These tips will give you a general guide for when taking photos of your horses, ponies and pets, I have tried to collate as many as I can from my own experiences. If you have any good tips you feel will help others in their own pet photography please email them to me and I will add them asap!
Patience
My first piece of advice is patience, patience, and more patience! Taking photos of your horse - or any pet, is going to take some time and if you want to get the perfect shot and you find your horse is difficult to photograph, why not set the task over a few days. Animals sometimes seem to have a knack for being uncooperative when you bring out your camera so by spreading the project over a few days, taking things one step at a time often helps your pet to relax.
Getting help
When I take photos of clients horses, there are always two people present, the owner of the horse, to help keep the horse calm, who stands next to them for comfort, and myself taking the photos. Without the owner being in the field or stable may make the horse uneasy and wont produce the right look for the photo. So if you are trying to take a photo of a friends horse as a surprise, perhaps you can have another member of their family help you, someone how knows the horse well.
Choosing a good place
Look at the area where you will be taking the pictures, you are looking for a location with a simple background, preferably a field, particularly if you would like a full body painting.
Lighting
Use natural lighting when possible. Photos taken in a large building or stables can sometimes distort the colouring of the horse. If you need to take pictures inside, get close to a stable door to allow for some natural light and use a flash or redeye flash especially if your horse has dark colouring.
Be prepared for sudden movement.
Horses can be unpredictable and move without warning. Sometimes nervous pets can jump at the sound of a shutter click. If you have the facility perhaps you can take the sounds of the camera. These days with digital cameras they have weird and wonderful sounds, so it may be better to put the camera on silent.
Keep a treat handy
Treats are tools of the trade in pet photography! I usually take the photos and the owner of the horse stands with some nice treats in their pocket which really can help to get the horses head in a good position.
Reins and Bridles
Do you want the portrait with reins and bridles on? Many times i have painted horses and had to remove the bridle, but this is a very difficult job and it sometimes isn't possible because the straps and buckles can hide the important structure of the hoses face. If you would like the portrait without any reins, try to take the photos without them on.
Good luck and if you have taken photos of your horse and have any other tips to add....let me know!
