Another Critique

[miniwhinny74]

I'm back again!

This is my other colt, "On The Rise Farm's SS Dynamic Twist," by Sami's Soap Suds and out of Two Eagles Cheyenne Autumn, a daughter of Hobby Horse Hill's Moon Shadow. He was foaled 6/4/2008. He was measured 2 months ago at 29 3/4 or so. He will be gelded this fall.

I would appreciate you guys' opinion on this boy. Again, I want to hear the good & the bad--but most of all, WHY something is good or bad, so I can learn as much as I can along the way. I think his movement is awesome--there's such a difference between the way he moves compared to his half brother, Dancer. I have plans for him to be a cart horse when he's old enough.

I just wanted to add these pics are straight from the pasture with no conditioning.

 

[kaykay]

I really think you need to take better pictures. Get him to stand square and not so stretched. Also especially on the little ones it helps to get down on the ground and take the picture at his level. Otherwise they look distorted when maybe they are not.

 

[miniwhinny74]

These photos were taken from a crouched position (I thought I was st his level!)

...should I actually lay with my stomache on the grass? Would that be too low? And should the viewfinder be aimed at mid-barrel, just behind the shoulder, or....??? Any additional tip or tricks for getting that perfect photo would be appreciated!

kaykay, thanks for your response!

 

[Just Us N Texas]

I have been told that the most correct way to take a picture of a horse is to take it from a shoulder angle. In other words, don't shoot straight on, but slightly angled from the shoulder. That is supposed to make the horse look more proportional. Personally, I don't do great pictures of anything! I am just repeating what I've been told.

 

[Margo_C-T]

I think you were OK at being 'down on his level'--ideal would be for the camera to shoot directly at the 'center' of the horse's barrel, so 'crouched down' would work(if you can stay steady--I tend to 'wobble' in a crouch!

However, the best way to see, from photos, what a horse truly looks like, is to stand it up in a NATURAL, reasonably 'square', stance. Best is for the legs on the side closer to the camera to be SLIGHTLY separate; that is, the front one SLIGHTLY behind its counterpart, and the rear one SLIGHTLY ahead of its counterpart...so that the horse doesn't appear to have only two legs! You might allow the horse to 'stretch' its neck just a bit, forward, as if reaching for a 'treat', but neither snout DOWN nor UP, as that distorts the horse's true conformational appearance. Don't have the horse STAND stretched, at all--this distorts the true appearance of the top line/croup/entire rear apparatus....(IMO, the reason why stretching is done in the show ring...).

When I set my mind to it(and having a competent but patient 'horse holder' helps a LOT!), I take a pretty good conformational photo...I've even gotten some good ones working alone, but that is much harder.

A contrasting, but uncluttered, background, is also a big help; you don't want 'stuff' behind the horse that makes it difficult to 'see' the horse's features and 'outline' clearly,nor do you want a light-colored horse in front of a background too similar in shade or tone--and vice versa.

Margo

 

[miniwhinny74]

Thanks guys! I'll see what I can do. I was just lucky to have a "helper" that particular day, and that was the was she set him up. I've never done it before, and I was trying to do it myself before she came along. Not much fun!

I'll repost pictures when I'm able!

 

[kaykay]

I sit flat on the ground when I take pics of horses this small and I have been known to lay on the ground (whatever it takes right? LOL) I was told once by a pro photographer to always shoot looking at the hip but who knows

Just get him nice and square. Take a shot front the front head on (including the chest and legs to the ground) and a shot from the side and a shot from the back from the top of the tail to the bottom of his hooves. That really helps a lot. Be sure hes on level ground!

 

[miniwhinny74]

Thanks for your help, kaykay! I'll repost as soon as I can!