Let’s face it; the world is obsessed with photos! Social media has turned everyone into a professional photographer and smart phones allow people to connect with each other in a visual way. A horse-riding lesson is the perfect opportunity to get some stunning action shots worthy of envy… but how do you take great photos of you riding your horse? We’ve put together some top tips to help you take great photos of your horse riding lessons!

First of all, you need a willing photographer and a camera or phone device with a camera. Try not to ask someone who has a tendency to put their thumb over the lens… great granddad Jim probably isn’t the best volunteer for this job! Make sure that you have plenty of storage and battery life, so you don’t run into any troubleshooting mid lesson.

1. Having the Right Set Up

Horses are long in shape; therefore it’s only logical that you have the photos taken landscape rather than portrait. You can always crop and edit the photos later, but it’s best to take the photos in this landscape format. People often say you have to love what you are photographing, so try to choose someone who rides or is familiar with horses themselves, they will enjoy it all the more too. If your photographer is an equestrian too, they will know to take photos when the horse has ears forward and other little details that make for the perfect photo.

Try to take the photos in the right light, so if possible, try to set up your volunteer photographer in a good spot for lighting and viewpoint. Indoor schools often have harsh, unnatural lighting, so try to take the photos when you are having a lesson in natural light and remember to try not to shoot into the sun.

2. More is More

Always take more photos rather than less, get your photographer to snap as many as they can, slightly varying each one with angles for example looking up with the camera rather than eye level. The more you take, the better your odds are of capturing the perfect photo. This is why it’s so important that you have plenty of storage space, there’s nothing worse than the storage full notification when you’re just about to get that blockbuster shot!

3. Planning is Key

The riding school will usually make sure that your horse is groomed and looking five star, however there is no harm in turning up early and giving your horse a quick brush over, your riding school will likely be grateful for a quick tack clean too! Plan your outfit and make sure that you are happy with what you are wearing, rather than looking back at the photos and wishing you had opted for your new base layer!

4. Editing the Photos

Once you’ve got plenty of photos to work with you can begin editing them ready to be posted. There are many editing techniques and it really depends on how adept you are will technology as to which you will choose. If you are posting on social media, many people prefer to use presets, as an alternative to the limited filters on Instagram.

In order to do this, you need to download the Lightroom app on your smart phone. You can download various presets online, which will give your images that wow factor and bring out the best lighting, depending on what look you are going for. It’s best to download a few different presets and experiment with them, editing the lighting and playing around with the colour settings.

You can even try things like blurring the background to make you and the horse stand out more, by using the tilt shift effect in Instagram.

If you’re a bit of a technophobe and you’re not quite confident with the Lightroom app, there are several apps that you can download on the app store that have their own presets that you can apply. Otherwise, just playing around with the photos in Instagram, changing the lighting and enhancing the colours can really improve a photo.

Sometimes a photo in its raw and unedited state can look natural if the lighting is good enough.

Finally, don’t forget to thank your photographer and tag your riding school on social media when you post your photos!