The photo essay is posted at KLM Images.

Event excitement vs photo excitement

The clock

Races of all kinds are exciting events.  There are crowds of people, outrageous hats, and colorful entertainments as well as all the action on the track.  When you consider that each race only takes a few minutes to run, and that typically a half-hour slot is allotted for that, you can see how essential the tailgate refreshments become.

Thrust

Running and jumping horses are inherently photogenic.  It’s easy to just snap away and come back with a great many pleasant shots, but once the excitement of the event is past and I look them over with a more dispassionate eye, I find myself torn between showing as much of the race competition as possible (like a documentary) and concentrating on good shots that speak on their own, without the “I was there” excitement to boost their appeal.

There are many great body and leg poses that are lovely to look at, but this one of a rider casually heading out to the starting post struck me.  If you put a pin through the top of the saddle, the horse’s legs, tail, and head and the jockey’s body all radiate outward like the hands of a clock.  The balance of mass and alignment of spokes all conveyed a smoothness and control of motion. Read the rest of this entry »