Ardeth Carlson
May 2026 - Learning to Trust
About the Image(s)
At the county fair, a local equestrian acrobatic riding school gave a presentation by riders of different levels of ability, and I loved watching the concentration of this little girl and the patience of the horse as it maintained a steady gait around a circle, with the young instructor there to encourage and give confidence.
Photographed with Nikon D850 camera, Nikon 18-300 lens at 145mm. The exposure settings seem a little odd but probably because lighting conditions changed during the presentation from overcast sky to darker clouds: shutter speed 1/1000, not needed for this slow horse!, f/7.1, and ISO high at 1000.
6 comments posted
Ardeth, I like the face and body language of the kid. She is secure of herself. Good interaction with the trainer. Obviously, the horses are well trained, specially if kids are involved. I like you vantage point direct from the front and at good level. Well done. Posted: 05/17/2026 23:39:30
I agree with Isaac about the facial expression and the body language, and it is those which tell the story behind your image, illustrated by the title you gave it. Your image is well composed, well-exposed and properly centered and scaled. I don't think your settings were odd, and there's no indication that you weren't able to handle the changing lighting conditions. The image would have been better had you cropped out the sliver of the structure at the right and that would have made it even better centered. Posted: 05/18/2026 10:55:25
Thanks for your comments, both Isaac and Alan. When I crop, one of my considerations is how close my main subjects are to the edge of the frame, and I felt cropping enough to eliminate the bit of the building wouldn't leave enough "breathing"space, of course very subjective. Posted: 05/18/2026 13:53:25
Adreth, You have captured the girl's posture and expressions superbly. Her tongue sticking out reflects deep concentration, yet it also hints at a touch of fear or anxiety in her mind, at least that's how I perceived it.
The instructor also appears completely alert and attentive. The photo is sharp, with a good composition and an angle of view. Overall, it's a nice photograph, Adredth Posted: 05/19/2026 09:41:04
The instructor also appears completely alert and attentive. The photo is sharp, with a good composition and an angle of view. Overall, it's a nice photograph, Adredth Posted: 05/19/2026 09:41:04
Thank you, Vinaya! Posted: 05/19/2026 13:37:00
(Group 4)
Hi Ardeth, I think you have captured a lovely HI moment. It's clear that the story is about training, and the facial expression of the girl really makes this. I love the connection between the trainer and the girl/ horse. Taken from front on you have managed to capture the whole scene, with minimal distractions in the background. I note your comments about cropping, to me this is personal, but I usually just teach to crop to what 'feels right' rather than to try to follow any rule. I do think your cropping here works well. Posted: 05/19/2026 18:44:49