This photo was taken while in on a hike…probably a few months ago. It’s a really nice park in that it’s only horse and foot traffic, but the downside is that all of those horses…well, the smell can get to you during a 2-3 hour hike.
There is also a ranch there, and this particular horse followed me all along the fencing for a good 1/4 mile while I walked by. I didn’t know whether to pet the horse or what, so I just talked to him. Yes, I walked along with a horse for 1/4 of a mile and had a nice long talk with him. I asked him why he was so interested in this random person walking along the fence, perhaps maybe he didn’t get many visitors, etc. Seemed like the polite thing to do.
Anyway…this image is from slide film – I like shooting film while hiking – and I just love how crisp it is, with the rich yet natural colors.
I never would have taken this shot, but I like it! I know for sure I would have turned the camera vertical and gotten his whole head in there. What made you decide to frame it the way you did? It makes the horse look much wiser by really emphasizing his eyes.
A couple of reasons. One was just the constraints of the situation – I had a specific lens on me, fixed focal length, so I couldn’t zoom. But it’s a very sharp lens and it forces me to look at things in very specific ways while I walk around.
I did take a few in a portrait format. However, I really wanted to have the horse’s back trailing off towards the side of the frame and yes, I wanted to accentuate the eyes. I don’t think I would have rejected the option of a slightly wider lens, though.