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Horsing around
Q
I shoot at equestrian
events, but I find
the backgrounds
very cluttered. How do
I overcome this?
Sue ParrA
It’s always a frustration where
you have no control over where
your subject is going to be and
what’s in the background. I’ve
spent a lot of time walking around looking
at jumps at cross-country events, trying to
work out the best angle to shoot from and
stop the background from getting in the
way. It’s not untypical to have caravans or
portable toilets right in your line of shot
because the course creators don’t think
about the photographer: they are only
interested in creating a good course for
the horse and rider. With a little bit of
legwork and thought around aperture
settings, you can get some cool shots.
Shooting side-on, I tend to shoot at
about f/5.6 and occasionally f/4 if the scene
behind the horse is particularly busy. It’s
harder to do this if you shoot head-on, as
you want to keep the horse’s and the rider’s
heads both reasonably sharp, so generally
a head-on shot is taken at f/8 or, if lack
of light dictates it, f/5.6.
There is one thing I actually like in the
background: a crowd! You don’t get them
at many of the horse events, but you do at
some of the bigger ones, such as Burghley
and Badminton. Although it can make the
image ‘busy’, I think it gives the shot an
extra dimension, so I’ll go out of my way
to find a position where I can include
the viewing public in the shot.
If you are clever and really think about
the composition, you will always find
a way to avoid as much of a distracting
background as possible.Misty-eyed
Q
I can get quite a lot
of mist at this time
of year near where
I live. What are your best
tips for shooting in this
type of condition?
Neil WestA
Mist is a great atmospheric
addition to a scene, but it can
be tricky to photograph. My
first tip is to make sure you
set the alarm clock early. The most
atmospheric misty conditions tend to occur
as the sun rises, and you need to be out
there for this moment. Mist will gather
most often and hang about for the longest
time in low-lying areas, or around rivers
and lakes. Identify these places in your local
area, and look for slightly higher ground
where you can shoot down onto the scene.
These occasions are going to relatively
low in light, so the camera needs to be on
a tripod. You may find yourself needing to
manually focus, as the lack of contrast
can play havoc with the AF. I’ll usually
compose with Live View, zoom into
the part of the scene I want to focus
on and set that focus point manually.
Exposure can be tricky too, but if you
are working in Live View, you’ll can gauge
whether your shot is too light or dark,
and adjust exposure compensation.You can’t avoid
crowds at events, but
you can control how
you shoot them.Capturing morning
mist requires an
understanding of
focus and exposure.