HOME > ABC's of Equine Photography by Kim Utke

In answer to the many requests received over the years on taking pictures, what camera and lens I use, this page has been created. It is not meant for the professional, or even the amateur, who already have their basics. It is my hope it will help the ones that need it the most. I am going to tell you what I use, as that has been the question most asked. Camera, lens, film, techniques.

Camera:  This is a matter of personal preference, but as Carl Miles told us when we started out with the Appaloosas:  “buy the best Appaloosa you can afford, even if you have to finance several years to pay for it. A sure way to loose, is buy a cheap horse and pray for a miracle”. This works for the cameras, too, in that if you buy the best you can afford, you will do yourself more justice than buying a cheap one, and “praying for a miracle”. However, it definitely doesn't mean you need to finance your house to buy one.

I use a Minolta 7000i with an 80-200mm zoom lens. It is an auto focus camera, which is such a valuable feature in that horses loose on pasture leave you little time to set the controls, focus, and try to capture that fleeting pose. Seems like the best pictures I could have gotten, I never did, because of having controls to set, focusing to do (in the past), not being able to get into position fast enough, or having a foal or mare walk in front of that “perfect” shot. Auto focus will at least take care of the need to focus each time.

A good quality 35mm camera (as Canon, Minolta, Nikon) and 80-200 or 75-210mm zoom lens is the most versatile combination, and will eliminate the need for changing lenses. I use the 80mm setting for the rear shots, 135mm for the side, and 200mm for the front. All you have to do is zoom (“pull or push”) your lens barrel to those settings. Instamatics and disposable cameras have been noted to capture a good photo now and then, but if you want consistent results, a 35mm is your best choice.

Controls:  I used a manual camera for years, with the necessity of having to change the f-stop (control of light hitting the film) for light or dark horses. Again, many shots were missed because of that. Switching from a dark bay colt, over to a light Palomino, or leopard, usually demanded a change in the settings. Or, I would pick a happy medium and shoot at that setting (as 250 at f/8).  Now the cameras are fairly automatic, and although at first I didn't think I would  use the total “Program” setting, I now do. I still look at some of the photos from my old Zies Ikon camera (manual) from “ions” back, and know that they are still hard to beat. But, the convenience of a totally automatic camera will capture the photos as fast as you can get in position. So plan on using the Program setting which will give you automatic setting of the shutter speed and f-stop. Second favorite of mine, is the shutter priority, where I can set the shutter speed, and the camera sets the f-stop. 

Film:  This becomes personal preference, but I use Kodak Gold 200 exclusively. In the past I saw too many folks switching from 100 to 200 to 400 ASA film, and forgetting to change the setting on the camera (like me!). Now, most cameras set the ASA (film speed) automatically, so again, this is not a problem. But, if you stick with a 200 speed film, you are fairly well covered from overcast days to bright days. And, if you are shooting horses, you will be choosing fairly decent weather, I am sure. And, remember to shoot, shoot, shoot. I am happy if I get one or two great shots out of a 24 exposure roll of film!

Camera position:  This depends upon the height of the person. Aiming for the middle of the horse's back for camera position, usually is a good average. A high camera position will create the effect of shorter legs, and lower angle will create a taller effect. On foals, if I think I have time and will not loose the pose, I will sometimes drop down on one knee, which in turn helps stabilize the camera and gets me down to the level of his back. For head shots, the camera should be at the lowest level, shooting upwards. Dropping down on one shoulder will help. This way you will get more sky and less distracting background included. Zoom to 200mm for head shots which will give you the best perspective and least distortion.

Lighting:  Best time is early forenoon or late afternoon to early evening (8 to 10 AM and 4 to 7 PM).  From late morning to early afternoon (10 to 2) the sun creates shadows on the lower extremities. Trying for the least amount of shadow on the horse is best. On a posed shot (horse under halter), the shadow of your body should point towards the horse on a side view,  a 3/4 front, or rear view (watch so it isn't in your picture!). But in a pasture situation, this is hard to control.  We feed two long lines of pellets when we take photos each morning, to control the lighting situation as much as we can.

Slightly overcast days are my favorite days to take pictures. With a thin haze of clouds the muscle lines aren't quite as prominent, but shadow detail improves and the colors are more vibrant. This works well on leopard horses. A bright sunny day will seem to shrink the spots on a leopard horse and wash them out, so I have found overcast days best for shooting them. Ideally, a photo of a leopard horse, taken on a slightly overcast day, and into the sun (rules are meant to be broken) will create almost a “glow” around the horse, and the spots will show up better than shooting on the sunny side of the horse. And, remember, catch a shot even if all things aren't correct, then try for  a better one. Often the horse or colt will not hold that pose until you find a better position.

POSITIONING:
Side Shots: I watch for side shots of the foal or horse when the near legs are completely vertical, and the off legs are visible to the inside of the near legs.  My rule of thumb for this shot is to see “space” between the front and back legs from knees and hocks on down. In other words, to see a triangle of space from the bottom of the knees on down that the two front legs create, and a triangle of space from the hocks on down that the back legs create. Since most folks like to see the head on the horse or foal, I have the head slightly turned to the side to show the face marking. But loose on pasture, control of this isn't always possible. A head turned will make the neck appear heavier, but it sure is nice to see the face or at least part of it. Head Shots:  On pasture, and uneven ground, I usually have to drop down on an elbow or shoulder for the head shots, to have clear sky in the photo, and not the other horses. I like to have the head turned about half way towards me, so the eye on opposite side of head starts to show. 

However, straight on head shots on horses shows off the jaw well, wide forehead, fox ears. This is a great shot for stallions. Most foals look best with the half-way side shot. Flat side shots show off a good profile, but folks seem to want to see some of the face. The halfway side works best for that. Be sure to have the lens setting at 200 to eliminate distortion (or 210 if you have a 75 to 210 lens).

Front Shots: I call this a 3/4 front (from flat side) which is probably not correct, but so you know this does not mean “front on”. I like to catch this with head high, ears alert, legs vertical and completely parallel, with equal spacings between legs. More ideal yet, is to have slightly more space between the two hind legs than between the the two front, with all legs vertical. And if at all possible, front legs on a very slight rise. This view should also taken at 200mm setting on lens.

Rear Shots:  Again, I call this 3/4 rear (from flat side) so as not to mean straight rear shot. As in the 3/4 front shot, legs completely vertical and parallel. This is the hardest shot to take, especially loose horses on pasture. I move in closer and have the lens set at 80mm, to avoid distortion of the head if using telephoto. By the time we got done giving Crystal Prince a bath, it was raining. All photos of him were taken in light rain in great haste, until the lens barrel got so wet and sticky we had to quit. I was lucky to capture a 3/4 rear shot of him, as he's never been taught to set up. His off hind leg should have been back more, but no doubt we'd have lost the position of the rest of the legs. This is a good angle for a muscular hindquarter.

Assistants:  Equally important to achieving good horse photography is your helper. Taking photos of foals loose on pasture demands the helper immediately move into the position needed by the photographer to get their attention (ears up). And of course this doesn't always happen, as he or she cannot be on all sides of you at once.  Our son Shannon helped until he was gone, then daughter Lori helped until she left and passed the job of "waving the flag" on to Dave. I think it goes without saying, that being the flag-waver during a photo session, is not the most glamorous job in the world!

Scenics: For pasture scenes, and the like, try to frame your pictures. In other words, try to find an overhanging branch or include  trees on each edge, of something to create a “frame” for your photo, to help hold attention to the horse(s) in the photo. Unfortunately this is not always possible, but if it is, it will create a better “feeling”, and hold attention to the photo. Another important aspect of scenics is to incorporate an "S" curve into them if possible, as is evident in the pond scene at the top of this page. The tops of the trees, the far edge of the pond, and the land on this side create the "S" curve which gives a relaxing feeling to the photo.

Summary: since our pastures are several miles from home, we must take a tractor and mower to the pastures and mow the grass and weeds in an area for photos every summer. Then, we buy several tons of pasture cubes (pelleted protein supplement) and feed in two long lines every morning, in the mowed area. And wait for the foals to come into the space between the rows so we can photograph them. Many mornings no photos are captured at all. The biggest problem is trying to keep the foals away from us so we can get their pictures. This is the time their people loving disposition really gets in the way.

• Minolta 7000i 35mm camera (or any good autofocus)
• 80-200mm zoom lens
• Kodak Gold 200 film
• Setting:  “Program” (or shutter set at 250 to 500)
• Head shots:  200mm setting (camera low, shoot up)
• Side Shots:  135mm setting
• 3/4 front shots:  200mm setting
• 3/4 rear shots:  80mm setting
• Lighting:  At your back (slightly overcast or near-rain for super color)
• Simplicity:  Least cluttered background possible!

Good  luck!

Kim's photos have been seen for years in leading horse publications (Equus, Western Horseman, etc.) used by the Appaloosa Horse Club  and Journal in their advertisements. They have appeared on covers of magazines, including the front cover of the May of 1982 Appaloosa Journal (photo contest winner). Her photos have won many blue ribbons and Grand Champion awards. Many of the “students” she has helped, have gone on to win Championships in photo contests, and had their photos appear on covers of various magazines in turn.