Photographer Wiebke Haas Focuses On the Grace of the Equine

Wiebke Haas was born in Germany. After school she spent three years learning to become an official, certificated photographer before she took the risk of selfemployment. During an internship for renowned animal photographer Tim Flach in London, she was able to gather an enormous amount of photographic insight and knowledge. Furthermore, it was here that she learned to love clean structures and well laid-out compositions.

Wiebke’s pictures are featured in magazines, books, galleries, and on television around the globe. This year she’s working on her next equine photo books.

A SHORT INTERVIEW WITH WIEBKE HAAS.

What are your creative objectives when photographing horses?

I adore their beauty and magnificent grace. I’m fascinated by their power and expression. For me, horses are one of the most aesthetic animals in the world, and that’s what I’m typically focused on during a photo session. I’m in love with nearly all animals, but horses have this little touch of magic every horse person can relate to. I want to convey how I see these animals in my heart.

It’s the customer’s decision whether they would like to book a fine-art session in the studio or an outdoor setting. I prefer a photo session in the studio, which most effectively represents my style. When portraying a horse in the studio, I have full control of the light—the most important thing for a photographer. The monochrome background helps me to focus solely on the subject, and it’s perfect for emphasizing the pure beauty and grace of a horse. Whenever I have free time, I experiment with my personal photo projects and try new things in the studio. I also like to photograph a stunning horse in full gallop against a beautiful outdoor location while the evening sun is shimmering through the mane and tail. But that’s what every equine photographer does.

You interned with renowned photographer Tim Flach. What were some of the valuable photographic lessons that you learned during your internship?

Tim taught me everything about fine art photography—particularly composition and working with light. Photoshop is also a key component in my workflow thanks to Tim’s lessons. I love clear structures and compositions. In Photoshop, I learned how to clean up an image by retouching, to edit out distracting elements, and determine the optimum brightness, saturation, and contrast for every part of the photo just as Tim does in his images. It’s all about leading the viewer’s eye to the parts of the image that I want them to see first. That’s the most important thing I was taught in London.

Are your equine subjects more cooperative in a studio setting or an outdoor environment?

That depends on the horse. You can never know how a model will act during a photo session. Sometimes the most relaxed horse in the world gets super excited in the studio, and a high-energy horse is absolutely fine. Whether a horse does well at an outdoor set depends on weather, character, and motivation.

Do you have a preference for the breed ofhorses you use as subjects?

I like every kind of horse, but I’m absolutely in awe of the Iberian breeds with long manes and coats as pure as gold.

Working with animals has its challenges. How do you relax them and bring out theirreal character in a studio environment? Do you have to acclimate them to lights, reflectors, and other tools of the trade?

All of my fluffy models first get to know the black background blanket, the lamps, the soft boxes, and the sounds of the flashes when releasing. They quickly relax when you comfort them with a soft voice, gentle touches, and goodies. Even distressed horses calm down in the studio after 15 or 20 minutes when they realize nothing bad is happening, and they only need to stand still to get some treats.

How essential is patience when trying to capture the essence of your non-human models?

Patience is essential when working with animals because they don’t comprehend the concept of a photo session. It’s important to work as fast as possible, and to communicate clearly with the horse owner or rider and the assistants. On set, I describe the motif and how I plan to accomplish it.

Do you know the personalities of each of your equine models before your shoots?

Sometimes I meet my models on set for the first time. During the session, the personality will guide me, but usually, my images are well planned. We are not very flexible in the studio because everything has to happen in the perfect light spot. There are a couple of basic motifs every horse can easily do, however at times I recognize a captivating expression or movement of the horse, so I focus more on what the horse can do by itself instead of trying to push it into another pose.

You describe yourself as a horse girl. Have horses always been a part of your life?

I’ve been fascinated by animals as long as I can remember, especially by horses. When I was 12 years old, I fell in love with a small Appaloosa herd in my neighborhood. It was there where I became a full-fledged equestrian. I can’t imagine a day without these magnificent animals. Now I own an Appaloosa mare. I take riding lessons with her when I have time, but most of the time, I’m there for feeding and cleaning the stable.

Do you currently have any photography book projects in the works?

Yes, it features farm animals.