There is more than just taking a picture at a sports event. It is more about capturing the emotion, thrill, moment, and excitement of a sporting event. However, different sports require different styles, techniques, and lenses.
Horse racing has always been a challenge for photographers. Why? Well, because it is a fast-paced sport where there is close action to the finish line and the race lasts around two minutes.
So, there isn’t much of a window for a photographer to capture a perfect photo of the horse winning the race.
With soccer, baseball, cricket, or basketball, the situation is different. The athletes are moving at a lower speed, and the matches last longer.
Formula 1 is also challenging since the cars are going 300 km/h but the race lasts for one and a half hours, so there is plenty of room for trial and error until the perfect picture is born.
But with horse racing, you need to be fast with your fingers, get the best position, and learn some techniques that can improve your chances of capturing the thrills of the race in a single photo.
In the world of horse racing photographers, there are quite a few names that managed to bring us close action from the sport from their perspective, and in today’s article, we will highlight some of the best.
Edward Whitaker
Then there’s Edward Whitaker, whose three-decade career has been adorned with accolades like Photographer of the Year.
His lens has chronicled the pulsating essence of horse racing, immortalizing moments of sheer excitement and the raw emotion etched on the faces of jockeys and horses alike.
Whitaker’s work is a mainstay in prestigious publications, capturing the sport’s drama with every click. His work is often featured in the Guardian and the Telegraph, and he has won many awards throughout the years for his work.
Toni Pricci
Moving across to the United States we have another legendary photographer who always manages to capture the close action at some of the US most popular races.
He has been in this niche for more than two decades and through those years he has made some incredible photographs featured in the Wall Street Journal and Thoroughbred Daily News.
His style is also unique. Pricci photographs capture the personalities of both horses and the people around them, showing the true complexity of the sport and the tense atmosphere before the race.
Barbara Livingston
This is another top-tier horse racing photographer who has managed to make a name for herself in the world of horse racing.
Her work has been published in the New York Times and Sports Illustrated, and her ability to capture the intimate moments between horses and humans is unmatched.
She created a full photoshoot session with Genuine Risk. Who is this horse? If you go through the recent Kentucky Derby winners by TwinSpires you’ll find that Genuine Risk won the 1980 Kentucky Derby race.
Barbara definitely brings lively photos filled with emotions which shows a different part of horse racing as a sport.
Patrick Smith
Since horse racing is quite a big thing in the UK, no wonder why many of the top horse racing photographers are British.
Patrick Smith has been a horse racing photographer for more than 25 years, and he is a bit of a rockstar in the industry.
His work has been featured in the New York Times and The Guardian and has won many awards throughout his career. The best thing about Patrick Smith is his versatile look at the sport.
Looking through his lenses we can see very different photographs, from up-close shots of the jockey, to the determined face before the race, or the tight action in the finishing straight. All of them capture the true energy and thrill of the races, and each photograph is different.
Alan Wright
Across the pond, Alan Wright is making waves with his extensive collection of racehorse action shots. His camera has been clicking away at the Aintree Grand National since 1984 and the Cheltenham Festival since 1986, capturing history in the making.
Wright’s dedication has seen him become the official photographer for several UK racecourses, ensuring that thrilling moments of horse racing history are never forgotten.
Francesca Altoft
Francesca Altoft, another powerhouse in the photography field, has been dubbed the official photographer for several notable UK racecourses.
She is relatively new in the world of horse racing, and might not have the same years of experience as the others we covered so far, but that doesn’t mean that young talents shouldn’t be featured in this article.
Altoft has been riding horses since 8 years old and developed a passion for these majestic creatures and horse photography at around 11 years old.
Her portfolio is a testament to her ability to freeze-frame the fleet-footed beauties of the racetrack, with her work gracing the media regularly.
Altoft’s attention to detail and ability to convey the dynamism of horse racing through her lens is nothing short of remarkable.
