My Horse Photo Disaster Day
Alright, so yesterday I decided, hey, why not get some killer front shots of the horses like the pros? Seemed easy enough. Just point and click at their handsome faces, right? Boy, was I wrong.
First thing I did was grab my camera – nothing fancy, just my trusty DSLR – and marched down to the pasture full of big ideas. Totally forgot they’re easily spooked. Walked straight up to old Murphy, trying to act all casual. He gave me this “who the heck are you?” look and promptly turned his back. Ugh. Strong start.
I realized pretty quick I needed to chill. So I plopped myself down near the fence, camera in lap, and just sat there. Didn’t aim at anyone. Just pretended to fiddle with settings or stare at clouds. Slowly, slowly, some curious noses started sniffing the air in my direction. Patience? Not my strong suit, but this worked.
After what felt like hours (more like 20 minutes!), Murphy wandered a bit closer, giving me that classic side-eye. Then, finally, he turned his big ol’ head straight towards me. Perfect! My heart jumped! I fumbled for the camera, finger darting towards the shutter button…
And CLICK!… right as he blinked and shook his mane. Perfect timing? Nope. Got a picture of his floppy ears and shut eyes. Fantastic.
Here’s what I messed up initially:
- Camera Noise: That darn shutter CLICK spooked him EVERY time. Switched to silent mode after shot three.
- Eye Contact Woes: I was staring way too hard while shooting. Freaked them out. Learned to soften my gaze or look just above their ears.
- Stupid Light: Sun right behind them? Big black horse-shaped blob. Had to move myself so the light hit their face, not their butt.
Hours later, covered in dust and smelling like horsehair, I was getting desperate. Murphy seemed kinda calm, maybe bored of me? He finally stood square and looked right down the lens. Dumb luck? Maybe. But I GOT IT. The shot. Clean front profile, ears pricked forward, soft focus on the fence behind. Man, that relief felt good.
Main lesson learned? It ain’t about fancy gear or perfect settings. It’s about chilling out even when your butt’s numb from sitting on hard ground forever. You gotta let them decide it’s picture time. Forget forcing anything. Takes way longer than I thought, and you’ll probably end up with 50 blurry shots for every good one. But that one good one? Makes the whole sweaty, dusty, frustrating day totally worth it. Persistence pays off… eventually.
