Flying Hooves - C&C

Snowgirl · July 29, 2009

Last week-end I shot 2500+ images at a two-day dressage show. The competition ring was inside an arena with halogen lights. It also has rolling garage doors on all 4 sides to ventilate the area and to let in some natural light. From a photographer's perspective, it's a nightmare place to shoot.

Here's an example of one image. I'm dealing with a limited access space (rules are strict about how close to the competition area you can be), the overhead lighting, the back lighting, reflections from the four surrounding barn buildings. I shoot there frequently and have tried every combination of aperture and shutter speed and ISO that there is. Last week-end I shot at ISO1600 when it was cloudy and ISO 800 when the sun came out.

ISO 1600, f/3.5 1/350 focal length 90mm using a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS lens on a Canon 40D

I've bumped the levels a bit but it hasn't been cropped yet (to eliminate the person in the background)
Suggestions gratefully accepted!

budman101 · July 29, 2009

If you have Lightroom use the Lightness slider to bring out some of the shadow detail.

divamum · July 29, 2009

In that backlit situation I would probably spot meter on the horse/rider and let the background blow out, since it doesn't matter and much of it will be cropped anyway.

In post, I'd selectively brighten the rider either with the lightroom brush or in PS probably with a brightness/contrast layer, brushing it away where it wasn't needed, again not worrying too much if the background blows - nobody is likely going to be looking at the windows with much interest....

Good luck with it!

torags · July 29, 2009

I would suggest that you pick your background first position yourself to make a snap without background clutter.

Here you have a building member cutting the silhouette of the horse and then the other photog. The image viewer is confused as to who the subject is

my .02

HoofClix · July 29, 2009

Great points already given. I would add that when you are under a covered arena, just plain switch to manual and find a setting that exposes the horse properly and consistently throughout the ride. Don't worry if the backgrounds are blown out. You might find such a setting on a chestnut horse, and then underexpose a third for a gray, over expose a third for a black or bay.. You'll have to toy around with it. If you can find some angle in the arena where there's a dark spot use it as much as you can, but in dressage you know you need to position to get the movements.. You might find that getting up high and shooting down into the ground a bit more helps darken the background..

Love to see some more of your shots..

Snowgirl · July 31, 2009

Thanks everyone for the comments and suggestions. I use Aperture / Elements for PP and in the edited versions definitely lighten the shadows. Oh, and I do everything in manual - except focus usually.

The only place to get a higher angle is to be in the seating area (where the kid with the video camera is) and shoot down into the ring. It IS possible, but you still deal with the same backlighting issues. I was situated on the opposite side in an opening similar to what you see behind the bleachers. There are garage doors on all 4 sides of the arena that they open for light and ventilation.

As for metering mode - I have tried all. Spot metering is probably my best bet (right Divamum?) although I used mostly Partial last week-end.

I have fast glass but even with that it's tricky (she said getting VERY frustrated). Your help is greatly appreciated, though. I'm back there again today and for the week-end so I'll see what else I can do. In the meantime - here's another one from a different vantage point. Any other suggestions gratefully accepted!

In this case I used the wall of a two-storey announcer's booth as the backdrop. The blown highlight on the right is from another open door - and it wasn't even particularly sunny at this point.

Snowgirl · July 31, 2009

HoofClix wrote:

Great points already given. I would add that when you are under a covered arena, just plain switch to manual and find a setting that exposes the horse properly and consistently throughout the ride. Don't worry if the backgrounds are blown out. You might find such a setting on a chestnut horse, and then underexpose a third for a gray, over expose a third for a black or bay.. You'll have to toy around with it. If you can find some angle in the arena where there's a dark spot use it as much as you can, but in dressage you know you need to position to get the movements.. You might find that getting up high and shooting down into the ground a bit more helps darken the background..

Love to see some more of your shots..

Thanks for the suggestions. Feel free to have a look at my albums and C&C, it's appreciated. http://imagesbyceci.smugmug.com/Horses/665056

divamum · July 31, 2009

Snowgirl wrote:

On this setup - in which the neutral bg works well, I think - what happens if you reframe 1 stride later, iow just to your left? I know it's heading for the corner, but even half a stride later would help minimise some of the flare on camera right, I think.

As for the blowout, I just don't care; doesn't bother me in the least. In this shot, I'd even let the rest of the booth blow to get good horse/rider exposure - why not? What does it add to the shot photographically? Nada... it's just a neutral background. Maybe it would bother your clients, but I can tell you that when I was riding if somebody got a good shoot of me (meaning, I liked the way me and my horse looked), I wouldn't have cared less about a blown out white wall or sky.

Hardest part with dressage is how much of it is black and white by definition - metering nightmare! Have you considered reading some of the wedding photogs tips for dealing with that high-contrast combo in poor and/or harsh lighting? The situation is different, but the technical challenges for the camera are exactly the same ones (poor lighting and high contrast subjects)

Bank what Hoofie and Torags tell you since they're out there actively doing this, but just my no-longer-ringside :cry, deflated Yankee 2c

Snowgirl · July 31, 2009

divamum wrote:

On this setup - in which the neutral bg works well, I think - what happens if you reframe 1 stride later, iow just to your left? I know it's heading for the corner, but even half a stride later would help minimise some of the flare on camera right, I think.

As for the blowout, I just don't care; doesn't bother me in the least. In this shot, I'd even let the rest of the booth blow to get good horse/rider exposure - why not? What does it add to the shot photographically? Nada... it's just a neutral background. Maybe it would bother your clients, but I can tell you that when I was riding if somebody got a good shoot of me (meaning, I liked the way me and my horse looked), I wouldn't have cared less about a blown out white wall or sky.

Hardest part with dressage is how much of it is black and white by definition - metering nightmare! Have you considered reading some of the wedding photogs tips for dealing with that high-contrast combo in poor and/or harsh lighting? The situation is different, but the technical challenges for the camera are exactly the same ones (poor lighting and high contrast subjects)

Bank what Hoofie and Torags tell you since they're out there actively doing this, but just my no-longer-ringside :cry, deflated Yankee 2c

Thanks Divamum. I shot a burst along that wall so I have the before and after strides. But, in dressage everyone wants the horse looking "uphill" and neither the before nor after strides would have given that.

Yeah - the black and white thing is a PITA but c'est la vie - it is what it is. I am investigating the wedding advice as you suggested. The thing is - once I open up my lens to f/2.8, upped the ISO to 1600 - what else is there (other than flash)? I can't go for too slow a shutter speed (min. 125 and I'd really prefer to be at 500) because, in most cases, I want to freeze the action.

Also, I tried using a tripod but found it too awkward to readjust quickly moving from one end to the other of a 200' long arena (on rough and rocky terrain beside the building, i might add).

divamum · July 31, 2009

Monopod? Much easier to move around.... I loathe tripods, but the monopod is a decent compromise. However, that's not going to freeze motion really - it will minimise camera shake, but it won't make your subjects move any slower

What camera are you shooting? Sounds like maybe one of the good-high-ISO cameras might be for you... There are now plenty of models out there which take entirely useable shots at 3200 and even 6400. You're doing this professionally, I believe - if so... perhaps a good investment into the business when the funds are available? (I only wish I could say the same for myself - my efforts are not a business, so I can't really justify that kind of expense. Yet...

)

HoofClix · July 31, 2009

Take Divavum's suggestions not just because she is a great photog:smooch , but because she is a rider who knows what she will buy. Comments about the high contrast subject go to why I shoot manual instead of on A-priority with spot meteting and exposure compensation. The problem with that is, especially if the horse is close, you may be spotting on the saddle pad, thus you will underexpose.. in on the boot or a dark saddle, it might work...

Ayway, you explained that you do shoot manual. In this case, choose the widest aperture on a fixed aperture type of lens (you do this already) a fast shutter speed, I say a minimum 1/640, and adjust the iso up to meet your well exposed horse. 1600 is probably not enough in this arena. Divavum brings up the camera issue. I use a D200 at horse shows, but when I have a show with a covered outdoor arena, I have a D3 for that. (I do not subject my D3 to the everyday horseshow environment.) That's really the only way to do it.

You also mentioned the "uphill" canter shot. The shot you are displaying here is not the uphill shot that FEI riders want. Don't stop taking that shot, but add this shot to your series:

The key is to get the extreme angle between the two rear legs, the inside rear hoof reaching for a spot as near to below the girth as possible, while also the body has the uphill angle. This shows that the horse is powered from and supporting itself from the rear. Even this shot is a milisecond early, and the rider is not balanced back to allow for the uphill movement. ** It doesn't matter if hooves are already planted, only the extreme angle and the uphill body.** Feel free to print this pic and show it to a few trainers and/or FEI riders to see what they say. (BTW, this was an FEI level ride, but the temps were in the 90s with corresponding humidity, so the judges waived the jackets, meaning that they wouldn't buy this picture anyway!)

Too bad a little bit of flash isn't allowed in dressage!

Hey wait a minute... Am I giving C&C outside of the WP???

**comment edited in**

HoofClix · July 31, 2009

divamum wrote:

Monopod?

I have become known as "strapman" within my little equitog world, having continued to handhold even a Sigma 130-300 for quite some time. I have alas finally decided to make the transition to the pod. I've been practicing at lessons to get used to it, and I still absolutely hate the thing, but my shoulder and neck sure do appreciate it. I have a horse trial this weekend, and my only concern here is that, as I work very actively inside the ring for the jumpers, I'm going to have to be careful not to trip over the thing! I don't want to rename my business to "SmooshClix."

divamum · July 31, 2009

Hoofie, you are WAY too kind

I swear, if you ever get a couple of states further north I'm gonna beg to come along as your bag-girl one weekend just to see a master at work (and get some HOOOORRSSEEEEE time again. It is dangerous for me to read these threads, because I just start yearning for some horsieness! You riders will all know what I mean....)

(PS your small-font footnotes are hilarious - LOVE IT!!

)

Snowgirl · July 31, 2009

You two are a HUGE help. Thank you very much.

HoofC., I agree about the angle of the legs for that sought-after "uphill" look. In the sample I posted we're in a Training Level, Test 1 on a 3-year-old horse at his first show so I doubt he'd get much more uphill than that

But, I will definitely keep your shot as a reference for higher level classes.

I shoot with a Canon 40D and my lens is usually the 70-200 f/2.8 IS. I have a 580EXII flash but am reluctant to set it up for fear of spooking the horses and I don't have a set of strobes (yet) or pocket wizards (yet) that I could hang from the rafters like I saw one photographer from Montreal accomplish.

I'm considering the 5DMkIII for my next body - but first I have to save up a little (er - a lot) of cash.:cry

By the way, I'm an Equine Canada certified Level I dressage coach and have competed up to 3rd Level. I still coach a little (for fun), no longer compete and ride my own horse for pleasure now. The only eventing I've done has been at the "Fossils Over Fences" division

DivaMum if you're ever in Maritime Canada I'll arrange a horse fix for you!

Snowgirl · July 31, 2009

Oh - and I do have a monopod. Like HoofC - I need to learn to use it with more grace and aplomb! It does take a load off one's neck and shoulders though. I've developed quite a bicep in my left arm from heisting that rig - so i carry my water buckets in my right hand to work that bicep!

Oh - and the guy using the strobes was shooting a Reining show. Got some fabulous, well lit shots (7 strobes hung from the rafters with HUGE reflectors set off with pocket wizards - lit the place up like daylight and not ONE horse spooked). Maybe dressage horses need some training in handling surprises? I've always said that the boring silence at dressage shows (here) is one of the reasons there are few spectators. Go to West Palm and it's a 3-ring circus!

HoofClix · July 31, 2009

Snowgirl wrote:

By the way, I'm an Equine Canada certified Level I dressage coach and have competed up to 3rd Level.

Yikes, then I sounded like a REAL know-it-all..

The bottom line is that covered arena's su#$.. I'm pretty sure that flash is against the rules in dressage, at least I know that I'll get seriously yelled at if I use it here..

Snowgirl · July 31, 2009

HoofClix wrote:

Yikes, then I sounded like a REAL know-it-all..

The bottom line is that covered arena's su#$.. I'm pretty sure that flash is against the rules in dressage, at least I know that I'll get seriously yelled at if I use it here..

No problem - and besides, you're speaking from the perspective of an experienced show photographer - an art I'm learning.

Yeah - the arena is ..... doo doo for lighting. There are several different photographers who shoot there and we all share the pain. No one has really figured out the ultimate answer yet - except the guy with the strobes.

Some people have better luck when they're actually in the ring - e.g. for Western shows - but as you know, there's a 20m rule for dressage so you're restricted to long-distance shooting.

I didn't know there was a no-flash rule? I just assumed I'd get yelled at if a horse spooked

- not a good way to sell pics, right?