Tom Buckard
April 2026 - The Art of the Jump
About the Image(s)
Located in the heart of Central Florida’s renowned horse country, the World Equestrian Center in Ocala offers an incredible opportunity to capture images of elite horses and world-class riders at their very best. Watching these powerful, graceful animals soar effortlessly over towering jumps is nothing short of breathtaking. A true spectacle that has to be seen to be believed.
Image taken with a Nikon D850, ISO 500, Speed 1/4000th of a sec, f/6.3, Focal Length 220mm, Nikkor 200-500.
9 comments posted
Nothing to say except wonderful image!!! Posted: 04/08/2026 17:09:01
Thanks Terry. I entered it in a local Camera club competition and the judge didn't like it. He thought it was cropped to tight and wanted more space around it. I wanted it tight for detail. Posted: 04/08/2026 17:12:21
Your crop left room for the horse to move and you can see the concentration on the young rider. The background is soft. Everything is right. If another judge looked at it the result could be totally different
Posted: 04/08/2026 18:47:56
Posted: 04/08/2026 18:47:56
Tom - Agreed horses are magnificent animals. You captured this perfect!!! Great job! Posted: 04/09/2026 19:41:43
Sharlana, my daughter has two horses. A big one and a smaller one supposedly to keep each other company. At feeding time I find the big one is hungary and in my face and I find it a little unnerving! Both are amazing to look at though. Posted: 04/11/2026 01:43:25
This is a great capture. I would try to decrease the shadows and see if it could be even better. Mono might look really good also to add some tension. Posted: 04/09/2026 20:39:25
Thanks Michael, will give both suggestions a try... Posted: 04/11/2026 01:45:43
Great depth of field and really nice color balance. And the image is really sharp. I like the fact that it is a close uo view of the horse and rider. It makes you feel like you're just inches away. I am seeing a bit of a halo around the horse's leg. Otherwise, the image is very nice. Posted: 04/10/2026 20:29:10
Thank you for the comments Charles. This is where Digital Dialog is so good. I never saw the haloing. I have worked on the original and eliminated it. Posted: 04/11/2026 01:49:48