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Choosing
a Photographer
(Are You It?)
At
Whispering Hope Ranch, we are discriminating about photos and
know when we come across a photographer we like. Good
photography makes pages easy to design!
Your
basic choices are to find a good professional photographer or take the
pictures yourself.
A
good professional photographer makes the whole process easy.
But
if you're going to go through the expense of hiring a
professional photographer, make sure you are engaging a
good one. Know what the cost of prints will be before
committing and what kind of guarantee is given with the work. If
you don't need 8"x10" photos, for instance, make sure
you won't be required to purchase that size after the photo
shoot. See if the photographer has special rates for groups, in
case several ranches in your area can have photos done with the
same photographer.
Check samples of the person's work for the type of photo you
will be needing. For instance, some photographers are VERY good
at action shots but don't know how to pose a horse for
portraits. Look at examples of both. Look at posing, backgrounds
and whether the horse or subject seems to jump out of the
picture at you.
For
mini horse photography, Amy
Toner is one of the best, if you can get her. (Email Amy at Tonersnaps@aol.com
or see her box below.) We love her
work!
Ms. Toner has a
degree in Fine Arts (photography), and that truly
shows in the composition of her photos. The horses seem to stand
out from the pictures. You'll see Amy Toner's shots in the horse
magazines. Before deciding on your photographer, compare his
or her portfolio to the work of Amy Toner and others like her.
We
will be listing photographers as we find ones to recommend. Let
us know if you have a favorite good one we should list here.
Rhapsody
sent us the name of Jim Rhoades. You may
email him at jrhoads@gate.net
or see the box below for more information.
If you
show your horses, check for photographers at the show. Also,
look in the trade magazines. Watch for photographer names on the
GOOD pictures, and then look for the person's advertisement in
the magazine.
Check the AMHA
website for photographer advertisements.
If
a good professional photographer is not an option, don't hire a
mediocre one. Wait until a good one becomes available. Meanwhile, take the
pictures yourself instead of hiring a so-so or inexperience
photographer. For less money, you can keep taking shots until
you have something that looks acceptable. (You might not have the
patience for this.)
Unless
you are only doing candid shots, find a friend to help you with
staging. One of our fillies knows exactly when to put her head
down just as we snap the photo. Nothing is more frustrating than
being an amateur photographer and trying to stage a horse
portrait without help! Candid shots are much easier. But if your
horses are like ours, they will come to you and your photo will
suddenly show only horses noses as they investigate whether that
little box you are pointing at them is really a horse treat.
For web photos, you may use a
digital camera or 35mm camera. (Film for 35 mm cameras should be
around ASA 100. ASA 400 is too grainy.) Polaroid
cameras usually do not produce quality pictures, but there are
exceptions.
Our
web designers can do some touch up on photos. Touch up includes
removing backgrounds, making a cameo or removing a distracting
object. If you are in doubt, send the photo and ask us. Some
touch-up work can be done with in the free time that comes with
a web site. If an additional charge is required, you will
receive a quote for your approval before any work is
completed.
However,
neither the photographers or the web designers can make horses
appear thinner. Especially for minis, this can be troublesome.
When taking photos, plan to take some head shots in case the
poor dears are looking a bit chubbier than you would wish to
show. If winter time means the horses are fuzzy, headshots
can be your answer.
Most
of all, try to have fun when you are arranging and taking the
pictures. Don't worry. Things will come together and your horses
are going to look great.
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