Blinking their eyes as they turn into the sun, note the curve in the grey's body as he does so.
Introduction
It occurred to me, as I snapped photos at the draft horse and mule show, that discussing the shooting of reference photos might be helpful.
As I mentioned in that last post, face time with the living subject informs our work in ways no image or video can. So getting "down in the dirt" gifts us with two essential benefits:
- We get up close and personal with the living animal.
- We can capture specific aspects we want.
Two great things that go better together! Also mentioned in that previous post was that sculpting realism requires a vast interdisciplinary knowledge base, one that's developed through (unending) hours of life study and and research. In turn, photos freeze life's information for us and so become an essential supplemental tool. If we teach workshops or write, we already know the usefulness of a good photo as instructive examples. When teaching folks who tend to be visually oriented, like artists, a good one can provide an astonishing degree of insight.
But reference photos go beyond the basics. Every animal has his own physical idiosyncrasies that make each one as unique as each of us. His flesh, motion, coordination, posture and hair also contort in all sorts of interesting ways in every fleeting moment. All these temporary conditions can be overlooked or forgotten no matter how keen our observational skills, which is precisely where our friend the camera comes in handy. For this reason, it's smart policy to have a good camera and the know-how to use it, since the images it'll produce will become important guides once back in the studio.
But when we're on site, it's easy to get caught up in the thick of things and lose sight of that. We may start snapping away, capturing everything in sight willy nilly. When we get home, however, we may be sorely disappointed in our day's labors, and that's a lot of wasted effort. To avoid this situation, here are some ideas to maximize your efforts...
Tips for Taking Reference Photos
Be prepared Have all the paraphernalia you need before you arrive. This includes cables, batteries, memory cards, lenses, filters, tripod, flash drives, laptop, or anything else you need. Always plan to take far more photos than you think. And running out of memory or power in the middle of a golden opportunity is a headache in the making!
Remember, back in the studio months or even years from now, you may forget that the tight neck shot you took was on a standing horse and so you sculpted it exactly into your cantering sculpture! Whoops! So think about how you'll be using these images in the future and frame accordingly.
But reference photos go beyond the basics. Every animal has his own physical idiosyncrasies that make each one as unique as each of us. His flesh, motion, coordination, posture and hair also contort in all sorts of interesting ways in every fleeting moment. All these temporary conditions can be overlooked or forgotten no matter how keen our observational skills, which is precisely where our friend the camera comes in handy. For this reason, it's smart policy to have a good camera and the know-how to use it, since the images it'll produce will become important guides once back in the studio.
But when we're on site, it's easy to get caught up in the thick of things and lose sight of that. We may start snapping away, capturing everything in sight willy nilly. When we get home, however, we may be sorely disappointed in our day's labors, and that's a lot of wasted effort. To avoid this situation, here are some ideas to maximize your efforts...
Tips for Taking Reference Photos
Be prepared Have all the paraphernalia you need before you arrive. This includes cables, batteries, memory cards, lenses, filters, tripod, flash drives, laptop, or anything else you need. Always plan to take far more photos than you think. And running out of memory or power in the middle of a golden opportunity is a headache in the making!
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Based on this Belgian filly's image on the left, we could assume she's a "clear" pangare chestnut. But on closer inspection (right), we see all those little different color hairs, both darker and lighter. Some in patches. I noticed this, too, on my Dar, who was chestnut, and even on his barn mate, Defiant, who was a bright, clear red chestnut. I've looked for this on all clear colors, including "boring" flat red bay, and found the same effect in varying degrees. This may be why my "clear" paint jobs don't read quite right to me - they're too literal. They "think in pigment" rather than biology. I need to figure out how to integrate the dark-medium-light graininess in my paintwork, at least in some measure. In a word: BLORG.
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Have a goal Decide ahead of time what types of shots you need. For instance, know the holes in your reference library to use that opportunity to fill them. Or perhaps you need certain postures, gestures, angles or features for the piece you're going to start. It could be specific conformation or types are the ticket. Whatever it is, be sure to actively seek it out and snap away.________________________________________________
This mare is doing something really interesting with her left shoulder-humerus-elbow mechanism as she's backing up. Among many other things between these two! Wow!
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If you don't already know how, practice on anticipating the next moment with equines in order to capture that needed aspect. This may mean anticipating a certain gait phase, movement, posture or revealing of behavior. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it snatches a gem for you!________________________________________________
A really interesting movement as this Belgian pivots on his hind end and steps over in front. Note the lateral curve to his torso and the dainty pointed front toe. Horse spines are rather quite rigid, so this degree of bend is impressive. Despite their size, they aren't clunky creatures!
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Above all, shoot from a sculptural point of view, looking for features that either illuminate, inspire, or can be integrated into future work.________________________________________________
I was lucky enough to not just snap this motion once, but twice - and in two different types of equines (a Perchie on the left and a mule on the right). I've long wondered how a horse would bend his body and legs when pivoting like this - I had assumptions, but well...life proves repeatedly that assumptions are a slippery slope. But now, I have an answer! Note how much those hind legs are angled in the direction of movement, even when only one is weighted (in the case of the mule). Again, note the similarities and differences between the two, asking yourself, "why?" I also like the angulation of the Perchie's lifted fore hoof. Interesting.
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Take images in high resolution The higher the resolution, the crisper the image, so don't be shy! Just buy big memory cards. However, you don't always have to shoot in maxed out resolution. I usually take mine at 2816 x 2112, a step down from the highest on my camera. I just don't anticipate enlarging my images beyond anything bigger than fourteen inches for sculpting or printing purposes. (However, if you're shooting for color or pattern shots, crank that resolution as high as it'll go.)________________________________________________
This is the same mule as above (who also gave me a host of yawning pix). What I found so interesting about this motion is how the hind legs are, again, oriented in the angle of the direction the hind end is going, especially the one that's really pushing off. Unexpected and really cool! I don't dare say this is a rule - nature is too full of possibilities. But I can say it's an option I didn't know existed before.
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Take multiple angles Remember that you're a sculptor and not a painter. You have to account for the full mass and topography of the subject! Wouldn't it be a shame to get "stuck" on the other side and angles simply because you neglected to capture them when you had the chance? Don't forget the up and down angles, too. Think in terms of a 3D laser scanner - if you have a gap in your knowledge of topography, here's your chance to plug it!________________________________________________
With each touchdown of the hind leg, the ends of the loose tail went swish over it. It was so pretty and jaunty, like a swaying tassel. The force of the swish also told me quite a bit about the density and texture of their tail hairs even before I ever got to touch them. This is an important detail for sculpture, in terms of physics, moment and composition.
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Leave yourself open to opportunity Serendipity is a wonderful thing, and equines dish it out in spades. So if you see something odd, snap it. Indeed, the odder the position or gesture, the better because it's in those moments that all sorts of new information is revealed. A handy trick is to think in terms of "moments," parcels of time that encapsulate posture, motion, physics, gesture, expression, or situation.________________________________________________
Here's a wonderful moment of serendipity - that's quite a bit of inspirational material! Also note the lovely tail movement on the right mule - wouldn't that be beautiful on a sculpture?
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Find continuity As artists we need to fully understand how the equine body functions, a complicated morass to be sure. Equine bodies move as regional systems yes, but they also move as a series of complex interwoven systems, and then as a whole system. This means that a change in one area has a cascade effect throughout the entire body. Equines also express with their entire bodies, so a shift in attitude can change their whole posture in the blink of an eye. ________________________________________________
Another sequence shot, with that same directional angulation of the hind legs in the right Perchie. What I liked about this sequence (aside from the neat stuff going on with the left Perchie) was that it showed how a horse can swivel his hind legs back into normal orientation.
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So while it may be tempting to snap away in tight shots of certain areas, it's better to leave those shots for very specific purposes. Rather, think about including surrounding areas in order to capture system continuity. Doing so also provides later clues about the movement or gait that produced the feature in that shot. Another approach is to snap an establishing shot before taking tight detail shots to orient yourself - I do this a lot and it's very helpful. Remember, back in the studio months or even years from now, you may forget that the tight neck shot you took was on a standing horse and so you sculpted it exactly into your cantering sculpture! Whoops! So think about how you'll be using these images in the future and frame accordingly.
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I used the continuous shutter option for these images, and when I first saw the image on the left I thought, "What the heck is that right horse doing with those hind legs?! Limbs akimbo!" Welp, she was hopping her hind end over to plant that right hind leg in preparation to back up, as revealed in the sequential right photo. Life is full of options! And she knew exactly what to do even before she was asked.
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In a similar way, sequential images can be useful for capturing biomechancal or behavioral changes for future reference. This is the reason why I like the continuous shutter option on my camera because it produces a sequence (it's also the reason why I rack up so many images). Small moment to moment changes such as balance shifts, coordination adjustments, or mood changes can be really illuminating. I don't use the continuous shutter all the time, but do actively incorporate it into my overall strategy.________________________________________________
This is another interesting image: note the two mules facing the camera, showing their full left sides. Very similar foreleg positions, but note the very different hind leg positions. They were all trotting. Again - options! Here we also get to compare and contrast those front ends as related to the different back ends. For instance, note the different forearm muscling, and the very different muscling between the points of shoulder and the tops of those forearms, along with the pecs and the triceps. Cool!
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Find modes to compare and contrast Try to capture similar moments or motions between different individuals, if possible. This allows you to compare and contrast, a terrific means to insight. Being able to ask, "what's shared, what's different, and why," are remarkably powerful questions because it's these kinds of distinctions that will deepen our understanding and provide countless options for sculpture. They also help us avoid the comfortable formulas and patterns our brains are hard-wired to favor. ________________________________________________
This is an incredibly interesting image, providing a pile of information especially of the compare-contrast variety. Note the similar motion but the very different postures, pelvic motion (which is really spinal motion) and coordination. Horses are living, organic creatures, who make their own rules within the confines of their anatomy, and that provides endless design choices for sculpture.
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Now sometimes that continuous shutter will synch with the gait of the animal, capturing the same position repeatedly. While this would seem a waste, it's actually useful by providing an opportunity to compare and contrast similar stances but on the same individual. It's amazing what a slight shift in balance or mood can do to musculature and posture! It's these little details that can add so much life to our work. Every image has something new to teach. ________________________________________________
Here we can compare how the shoulder and pectoral muscles are similar and different, and why. Lots of good info in this image!
The wash rack provided a great opportunity to compare and contrast the hind ends of the different types or breeds, scaled to be of equal size (more or less). Aside from all the other cool stuff, it was interesting to note how the mule's hip joints were slightly more closer set, an important tidbit for future mule sculptures. This may be why mule hind ends tend to appear so top heavy, or "muffin topped," when standing at ease. I suspect they get this from their donkey parent.
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Understand lighting Try to avoid blown out photos. Sometimes you can't avoid them, so do your best. When it comes to digital images, clipped whites mean that the information within them is permanently lost, and no amount of photo editing will magically reinstill what isn't there. ________________________________________________
Don't be so quick to dump blurry, underexposed pix. Note the beautifully defined tendon of the levator labii superioris propius muscle on the right mule.
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This is why I tend to take my photos slightly darker than needed because I can always lighten in Photoshop. But it's definitely a balancing act since shooting too dark results in a grainier image that can also destroy detail. So tinker with your camera in different lighting conditions before going to the shoot to figure out corrective strategies.________________________________________________
The original underexposed image on the left (because of evening low light) and the correction on the right. Photo editing lets us salvage underexposed photos to some extent. Had I allowed more exposure into this shot, those mules would've been blurred and it was their different skull structures and expressions I wanted.
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Shade or low light is a similar problem - I had to really battle that at the draft show. The problem is that in order to capture more light for a better image the shutter speed is slowed and/or the aperture is opened, which results in a fuzzy image, or blurred motion. In those cases, I tend to shoot dark and hope for the best - I'd rather have a grainy image with something useable (even if in outline) than a big blurry smear. Another strategy is to shoot a bit farther back, avoiding close ups. This tends to allow more ambient light into the camera for a more salvageable image, albeit at a loss of close-up detail.
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Again using the continuous shutter, I caught this sequence of mules stopping, backing up and starting to walk forward again. I really focused on these kinds of transitions because they reveal a wad about moment, biomechanics and coordination.
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Ideally, the best light is sunny in a strong directional to pick up the anatomical features without large patches of shaded portions. A bright overcast day also is very useful, especially for reference shots of coat patterns. Morning and evening light can be dicey, however, since they can stream directly into the camera and block out your subject entirely. But if you can get your lens perpendicular to the sun's orientation, that kind of lighting can work well, too. Again, think sculpturally, using light to "sculpt out" the features of the subject.________________________________________________
The continuous shutter captures another gem: the sequence when this draft pivots, plants and takes off trotting in one stride. That's a heap of neat information there! For instance, it tells me that gaits begin in the spine and flow through the hind leg to initiate, as seen in #2. Look how firmly that left hind foot is planted in preparation to trot, even billowing up dirt. So when I create a sculpture depicting a gait transition, I need to think about this image.
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For our purposes, the general rule of thumb is: the faster the shutter speed and the smaller the aperture, the better the image. But do your best with the conditions you have because they aren't always ideal. You may even have to reconsider your target images if the lighting isn't suitable for capturing them. ________________________________________________
Note the difference in expression between these two mules, and the tweaky muzzle on the left one. Fun! We also get useful information about lateral fore leg motion and body coordination during a pivot.
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Plan your time Prioritize your shots and shoot accordingly. I wanted to take more shots of type and build at the show, for example, but ran out of time. I also didn't get as many photos of mules as I wanted, or of color. But I also understand this was my first time to this event, which brings us to...
Considering revisiting the situation Chances are you aren't going to get every shot you want. Perhaps the opportunity didn't arise, or the photo didn't turn out as well as you'd hoped. It happens. This is another reason why many artists trek around their cameras, to make use of every opportunity. So keep a tally of those images you still need and pounce when you can.
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Drafter heads are intriguing, since they tend to be quite different from the heads of other horses. In particular, the set of the eyes, the formation of the brows and zygomatic arches, the size of the muzzle, and the breadth and length from orb to schnoz are of special interest to me. Also some drafter heads seem "meatier" while others appear quite "dry" - lots of variation.
This simple Photoshop manipulation teaches me something invaluable about drafter heads - they aren't actually wider through the brows, they're wider and longer through the orb-schnoz span, giving them the long, narrow look from the front, and tend to have more pronounced zygomatics. Also note that the eye size is the same, which is why drafter eyes look smaller. It's not their eyes that are smaller - it's their heads that are bigger! These are all important ideas for my future drafter sculptures. Personally, I don't find drafter heads plain whatsoever - I find them irresistibly charming and noble. Beautiful!
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For example, I intend to return to the draft show next year, but with a new strategic plan. We're going to wander the barns more, particularly in between classes, and especially target the staging areas. We also now know which parts of the main arena are best for which classes so we can stake our claim early.
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Note the difference in head type between these two Clydesdale geldings - one is narrower and lighter than the other. Remember to note the gender of your subject because that really influences phenotype through secondary sex characteristics. Or you can do this by taking a shot of the same animal with his or her "parts" visible to provide a visual future note.
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A good reference library is something carefully built. It doesn't happen overnight. So take your time and be diligent...and patient.
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A valuable image of a horse backing up, seen from the front (the horse on the left). This is an image I didn't have before! Woot! It tells me lots of tasty info, particularly that horses tend to track wide of the median when backing up whereas they tend to track along the median when moving forward. Sweet! That has interesting implications for composition and narrative.
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Take many Working from only one or a few images for a sculpture is a disadvantage because no one image tells us everything we need to know. Not even a few do. Only a rather hefty pile begins to reveal the story, but even then we have to fill in the gaps with our mental library and book smarts.So take many photos! You never know what you're going to need until you get to that unexpected point in your sculpture and find yourself asking, "uh oh...what do I do now?" You also don't know which photos will turn out best, so if you've put all your eggs in one basket with just one pic, that's quite a gamble. Also consider tweaking the settings on your camera to get the same pic with different effects - sometimes that compare and contrast can help illuminate some curious things.
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This cool photo reveals a whole lot about spinal motion that's immensely useful for sculpture.
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Remember the purpose Unlike other folks who snap photos for nostalgia or novelty, we artists have a purpose - we need our photos as tools. While that seems obvious, it's very easy to forget in the thick of things, so stay on target.________________________________________________
Again, we have another opportunity to compare and contrast between similar positions. Neat stuff going on! Realistic sculpture isn't just about what's similar, it's even more about what's different.
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Seek aspects that challenge your perception Most of all, take images that challenge what you perceive to be true or "right." I'll get to artistic perception in more detail in a later post, but it really is the crux of what we do. We aren't actually sculpting realistic horses, we're sculpting what we perceive to be realistic horses. And therein lies a boatload of bias and blindspots.
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Another shot done with the continuous shutter option, capturing the moment between backing up and immediate forward motion. Look at the shift in "downhill" and "uphill" balance.
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So if something strikes you as weird or wrong - snap away! That might be a clue to an unknown blindspot. Or if you think you don't need to snap that photo because you already know that area well enough - think again. It may surprise you.
In Conclusion
A good reference photo is an amazing tool, useful in so many ways and an indispensable boon to artists and teachers alike. But it's important they be kept in context.
For instance, some artists take reference photos with the intention of directly creating a sculpture from one. That's fine, but it does paint creativity into a corner. Unless we have images from all different angles of that one position, what do we do? It also limits our compositional options, and that can be a big problem for sculpture because that's all sculpture is about. In this way, we can become a slave to our photos and is that really a place from which we want to create?
Instead, a more helpful context is to regard reference photos as a means to enlightenment and inspiration. Using them to better understand equine structure, motion and behavior tends to more fully exploit their potential rather than as literal "connect the dots" templates. In this light, we can also use them to "Frankenstein" a sculpture together, blasting away all limits to our compositional options while also helping to train our eyes to "see the next moment."
Indeed, one skill easily overlooked in the studio is the ability to understand the continuum beyond what's captured in a photo. To grasp this truth is to grasp the secret ingredient to compelling realism.
We can be lulled into a kind of daze within the confines of our reference images. They appear so complete and self-contained. But we should remember that's all they are - static images. No photo exists in a reality vacuum! Just as a photo is a frozen moment within an ongoing stream of cause and effect, so can a realistic sculpture be, as well. With this understanding, we not only begin to see the continuum in our images, but we can infuse that sense into our work, too, seating our piece believably inside a "living moment."
As cool as they are then, we shouldn't worship our reference photos. An over-reliance on them can be just as dicey as an over-reliance on our mental library or our book smarts. Remember - they're only tools to help us decipher reality, nothing more. But in that lies great potential, too. Coming back to our perception again, it tends to convince us we know enough, or already have things right. It's inherently biased, by definition. But no matter how much we think we know, we often don't know enough, and no matter how right we think we are, we sometimes aren't.
By objectively freezing a moment within a continuum, a photo can help us peel away the skews in our perception if we're open enough to seek and See them, and in our own time. This is why reference photos work in partnership with life study and research, a kind of realism trinity. Keep them in that context and you'll be in fine shape. So go out there and snap away!
In Conclusion
A good reference photo is an amazing tool, useful in so many ways and an indispensable boon to artists and teachers alike. But it's important they be kept in context.
For instance, some artists take reference photos with the intention of directly creating a sculpture from one. That's fine, but it does paint creativity into a corner. Unless we have images from all different angles of that one position, what do we do? It also limits our compositional options, and that can be a big problem for sculpture because that's all sculpture is about. In this way, we can become a slave to our photos and is that really a place from which we want to create?
Instead, a more helpful context is to regard reference photos as a means to enlightenment and inspiration. Using them to better understand equine structure, motion and behavior tends to more fully exploit their potential rather than as literal "connect the dots" templates. In this light, we can also use them to "Frankenstein" a sculpture together, blasting away all limits to our compositional options while also helping to train our eyes to "see the next moment."
Indeed, one skill easily overlooked in the studio is the ability to understand the continuum beyond what's captured in a photo. To grasp this truth is to grasp the secret ingredient to compelling realism.
We can be lulled into a kind of daze within the confines of our reference images. They appear so complete and self-contained. But we should remember that's all they are - static images. No photo exists in a reality vacuum! Just as a photo is a frozen moment within an ongoing stream of cause and effect, so can a realistic sculpture be, as well. With this understanding, we not only begin to see the continuum in our images, but we can infuse that sense into our work, too, seating our piece believably inside a "living moment."
As cool as they are then, we shouldn't worship our reference photos. An over-reliance on them can be just as dicey as an over-reliance on our mental library or our book smarts. Remember - they're only tools to help us decipher reality, nothing more. But in that lies great potential, too. Coming back to our perception again, it tends to convince us we know enough, or already have things right. It's inherently biased, by definition. But no matter how much we think we know, we often don't know enough, and no matter how right we think we are, we sometimes aren't.
By objectively freezing a moment within a continuum, a photo can help us peel away the skews in our perception if we're open enough to seek and See them, and in our own time. This is why reference photos work in partnership with life study and research, a kind of realism trinity. Keep them in that context and you'll be in fine shape. So go out there and snap away!
"It's through my artist's eyes that I see wonderful things in nature that I never saw before." ~ Kathy Connelly