Black Saddle is built on the back of great photography. From the very start this was the plan. The other agencies, which sell most of the same rides, have minimal story telling and minimal sex appeal.
Taking photos of horses is a very unique skill set. You need to have horse sense to be able to tell when a horse looks elegant and beautiful or like a donkey. You also need to know when a horse looks like it’s bored or in distress. This feels so natural to life long horse lovers but takes years to develop if you’re not from a horsey background.
I’ve been finding content that I know will be universally appreciated for almost a decade to grow Dreamy Ponies to over 1.2 million followers. If you look at that account most videos and images aren’t of horses being ridden. They’re natural shots, in nature, of horses feeling good.
So, what photos do well on social media? And what attributes does a photographer need to capture this (for Black Saddle of just in general)?
1) Horse Sense: as mentioned, this is number one. Horses fighting the bit, ears back, standing downhill, giving side eye - it’s all unusable to sell a holiday or to sell a feeling of freedom and well being, which is what a happy horse conveys to us.
2) Great rider: I tell photographers not to even bother with ass shots of horses being ridden ahead of you. We want eye contact - whether that’s from the horse or the rider. This drives connection. The photographer needs to be a good enough rider to ride with their legs while their camera is directed to a horse or a human’s face - often at pace because the next attribute is:
3) Action shots: movement is so much more interesting than stationary (likely staged) shots. Galloping through flower fields, adrenaline fuelled smiles, horses high on a good run, beautiful arched necks, synchronicity in gaits as a group moves towards the camera, a horse in the same stride as a giraffe or zebra - all of this is poetry in motion and FAR more interesting than horses with heads down grazing.
4) An eye for beauty (and not filth or edginess): good photographers get bored of taking photos of beautiful things and start to yurn for edginess. This doesn’t work for Black Saddle. The holidays are beautiful and avoid filth and dark things. I don’t want that enhanced if it does exist. Of course some things are harsh when you’re in nature and working with cultures that don’t see horses as family as we do. But leaning into the muck isn’t nice and misses the point of what a holiday aims to make you feel. We don’t need images of an escaped animal half dead from a lion attack or people suffering in any way. Take them, but know they are for your personal use.
5) Charm. When your job is to unlock people and have them bare their soul to you, charm is invaluable. You need to like people, to be able to open them up, flirt with them a little - that’s how you capture the sex appeal of the whole thing, right? It’s no good to force people into showing you what you thought a place would be like based on stereotypes. Unlock people, let them show you who they are and capture it. Honesty is sexy, interesting and real.
6) Colour. Cinematic shots don’t work that well on social media. Tell the story of a place through bold, real life colours. They might even be better than real life, that’s ok. Muted colour makes imagery look dated, journalistic and cold. We’re trying to show the humanity in a place, and that comes from warmth and dazzling colour that almost every culture, be it Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Botswana or Namibia offers you day after day on safari. To erase it is almost a crime! Tone down those fluro greens though, Instagram doesn’t like them
7) Subjects: People. The great secret of these rides is that’s it’s all about the people - not the landscapes or even the horses. Very wide shots with tiny horses are great for setting the scene but it’s the closer, energetic, golden hour shots that have a central human or horse subject that really convey feeling.
8) Context. Images of tourists in bright yellow or red jackets on horses with nothing around them that hints to where the might be are a bit of a waste. Add a body of water, a mountain range, or local architecture to the background to tell the story of the ride. Almost always it’s better to focus on the guide, who physically embodies the entirety of the ride in their clothing, tack, way of riding and general way of being.
9) Stamina. Your biggest battle will be with yourself as the tours can run long days with early starts and late finishes. Finding the energy to capture golden hours before or after a long day riding can be a challenge. You also need to watch that you don’t forget yourself in the moment and act as a guest, so that you miss capturing and documenting a beautiful part of the trip. It’s hard as there’s so much to get on these holidays!
Here are some examples of incredible shots that I love that encapsulate what I mean:
Running with Giraffe, Macatoo
Satisfying composition with the giraffe in a fan and horses in full gallop. Greens are muted (I muted them more for instagram), golden hour light. Fantastic. Interesting angle from a helicopter. One of my all time favourites.
Crossing the Andes
No green! Interesting composition with the horse coming to camera (eye contact) and the humans following. Popular colour of horse that does well on socials. Rule of thirds with skyline makes for satisfying composition. Photographer unknown.
I have one spot free on the pioneer ride from 26 Jan to 05 Feb with me. Must be a male rider as will share with another guy.
Jumping the Dining Table, Offbeat
This embodies everything a safari is! Action, bravery, adrenaline, great riding, interesting people, it’s perfect.
Photographer unknown
Tacking up, Tanzania
Silvia’s horse looks stunning and relaxed, Silvia looks amazing, dressed in natural colours sympathetic to the environment.
Shots where the rider is not facing the camera also work where viewers can imagine themselves in their place.
Photo by her husband Fede
Golden hour, the silhouette, it’s romantic, Silvia looks great, but’s it’s also anonymous, letting the viewing imagine themselves here.
Photo by her husband Fede
Free horses, Kyrgyzstan
Yann is usually a high end fashion photographer featuring in Russian Vogue often. His composition is beautiful and interesting, the greens are muted and the silkiness of the hills around the lake are perfect. He did a wonderful job of adding a surreal, luxury feel to a very ancient and natural place.
Photo by Yan Yugay
Another from Yann. The use of water and the ducks gives context and makes the photo interesting. The bands of sky, horse, geese and water makes the photo well balanced. The central palomino with its ears forward shows a lovely harmony with the environment - even though the horse is hobbled.
Photo by Yan Yugay
Hunting in the Orange Grove, Pakistan
One of my favorite shots from Pakistan, the green is well balanced and saturated enough to avoid instagram scrolling on by. There is great energy, the horse and Otis are both coiled and looking for their next move, the horse’s ears show he is waititng for Otis’s instruction yet he’s also looking ahead anticipating the next move. The pops of orange are lush.
Photo by Georgina Preston
Galloping across the Mara, Offbeat
Despite breaking the rule of giving context in the background, this is a wonderful action shot, with the horse looking healthy and balanced. The backward ears are not a sign of discomfort but concentration, the rider, Caterina, is balanced, making it look effortless, locked onto the camera but without a cheesy smile. She looks amazing. The hat and the swooshing tail add to the action. Great pic achieved by Georgina galloping alongside to take the picture.
Photo by Georgina Preston
Gaucho on top of the World, Jakotango
One of my favourite shots of all time, Jakob von Plessen on a rocky outcrop atop of the Andes on the Jakotango ride. The composition is stunning and the fact that he is about to leap across the rocks elevates what might have been a stunning but static photo.
Photo by Anne Dokter
Chaar horse from Kyrgyzstan
The direct eye contact Ryskul is giving the camera pulls the viewer in. That he is above the mountain line gives great context as this was taken at 3,400 meters. The dog faithfully following his master adds so much - dogs always do. I know this photo has had a few riders try to find Ryskul directly - the story of the place is compelling with just one frame.
I took this one!
Kyrgyz Cowboy
Ryskyl knows how to make great content - he took himself to the cliff side and stood on his horse unprompted. It’s what makes him such a great guide - he gets it. The photo has an interesting background, taken up by Song Kol Lake. Water always works well. The saddle is foreign and interesting, the whip in the mouth adds fun and sex appeal.
I snapped this but it’s Ryskul’s creation really.
George and Jaime, Spain
The best photos I’ve come across of portraying the personality of a ride are those by Daisy Wingate Saul. They are so fun! George and Jaime are so relaxed, mouths open having a great time, the lighting is just right, the closeness of the horses, the muted greens. I love it all.
George and Jaime, Spain
Just to build on the photo before the naughtiness and mischief of these photos will make you smile in real life! The symmetry is also interesting, they could be reflections of each other or twins.
It would be a dream for Daisy to join a Black Saddle ride in the future!
Free horses in Iceland
The queen of ride-along iceland photos is Lina. Her colours are authentic but so rich. This effect is what cinematic edits hope to do but miss the mark. They are earthy and yet so clean. There is incredible action with the horses movement and dust.
Photo by Lina Images
Horses of Iceland
The symmetry and lines of this photo are satisfying to look at. Though the horses are moving away there is a story being told here, like a horse version of the lord of the rings. I love the colours, the dust, the framing. Chef’s kiss!
Photo by Lina Images
These are just come of my favourites from people that I’ve mostly met. If you’re inspired too you can reach out to the photographers. Many are open to joining safaris too. They are professionals though so just keep in mind that they come at a cost.