How to take pictures like Kentucky Horsewear

Taking pictures of horses is not always easy. Many people ask us how we take such beautiful pictures. Today, we will share 10 photography tips and tricks from our photographer and groom for stunning horse photos.

Horse photography tips

1. When you’re photographing horses, always shoot in the shadow. This will give you natural and bright colors. When you shoot directly in sunlight, the light will be too harsh. This will make the colors and shadows look too hard.
2. The environment is super important, you can do a lot in one place, but the background should give character to the photo without taking up too much space in relation to the subject. Also, remove as much clutter as possible to keep the focus on the subject instead of the clutter.
3. Make sure that the horse is in a good position. Pay attention to the legs, body, and ears. The ears should always be forward. If your horse is not easily impressed and you have a hard time getting the ears facing forward, try to play some neighing sounds on your phone. This makes most horses interested which makes them turn their ears forward. The position of the horse has to be in proportion and the legs should be in a good position. If you’re taking a picture from above, for example, this will make the legs of the horse very small and look weird. If you’re taking a picture from below, on the other hand, the horse will look big and majestic. Also, place your horse a little further away from the background. This will give more depth to the picture and allows you to have a blur in the background.
4. Take pictures in different portrait formats. Vary the portrait formats from tight to wide and horizontal to vertical.
5. The post-production of the photos is very important. For example, photoshop the lead, add a little more light, saturate the green tones a little.

Grooming secrets

1. Wash your horse one day before the photoshoot, to dry it fast, and to avoid that it gets dirty too fast you can use our fleece show rug heavy. If you don’t have the time to bathe your horse the day before the photo shoot and you must do it on the day itself, use our towel rug to dry your horse in no time. Give your horse a very thorough groom session on the day of the photoshoot. If you want to use some shine sheen for an extra glowing effect, instead of applying it directly to your horse spray it on a soft brush first. The soft brush will distribute the shine more evenly over the horse.
2. When you’re preparing your horse, the head of the horse is often forgotten when it comes to the finishing touch. Therefore, use a baby wipe to get rid of dust in the nose and muzzle. Also, check if the eyes are not crusty. For the extra shine, use a few drops of baby oil to highlight the eye and muzzle area. This really adds the extra touch.
3. This tip is not really a grooming secret but is usually forgotten. Don’t forget to oil the hooves of your horse for a polished look.
4. If you’re taking pictures with the bridle or saddle, make sure this is clean too. Everything should be secured properly, and all the straps must be fastened. An extra tip is to add right before the pictures a tiny bit of leather grease on the saddle. This will make it look a lot better on the pictures. While you’re doing this, also check if the stirrups are clean too as people often forget to get rid of the sand.
5. Always keep a clean towel and a brush close to you while you’re shooting, you never know if you need to clean up something.