2nd Spring Portrait Victim

[Laurapalazz]

Well this shoot was a bit calmer than the last - no rearing or bucking. Not super cooperative horses and an owner who was scared to get too close for fear of being run over. Geez this is not as easy as it looks! I think we did ok though. This was shot in the shade of the barn, didn't look like much, but I think the light turned out lovely, much better that the harsh sun a 6pm. Please comment on exposure, composition etc. I appreciate it.

Thanks
Laura
Flickr: Pony girl2's Photostream

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 85 mm
ISO Speed: 280
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash

[Karinu]

Laura- I love the composition of this one. It seems very natural and less posed than the first pic you posted (with yellow field and cranky horse) You (meaning the viewer) can really sense the communication between the horse and his owner. Exposure is pleasing as well. I like your work.

[PhilD41]

Agreed, the lighting is wonderful. The composition is great as well. As part of a set I think this is perfect. As a stand alone I would have loved to see a little more of the womans face. Not necessarily looking straight on, but more then she is. This is just me though. Well done!!

[GadgetRick]

I agree with Phil--excellent capture but just a wee bit more of the woman's face would make it just about perfect. But it's not a bad photo by any means.

[kleidascope]

Yeap those horses don't tend to want to cooperate MOST times I take out the camera so yes it is very difficult. I think your coloring and comp are really really good! Nice angle on the horse's head. The owner does still look a little 'uncomforatble' with the horse, but if that is what she is, then that is what the picture is going to say and there isn't much you can do about that but capture the moment. I didn't see your first picture, I'm going to go look for that now... I do like the barn in the background and how you positioned yourself so the horse and the lady are the center focus of the picture.

I do some horse/human portraits and they are the hardest thing EVER! those horses have a mind of their own that's for sure!

Darn good job!

[miyukisarah]

I love it. The connection between the horse and the owner is evident in this picture.

[Mso]

I like the light and the overall composition - the only but I have is as a horse owner myself. She appears to be hanging onto the halter a bit too much for my liking - but she may well have had to and had no choice!

[CiiVii]

Forgive me for always commenting on your photos... I love them and I have similar interests to you so I tend to look at & think about them a lot.

The question that comes to mind when viewing this photo is, "Who is this photo about?" Since it includes the horse and his human, is it featuring the horse, the woman, the interaction between the two? The woman stands out more here because she is wearing the brilliant blue shirt, her skin is bright, she has strong expression, and there is dramatic wind in her hair. Horsie is just standing there with everything happening around him. The thing that bothers me is that the standout element of the woman is clearly pointing the viewer back towards the horse, and he has little to offer. Maybe someone should talk to the horse about this.

One pet photographer I was studying recently shoots a lot of dogs and often has them on the end of a leash with the owners OOF in the background or cuts their face off just below the eyes, etc. It seems to be a theme with her that the picture is about the pet, and it works repeatedly for her but I suppose it's a little easier given the subjects she has to work with. I think it's tough to feature both horse and human without looking like a Sears family portrait. Not that this one does! If pony would have returned her affectionate look it would have been perfect. Perhaps hidden carrots or peppermints are in order to get him interested.

Not that any of this is easy- just something to think about I suppose. Given the setup in this photo, I would be inclined to focus on the woman and make the horse secondary. Perhaps putting her in different clothing or getting the horse where he doesn't blend in with the background (grass for a chestnut horse like this? I dunno) would make a different photo.

[Laurapalazz]

Originally Posted by CiiVii

The question that comes to mind when viewing this photo is, "Who is this photo about?" Since it includes the horse and his human, is it featuring the horse, the woman, the interaction between the two?

First off, I would like to thank everyone for their critiques. It helps me to look at things from others perspectives and hopefully improve. CiiVii - thank you for the time and effort you put in your critiques, I really appreciate them.

To answer some questions - the goal was to try an capture a sweet loving moment or interaction between horse and owner - the owner wanted me to recreate the feeling from the portrait I did of another girl and horse at our barn that I posted awhile back titled "A Girl & Her Horse".

What I am learning is horses don't lie - they tell it like it is and if they are not feeling the love they don't give it which makes the shots that work all the more special. We tried bribes with yummy horse cookies, but he was not having it. These types of portraits only seem to work if there is a REAL connection between the horse and owner. So I am off in search of a moment. Will be shooting somemore victims this weekend hopefully. The two planned next have great levels of trust and respect with their horses and are not afraid of them, so my hopes are high that we will get something good.

Here is another shot that may work better per your comments to feature one over the other, let me know. I cropped in tight to feature the woman although I don't like her expression as much.



Thanks again.

[bmSTUDIOS]

In the first photo - the framing would have been better if her hair had all been in. Lighting on her hand was a little hard and bright. If she had been turned just a little more to the camera it would have been better or the camera more to the left.