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PeriHoke_CoyoteQuest

The Dark Horse

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

settings

Aperture f/4.0 ISO 400 Shutter 1/5000 Focal Length 93/1

upload_date

May, 2015

Views

2795

Likes

+544

Awards

Featured

Amateur Winner Experimental Underexposure Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Experimental Underexposure Photo Contest

Peer Award

+157

Superb Composition

+53

Top Choice

+39

Absolute Masterpiece

+36

Outstanding Creativity

+17

All Star

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

Genius

Virtuoso

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Behind The Lens

Location

This is one my favorite shots I've gotten at the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento. I go each year and hope to get a special photo each year. This was it for 2014! It's always a challenge trying to get something different of the horses when you're surround by people and structures and it's bright sunshine and 100 degrees out. Other challenges there are the different colors of horses combined with harsh shadows and highlights and trying to balance everything with using only natural lighting and a hand held camera with a decent size lens (70-200mm usm in this case) just adds to the challenge.

Time

This was actually taken in the morning around 10:30 but in June the sun is already burning pretty bright.

Lighting

The sun was shining bright and casting dark shadows in the background but left the horse in full light and well lit. This made exposure tricky when trying to photograph a dapple grey horse (percheron draft). I ended up underexposing to get the details of the horse and not worry about the background. I still had half the face lost in shadow but the other half at least didn't have blown out highlights.

Equipment

For this photo I used my Canon 5D Mark II and a 70-200 f2.8 USM lens. It's the best lens for this event as you're constantly going back and forth between capturing action across an arena or getting up close and personal with a friendly horse. Tripods, flashes, and all other extra stuff just doesn't work well in a crowded event with lots of walking, action, and critters around.

Inspiration

Inspiration for this photo was just the beauty and grace combined with their massive power that Percherons have. Draft horses can really define gentle giants. This horse was just hanging out in his stall watching the day unfold and I couldn't resist getting the photo. The look, the lighting, and the beauty of this horse was all it took.

Editing

I did end up doing a bit of post processing with this photo to get the look I envisioned after seeing the photo on the monitor. Overall I loved the result straight from the camera but I wanted to make it a little more dramatic so I increased the clarity and contrast a bit to make the halter and highlights pop more. There was also a bright spot in the upper right corner from the sun that was distracting so it was removed. That was it!

In my camera bag

My main camera is the Canon 5d MarkII. This is my go to camera for when I'm setting out to do photos. I absolutely love this camera and the kit lens that came with it (the 24-105 f/4L) is always with it. A 2nd or 3rd lens will generally depend on what I'm wanting to photograph (many times the 180 macro or 70-200 will be included). A speedlite is generally available though not used for the majority of my photos. To be honest, as long as I have the 5D and the 24-105 then I'm good to go for randomness! For every day commute and such (when the focus is anything but photography) I carry a 2nd bag that has a Rebel t5i and it's kit lens 18-55 STM and a 70-300 USM. Make s a great runabout bag without the worry of making sure the 5D is safe. Now I'm ready for anything whether it's a planned photo outing with the 5D or some random thing on my way to and from work.

Feedback

My advice to others is to not be afraid to try/experiment with your equipment! Also, get something that you can carry around for random shots and just have fun. Some places you think wouldn't be good for photography but with a little creativity with your lighting and settings it's amazing what you can get. In this case, there was asphalt, locks/hardware, and green stalls that I was able to remove with the exposure leaving only the horse to attract your attention. That beautiful subject in a crowded venue can be isolated with exposure and background blur and afterwards you'd swear the rest of the world wasn't anywhere near you when you took it. It takes practice but it's well worth it and opens up a whole new world and possibilities for photography!

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The Dark Horse

Behind The Lens

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