Use fixed focal length, high quality lenses. I often get asked by other photographers how I get my images to look so good. Using a high-quality fixed focus lens will give you better quality than a lower quality zoom lens. This is one of the best pieces of advice given to me when I started.
Often at competitive equine events you don’t have a choice of background. Using the largest aperture possible, makes it easier to focus on the subject (horse and rider) by obscuring or blurring the background, which then makes the subject stand out.
Find the angle and/or moment that best incorporates the picture you want to get in that run and commit to it, focus there. Quality vs. quantity is key. If you try to get too many shots in one run it will deteriorate the quality of the shots.
Scott Lindquist started photographing 40 years ago, with the last 20 years focusing on western and ranch lifestyle, as well as equine sports. He has been featured in National Geographic Adventure Magazine and America’s Horse Magazine. He recently shared with Delkin his top three tips on shooting this action packed style!
Scott plans on traveling the Western states following the various mounted shooting events expanding upon his photography with videography and adding to his repertoire as much as possible. To view Scott’s current work, you can visit his website (www.scottlindquistphotography.com), Instagram (@swlindquist), and TikTok (@scottlindquist7)
Scott’s most recent posts have reached over 2 million views and counting!