Is there a secret to getting a good pic of yourself mounted on a horse, when the pic is being taken from the ground? I feel like it’s such an unflattering angle! Every time my instructor takes a picture of me I get so excited to see it, only to find that once again, my pear shape has been unfavorably accentuated by the angle of the pic. UGH.
They take tons at horse shows so I always end up with a few. I do look silly in a lot of them.
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One tip is to make sure the angle is straight on from the side, not higher or lower than the horse. I usually hold the camera at like, mid barrel height. Although an angle from a little above can flatter the human, which sounds like what you’re looking for! Also don’t get too close!!
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A good portrait (of a human) is never shot from below. You don’t want to be looking up anyone’s nose! So… yeah, riding photos taken from the ground are going to have issues. Is there anywhere you ride that has a hill next to the arena or a viewing platform or anything where the photographer can get some height? That will help the perspective of you-on-the-horse.
Generally if I’m shooting any kind of horse activity, I’m much more focused on getting the right moment and perspective of the horse and not so much on flattering the rider.
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Mostly it’s the same as getting a good photo anywhere:
- Be ridiculously good looking
- Relax, smile and sit up straight, but look like you are doing something. Few people look their best holding a rigid pose.
- Good lighting. Not harsh overhead sun, not dim light, but soft light on your face (under your brim)
- Don’t stand close and use a wide angle lens. It’s unflattering. Stand further away with a longer lens.
- Uncluttered simple background that you can clearly be seen against
- Somewhere between straight in front and side profile. Few people look their best at exactly those angles so have the photographer be somewhere in that triangle. Very few people look their best from even slightly behind.
But with a horse it’s probably even more important to be actually moving. Most horses look better at an uphill moment of whatever gait they are in than standing still being told to say cheese. Good photographers with real cameras time it on purpose, but if the photographer is not that good just ask them to take a million photos while you are both coming towards them and on the opposite side of them to the sun and hope to get one accidentally well timed one.
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My instructor recently took the most incredible pictures of my horse at a show. Posed pics, candid ones, riding shots… my horse looks stunning in every one.
Me, on the other hand… I look like the Michelin Man decided to take up riding. :lol:
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Suck in your gut and stick with well fitting clothes that flatter. Otherwise, I got nothing…
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I second movement. Pictures of me standing still on my horse make me cringe, but I have some riding photos (on my husband’s fancy camera, which does great action shots) that actually make me look thinner. I think people tend to slouch more when their horse is standing/walking, which sort of…bunches a stomach together. Gravity is also brutal when taking pictures from the side in a half seat. Just don’t do those; they’re for teenagers.
Pictures from the front can minimize stomach but you need a good place to shoot them. These have the added bonus of sometimes making you look like a badass, if you have the right facial expression.
or dark breeches and a dark sweater (preferably not tucked in), if they aren’t show photos.
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If your concern is a bit of extra belly/hip cushioning I’ve found the best angles to be:
If you’re standing for a still photo, lay forward and hug your horse’s neck, and have the picture taken from the front.
If you’re jumping, also from the front or angled from the horse’s shoulder or hip, but not the hip if you’re worried about your derrière.
If you’re flatting, from the horse’s hip or just slightly behind the perpendicular.
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Thanks everyone, there’s a lot of awesome advice here, I have renewed hope that a good pic of me mounted is possible!
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Try to look like you are enjoying yourself and your horse.
For still pics you obviously want the horse’s ears up. I had some pics taken by a pro, and told her that might be a problem. She had an app on her phone that when you pressed any key, whinnied. All kinds of them–high, low, loud, soft. Her assistant pressed, he pricked his ears, and she clicked. This made me smile, which helped make the pics look better.
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And then, there are those arena mirrors…
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Rule #1: Never ride a horse whose ass is smaller than yours.
Ask your trainer to stand on a box or something that elevates her. I like mmeqcenter’s suggestions.
Horses are hard enough to photograph. Getting a good shot of both of you is not easy.
Shoot in the early morning or late afternoon when the light is at an angle. She should likely also use a flash to fill in.
Are you wearing a long fitted jacket? Try different jackets/pants while sitting in a chair in front of a mirror. Straddle the chair as you would a horse. That’s going to give you a good idea of what will look most flattering on a horse.
Take lots of shots to find the most flattering angle for you. Your trainer’s other customers will benefit from this endeavor.
Have fun!!!
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Almost forgot: If she’s shooting with a digital on automatic … the camera is going to expose for the lightest area of the shot. If she can shoot on manual you’ll get better pictures. That said, trees are great backgrounds for any color horse (except green ones).
You didn’t say if you show and have riding clothes to wear. One color top and bottom is most slimming. Black is the obvious unless your horse is black. Avoid yellow/lime colors on a grey. Avoid any sort of pattern. Jewel tones with black or tan pants/jeans. All that and embrace your pear. You got it girl… flaunt it.
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Thank you, TCA!
I rode one summer with a lot of western ladies who loved taking photos of each other. They would always say OK Boobs Up! before a picture. It does seem to minimize the midriff.
I had a pro photographer do photos of me and my horse, partly because she was starting a business and wanted examples. She stayed far away and used a long lens, and took 200+ photos. There were many in which everything is perfect except for one thing: chin rolls, eyes closed, horse’s ears back, horse looking like he has a fat belly, me looking like I have a fat belly. But in amongst those 200 were some of the best pictures of us that could ever possibly exist.
It helps to have one of those cameras that goes pow-pow-pow taking many photos one after the other.
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And if you love a photo you’ve taken except for some sort of perceived flaw that just makes you wince, go ahead and Photoshop it or get someone to Photoshop it for you. Extra chin? Begone! Midriff Muffin? Begone! WTH, You’re doing it for your own amusement. You deserve to look at a photo on your desk that makes you smile while you’re working to earn money to feed and take Dobbin to shows. If all else fails, have someone paint a portrait of you and your horse and give them extensive artistic license. 
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If someone is taking a posed, still photo of me, I always sort of cross my arms across my lower body and rest my hands on the saddle. It covers my offensive FUPA!
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Have the photographer stand on a mounting block, you and the horse face her, flex your horse to the inside, sit up tall and smile
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Ok, here are my tips: First of all, dress for success. Wear light makeup & check your hairstyle/use a proper hairnet under your helmet. If schooling, WEAR A VEST. A nicely fitted vest can smooth out the waist and hip line. Make sure no VPL, I don’t care what your method of choice to avoid is, but a side VPL where your leg meets your hip is very unflattering. Medium to dark riding pants are very helpful. I prefer medium to dark blue or slate. Black is currently out of style, so I wouldn’t recommend black. If wearing beige or white pants unless you are a kid pretty much everyone needs a little bit of help, like some bike short style supportive underwear.
For the photo itself, sit up unnaturally tall and straight and feel free to suck in your tummy a smidge. I love the “Boobs up!” advice. Most importantly, have your photographer take multiple pictures from multiple different angles. I recently had a friend help do a photo shoot of me riding a young horse, and out of like 100 pictures, there were about 3 or 4 good ones. The horse was green so that made it harder, but you get my drift. And yes, movement totally helps. Or if it is your trainer who is not being paid to take 1000 pictures of you, ask them to get a short video, and then pause the video and screenshot where appropriate. Photo quality isn’t great this way, but you get to pick your best moment!
