1. the setup
To photograph horses for Black Background portraiture, I place those in the entrance of an enclosed barn aisle, with all of the light turned off, and every window or door closed behind so that no light is coming in. (Pictured to the left) I shoot with entirely natural light, which means that almost all of the magic happens after the photos are taken through my extensive editing process. However, this also means that without artificial lighting or a special setup, it is difficult for me to do my job in lighting conditions that are not ideal.
A lot of barns do not have an enclosed aisle like this with no light coming in from behind, but often there is a hay barn or indoor arena that can be used. If you are unsure about your setup, you can contact me to chat about options!
2. lighting and session timing
This setup creates a naturally dark background that is significantly easier to edit, and it creates a very natural look when it is finished. In order to get the natural and flattering separation of the subject from the background, I shoot in open shade. This means that there will need to be no direct light coming into the barn aisle where the horse is standing. This minimizes harsh shadows and allows for a smooth and natural finish to the horse. The before and after shown above is a perfect example of an ideal setup in open shade. You can find more before and afters here!
With that being said, once we have found an ideal setup for your horse’s portraits, we will need to time the shoot so that there is no harsh light on the horse. If you know that where we will be shooting will be harshly lit in the morning, then we should time our session for the afternoon when the sun is not shining directly on where we will be shooting.