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*HELP* Are theis good sale pics?

2K views 14 replies 4 participants last post by  ilovemyhorsies 
#1 ·
Hi, since im selling my mare, I went out and got pics of me riding her out in one of the galloping fields. walk/trot/canter pics. And one really cool one of us on the trail but its more just for fun dont really know if it can be used for a sale shot? SO...! I dont have much experience with sale shots and how the horse is suppose to be and what not but here they are..would like all advice or cretic good or bad.
THANKS! :)


Here is the fun shot.


Her head shot


Standing...


Troting


And here are most of the canter shots, I dont think they are any good but I tried to crop the ones where we were far away but I dont know...







 
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#4 ·
Those are my only favs, what about the standing one? Is that any good?... Yah I would love more critique/advice cause ive got to learn some how and time!
Thanks
 
#5 ·
I have put my comments/critiques underneath the pictures.
travlingypsy said:

Picture's blurry, can't really see the horse all too well. You can use this as a "filler" picture if you want, (like if you're paying for 4 pictures and you only have 3 good ones, you can use this one to "take up space" so you're not wasting money) but please don't use it as a main photo.. you can't tell anything about the horse from this picture other than it blends in with the woods.


Shows a nice kind eye, and doesn't make her conformation look wonky. You might want to crop it so you can't see her legs - they're kind of at odd angles. Also, to be picky, the bit is a tad small.



This picture does not do her justice, and would turn me off (as a buyer) if you included it. It makes her neck look like it ties in poorly and look super thick, it makes her back look long and slightly swayed (because she is standing hollow) and makes her back end look wonky.



While it's not the best picture in the world, it is probably the best of the batch. It shows her tracking up and moving okay, she has good reach in the forearm. I don't like the fact that she's overbent though.



Makes her look uncoordinated.


Makes her look heavy on the forehand.


Makes her look disproportional in the hind end.


Probably the best of the canter photos, but still isn't a great angle.
Just for reference, the best footfall to catch a horse on during the canter is this:
as it shows good reach from the hind end, and makes the horse look powerful behind, as well as balanced.
 
#7 ·
Thanks! It helps a lot... Maybe i'll just use the trotting one and the head shot for CL ads and i'll work on the canter more outside, it was my first time cantering her outside of the arena. Hmmm I wish the arena got more light cause then I would just take pics there but you can hardly see anything!
Any more advice? And I totaly get everything your saying, its not hitting a brick wall :)
 
#8 ·
haha I am very passionate about the whole sale ads/sale pictures thing - it really does make a buyer say "yea" or "nay" ... looks shouldn't be everything, but they are to some people... go figure!
You're great to critique as well, so I thank you for that - you didn't get offended and asked for more, which is GREAT!!
You have a gorgeous mare, and some pictures at the right angles and timing will make all the difference.
Pointers:
1) Clean and tidy. Give the tack a quick rub-down, clean her bit, and use a clean saddle pad. Your attire should be professional as well - not necessarily like you're going to a show, but clean breeches, a nice top, good boots, and a helmet. Believe it or not, people do judge pictures like this.
2) Make sure the horse is well-groomed. Attention to little details will make all the difference; as a buyer we may not really know what draws us to a horse, we may not realize that all the little details, like hoof shine or a braided mane, appeal to us, but it does say "this horse is a little more finished and refined."
3) My pet peeve for sales ads is a shot where the horse is standing there with a rider on its back. It really doesn't show me anything - I can't see conformation, and I don't see movement, so besides telling me "yay, my horse will stand with me on it...goody" I don't get any info from this type of picture. And I see it a lot. Unless accompanied by photos described in 4, I will skip over an ad with just this photo.
4) Shots I do like:
- Full-body conformation, no tack (except headcollar or bridle, no leg wraps) or any conformation shots (front, back, each side)
- 3/4 shot of conformation, like point above.
- action shot, showing good quality movement in the discipline described in the sales ad (for example, if you're advertising a dressage horse, for crying out loud do not post a picture of it in a hunter class - these two disciplines call for completely different conformation, so unless it's an all around horse, don't show it.)
5) My pet peeves:
-pictures taken with the horse out in the paddock, eating grass/hay/grain - if you don't have time to bring it in and groom it, and stand it up for a good picture, why should I give you my time to go see that horse?
-pictures with kids riding where safety is not a priority (for example, don't let your kid ride without a helmet and safe footwear. It is NOT a good idea to put your toddler on a yearling.)
-stupid pictures. I don't care HOW "bombproof" your horse is, I do not like seeing pictures of you sitting under its belly/hanging on under its neck/doing a handstand on its butt.
-blurry pictures where you can't tell what's going on... it's a bird, it's a plane, no... it's a horse bucking!! just kidding.

Alright, obviously these aren't aimed at you per se, but to anyone reading this :)
Best of luck, she looks like a great little mare!
 
#9 ·
Thanks so much! Those were all great pointers! One of my pet peeves too is how people just go out and take a picture of there muddy horse.

I did spend a lot of time grooming her, and I had clean breeches on :P
Gypsy is an all around horse, she does english/western with solid level dressage training, and she also jumps. And neck reins... and of course trails...
What you mentioned with advertising a horse for dressage dont show pics of it in hunters.... Since gypsy is an all around horse what kind of pics should I focus on more? English, dressage, some jumping?

... And I wouldnt ask for someone to show me the flaws and go off the handle, this is the perfect time to learn! :D
 
#10 ·
travlingypsy said:
Thanks so much! Those were all great pointers! One of my pet peeves too is how people just go out and take a picture of there muddy horse.

I did spend a lot of time grooming her, and I had clean breeches on :P
Gypsy is an all around horse, she does english/western with solid level dressage training, and she also jumps. And neck reins... and of course trails...
What you mentioned with advertising a horse for dressage dont show pics of it in hunters.... Since gypsy is an all around horse what kind of pics should I focus on more? English, dressage, some jumping?

... And I wouldnt ask for someone to show me the flaws and go off the handle, this is the perfect time to learn! :D
Again, those pointers were in general, things to keep in mind ;) not necessarily directed at you :D
If your horse is an all-round horse, then go for it, show her doing what she does best! Show her going in english tack, western, whatever... my point really was that if you're advertising a horse as an advanced dressage horse, but show a picture of it doing higher-level hunters... well, you've just nixed yourself - hunters and dressage horses have completely different ways of moving, you won't see a horse going upper-levels in both.
Other than your pictures being taken at the wrong moment (literally), it was good lighting, you were both clean and well-presented, it's just down to getting the shutter to snap at the right moment :)
 
#13 ·
i don't know much about good ad photos but to me the confo shot makes her rear look rather small. her front end looks a little big in proportion to her back end. also her neck looks really thin and...just a little odd. to me the mane seems to make her neck look strange.

i dont know if anyone else can see what i did but its just my opinion....

jdi had some great advice there. i think you should follow what she said
 
#14 ·
What do you mean about the mane? Its a normal dressage look. Unless its crooked and uneven.
Huh, it could be the angle of everything that makes her butt look smaller then her front.
 
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