The Silent Shutter: A 50mm lens and the subtle movements of Horses

Horses are a truly magnificent subject for the camera, and with this in mind, on a complete whim last weekend I decided I wanted to have a go myself in capturing their stunning beauty.

But how? The only place where I had immediate access to horses was my local farm and the potholed field they lived in was hardly suited to the kind of windswept white mare on a beach shot I had in mind (hmmm .. personally I blame the Guiness adverts).

However as I trundled up on that overcast day with my eager child serving as bait - carrying a bag of cut apples of course - the way they were flicking their heads at our approach provided me with an idea - if I was to get in close and exclude the grotty setting entirely, perhaps then I could focus on the beauty of the creatures, and what better way than by setting a wide aperture of f1.8 to truly vignette their magnificent detail in all its glory.

So without further ado, here are the results. Let me know what you think.