Many people feel quite intimidated by fine art photography, thinking it is something not many people can do and is outside of their reach.
The best definition we can find of fine art photography is the following:
“Fine art photography is a style of photography created by an artist. Fine art photos are photographs are photographs created purely for their aesthetic and imaginative qualities. Fine art photographers create work that goes beyond merely capturing what is in front of the camera” – Eden Gallery
Let’s break it down…
As equine photographers we are all artists, so big tick.
We are all capable of creating images for their aesthetic and imaginative qualities. Another tick.
So how do we create images that go beyond what is in front of the camera? This is where you need to dig into your creativity to produce something different and special. Let your imagination run wild – there are no hard and fast rules here!
To get your creativity flowing and working out what you like or want to shoot, you need to start experimenting and building a body of fine art work.
It isn’t as hard as you think to start adding equine fine art photography into your portfolio, here are 4 ways to get you started:
Wild Horses
Depending on where you are in the world, there are a few places where you can find horses roaming free. We are really lucky where we are in the New Forest because we have plenty of ponies roaming across the beautiful countryside. It is as easy as getting in your car and driving to the New Forest, Exmoor, Dartmoor or Cumbria to find feral ponies living in the relative wild.
Portrait Sessions
Give yourself some time towards the end of your equine portrait photoshoots to get creative and try creating some fine art photography. One of Emily’s most recognisable images (below) came from an equine portrait shoot.
In your garden
You don’t need to fly across the world to start creating fine art images. It can be on your back doorstep – it is all about recognising the opportunity in front of you. Maybe you or a friend have a horse that you can use and get shooting. It is a myth that you need a big production with a studio, lights and team to create fine art images (although this is something you can work towards if this is the kind of work you would like to do).
International Shoots
If you have always dreamed of photographing the beautiful horses of the Camargue running through water, or Icelandic ponies amongst the snow – make a plan to go out and go shoot it! International shoots require a lot of planning and investment, so set yourself a goal, make a plan, work out what you want to achieve with these images, what kind of collection you want to produce, the location, models you will need – plan plan plan and plan some more!
Now we have got you all excited about adding equine fine art to your portfolio, why not check out our upcoming Equine Fine Art Photography Workshop on Tuesday 6th – Wednesday 7th June.
Over two days you will learn how to capture the beauty of horses in a totally different way, be confident in setting up your own creative project and leave with a bank of incredible images to start or boost your fine art portfolio.
There is ONE SPACE LEFT – make it yours by clicking the link below:
