Horse Show Photos

[aubade914]

Hi,

This is my first time posting photos on here. I would like to hear what you experienced photographers think about my shots. I took these this past weekend at a horse show in the area. They were taken with my new Nikon Coolpix P80 (can't afford a DSLR just yet!). I think they were taken using the shutter priority mode with the shutter speed set to 1/500. They have been cropped/resized but that's it.

Here are some that I consider to be my best shots. Any thoughts on how I can improve?

[Lori11]

Hi and welcome! Such beautiful anmials! Those last 2 horses are huge! Try some shots from the front, more "action" and movement that way, and also would show some more of the riders face.

[aubade914]

Thanks! I will have to try to get more head-on shots next time. It's hard sometimes because I have to stand outside the ring and also work around all the other horses showing at the same time! haha.

[freygr]

Thanks! I will have to try to get more head-on shots next time. It's hard sometimes because I have to stand outside the ring and also work around all the other horses showing at the same time! haha.

Just remember if you try to take photos in a indoor arena, you will have lighting problems.

[Old Timer]

I like 2 and 3 the best they show horse and rider working together better. and of course you have the riders face and expression in them. To me the background are distraction. I know you are very limited in controlling this aspect, but keep it in mind and try to choice angles to shot from that will minimize a distracting background and use the larges aperture possible to blur and throw it out of focus. Hope you will show us more in the future.

[aubade914]

Old Timer - Thanks! I will have to play around more with the manual settings & aperture next time. I have done a bit of that around the yard, but not yet at a horse show. Thanks for the tip!

freygr - Luckily most of the shows around here are outdoors, but yeah, I don't know yet how my camera will handle the indoor shots. Will have to test it out sometime.