The goal in model horse photography is to take a photos that will both catch the judge's eye and best portray the model as if it were a real horse.
The most important thing to remember when photographing models is SCALE. A pet, house or car lurking too close in the background can make a photograph very unrealistic. All props need to be in proportion to the model. To figure out what scale your model is, estimate how tall a real horse would be that would be the same age, breed, and/or gender as the model. The average pleasure horse is around 15 hands (measured at the withers). Most jumpers and hunters are 16 hands or more. Each hand is four inches. Therefore, a 15 hand horse is 60 inches (5 feet) at the withers. If you have a model that is 7" at the withers and you estimate a real horse of that type to be 15 hands, then the scale of the model would be:
or
1 inch : 8.6 inches
What you need for outdoor halter photos:
1. A clean model with nice conformation and in near mint condition
2. A working camera loaded with film
3. A sunny day with NO WIND
4.A neutral, uncluttered background in scale with the model
5. A thin layer of footing (in scale sand, kitty litter, grass paper, coffe grounds, or sandpaper) on a board
6. A sturdy table, deck, or chair to set board and model on
7. PATIENCE
