Beyond The Lens is a new monthly blog looking at some of Melissa’s favorite photos and what motivated her to take them. Interested in scheduling a photoshoot with Pyrois Media? Email Melissa@PyroisMedia.com for more information.
Shooting in semi-light during morning works at the track can be near impossible – even more so when rain is involved.
That was exactly the case last year when the Breeders’ Cup came to Churchill Downs and Mother Nature didn’t work with us. There was quite a bit of mud and darkness when the Ballydoyle horses hit the track around 7:30a.m. the day before the Breeders’ Cup races began but I was hopeful of photographing the horses coming off the track after grabbing them galloping by.
When getting to the gap, I had to change my plan because of a bit of a crowd (Ballydoyle at the Breeders’ Cup always causes a bit of a stir) and not great lighting. That’s where this photo comes in. I decided that I had a chance to be artsy because lead horse and non-BC runner Seahenge was leading them off the track. It was a bit of a risk since Ballydoyle is usually only on the track for 2 – 3 days compared to the other Europeans out there nearly all week so you have less chance to get good shots of each horse, though I was hopeful I’d gotten good shots of them on the track.
My goal was more to get a reflection photo than just straight mud (you can’t see it in this photo but there’s a slight puddle there) but I think the final photo turned out much better than any partial reflection photo I would have gotten. Even better was Seahenge pricking his ears and riders in the background smiling to turn what was a pretty dreary morning into a happy photo.
Like most photographers, I still prefer when we have better weather but I have to admit the rain has played a big part in some of my favorite photos ever taken!
