Taking the next step
It was a crisp and beautifully lit October afternoon when we arrived at the stables; the bright blue sky interrupted by the occasional stand-out cloud and the pencil sketch of leafless trees. The seasonal shrubbery was alight with crimson berries and peppered with a burst of golden leaves. What more could a photographer want. Perfect.
But I was nervous.
Earlier in the year I had attended an equine photography event with Welshot. It was a real step out of my comfort zone. Apart from being terrified of horses for a life time, I was embarking on the kind of subject matter that is a challenge at the best of times. Horses move, for a start and they're not models. They won't hold a pose like a human model. I quickly realised that you have to work with what you've got; grab a visual opportunity when you can. It's an absorbing experience that leaves you wanting more. Since then there had been talk of taking that experience further and taking some shots of a friend's horse, friend included. That brings us to this post.
Why was I nervous? I'd done this before and, in the short time I've been at this, I've taken hundreds of images of all genres. Here's why. It was just me and my camera. No Welshotters, no anonymity, no taking some pics in the knowledge that if they were a load of rubbish it didn't really matter to anyone. Ordinarily I could make something of them or learn and move on. It didn't really matter. Don't get me wrong, my friend is one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet and this was for fun. There was no pressure except that which I put on myself. However, her horse is important to her as my photography is to me. I wanted to produce something to make us both proud, something that she could cherish. It wasn't just about me this time, not as I saw it.
So, it was with a big deep breath that I ventured into the arena, camera in hand with some idea of what we wanted to achieve and it involved three lenses. I kind of new what each lens would do and that was a huge step forward for me.
That's what taking the next step is; no-one to ask questions of, just remembering what you've learned from brilliant people and amazing experiences and giving it a go. Here's a little something from that afternoon.
