Creating elaborate stable scenes and dioramas for Breyer horses can be fun, but you don't need them in order to begin photo showing. Simple cloth backdrops offer one option, but another is taking pictures outside. If you're using an older camera with a poor quality flash, outdoor photos may provide you with the best quality images to compete in model horse photo shows.
Find a Good Location for Model Horse Photos
Scout around your yard, driveway or other areas for good photo locations for model horses. You'll have to get down on ground level, so bring a beach towel or blanket outside unless you don't mind grass stains on your clothes.
Take a sample model horse outside with you in the scale you plan to photograph and place him in the location you're considering.Now get down to eye level with the horse model. Look at the model in the setting with a critical eye. A few common things to fix when taking model horse pictures outside include:
- Grass up to the horse's knees: Lawn grass isn't in the same scale as most Breyer horses. The easiest locations to work with outdoors are usually bare patches of earth, sand, gravel or very close cut grass. Make sure that you can see all the way down to ground level; photo show judges want to see the horse from hooves to ear tips.
- Out of scale plants and trees: A giant daisy bobbing over the Proud Arabian Stallion's head is out of scale, unless you're going for the sci-fi miniature look. Glance around and move the model if leaves loom over his head or flowers tower above him.
- Rocks or debris near the model: Twigs, rocks and material on the ground near the horse can also throw the entire scale out of whack. Brush or clear it away.
- Backgrounds: Watch out for large objects in the background such as brick walls, which look out of scale, as well as chain link or picket fences.
Always think "scale," making sure that anything in the scene is within the scale of the Breyer horse. Items that aren't in scale but creep into the picture distract the viewer and remind him that he's looking at a model horse, a plastic toy horse and not a real horse. The very best photos of model horses are so realistic they often fool the viewer into thinking he's looking at a real horse. That's the power of scale; when everything works together, the illusion is complete.
Lighting
Natural sunlight often brings out the highlights in the horse model's coat color and can turn a drab model into a spectacular model. Many collectors prefer taking model horse show photos outdoors in the morning or afternoon to avoid the harshest glare. The softer lights highlight the natural beauty of the coat colors and make the entire scene look more realistic. Avoid taking pictures with the camera facing the sun. Light can shine through the body of the model, giving it an unpleasant translucent appearance. Sunlight streaming on the model from left or right or from behind the photographer works best.
Models on Bases
Some models are attached to bases or have pegs or other props to hold them up, especially if they're in certain phases of the trot, canter or gallop. Sand makes a great footing and cover for bases. Simply dig a little into the sand, place the model on its base on the sand, then gently smooth it over, covering the base or peg. Make sure that the hooves show.
Taking a Blue Ribbon Model Horse Picture
Now that you've chosen your location and taken the lens cap off the camera, it's time to photograph your models. Select only the best models in your collection and dust them thoroughly before taking their picture. Real horse owners bathe, brush and braid their steeds before entering the show ring; you need to do the same for your plastic ponies, too.
Try to take pictures on a clear, windless day; wind can blow models over, causing scratches. Place the model in the desired location. Place your blanket or towel on the ground and lay on your stomach, holding the camera. Yes, it feels ridiculous but it does provide the best angle for the shot. Your neighbors will get used to seeing you laying on the ground staring at your models through the viewfinder over time.
Aim the camera so that the center of the picture is the horse's belly. Remember to take the picture from the left or right side of the model. Many people prefer the side where the mane naturally falls on the horse model, but it's up to you. Sometimes you can see the horse's breed characteristics or another striking attribute on the off side. It's not necessary to take images of the horse from the front or back or from many different angles unless you plan to sell him. Buyers will want to see the horse model from all sides to make sure it's in mint condition, but show judges just want to examine the horse for salient characteristics and comparison to other entries in the class.
Take several pictures if you wish. Download them to your computer the same day and save them to a separate disk or send them out for developing. If saving them to your computer, check the photo show rules for the show you wish to enter. Many require collectors to resize images to keep file sizes and bandwidth manageable.
If you have not named your horse model, now you should, and make the file name the horse model's name. Save them to a folder on the computer. You'll use them for photo shows, collection identification, and even insurance purposes later on.