by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: February 08, 2007   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

KEEP ON SHOOTING!

"Film is cheap! Time is not!"

That's best advice I received, as a budding corporate journalist. Gathering bigwigs in the boardroom for a photo-shoot can be challenging, so it's critical to keep that shutter clicking as much as possible. The photo-opportunity may not appear again.

Yearlings in the pasture can be even more impatient than overscheduled executives!

Today, we have digital cameras, so we don't even pay for each exposure. If you're heading out to a photo shoot, be sure to grab a good memory card, and take lots of pictures. (You can always delete the lesser-quality shots later.)

Here are some tips:

* Set your camera for SPORT (fast) and start shooting.

* Slightly overcast days tend to be better than over-bright ones.

* Whenever possible, shoot OUTSIDE. Most barns have terrible lighting for photos.

* It's better to get closer than to zoom, although this can be daunting at times.

* Try to get the whole horse inside your viewfinder/frame. You can always crop later.

* Shoot as many frames as you can, particularly if the horse if moving. If a rider is aboard, shoot even more. You're looking for that magic moment, when the horse and rider look their best together. You want the horse's ears forward, the rider's chin up, and the stars perfectly aligned.

The secret to wonderful digital photographs is in the post-editing process. Good photo editing software is money well-spent. And don't forget to compress those photos before storing or uploading!

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