Favourite things… flying hooves
I so loved reading your feedback from the last post… It was totally fascinating to read what everyone picked as their favourite image. It says volumes about what you connect with, what your own experience brings to the choice, even what colours you like!
…
…that made my heart race when I first saw it.
and groovy belts and things,
But there were all sorts of obstacles (fences, gates, people) in the way when the horse was at that exact angle. It started to frustrate me.
I love that you can see the sinews in the foreleg,
… and the cloud of grains of dirt and sand ballooning behind the lower hoof.
I love the mainly monotone of the shot, with the shot of sassy lavendar in the horse’s bellboots. The crop below is pretty much the original frame.
In fact I reckon it would be a psychologists dream to analyse this comments section…
Luckily for y’all I am no psycho-therapist...
(Some might argue I need one on occasion, but that’s a whole other story!)
…
So, would you like to know which was my favourite image?
Each of the selection of action shots grabbed me (naturally, or they wouldn’t be there) and I but it was
this one…
…that made my heart race when I first saw it.And I wondered why?
Because if you know anything about me, it’s that I fly by the seat of my jeans when it comes to thinking through my photography. I don’t think, I just shoot.
…
To back up a little, I should explain that I really wanted to capture images of ‘flying hooves’ last weekend. I had been asked to take some shots for the campdraft organising committee, and was given carte blanche (pardon my French) with ideas. The ideal job description! And so while I also took the regular action shots and close-ups of muzzles …
and groovy belts and things, I also made a conscious decision to try and get the hooves in action.
My initial idea was to get the hooves from behind to see the outline of the shoes.
I have to admit, it took about 80 shots, and some hits and plenty of misses…
Dear me!
…
For those into cameras, I use a Nikon D100 with a 28-200 Nikkor zoom lense… a good little all-rounder. I am notorious for only ever using one lense, and I hate messing with lenses in dusty environments (nasty for the gizzards of one’s camera!) but it was asking a lot of my little zoom to get in that close in as the horse and rider galloped from the camp out into the arena.
Some came out alright…
But there were all sorts of obstacles (fences, gates, people) in the way when the horse was at that exact angle. It started to frustrate me.…
And then I just decided to throw caution to the wind and try and shoot through the fence as the horse ‘cut out’ in the camp yard, dashing and diving towards and away from me, just metres from the camera.
And then I just decided to throw caution to the wind and try and shoot through the fence as the horse ‘cut out’ in the camp yard, dashing and diving towards and away from me, just metres from the camera.
A challenge…
not the least of which was the demand on the auto-focus!!
And while some grabbed a sharp image, they just didn’t capture the action…
As yet soon as I took this next shot, I knew.
I knew the way you know about a good melon …
(name that movie).
I love that you can see the sinews in the foreleg, the nails in the hoof …
… and the cloud of grains of dirt and sand ballooning behind the lower hoof.I love that you can see the spur but little more of the rider.
I love the mainly monotone of the shot, with the shot of sassy lavendar in the horse’s bellboots. The crop below is pretty much the original frame.If you wanted to, you could see some sort of ‘thirds rule’ thing happening there…
I shall be enlarging this one for my own wall.
And I may incorporate it somehow in the next BB banner.
Who knows?
Because really, I just look at it, and it gives me a little thrill.
You really can over-analyse these things, don’t you agree?
Basically, it just rings mah bells.
…
…
Oh, you know what other shot really caught my eye?
This one…
Sure the action and composition and blah de blah blah is nice,
but don’t you recognise that rump?
And I ain’t talkin’ ’bout Trooper.
Heh.
Heh.
Those bells are still ringing!
And Mr Incredible is officially blushing again.
I love it when he does that…
8 Comments
Mom L
You answered my unasked question! Thank you! To be honest, your favorite hoof photo also grabbed me first. But I was thrown off (sorry, horse) by the “lavender bellboots”. I wondered what in the hell were the lavender ankle socks doing on a horse? So I went on to find another favorite. OK – enlighten me – why does the horse wear them, and does he (or is it a mare?) object to the fancy color? I admit it looks great with the gray horseflesh….
Nancy in Atlanta
Leenie
Wow! Great shots. Don’t you just love digital cameras with the unlimited shots and instant feedback? I have a Nikon D40 and, what and improvement over film cameras! I,too, like your favorite photo, and I can see why you are prejudice toward that rear shot. But also really like the action pic of the black with his tail snapping in the turn.
d/iowa
OMG as i read this post i was going to ask why the horse wore those little purple thingies-but i see my mom beat me to it! hilarious.
Pony Girl
Good explanation of your shots! I like the lavender boots myself…must be a mare? Or at least a girl-girl cowgirl riding her! 😉
Reddirt Woman
I totally agree with you. I didn’t get my vote in for my favorite because I’m just catching up on my reading after being gone for a few days, but I love all that is going on in that shot. A lot to keep you interested, but still a very cohesive photo, all around. You can tell that the horse (and rider) are really working that calf. The tendons and the muscles in the horse’s legs and the way the weight is distributed in the feet in the stirrups…
Great photos, one and all, but that is definitely heads and shoulders above the rest.
Thanks for sharing.
Woman in a Window
I appreciate that you broke it down here because really, I was thinking, I’m a shitty photographer. Nice to know it took 80 shots ’cause that one is perfection.
Bush Babe
WiaW – I probably took about 20 actual hoof shots in the camp (yard) but about 80 action shots all-up. Really I got lucky. You are an awesome photographer… so go wash your mouth out!!!
RdW – welcome back! Thanks. Actually, I did love the muzzle shot and the head-to-head shot too – but because this was the one I was chasing, I guess I favoured it.
PG – actually… I suspect it was a guy. One clearly very at ease with his own masculinity!! Or with a wife who buys the bellboots…
Diane and Nancy – these boots are to protect the front feet from overstriding back hooves as the horse gallops and turns sharply. I think. But I could be wrong. It has been known to happen!
Leenie – thanks! Some people drink, some people smoke, I take photos. It’s a time-consuming habit which i like to inflict on others!!
🙂
BB
Pencil Writer
Loved the action shots of great horses. Would be so hard to pick one or two. You do such great work–like everybody else noticed.