The shutter clicked and the camera operator smiled, absolutely convinced that the beauty she had just witnessed had been forever recorded on film.  But when the prints were processed, the smile faded…

Photography is a combination of art and science with, if we’re lucky, a large measure of magic thrown in.  The art allows our creativity to blossom, the science enables consistency, and the magic permits all of the elements to work together to produce that remarkable work of art.

Although magic is difficult to command and artistic ability is either innate or takes years to develop, the science of photography is within our grasp to understand.  And once some simple rules are put into practice, then the final product will be of uniformly higher quality.

So, grab your camera, whether it is of the disposable type, or a several thousand dollar professional model, load it up, and get ready to experiment.

First, make certain your equipment is clean.  This may sound obvious, but what could have been an excellent photo can turn our blurry because of a dirty lens.

Know your equipment and its limitations.  Spend some time with the manual or an appropriate book before you spend money on film and developing.  With the digital age, your time is now the currency that is wasted if you do not bother. Don’t expect a point and shoot camera to take perfect high-speed action shots in every condition.  Learn to compensate for shortcomings by changing angles, moving in closer, or even waiting for a different shot.

Check the lighting.  The rule of thumb is to keep the main light source to your back.  However, rules are made to be broken, and shooting into the light can often produce a pleasing halo, or backlighting effect.  Be careful that the sun’s beams to do not actually hit the lens, even as reflections, or sunspots may ruin the shot.  Be aware of all that is within the viewfinder.  Try and angle the camera so that telephone poles do not grow out from between the horse’s ears, or garbage cans extend his tail.  When shooting an event, it is not always possible to choose the background.   But changing the level or perspective of the camera can usually produce a much less cluttered image.

Try to avoid always centering your subject.  There are times when doing so is important, such as for some types of advertising shots.  Often however, the surrounding scenery is important to the image, and placing the subject at one side or the other will add drama.

Horses have many moods and expressions.  Insisting that they have their ears forward at attention is like forcing a child to smile for every picture he or she is in.  A photographer who looks only for grins and attentive faces is missing the beauty and power of feelings.

And finally, remember that a good photo tells a story.   Perhaps you have photographed your mare with her new foal, and the print has turned out fuzzy and a little dark.  Nonetheless, you find your heart taking a little flip as you view it.  Go ahead and consider yourself a true photographer.  After all, you’ve not only managed to record a moment, your image also elicits an emotional response.  And that is the highest honour that any photo can receive.