Learn HOW to Photograph
America's Wild Horses

Photographing Wild Horses isn't quite as easy as photographing Ghost Towns. One difference is they move! So it takes alittle work to find them. And secondly, they are WILD! An aspect that should Not be overlooked.

They can be unpredictable, no matter how tame they may appear, treat them with respect! One minute you are not a threat to them, the next you are and will be challenged! I have yet to see a photographer who could out run a wild horse.

Most people have forgotten that horses were and still are prey animals, and millions of years of instinct have made them very wary by nature. Getting close can be a real challenge. Most groups or individuals have what is known as a "threat zone". In other words, they won't let you get close enough to where they can't run to safety!

Getting Really Good Photographs of Wild Horses

You are going to need at least one zoom telephoto lens (or a lot of patience). Stacy and I use either a 70-200mm or a 100-400mm lens for most of our work. But I always keep my 28-135mm zoom handy just in case!

You can still make great photographs with a point-and shoot camera. I took this shot out the driver's side window of our van with Stacy's Canon PowerShot SD700IS point-and-shoot camera.

Just remember when using the zoom, only use the optical zoom and not the digital zoom! When you incorporate the digital zoom, the software in your camera is actually cropping the image to make it appear larger. The image may look great on your LCD screen or computer monitor but the image quality may not be high enough for a larger print. (If you would like to make larger prints, visit the Digital Darkroom for some suggestions on software and techniques.)

For the sharpest possible images, don't forget your tripod or monopod! Remember the rule of thumb for hand holding your camera with a telephoto lens! Your shutter speed should be the reciprocal of the focal length of your lens. Hence a lens with a focal length of 200mm would require a shutter speed greater than 1/200sec to offset the possibility of camera shake and a blurred image. If you can't get a fast enough shutter speed at the f-stop you want to use, change your ISO setting to 400 or maybe even 800!

"So You Want To Get Closer!"

Your vehicle makes an excellent blind for photographing wild animals! You can usually get closer to most wild animals in your vehicle then on foot, and wild horses are no different. This is because the animals are more used to seeing cars then they are seeing people.

If you are in an area with lots of dirt roads and you can drive closer, by all means, give it a try! But please don't drive off of established roads! Some eco-systems are so fragile, one tire track may take years to repair! Tread Lightly.

To get even closer you'll have to come prepared and follow some basic techniques. Stacy and I purchased our desert camouflage pants and jackets at our local surplus store. They help you blend in to the surroundings. Not a requirement, but really look cool!

Always approach the wild horses from down wind if you can. Horses don't have very good eyesight, in fact, they can't see directly in front of themselves, but their ears and noses are super sensitive!

Move slowly and deliberately from one source of cover to the next. Do not move in a straight line! Stop often and stand still or crouch behind some cover. I have found that just standing still works the best for me.

Use terrain features like depressions and shallow washes when possible. When leaving cover, do it very slowly. Be as quiet as you can. Eventually they will not view you as a threat and as long as you move slowly and deliberately, you can get pretty close.

But remember, these animals ARE wild! A 900 pound wild horse can do alot of damage to a 175 pound photographer! Horses communicate with their ears! Keep an eye on their body language. Ears pinned flat back against the head is not a good thing! Neither is pawing at the ground with head lowered!

The horse is letting you know that he or she is unhappy with how close you are or something else you are doing. Discretion IS the better part of valor. Gather your gear and back slowly away, but Never turn your back on a wild horse!

Let's Take Some Pictures!

When photographing wild horses, we use alot of the techniques discribed in the Photo Tips and Technical Info pages. One of the most important tips I can give you when taking pictures of wild horses is to make sure the the horse's eyes are in focus. If the eyes are in focus, the human brain will accept the rest of the photograph as being in acceptable focus!

Here is a good opportunity to use Focus Lock . Focus on the eyes, press the shutter release half way down (this will lock the focus), re-compose for maximum visual impact and take the picture! After you do this several times it will become second nature and the quality of your images will improve!

Sometimes things will happen so fast you'll miss great shots if you are trying to shoot in manual mode. This is where the Aperture Value or Time Value settings come in particularly handy.

When you set the mode dial on your camera to Aperture Value, you select the aperture, or f-stop, and the camera will select the proper shutter speed for the correct exposure. I find I use Aperture Value more than Time Value becaues I am more interested in having positive control over the depth of field than being able to freeze action.

Use a Tripod Whenever You Can

Carrying the thing around can be a real pain, but sharper images will be your reward! And they really earn their stripes if you get a chance to photograph running horses. Panning with "Long Glass" when you are "hand holding" your camera can be difficult, but the task becomes much easier using a tripod . And I'll bet you get sharper images, too!

In Conclusion

Photographing Wild Horses is fun and exciting! I hope you get the chance to experience the thrill of seeing and taking pictures of "Our Living History", the American Mustang true Icons of the West!

For more information on viewing Wild Horses in the Las Vegas Area, please visit our Destination Page on the Wheeler Pass HMA and the Spring Mountains Recreation Area.

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