Equine photography in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, UK & surrounding areas

While I am a photographer, I also have a passion for horses. The son of a riding school owner I started riding at about 2 years old and I have ridden both English and western style.

I have a special affinity with horses and know how special they are, each with their own character.

I love to see them, be with them, work with them and capture them at play and in action.

If you have the same passion and would like some great images of your horse or pony either at play or working please contact me to discuss a photographic session.

Events and shows: If you are running an event and would like it covered please contact us.

Equine photography in Bucks

About equine photography

There are many reasons why you would like your horse or property photographed. You may want your horse(s) photographed for personal use, as a piece of art, advertising, promotion, your records or for use on your website / blog etc.

We can supply images as photographic prints, trendy printed canvases, hand painted oil paintings based on a selected photograph and an number of other artistic options.

My objective is to work with you to get you some stunning images. There are a wide range of situations that can be considered including, but not limited to:

• Action shots.
• Walking.
• Trotting.
• Canter.
• Gallop.
• Jumping.
• Stopping.
• Turning - barrel racing etc.
• Dressage.
• Hacking.
• Swimming.
• Activity shots.
• Standing.
• Feeding.
• Drinking.
• Grazing.
• Laying.
• Playing.
• Rolling.
• Grooming by owner or mutual.
• Neighing.
• Personality.
• Affection - horse & owner.
• Affection between horses / Mare & foal.
• Other.
• Working & sports.
• In tack
• Horse & cart.
• Events.
• Herding / cutting cattle.
• Other.
• Livery yard shots.
• Stables, yard & tack room.
• Arena.
• Exercise ring.
• Paddocks.
• Horse boxes.
• Other equipment.

Photographic sessions

There is no such thing as a standard photographic session; firstly your session will be tailored to your requirements and your horse, there is also the location, the weather and the unexpected.

Even where your horse is not being ridden or worked, I still prefer you (or a handler) present during the photographic session, as no one knows your horse like you do. Some of the best pictures I can take include the love and affection between horse and owner / rider / child.

Being prepared is everything

Like any photographic session the quality of images is also dependent on preparation. Anyone and everything that will be in the picture should be prepared for the session. In general a good guide is to do everything you would do if entering a show.

Preparation may include some or all of the following depending on what you are looking for.

• Ensure your horse is washed and groomed.
• Mane & tail, trimmed, brushed out or platted.
• Hooves cleaned / treated.
• Tack & equipment (including halters, lead reins etc.).
• Use the best you have or borrow some.
• Ensure it is clean.
• Buckles and straps done up.
• Clean up the area (move unwanted equipment - wheel barrow hidden etc.).

Top tip: Having some a lightly oiled cloth (or suitable wet wipes) to wipe over your horse after grooming can just bring a healthy shine to the coat.

Action shots, working shots and events

When the objective is to take action shots, I will work with you to get the shots you would like. This can be done at an event, during a training session or specially staged. There are benefits of each option. At events it may be the objective to have pictures at a specific event. Sessions taken during training sessions offer more flexibility with respect to camera positioning and can capture action shots that may not be possible at an event due to organisers restrictions. Specially staged sessions can capture dramatic images that are out of the ordinary or use studio lighting, backdrops etc.

Horse & owner / rider / child

Because some of the best and most memorable pictures are those showing the mutual love and affection between horse and owner / rider / child, I suggest that you are also at your best. Dress as you would like to be seen in your photographs; this could be in casual clothing or riding gear.

We advise anyone having a studio shoot to bring a few outfits and try various options at the session and would advise you to do the same. I have written some tips for people attending our studio sessions that you may find helpful that you can view here (opens in a new window).

Candid shots

Even where the objective of the session is not specifically for candid shots, if the opportunity presents itself I will also take a few candid shots. This may be of your horse alone or interacting with another horse, person or animal.

Location, location, location

Location is important and while I can do some fancy camera work in some cases, having a good location makes it easier and makes for better images.

Some typical locations include:

• In a field.
• In a wooded area.
• At a beauty spot.
• At water - a stream, pond, lake.
• In an indoor or outdoor arena.
• In the stable yard.
• At a sports event / show.
• In an exercise ring.
• In a stable.

There are two important issues about good locations, one is having a background that has sufficient contrast to your horse (and you if you are in the photographs) and secondly a background that looks good and uncluttered. Cluttered backgrounds (with rubbish), draw the eye away from the main subject(s) and do not make for good photographs.

There are a number of things that can be done in difficult locations including using a backdrop (similar to what we use in the studio) that can be used to create a plain background and changing the camera angle etc. Having said this some old farm buildings have a charm that can be used to advantage to provide an old world charm.

As you will initially be in a better position to identify good locations in your area, it will help if give some thought to this so that I can focus on the best locations when I arrive.

The position of the sun is an important issue for outdoor photography and photography where the sun is the main or only light source. For this reason some locations will be better at certain times in the day than at other times.

Outside sessions and the weather

The weather, Oh! the British weather. It does not need to be a sunny day, in fact an overcast day is often better than a sunny day as the lighting is softer however pouring with rain is not good. Occasional showers on the day is generally ok.

Events and shows

If you are organising an event or show and would like us to cover it please contact us to discuss your requirements, which may include action shots, winners pictures, images for publicity, newsletters or your website / blog. We are happy to cover most events in the surrounding area.

Sessions

Sessions will typically take a few hours. The actual amout of time depends on a number of factors including, the time it takes to set up the shots (especially action shots) and as you know a good deal of patience is often required when working with horses.

When doing sessions with multiple horses adequate time needs to be allowed for taking each horse.

For yards and multiple owner sessions we normally do not charge a fee for the session but charge the normal amount for prints and other media. If you are interested in a photographic session please contact us about your requirements.

For individual owners we have a standard charge of £80.00, which is based on a two hour session for locations within 20 miles of Amersham, Bucks. For distances beyond 20 miles there is a nominal travelling charge based on distance and any other expences. The standard session includes four A4 / 10" x 8" (or two A3) sized photographic prints. Additional prints, canvases and other media can also be supplied at our standard rates.

Booking is easy

To book a session, simply give us a ring on 01494 721739 or email us. We can discuss your requirements and book a suitable time to suit you.

We are happy to do sessions in the evening or over weekends if this is more convenient for you.

Meeting your event photography requirements

We are happy to help event organisers and individuals holding events who would like photographs taking be it formal shots, action shots or candid shots.

If you are planning an event that you would like photographing please contact us so we can discuss your requirements and the type of photography you are looking for.

We are able to provide a private viewing area on our website for organisers and attendees to view images.

Website image optimisation

If your images will be used on the Internet we can optimise the images for web viewing for you.

Pricing

Due to the wide range of events and photographic requirements we need to discuss your individual requiremets in order to assess the pricing. In general pricing is based on the time taken and any travelling costs.

Booking is easy

To book a session, simply give us a ring on 01494 721739 or email us. We can discuss your requirements and book a suitable time to suit you.

We are happy to do sessions in the evening or over weekends if this is more convenient for you.

Something special

If you need something special please contact us.

Meeting your requirements

While we hope that the information we have provided above has been of help to you, we appreciate that everyone's requirements are different and invite you to contact us about your specific needs, or call on 01494 721739 for more information.