Face like an Angel, Ass like a Washerwoman
This racehorse is one that I pre-trained when I worked as a track rider. Huge 17hh, but with a heart of gold. Couldn't have found a more honest and loyal horse ...
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This racehorse is one that I pre-trained when I worked as a track rider. Huge 17hh, but with a heart of gold. Couldn't have found a more honest and loyal horse then this guy.
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Aug, 2015Views
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Legendary Award
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 1
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Top 10 rank
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 2
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was originally taken in a paddock at a thoroughbred racing stables that I used to pre-train racehorses at. I had been told by my boss that I was to go around and take photos of all the horses on the property to create their own profile. So of course this was the perfect opportunity to spend a whole afternoon taking photos of them all. Hollywood, being my main companion on the farm, stole the show.Time
Must have been late afternoon, which is the best time to photograph horses as they are more placid and patient. They are more willing to put up with me clicking and making funny noises to catch their attention with their ears forward!Lighting
For this photo, natural light was willing to co-operate. By getting Hollywood to line up with the light in such a way that the muscle definition on the neck became profound, whilst keeping the softness in the eyes and face, I was able to get my shot. This was perfect as it shows he has a gentle and sweet nature, any harsher light would have would have given the viewer the wrong message.Equipment
This shot was taken on a Nikon D5000 with a 18-55mm lens, nothing more, nothing less.Inspiration
Hollywood was the first racehorse that I ever rode. I had just arrived at this new track riding job without a clue in the world what I was getting myself into! Having never rode a racehorse before, my hands were shaking as I put his saddle and bridle on. Horses know when your nervous, they can feel it. Some take advantage of this and take you for one hell of a difficult ride. Hollywood most definitely did not, he took care of me on the laps around the track. He is a loyal horse with a heart of gold, without him I would not have gained the confidence to take on more difficult horses to ride. He is a king among horses and I wished to portray him as one.Editing
Due to the fact I could not have gotten a 17hh horse into a studio - post-processing was definitely used. It was a pretty simple process, the image was converted to black and white, then using the burn tool I burnt the background around Hollywood. That's it! Sometimes it's the simplest things that create the biggest impact.In my camera bag
I don't carry much more then just my Nikon D5000 and the original 18-55mm lens with me. I don't see much point in much more. These days anyone can purchase a camera, a flash lens, tripod, travel to the most photographed spots in the world and take a brilliant photo. Instagram proves that. So for me it's about using a pretty box-standed (but good) camera and finding things that people don't normally see, or capture an image in a way that differs from what the average eye would have seen.Feedback
Theres not much to say other then it's all about being there at the right moment. With animal shots, most of the time they are just fluke shots. If the camera hadn't taken the photo at that exact moment, an ear or a bit of mane might have moved. But anyone that has tried taking a photo of their pet knows that. The animals posture at the time of capture is most vital, as they give off the mood of the image. If you want a calm picture, you want the horse calm. As after everything in the background is removed, all you have is the animal to interoperate.
