Every cowgirl loves having a pretty photo or two of her favorite horse(s). If you are like me, they probably take up your Instagram feed or almost half of your phone’s memory. Nice photos are more about looks though, what if you decide to sell your horse or what if the unspeakable happens and someone steals your horse? Having a recent clear and detailed photo is a must! Here are a few simple tips for taking better horse photos.

1. Take photos in good lighting. 

The best light is natural light from the sun during a time called “the golden hour”, this is in the morning just after the sun rises or right before sunset in the evening. Taking photos in the middle of the day could leave you with a slightly overexposed photo.

2. Be aware of your background.

Take photos with clean backgrounds that don’t distract from your horse, you want them to be the star. Look at the whole background before taking a photo and see if there is anything distracting.

3. It’s all about the angle.

Remember to use angles to your advantage. I can guarantee you won’t get a perfect photo by standing upright and stiff. Move around and change your angle until you get a good photo.

4. Ask for help. 

Some horses are easier to photograph than others, it’s okay to ask help from a friend. You may need another set of hands to help keep your horse from munching on some grass or getting them to put their ears forward.

5. Pay attention to shadows. 

The direction of the shadows change depending on the time of day. Sometimes while you are taking the photo, you might not notice a shadow in the lens but it shows up big time when you upload pictures to your computer.

 

These are all very basic tips but that brings me to a bonus tip – take your time! If you take your time and think about what you are doing and these little tips your next horse photos will turn out great.

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