Essential Lenses for Equestrian Sports Photography

Introduction

Equestrian sports photography is a unique and exhilarating genre that captures the grace, power, and harmony between horse and rider. To capture these dynamic moments with precision and creativity, a photographer needs the right set of lenses in their arsenal. In this blog, we’ll explore the three essential lenses that every equestrian sports photographer should consider owning.

– Nick Rosendale, Founder | Events Through a Lens

1. Telephoto Lens (70-200mm or 300mm)

A telephoto lens is a must-have for equestrian sports photography due to the distance often required between the photographer and the subject.

The versatile 70-200mm or 300mm range allows you to capture close-ups of riders and horses in action, even from a considerable distance. These lenses provide a narrow field of view, which helps isolate your subjects against the background, creating stunning portraits or action shots.

When shooting events like show jumping or dressage, a telephoto lens lets you emphasise the details – the determination in a rider’s eyes, the horse’s focused expression, or the tension in mid-air jumps. Moreover, the wide aperture on many telephoto lenses enables you to achieve that desirable shallow depth of field, blurring the background and making your subject pop.

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