Things You'll Need:
- A digital camera
- A computer
- Photoshop
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Step 1
Become familiar with your subjects. Every horse is different, but you'll need to start by learning the basics. Learn a horse's body language and facial expressions. You can't spend too much time doing this; the better you know horses, the better you'll be able to anticipate their movements and, in turn, get the best shots.
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Step 2
Study photographs of horses, both by professionals and amateurs. You'll learn what looks good, what techniques work and what look you're going for. As important as learning what to do, you'll also learn what not to do.
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Step 3
As with anything else, the more time you spend practicing, the better you'll get. Ask a local stable or barn if you can spend some time there. You'll get to use a wide variety of horses with a range of personalities as subjects. A truly great photographer will learn how to capture their subjects' personalities in a photo.
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Step 4
Learn some of the basics of Photoshop. This will be an invaluable tool when it comes to presenting your photos, and especially when you need to shrink photos and make up sheet of thumbnails for future clients to chose from. It'll also come in handy if clients want photos to include text, such as the name of their horse.
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Step 5
Collect some of the best images from your practice photo shoots and compile them in an easy to browse format. There are internet applications that work great for this, and it'll give potential clients a way to peruse some of your work.
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Step 6
Riding stables, web rings, equine rescues, farm supply stores, even people who trailer horses are great resources. Once you get the word out, you'll start getting some phone calls from people interested in taking a look at your work and helping them to document their equine companion forever.
