Photographic tips - keep an eye on the background!

@JudyEv (341705)
Rockingham, Australia
July 31, 2022 6:45am CST
My husband and I take photos at horse endurance rides. I have only been helping with the photos for a relatively short while but I’m learning all the time. Mostly now, my photos are adequate and I sell nearly as many as Vince does. Trying to have an uncluttered background is important but not always possible. Some backgrounds can be very distracting. Can you see what the problem is with this photo? Luckily, Vince was able to use his processing skills to completely erase the dog. Did you notice it before I mentioned it? I’d be keen to know.
33 people like this
34 responses
@LadyDuck (471968)
• Switzerland
31 Jul 22
Look how I cleaned your background Judy, it's not a precise job because it only took 5 minutes. No dogs, no disturbing van, no dirt behind the horse tail.
13 people like this
@shaggin (72183)
• United States
31 Jul 22
@Ladyduck I didn’t notice the poop pile until you mentioned getting rid of it. @PhredWreck I actually like the tree there but the part right above her hat would be a nice part to edit out. What apps or sites do you use to remove things in the images. I could use things like that!
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471968)
• Switzerland
31 Jul 22
@shaggin I noticed the poop pile even before noticing the dog.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (471968)
• Switzerland
31 Jul 22
@PhredWreck No more tree! Well done! Now let's place the horse on another background, but that it's a bit more tricky.
5 people like this
@rebelann (112959)
• El Paso, Texas
31 Jul 22
Of course I noticed the pup but why is that bad? I would be more upset if it were a car or something like that.
5 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47611)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv Is that what it's doing? (Yes, I had to look again.)
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
It's the fact that it's pooing that is a bit distracting. I don't worry too much about the background usually although I choose the best spot I can find.
4 people like this
@rebelann (112959)
• El Paso, Texas
1 Aug 22
I couldn't tell it was pooing but then it's not in the position I would have thought a dog would be in to poooooo
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47611)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
31 Jul 22
First thing I noticed was the dog: it gave me a chuckle, but I didn't notice the pile of horsehit until someone else mentioned it.
5 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47611)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Aug 22
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Jul 22
Me neither.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
We don't bother to etch out any poop. We'll be there for several days if we started doing that.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (51452)
• Canada
31 Jul 22
I saw the dog and the pile on the road as well as a couple of people and a trailer in the background.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
Sometimes the background does detract a bit but we rarely fiddle with the photos much at all but I thought a dog pooping was a bit much.
2 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
31 Jul 22
Ha, ha, the rear end of the Horse was more interesting than the dog at the front!
3 people like this
@valmnz (17097)
• New Zealand
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv Really? I thought you were trying to mislead us by mentioning the dog!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
@valmnz Horses and poop seem to go together all the time.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
I have to admit I didn't really notice the poop.
2 people like this
@Ronrybs (19589)
• London, England
31 Jul 22
I have the same problem when I am taking photos. Thank you Photoshop!
3 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Aug 22
@Ronrybs When Vince first erased the dog he didn't notice the lead so he had to go back and take that out. Taking out a fence wire is a pain too. Matching patterns would be worse.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19589)
• London, England
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv As I take a lot of pictures of monuments, and the like, I spend most of my time brushing people out of the background and then trying to match the patterns behind them
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (19589)
• London, England
3 Aug 22
@JudyEv I use large magnification when matching and it is easy to lose track of where you are in the scheme of things. At normal resolution, it isn't easy to see how bad my matching is!
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (18987)
• Indonesia
1 Aug 22
I love making the background blurred and focus on the target image.
2 people like this
@yanzalong (18987)
• Indonesia
2 Aug 22
@JudyEv There are a few photo applications the phone that can make it for smartphones with basic software.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
That can work very nicely too.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55901)
• Los Angeles, California
31 Jul 22
Oh yes - I do notice these things . Sometimes I don't catch these things until I actually take the time to look over the photos. I was wondering what was at the bottom of the tail too .
3 people like this
@much2say (55901)
• Los Angeles, California
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv Hee hee - oh that's true. Horse poo everywhere. Interestingly we drove to a nursery yesterday and at the end of the street there was a horse arena/school. There was only parking on the street for the nursery . . . we had to watch our step - dried horse poo dusting everywhere!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
We rarely etch out any of the background. I was more concerned about the dog than the poop. At these rides, there is horse poo everywhere.
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
31 Jul 22
The only camera I own is my iPhone and it has a portrait feature wherein I can adjust my focus on the subject and blurs out the background and another feature completely changes the background into total blackness. The feature is only for still photos. If the subject is moving, the feature won't work.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
Something like that would be handy. I think I can do it with all the knobs and buttons but I haven't learnt how yet.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37369)
• Toccoa, Georgia
1 Aug 22
I see the dog.
2 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (37369)
• Toccoa, Georgia
2 Aug 22
@JudyEv that's true.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
I think it improves it to take it out. No-one wants to see a dog defaecating.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30539)
• United Kingdom
31 Jul 22
Well obviously since you mentioned a problem I knew to expect something! And yes I did notice the dog, it almost looks as though the horse is sniffing the dog, though at first I didn't notice that the dog is on a leash. And I hadn't noticed the droppings either until @LadyDuck mentioned removing that!
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (471968)
• Switzerland
1 Aug 22
Often a disturbing background spoils a photo.
2 people like this
@Fleura (30539)
• United Kingdom
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv Definitely better without both though!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
I don't think horse people would worry about the manure. It goes with the territory so to speak but a defaecating dog was a bit 'off' I thought.
2 people like this
@noni1959 (10104)
• United States
1 Aug 22
I'm not sure if I would have noticed first but you mentioned it in another post so I looked. Now, in the dog's defense, he/she could have been ready to pounce, turn or....OK I'll get my glasses back on.
2 people like this
@noni1959 (10104)
• United States
2 Aug 22
@JudyEv It's so funny how we can take a photo not realizing what else we are filming.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Aug 22
@noni1959 I don't know how many photos I have with portable toilets in the background. They are always positioned near the vet ring and they are hard to dodge.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
Haha - the dog might be a bit blurred but I think it is pretty obvious what he is doing.
2 people like this
• United States
1 Aug 22
I was looking so intently at the horse that I didn't even notice the dog. It's nice that he erased it for you.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
The person wouldn't have wanted the photo with the dog in it. Not when it pooing anyway.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Aug 22
@JudyEv I agree with you.
1 person likes this
@didinedhia (8470)
• Algeria
1 Aug 22
I guess thats all what im doing but my picture is awfull
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
Do you take many photos?
1 person likes this
• Algeria
3 Aug 22
@JudyEv no not often ... sometimes
1 person likes this
@shaggin (72183)
• United States
31 Jul 22
The people and trailer in the background I noticed before the dog. It almost looks like the horse is carrying the dog in his mouth .
2 people like this
@shaggin (72183)
• United States
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv yes I feel like my backgrounds are very cluttered most the time
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
Sometimes it's not possible to have a good, clean background.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (181948)
• United States
31 Jul 22
Yes, I see what you mean. The dog does detract a bit from the photo.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (181948)
• United States
1 Aug 22
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
And the fact that it's doing its business doesn't help.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
31 Jul 22
I noticed the dog as soon as I looked at the photo.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv What's funny is I kind of like the dog and all of the activity in the background. It reminds me of real staging areas and such like. But for a wall--worthy photo, I can see how that stuff is distracting.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
It's good we could get rid of it. It was just a bit too distracting.
2 people like this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
1 Aug 22
Little dog in right side looking at photo. That's good, you sell as much as your husband.!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
If the dog was just standing or sitting, it might have been okay but he is pooing which doesn't look very nice.
2 people like this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
2 Aug 22
@JudyEv Yes indeed. Well, lucky your husband knows how to erase it.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
1 Aug 22
Yes, I noticed
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
Good for you.
1 person likes this
@luisga814 (7138)
• Quezon City, Philippines
31 Jul 22
Yes. The angle of the horse is somewhat about to eat the dog. Am I right?
2 people like this
@JudyEv (341705)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Aug 22
The problem is that the dog is doing its business. We didn't think that looked very nice.
2 people like this
@luisga814 (7138)
• Quezon City, Philippines
1 Aug 22
@JudyEv Yes. It's a coincidence.
1 person likes this