Wild white mares galloping on the sand
Jul, 2016Views
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VTPhotographer2018
August 31, 2016
The color and crispness of this photograph are beyond words. They look as though they would gallop right off the page! Nicely done!
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adavies
September 01, 2016
Lovely image! Nicely done! Welcome to ViewBug! Looking forward to seeing more:)
mattpalgrave
September 06, 2016
beautiful capture of the, if I'm not mistaken, the ancient camargue..?
Helkoryo
October 05, 2016
Hi Matt sorry for the delay, yes indeed they are the lovely Camarue ladies
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sueeden
October 05, 2016
Is this the Camargue? I was there last week, beautiful area and gorgeous photo
Helkoryo
October 05, 2016
Hello Sue yes they are Camargue mares, we went for a week in June specifically to watch and photograph them. Quite simply amazing
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BBurketPhotography
October 14, 2016
Stunning photograph. I am in love with horses and photography. This photograph just really captures the true strength and majestic nature behind horses. Well done!
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Behind The Lens
Location
The image was shot on a wild white horses photo shoot at a secret location in the Camargue south of France in June 2016. The location is kept secret to protect these magnificent wild horses. The shoot was arranged by Createaway who have some amazing contacts in the Camargue and can get access to the protected and private areas on the marshes.Time
Shot just after dawn, we were up at 4.30 am to catch the best light. Covered in mosquito repellent and with two layers of clothing as the mosquitos in the Camarge are some of the most aggressive in the world. It was hot and sticky and not for the feint hearted.Lighting
I wanted a dawn shoot to capture the warm lighting on the bodies of the beautiful white mares with the water glistening on their backs. The soft warm light against the white horses with the blue waters and the beaches looks incredible, however on this occasion after capturing the planned shot I got the chance to shoot something different to the expected and the result is as you can see quite earthy although still with a warm feel.Equipment
Canon 70d and a Canon 70/200 f2.8 L IS lensInspiration
The mares decided to roll in the sand after galloping through the water. Their actions meant the colouring from the original shoots was totally different to the planned shot and I actually loved the soft grainy earthy feel. I also wanted the soft grainy effect in the low lighting to give a dreamy feel to the image.Editing
I had to crop the image a little as the guardians who care for the horses were chasing along behind them.In my camera bag
I always have my main camera Canon 70d and a Canon 450d as backup. I carry 3 lenses all f2.8 70/200mm a 60mm and a 24mm the 24mm sits on my 450d and most of the time the 70/200 is on the 70d. I also carry a panasonic lumix which is a really handy pocket sized camera. In addition I have spare batteries, a drink and a small snack. A lens cleaner and a MUST is a black plastic bin bag that I use to lean on sit on or lay on if the terrain is really wet or mucky. Most importantly take a couple of spare memory cards, you will shoot non stop and running out of space would be a travesty.Feedback
Get up very early! before dawn and be in position, be prepared for the lighting to change dramatically. Go with an idea of what you want to shoot but as wild animals are unpredictable be ready to shoot something very different and unexpected. Have masses of space on your memory card and shoot continuous. I shot around 1500 images in an hour and a half on this shoot. With a herd of wild animals especially horses you'll find one will always be pulling a silly face or their legs are in the wrong position so you will always need a large number of shots to select the best. Your going to get grubby and soaking wet! This image was shot laying in the sand on the beach for the most dramatic effect with the horses being driven AT us by their guardian carers. The horses WILL NOT run into you just so long as you keep still. The adrenaline rush as the horses are galloped at full speed towards you or across in front of you is quite breath taking but somehow I always feel safe behind the lens of my camera. My main difficulty was trying to find the balance between watching and photographing these magnificent ladies, in the end I gave up watching, kept my finger on the trigger and shot 1000s images concluding I could "re watch" them when I processed the images at home.
