Horses by Rebecca

08/09/2023

There is a lack of information out there for emerging photographers and photographic enthusiasts in the horse sports world. I am putting together some topics that are frequently discussed. The first issue is no-no's at events. And remember, before arriving at any horse show with your camera gear.... you need to have permission to photograph first.

A hot topic in the equestrian photography circuit that comes up every year is Ethics and No-no's at events with Emerging photographers. Most of the mistakes are made from emerging and hobby photographers simply from a lack of knowledge, not intention to do harm.

08/09/2023

Pretty excited to have received these awards in WA's first Photographic Industry Competition since Covid.

Soooo I kinda did a thing..... For the first time since Covid, WA has had its first Industry Photography Awards the Orloff Awards by Pro Photography WA.

What I love about industry awards compared to other photographic competitions is each image is judged by a panel of judges, giving an average score. Images that are awarded Silver and above are classed as above industry standard. When everyone with a camera calls themselves a professional photographer, there isn't much these days to validate your quality in photography. Every year the standard of professional images keeps going up, styles keep changing, and it's easy to get left behind. These types of awards are invaluable to the industry.

I live by the motto of keeping photography simple, but turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary.

Soooo I am probably not the best example of how someone should enter a photography competition.... give myself a few hours to go through a couple of hard drives and randomly select some images. But it also gives my random (enie,meeni,miny,mooe) pickings good feedback on how I am going over multiple projects and compare to the rest of the industry.

Well done to everyone who entered! And the category winners who are so dedicated and continue to shape the standard of photography.... and keep the rest of us accountable for setting high standards.

Thank you Shire of Mundaring for giving me amazing assignments around the Hills, where I can keep producing award images. And Simon Emmott and family putting up with me at your farm again and again.... Next time I'll have a go in the tractor!

05/09/2021

02/09/2021

Lots of photos going up on the website this week. So far the Perth Horse Trials Association Wooroloo International 3DE star classes dressage, jumping and cross country are online, with trot ups going up today!

It's wonderfully busy between catalogue photoshoots, portraits, horse events, awards evenings, and preparing for wedding season! I thank you all for your patience through this busy time, and I can't wait to show you the amazing galleries.

28/08/2021

A quick glimpse into day 2.

27/08/2021

This weekend I am at Wooroloo covering the big event. What a program it's shaping up to be. Saturday is a day for all equestrians with dressage, showjumping and cross country going on. Something for everyone. And Sunday will feature more showjumping and cross country.

Day one at Wooroloo featuring the Stars classes!

12/08/2021

And that's a wrap! All the photos from the PCAWA State Dressage Championships are now online. Link in comments below!

09/08/2021

Some highlights from Sunday at the PCAWA State Dressage Championships!

A little trivia about me....
I competed in my first PCAWA State Championships in 1990 at Northam Show Grounds. Back then it was all the disciplines combined together - dressage, showjumping, novelties, handy pony, fancy dress and games. For most of the events you had to qualify at competitions through out the year. Some of the events were challenged as a club, and some representing the zone.

Another trivia: over 20 years ago I photographed with a team at the PCAWA State Dressage Championships at the SEC. Feeling my age now! We had one photographer on an analogue camera shooting film whilst the rest of us shot digital. It was a constant rush between shooting, uploading memory cards, printing off proof sheets and on the spot 5x7" prints, as well as displaying the film photos that were shot the day before and processed in the lab over night!!!
Since then I have swapped roles between photographer, sponsor, and part of the officials doing different duties.

Photos from Sunday are uploading. Link in the comments below.

06/08/2021

Preparations are well under way for the PCAWA State Dressage Championships.

03/08/2021

Picking photos to match sizes - Part 1

How to pick a size for the photo. I like to break it into 3 different areas - small prints, large prints and a collection.
Whilst you might love a photo, it will very rarely complement all print sizes. An important consideration is whether the photo will be the right size after cropped and the orientation. A close up might look good in a small frame or instagram, but too imposing in large sizes. On the other scale a beautiful landscape with a horse running through the middle might be a little more difficult to see the horse clearly in a 6x4.



It does require a little bit of spatial thinking, but by doing so you can think about how the image will work within the space which it will be shown. Be aware of cropping and image and keep allowing a “breathing space”.



Small prints (6x4) - Choosing a nice “subject photo”, whilst still maintaining a bit of breathing space to allow for crop.



Large Print (8x10 and above) - Pick strong aesthetically pleasing and story telling art photos. Consider leading lines, rule of thirds, breathing space. The horse is just the final cherry on top.



Collections - these can be for framed montages, albums, newsletters and media releases. These may include a variety of sizes and crops, but provide a little bit of a story, theme and connection with each photo. Use photos of different sizes to set the scene, mood and story.

Did you find this helpful? Leave a comment below ❤️

06/07/2021

Behind the scenes at the WAQHA State Championships