Preparing the Favorites Surveys - A Look Behind the Curtain!

 Hi all!

It is almost time once again for the annual Favorites on Each Mold survey series! I originally planned to just add the new releases, as well as removing any stock photos where possible, but along the way I noticed many upgrades to existing photos I could make! Due to the increased available images having both IDYB and BreyerHorseRef, I've been taking a closer look at every survey and seeing where I can swap out older images. 

My woodgrain FAS showing an example of a "good photo" - what I aim to use for the surveys!

I'd like to talk a little bit about my thought process behind selecting images! I'm not able to replace everything, some models just have very few images even with both websites up, and some of course are still fine. Here are some of the factors I use to determine which image to select:

• Non stock images are generally preferable, however, some images that Breyer publishes are ok - in particular, their "light box" photos. They tend to use this setup for limited production models, like raffles and exclusive event pieces. That's really helpful when there are not always collector provided photos available. 
• Models that are sold with tack should not be wearing it, when possible, so that survey participants can easily evaluate the color.
• Models sold in a set should have an image by themselves in order to focus on the specific individual.
• Images that are overly blurry or grainy will be replaced where possible.
• I try to avoid any images with stark/distracting shadows.
• Angle is taken into consideration - I prefer side-on shots for the majority of molds, and will opt for the "head facing" side if there's one to choose (so the horse isn't looking away). I also prefer shots that are taken on a proper level, to avoid distortion of the model's proportions - for example, shots that are taken too low will create odd illusions with the legs.
• I look for photos that accurately depict the horse's color, so anything that's over saturated or has an odd cast to the lighting is not the best choice.
• My ideal background is simple and not distracting from the horse. There should also be adequate contrast - a model with lots of white is going to get lost with a matching stark white background. Off white and neutral grays and tans work well for a variety of models. Lighter solid greens or blues are not awful if they don't affect the color balance, but darker solid colors are getting replaced if I can. Simpler backgrounds are also easier on the eyes of the folks participating.
• Lighting should be well balanced. Images that are too dark or have too much highlight will not provide a good look at the horse. It can be difficult to capture darker colors in particular, from what I've noticed. There needs to be enough foreground lighting to not obscure the details.
• Framing - It's less desirable if the model isn't taking up adequate space in the photo. If they are smaller compared to surrounding photo options, it may be harder to evaluate them fairly in comparison. 

For each existing image, I evaluate all of these factors to first determine if it needs to be replaced. If I'd really prefer to replace it, I'll look at the options from both websites and determine if any new images are better. Some images fall into the "could be replaced" category, which I'll do if there is an exceptionally better one available, but sometimes any other images out there are roughly on the same level and would not provide a significant improvement in any area. Some of the older images are perfectly fine as they are, and I skip those. 

All potential replacement images are also evaluated using these factors! In some cases, I'm able to find a better image than what was there, but it still doesn't fully live up to my standards. And for some horses, as I've mentioned above, there are almost no images available, so I have to stick with what I can find. I only pull from the public references, otherwise I've used my own photos in rare cases where I owned the model myself and nothing else was available. I don't want the burden of having to keep track of who owns what even if anyone offered to lend me the use of images. Plus, using the reference sites encourages participants to go to those sites if they want information about any model(s). 

The surveys will definitely be starting later than I wanted to this year, but I am also excited to provide a nicer experience! I hope the updated images will make it easier for folks to make their choices (if they did not already have a clear favorite in mind)!