Pixiq

I was somewhat surprised the other day when I came across a little blurb someone had written about me on Facebook, pointing me out to his friends as a photographer worth checking out. Or rather, I was surprised at the main emphasis: Famous for shooting Icelandic ponies. While I have indeed photographed quite a few horses in the past years, I've never really considered that to be what I'm best known for.

I'm frequently asked about these horse photos by people who are not native to Iceland: Are these animals roaming wild? Are these MY horses? Do I live next to a farm? Am I a lifelong horse enthusiast? How do I get so close to them?

To quickly summarize: I do not own any horses, nor do I live near any farm, and while I admire the creatures, I've never once been on horseback. (Bit ironic that I rode an elephant once in a zoo in Miami, but have never been on horseback, despite horses being a very big thing here in Iceland.)  

All of the horses in my pictures (a smallish, sturdy Icelandic breed) have been found in fenced areas, usually grazing or roaming around in an elegant manner, with some exceptions:

Unlike most of my other work, the horse photos are the closest I get to just randomly shooting something I happen to come across with my camera. Rarely do I set out purely with the intent of photographing them (again, there are exceptions), but since I can't help but drive by them every time I set out on some other mission, I usually find myself sneaking up on them with my camera anyway.

As I mentioned already, there's always a fence (often a ditch AND a fence) separating them from the road. For a very good reason... Horses absolutely freak out in traffic, and at least twice I've come across a few that have somehow gotten out. Unlike sheep, for instance, they do not just brazenly run across the road in a suicidal manner. Instead, they tend to jog nervously alongside the road, and attempting to pass them can be quite a nerve-wracking experience. So the stronger these fences are, the better, in my opinion.

However, the fences, barbed-wire, electric, or both, as shown below, rarely manage to keep me away from a potentially good photo.

This can have its risks, obviously. While the picture above is totally posed, I did in fact get quite a shock a few minutes earlier, having stupidly grabbed hold of the wire running along the inside of the barbed wire, because, well, it wasn't barbed... I completely failed to notice the white conducter, which, as the photo shows, IS REALLY OBVIOUS. This was not pleasant, as the current, which comes in pulses, is meant to dissuade horses, which are quite a bit larger than me...  Be careful of those.

So yeah. Sometimes I settle for poking the lens over or through the fence, if the horses happen to be really close, and on one occasion I captured a surprisingly good moment with a 300mm lens from quite a distance:

But I have to admit, most of the shots I've been happiest with have required being inside the enclosure with the horses.

Is this potentially dangerous? As with all animals, of course they might behave in unexpected ways, and obviously a horse could do a lot of damage if it decides it doesn't like you crowding its personal space. I have never personally felt threatened by them, but if you're in any way ill at ease around animals, I recommend staying on the right side of the fence. These are inquisitive animals, and they have a habit of leisurely ganging up on unexpected visitors, nibbling gently on clothes perhaps, which can get a little uncomfortable if there are very many of them. However, if you happen to spot a lone, male horse in an enclosure, or mares with foals, do NOT attempt to get close. But, in general, I've only found them to be gentle and friendly.

As for gear recommendations, I'm partial to shooting horses with a wide-angle, to get as much landscape into the shot as possible. I mostly use a Canon 17-40mm on a full-frame 5D body.

(Prints of various horse photos available here, here and here.)