I think most of us tend to look at ads with pictures more so than those without. It has been said that horse ads with pictures or videos tend to sell faster than those with words only. However, some photos actually hurt more than help. With that in mind, I’ve scoured the web and compiled a few tips on how to photograph your “Horse for Sale.” Although the last two tips seem to be converse, if you click the links and read the articles, you’ll notice that both are trying to avoid the same potential pitfall.
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| “Ads with photos get far more "hits"/attention and therefore those horses usually sell quicker. Most people don't like to consider checking out or buying a horse they haven't even seen a photo of yet, so use the full potential of those sites to reap the greatest number of reachouts coming your way …” http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips72.html |
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| “You might have a very nice horse, but the wrong picture can turn sellers off. … As an amateur photographer, you should take at least a full roll of film per horse (or as many digital pictures as it takes!), to ensure that you get at least six that are good.” http://www.equineobsession.com/launch.htm |
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“Photos and videos give the buyer instant gratification, something that you want them to have!
If you can, post more than one photo. Post photos with an up close head view, a side view, rear view, and a picture of the horse moving, or being ridden. If you are only allowed to post one photo, make sure it is a good quality, professional if you have one, photo showcasing what the horse does best.” http://www.horseresource.org/BuySell-Horse.php
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| “Pick an uncluttered background. A natural background such as a field, woodland, or pasture is a good choice. The barnyard or driveway, no matter how neat and clean, is not a great choice because of the stuff that is bound to be in the background. You want the viewer to be wowed by your horse, not your new Cadillac Escalade. Look at the details before you click! Sounds crazy, but how many amateur photographs have you seen that depict horses with pitchforks growing out of their heads? As improbable as it sounds, I bet at least one, right? It bears repeating—check the background!” http://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm...rticleid=223256 |
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| “Because horses are so large, it is necessary to get back at least 15 or 20 feet to prevent distortion, and a camera with a telephoto lens is a great help. Otherwise, keep your distance, and enlarge the prints if necessary. If you get too close, and say it's a head-on shot, the horses nose and face will be huge, and the rest of the body will appear quite small.” http://www.horsesonly.com/finder/phototips.htm |
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| “Choose a bright, but not necessarily sunny, day. Strong sunlight creates dark shadows that aren't particularly helpful, especially on a dark horse. If you are taking your picture on a sunny day, use a flash to eliminate some of the shadows.” http://www.newrider.com/Library/Misc_Tips/...raph_horse.html |
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“Submit high quality pictures that show your horse's best attributes:
*Show a rider on the horse if trained to a discipline.
*Scan more than one picture together to create an image for your ad: head shot, side view, rear view, riding or moving.” http://www.todayshorse.com/Articles/Tipson...gandSelling.htm |
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“When setting a horse up for a profile (side view) picture, do not set their feet together. The front leg closest to you should be slightly in front of the far front leg. The rear leg closer to you should be behind the far rear leg.
The horse in a front ¾ view photograph should have its feet offset just a little. This gives the animal an appearance of being square. A ¾ rear view is taken the same way, except the horses’ head should be turned toward the camera so the eye can be seen.” http://www.myhorseforsale.com/horsesense.p...=6&catid=6&id=6 |
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“Trying to photograph a horse milling about in a pasture does not produce good results. Instead, halter the horse and have a helper hold it during the photo session.
Don't photograph a horse from the 3/4 fore view... that is, don't photograph a horse with its shoulder closest to the camera... it is almost always unflattering even to very nice conformation horses. It tends to distort proportions the opposite way you want to. You will create a photo that makes the shoulder & head look larger (coarser) and reduces the size of the handsome hindquarters. Also don't stand above a horse - get down where the camera height is about level with the horse's mid body. Whenever you take a 3/4 view photograph, position yourself where the camera is closer to a hind leg than a front leg. This way, any potential distortion will be flattering to the horse's conformation rather than unflattering. The hip will not appear shrunken in size, and the head and neck will be shown well, but not enlarged. http://www.curlyhorseweb.com/horsepics.html |