If you follow my Instagram you know that I love to black background photoshoots of my own horses, as well as for friends of mine too. But these photoshoots take quite a bit of work that goes on behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. After almost 3 years of doing these shoots, I finally perfected what to bring. What better to do than share this list with you!
Obviously, my number one needed item is my trusty camera! The combo that I love most is the Sony Alpha A700 with my Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 Di LD lens. This combination makes for very detailed and sharp shots of our favorite 4-legged best friends. My camera body, the A700, is sadly no longer made but Sony, and other companies to, I’m sure, offer many more camera bodies that offer the same quality image.
Another majorly important item I always need to have a noise making device to get their ears up. Most of the time, a Ziploc bag with some mint wrappers works. But, for horses that like to make the effort to walk towards whatever noise sounds like food, a blender bottle with the shaker ball in it works really well. In a pinch, some grain in a bucket or a jumping person behind the camera works too.
Of course, you also need to have treats. No pony or horse should ever have to stand so perfectly without any reward! The best type of treats to use is ones that is small enough to chew up quickly and a treat that won’t cause that dreaded mouth foam. My preferred treat is Enjoy Yums! They are small enough to conceal in a hand, don’t cause any salivation, and are super healthy. You can purchase a tub of your own here. Say I sent you for a discount!
I also love to have a large reflector on hand for eliminating odd shadows if they do occur. Just make sure to acclimate the horse to the reflector because it can be awfully scary at first (but Playboy says it’s no problem!).
I hope y’all enjoyed this article! While I can’t give away any of my editing secrets, I am always open to answering your questions! My Instagram DMs are always open and you can send me one here.
Until Next Time Preps,
Sydney & The Ponies
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