Horses in Pasture

Last spring my wife and I vacationed at a farm. While I am a dedicated landscape photographer, and I have no desire to switch genres, this beautiful horse was irresistible. I would like to keep one of the images on my website. So, my questions are:

  1. Is either image any good?
  2. Which image is better?

What technical feedback would you like if any?

Any

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

Any

Any pertinent technical details:

Nikon D810, Nikon 24-120 f/4, Polarizing filter

You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.

A very nice looking horse. If mine I would go with the vertical. The horizontal is too static, but the vertical is better in comp and the positioning of the subject in the frame. Also the fence adds depth and interest. However I would definitely revisit the color balance. The yellow color cast is a bit strong, even though there is lots of yellow (clover?) on the ground. You might also consider adding a bit of contrast.

Hi Marc. Thanks for posting in Human and Fauna. It’s nice to see you here.

It is a nice looking horse, doing what horses usually seem to be doing. My personal preference is for the side view. While I love the leading line of the fence, the horse just doesn’t come across as well. The golden mist in the side view is very nice and fits well with the lush grass and the buttercups. I do think it would be better if the horse had a bit more room on the left and a bit less on the right so it wasn’t walking out of the frame. You could probably do that with a content-aware crop in PhotoShop.

By the way, my wife is horse crazy and has been so since she was born, I think. Her opinion, as much as she loves them, is that they’re not really photogenic unless they’re in motion-something to think about next time you photograph one.

Thanks again and please feel free to find some more good subjects for this forum.