Photographing Foals

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jaime_Foutty]Jaime Foutty
It takes about 340 actual days to get a foal here, not to mention the breeding time and the endless hours fawning over every famous stallion in the Journal before that. Many times a foal is in the works well over a year by the time it gets here. But finally the day has come! Your new pride and joy has hit the ground, stood and nursed successfully, and is growing like a weed. How do I share my new bundle of joy with my friends over the Internet?
Photographing foals is not easy. In addition to the steps I will outline below, you need PATIENCE. Foals must be in the right spot, by accident, and you must be in the right spot, on purpose. In addition, random acts like ears up, eyes open, feet placement, etc., must all happen at the right moment to get that perfect foal photograph to show off his new perfect conformation! So before you even go out to the paddock, make sure you have plenty of time for this endeavor.
Tips for photographing foals
1. If possible, pick a day that is overcast but still bright. As mentioned above, many things must come into alignment to make that great photo you are after. You will be severely limiting your possibilities if you can only shoot one direction because you need to keep a bright sun at your back.
2. Unless you own a digital or film SLR with interchangeable lenses, stick to profile shots. It is very hard to get front and rear views with a point and shoot. The photos usually tend to make the babies look distorted. If you do own a SLR camera, watch for Part 2 of this article coming soon!
3. Watch for the foal to set himself up. Ideally you'd like the two legs closest to you to be square and the two legs furthest from you to be visible under the foal's belly (ie, the back leg is forward of square and the front leg is back of square). Many foals, depending on age, do not stand up well yet so don't be alarmed if they are a bit stretched and not quite square.
4. The best place to be is directly perpendicular to the foal's flank, but focus on the shoulder. This creates a slight forward angle of the camera lens.
5. Since most people are much taller than most foals, it is best to squat or lean over so the camera is no taller than the foal's withers.
6. Remember patience! Be ready! If the foal put his ears up and looks at something, shoot away!
If you have digital, don't be afraid to take several. But also don't be afraid to try again. Foals move. You might complete steps 3-5 several times before you actually get to take a picture. By trying to stay perpendicular to the foal's flank, you may have to move several feet if the foal simply takes a diagonal step in any direction. Good foal photos can take hours! You may take dozens or even hundreds just to get a couple decent ones to share on Facebook!
A trick I've learned is that many times a foal is set up nearly right while nursing. The foal will usually take a break and peek up and see what's going on before continuing the meal. This is a great time to see if you can get photos! Also if your foals are super friendly, you may need a partner to act as "bait" for you. Otherwise you will be forced to take many closeups of nostrils or go home empty handed!
Jaime Foutty of [http://www.equinefotography.com]Equine Fotography has over ten years experience in the equine field with a special fondness for foal photography. To learn more tricks and tips for free, read her blog [http://www.FlatKnees.com]FlatKnees&Fotography.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Photographing-Foals&id=6577288] Photographing Foals