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With summer now upon us we all want a gorgeous sunset photo of our horses to share on Instagram or Facebook, but capturing this dream image can be a lot easier said than done. Having the right equipment does help and make things a little easier but not everyone has access to a fancy camera and all the lenses to go with it. So here I’ve put together my top tips for getting that perfect shot, in a variety of locations, whether you have an SLR camera or just your regular smart phone.
Landscape sunsets
-Find a pretty location where you can see the sunset very clearly
-Arrive at least an hour before the sun is due to set, this is golden hour
Camera;
-Take a tripod! Without one your images will be blurry or dark
-Switch your settings so you can slow down your shutter speed
-Facing the sunset with give you that WOW silhouette effect
-Facing away will give everything a gorgeous golden glow
Phone;
-Don’t leave it too late, your phone needs more light than a camera
-Golden shots facing away from the sun may work better than silhouettes
-Get arty with angles! You’ll be surprised at what works well
-Try taking a video for moving shots, you can then screenshot later
Sand school jumping
-A plain background is good for up close jumping shots
-A scenic backdrop gives an overall pretty image to look at
-Be sure to set your jumps up accordingly
Camera;
-Change your settings to burst mode, hold down the shutter button to take many images in quick succession
-Sport mode will automatically increase the shutter speed
-Taking photos from lower down to the ground can give the impression that the jump is bigger than it is!
Phone;
-Videos are your best friend! Not only can you take screenshots at any point but they’re also very handy for improving your own riding
-Face away from the light to give you a bright clear shot
-Some phones also have a burst mode
Woodland
-A location best suited for spring and autumn shoots as the colours are more vivid
Camera;
-Rainy day-A quick shutter speed will capture the rain fall but it mustn’t be too quick or the image will be too dark
-Sunny day-Use a tripod and a slow shutter speed to capture sun rays through the canopy
-Adjust the aperture to change the depth of focus
Phone;
-A bright day is a must
-Focus on angles rather than lighting tricks
-Leading lines work well in woods-A leading line is a curve or a line that starts nearer the edge of an image and draws the eye towards the centre e.g. A straight line of trees down a track.
Remember to take lots of photos on your shoot, don’t delete any in haste, wait until you’ve seen them on a bigger screen, you may be surprised!