Photographing Horses: How to Capture the Perfect Equine Image [Hardcover]

Lesli Groves (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

An easy-to-use guide to help you set up and capture flattering images of horses.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book is for people with an affinity for horses, regardless of their affinity for cameras. Logically, they have the greatest appreciation for better horse pictures, even if they don’t have a clue how to take them.
“A camera teaches you how to see without a camera,” said Dorothea Lange, an influential photojournalist of the Depression era. Through the camera you develop a more discerning eye for horses. You distinguish more in their individual conformation and the dynamics of their movement, their expressions and behavior. You recognize the ephemeral quality of light and how it affects what we see. The world simply becomes a more interesting place.
Horse photography does not lend itself to a traditional “how-to” approach, except at the most elementary level. It is not like paint-by-numbers. We don’t all have the same expectations, nor are we working with predictable ingredients. And that’s the beauty of it. Our photos are unique images of unique individuals.
—from the Introduction

About the Author

Lesli Groves, the former editor of The Quarter Horse Journal and America’s Horse, runs her own photography and video-production business in Weatherford, Texas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159228230X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592282302
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Should be titled Beginners Guide to Horse Photography, January 23, 2007

By 

M. ANNE (california) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Photographing Horses: How to Capture the Perfect Equine Image (Hardcover)

I eagerly awaited this book for several months before receiving it. What a total disappointment it has been. Not only are the photos mediocre, many poorly exposed, with details hidden in shadows or blown out by too much light; most are simply not crisp or sharp-- they could easily appear in anyone's snapshot album. It appears that her target audience is simply the horse owner who wants to take better photos of his horse. If that is the case, specific information would be most helpful (i.e. " standing approximately 10 feet from the shoulder will give you X result". The advice on posing is totally inadequate, even for Quarterhorses which are featured through the book. Arabians, Morgans, Saddlebreds, etc, are all posed somewhat differently. There is no mention of learning the breed differences in order to photo well. The head shots on pages 114 & 115 make me want to cry...the "bad" example is superior to the one being shown as correct although the background is better, and it could benefit from judicious cropping.
This is the other disappointment - there are no truly beautiful photos in the book which give you something to aim for, or to admire and life your sights up. Surely the author could have found a few outstanding photos to add visual interest to her text rather than using model horses.
I believe that if you are a camera novice, this book could give you some useful tips, and that is why it gets 2 stars instead of 1. However, you would be far better off to get a book on photography, learn how to use the camera's features and then go out and shoot, shoot, shoot. Try to find Darol Dickensen's older "Photographing Livestock", look at Robert Vavra's books, read the Quarterhorse Journal, the Arabian Horse Times, the Dressage books to see good examples of excellent photographs. Pay attention to the photos in the horse magazines like Horse Of Course, Western Horsemen - you will learn far more. After all this waiting, I am returning this rather basic, generally underwritten book tomorrow. Good luck with your horse photos - you can do better!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nuts and Bolts of Equine Photography, September 13, 2006

By 

Thomas Mckane "Thomas" (Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Photographing Horses: How to Capture the Perfect Equine Image (Hardcover)

She does a great job. Goes straight to the heart of equine photography and gives exacting tecnical detail on what to do and, most importantly, what NOT to do.

Obviously written by a professional with lifelong experience on the matter. A big help in getting your first equine pictures to be the best!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is it!, October 21, 2006

By 

remuda (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Photographing Horses: How to Capture the Perfect Equine Image (Hardcover)

If you are a novice or have photographic experience, this book is the perfect tool.
Easy to read and understand. Great side by side examples. Cleverly written with the right amount of heart and humor. Get one to take outside with you, AND one for the coffee table!