I've done quite a bit of equine photography, especially over the past year, and have watched myself improve tremendously. Here are some tips that I have picked up along the way, and hopefully will help you as well.

The Lens
Let's face it - everyone has their preferred lenses. Each lens has its benefits and downfalls, and there are different lenses to be used for different kinds of shots. Most event photographers use telephoto lenses in order to capture shots from a distance - however, be prepared to splurge if you're going to buy one. If you want a telephoto lens, get a good one. Otherwise, I find them very difficult to focus, and the images aren't nearly as sharp as I would like.

Personally, although it isn't very versatile, my general all-purpose lens is my macro. Great color, great detail - I adore it. Unfortunately, though, this lens only works well if I am reasonably close to the subject, especially a horse jumping. Here are some shots taken with my macro:



Shoot Manual
There is no better way to dictate how your capture will appear than to shoot in manual. In my opinion, there is no excuse for shooting automatic if you know anything about photography - seriously, come on. When shooting high-action shots, try to crank up the shutter speed to as fast as the light will allow. In order to do this, you'll also have to widen your aperture - this, also, will minimize your depth of field, bringing the focus to the subject which you are focusing on.

Another option is shooting in TV or AV. In 'TV', you may specify your shutter speed, and the camera will automatically adjust the aperture in order to create a balance, and will keep adjusting when the light changes. In 'AV,' it is just the opposite - you specify your aperture, and the camera will set the shutter speed. Of course, both of these depend on your lighting situations, and you must make sure that you're not using a slow shutter speed; that will just produce blur.

ISO
My rule of thumb - keep your ISO as low as possible! Your camera's ISO setting determines how much light is let into the camera; basically, for everyone who has shot and developed film, it's the speed of the 'film.' Sure, you may be able to use super-fast shutter speeds when shooting at 1600 ISO, but your image is bound to be grainy and very difficult to work with. Generally, a higher ISO is used when there is less available light, and a lower ISO is used when light is abundant. For sunny days, I try to keep my ISO at 100/200 in order to produce a clear, sharp image while still using a fast shutter speed. When shooting indoors, however, 800 or 1600 are best.

Framing & Composition
You are responsible for every little detail available to be seen in your photograph. Hence, you are also responsible for excluding or including what you can. Before pressing the shutter, check your composition. A bad background or distracting object can easily ruin a good shot. Not everything can be easily fixed in Photoshop!

Be Original
Looking through the images of the companies that photograph events, I see the exact same shot over and over again, only with a different horse and rider. Their shots are just boring. When I photograph horse events and other sports, I make sure to be original - I want it to still be artful. Make sure not to get lazy - explore angles and levels, moving your body in order to achieve the shot you want.

Also...don't only photograph what everyone else is watching! Go behind the scenes. Photograph the crowd, the entire scene. That's what a horse show, or any other event, is all about.



Timing
Timing is absolutely essential when photographing action shots. Personally, it's far easier to photograph horse jumping being a rider myself, and therefore I know the strides and know exactly when to press the shutter. This takes practice, but it soon becomes natural. Waiting for a split second can make a world of a difference.


Focus on the Eyes
If anything, the eyes of the horse (or any creature) must be in focus. We naturally are drawn to the eyes of any person or animal, and if they are blurry, then the image is practically ruined. They say the eye is a window to the soul, a means of expression; without them, a great portion of the art is missing.



Ears Forward=Happy Horse
A horse with its ears forward is alert and generally in a good mood; therefore, they make a good subject to photograph. When a horse's ears are back, the horse is tense and unhappy, which is never a pretty thing to photograph. If you have trouble having a horse pay attention to you or focus, keep a few treats at hand in order to draw his attention to you and put him at ease.



The rider matters too
Let's face it - the attractiveness of a rider matters, depending on what kind of shooting you're doing. If the rider is wearing an angry expression, or something of that nature, it simply detracts from the photograph. Unfortunately, horses are far more beautiful than humans, but we must work with riders as well. The teamwork, however, is essential.



Emphasize the beauty of the horse
Horses are magnificent creatures, so let's not insult their beauty by taking bad pictures of them. Enough said.



Shoot, shoot, shoot!
If you're shooting digital, take advantage of not having to pay for rolls and rolls of film. Don't be afraid to fill your memory card! Even better, have an extra on hand! Practice makes perfect, and with so much going on, you'll want to photograph as much of it as possible. Try not to delete photos unless they're obviously no good; wait until you can see them on your computer.



And some general tips...
-Read up! I have an abundance of photography books and horse books which have contributed greatly to my knowledge. There are all sorts of tips and tricks to learn.
-Be prepared for all situations - pack everything that you can carry! Extra batteries, lenses, etc.
-ALWAYS HAVE YOUR CAMERA MANUAL WITH YOU. You never know when you'll need it! Be sure to read it thoroughly - it'll make your life a hell of a lot easier.

And some of my additional equine photos:



Enjoy, and start shooting!