Our best horse photos happen on weekends, holidays, and especially during parades—but you can spot horses here at almost any time, on any day. On parade days, you might see as many as 20 to 25 horses. The riders follow a parade dress code, and it practically begs to be photographed.
Set your camera for motion and plenty of light. If you’re close to the parade route, you’ll likely be aiming upward to capture the riders and horses, which can make the top of your frame bright while the middle and bottom fall into shadow. An aperture around f/5.6 gives you flexibility to adjust shutter speed to 1/500 while still keeping good detail in your subjects. Auto for ISO is ok, but if you want to do it manually, set the iso for 100-200. For smart phone users, auto should be fine. When pointing your smart phone camera up while framing your shot, tilt your phone up and down just a little to see if there is more color to squeeze out of your subject.
Our Best Parade Photos
