Equine Photography | Simi Valley, CA
Last Updated on October 31st 2023
Emma and Cola
Emma and I connected on Nextdoor and quickly set up the shoot. I had wanted to add Equine Photography to my portfolio for sometime now. I rode horses for 14 years and have always had a deep love for them. In fact, when I was first learning photography, horses were my main subject and inspiration.
Emma and I started talking and laughed when we realized we had a similar connection. I rode horses at Foxfield Equestrian School, and Emma’s horse Cola (who she is leasing) is owned by one of the granddaughters of JoAnn Postel, one of the founders of Foxfield.
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read my Equine Photo Shoot Tips
Equine Photography Tips
Equine photography can be beautiful if you take care and do things carefully! You don’t want to do anything that puts the horse, photographer, owners, or handlers safety at risk. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re planning your Equine Photoshoot.
1~ Working with Horses for your Equine Photography Session
If you’re going to have your horse photographed, it’s important to understand how horses work. Horses, by nature, are prey animals. They’re big, HEAVY, prey animals that could spook at any moment. Safety is paramount when working around horses. Be sure to hire a photographer who understands horses and has worked with them before.
Bring Extra Help: It’s a good idea to bring someone with you while photographing your horse. That way the photographer can do their job and you can focus on posing for the shot. Your helper could help position your horse into a photogenic stance, toss something in the air to get your horses attention (and ears forward), and offer treats to keep your horses focus.
Posing Your Horse: There are a few key things your photographer is going to look to capture.
Ears Forward - The most attractive horse photos have the horses ears forward and alert. You can achieve this by having either your handler or your photographer toss a handkerchief or jingling some keys.
Neck Curvature - This pose looks best when the horse is by itself or with you. By itself, you could stand behind or to the side and have your horse turn it’s neck without turning its body, that way you achieve a very attract curve to your horses neck.
Square Feet - Horses look best when they’re feet are all aligned and squared up. Have your helper get your horse into this attractive pose while you pose for the camera as well!
2~ Lighting and Equipment for your Equine Photography Session
Natural Light vs. Artificial Light: It’s important to the comfort of the horse to have your photographer utilize natural light whenever possible. Look for natural light opportunities by paying attention to the direction of the sun, cloud cover, etc. If your photographer has to use artificial light, have them test it out first to make sure your horse doesn’t spook by the sudden bright light.
Choice of Equipment: Lenses and equipment depend on the look you want for your photos. Your photographer will most likely use a telephoto lens of some sort to ensure they’re never too close to your horse.
Blurry, painterly background - This is achieved by using a super long lens to create compression and completely blur out the background. My favorite lens for this is a 200-500mm lens.
Capturing your surroundings - My favorite lens to use for capturing you and your horse, as well as your surroundings, is my 85mm. I can still be far enough away from your horse where I don’t feel like I’m crowding them, but I can still get nice details.
The Small Details - This is best achieved with a short length lens like a 35mm. Your photographer is going to have to get close to your horse to capture the tiny details, so make sure you and your handler are holding your horse and that your horse is comfortable with a camera being so close to it.
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About Megan W Photography
Megan is a Fine Art Maternity, Couples, and Family photographer who was born, raised, and is still living in Malibu, CA. She is here to capture you and your loved ones in images that you will want to cherish, and pass down to future generations.
Not only is she a photographer, but she is a mother, wife, daughter, and sister.
Maternity, family, and couples hold a special place in her heart because she knows how quickly time flies by. Megan W Photography wants to help you preserve those sweet little smiles, those tender, affectionate moments, and the love you share with each other.
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Hi! I’m Megan
I’m a luxury, Malibu, CA based photographer who specializes in Maternity, Couples, and families. I serve Los Angeles and Ventura County, as well as all of California. I value tangible, heirloom art pieces versus digital and I focus on quality over quantity.
