Wild Horse Wading

Bob, setting and exposure are fine with great natural colours, but I have a problem with the composition. because of the direction he is facing the horse needs to be on the left hand side of the frame. As it is he doesn't really engage the viewer.

I think this rocks Bob! The wind blown mane and the splashing hooves give life to the strong composition. I understand Martin's desire to have the horse looking the other way, but sometimes, as in this case I believe it is more effective to go against the grain. I'm a big fan of Robert Bateman and his painting, he has sold a few of his works so I think he knows a thing or two about composition. In some of his paintings he does exactly what you have done in this photo...here's a link to a painting with a coyote in a landscape where the coyote is looking to the short side ----http://batemancentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/79-22-CoyoteInWinterSage.jpg

(Hopefully I haven't contravened any copyright rules by referencing Mr. Bateman's painting?)

Martin, I appreciate your input. However we're going to differ a little bit on the placement of the horse. Notice the angle/orientation of the horse's body... it's primarily to camera left with the horse having its head turned in the opposite direction. The implied movement direction in the image suggests the composition as I have it.

Thanks for the comments, Gary. Much appreciated. The painting you referenced is a little bit of a different situation. In the painting the coyote's body is also angled in the direction it is looking. It's still an interesting and enjoyable image. I can only presume that the artist is trying to create a bit of drama... make the viewer wonder what the "dog" is looking at out of the frame. Compositional choices often depend on the story the artist wants to tell.

Lots of interest here... the blowing mane. the spray of water, the areas of marsh and water and, of course, the wild pony. Would make a lovely subject for photo art as well.

Bob,

I like this just as it is, colours and pose are perfect for me. I find it so strange that there are so many wild horses all over the world, (southern Namibia springs to mind) who were just left and have reverted to how they once lived, wonderful thing nature

Thanks Patricia & Ken. Your comments are much appreciated.

Ken, in the USA horses, particularly wild horses, are associated with the western parts of the country and with cowboys. This mental association is so strong that people are often surprised to find out there are herds of wild horses living along the eastern coast of the continent. I find the story of the horse's return to the Americas an interesting tale. The horse originated here,spread to "the old world," then went extinct in the Americas about 12,000 years ago. Then as Europeans began to explore and settle the Americas the horse was reintroduced to its continent of origin.

Regarding the discussion of placement...there are no rules, only guidelines articulated by some about what "usually" works best. I like this as posted. For me the strong elements are the angled tail and water splash, but especially the horizontal bands of water, grass, water, land, sky. The warm light shining on his coat doesn't hurt a thing, either!

This is an interesting capture to analyze. Note the eyes are perfectly placed on the intersection of thirds (another "rule") and consider if the tail were swaying the other way he would probably feel unbalanced in the frame, but here diagonal pulls it back. If one were looking for an image "of a wild horse" a vertical format would present him nicely, but here the environment is a strong sense of place and the image becomes one of "place" with a gorgeous wild horse as its accent. Thanks for sharing it!

Congrats on the WP - fine image. Also a good example of not following "correct" comp - and having an excellent image.
Sandy

Nice composition. I think the placement creates an interesting tension befitting a wild horse. Nice detail and lighting which brings out the form of the subject.

I love horses so much. This image brings me to tears. Thank you for sharing it, and in the making of it, for breaking the rules. Just stunning as is. Congratulations!