Golden Joy
Sep, 2014Views
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Relaxed
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was part of a larger private photography session with this woman, who was also a long time friend, and her beloved horse at their private barn just outside of Eugene, Oregon, USA. Eugene is at the southern end of the lush Willamette Valley region and the warm tones in summertime photos here are my favorite.Time
This was one of the first client sessions I had ever done but I knew enough to know that there was a golden hour and I wanted to capitalize on that so we planned for a late afternoon/evening time where photos started in the barn around 5 pm working towards the field and this particular image at 5:52pm on September 19th, 2014. The sun in the valley (as with many places) can be tricky in the morning and evening as hills, forests, open spaces and direction of terrain can make a big difference when that perfect golden glow will happen. If you haven't planned where the session will take place, you kind of throw a dart into a big circle and hope you nail it. We continued to shoot for another 30 minutes or so but this image and a few more following it continue to be some of my favorites.Lighting
I only used natural light and no reflectors to capture this. The sun was getting low behind us and casting the perfect golden glow across the dry grass. I love the way it backlights through the woman's hair, highlights the dandelion and outlines the horse.Equipment
This was shot using my Nikon D5100 crop sensor camera and my favorite lens for equestrian photography a Tamron AF 70-200mm F/2.8 with a Promaster UV filter. No other equipment used.Inspiration
The woman in the photo is a good friend of mine and she had been through some tough times, often leaning on her horse for comfort. We both grew up with horses in our lives and they are a big part of who we are, giving us incredible joy. With this being said I needed some practice and she wanted some photos with her best friend so we scheduled it. I did some research and we talked about the types of photos we liked. It was my job to capture the essence of who they were as a team, as friends. I like more candid photos and am not great at the "look at the camera and smile photos." The shoot started great but was getting a little boring just as the light was beginning to change so we walked over to a nearby field. My friend was getting frustrated as her horse was not being very cooperative so I had her pick some dandelion weeds and show them to her horse... I wasn't sure what would happen but the image above shows the pure joy of a sweet and innocent interaction between horse and person. That perfect moment when you are so glad the settings on your camera were right and the moment was captured for all that it was, the moment she forgot her troubles and faded into laughter.Editing
I did do a little post processing but not much. Most of my editing now-a-days is done in Lightroom but when this image was taken I edited it in Photoshop CS4 only. Along with adding a little bit of saturation and clarity the biggest change was when I added in a hint of the lighting effect's function which created a little more "oomph" in the image.In my camera bag
I am a minimalist and I am lazy but I want good pictures, on a budget and with little effort. I know, a lot of people are laughing right now, including myself but I have struck a good balance at this point and I ALWAYS have with me in a holster bag or my purse is my 2013 D5100 and the Tamron 16-300mm f/3.5-6.3 as you never know when a good photo opportunity will appear and I never want to say I was without the right lens or heaven forbid my camera all together. I have been really happy with the Tamron zoom lens and find that its quality is good for such a wide range on a budget. The D5100 is lightweight, fairly small and in most situations takes great photos. So what else do I carry? I have an assortment of lenses. The Nikon DX 10-24 F/3.5-4.5 is a great wide angle on my crop sensor camera and works great for real estate photos. The Nikon DX 35mm F/1.8 is a great for low light situations and as mentioned above the Tamron 70-200mm F/2.8 is my favorite for equestrian photos and a number of other fine art related pictures and is probably my favorite lens. I have a Nissin Digital flash with air card for external mounting that is really helpful for real estate/indoor photography. I also carry a Vanguard Alta tripod for most things I do, however, I often forget to use it.Feedback
My advice for anyone trying to capture the same type of image is that lighting is key and a good photo taken under the right conditions will save you lots of time in post production. Know your camera settings and be able to change them quickly if needed... When I was learning my DSLR while I watched the evening TV I would play with settings and buttons during the commercials. I now have good built in muscle memory for my controls and needed that for this shot with changing light and directions. Above all, try to have fun! I think the last one is most important, especially for beginners as the promise of making a name for yourself can often be stressful and intimidating and the feeling can rub off on the subject. When you are having fun you are probably interacting more which brings out some of the best qualities in the people and things on the other side of your lens.
