your direction, always looks nice. With the sun behind you, just check your shadow is not in the foreground so you can get a nice composition.
I have the same problem with our black dog, and it is a case of throwing many away, and keeping a few select ones. Good luck, the weather is certainly good for photography, warm, dry and bright. In fact, the weather is good for lots of things. |
Here they are
Emira......Mazie...Fharida.....Shahi......Mazie.....Saffee..Malika...Emira
More at www.purespiritarabians.com |
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Rebeckah
Silver Member
England
330 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jun 2009 : 4:17:04 PM
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Haha - welcome to my world. Anubis is not only black and therefore hard to take a good picture of but also gurns the minute a camera turns on him so he just looks retarded and simple! It is so frustrating!
I've started sketching him instead which he loves but as soon as he's settled down and stands still out comes the huge willy, as if to say 'Mum - draw THIS!' Charming! |
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