Hi everyone!
This month, I am working on preparing to launch my Breyer Favorites on Each Mold Series! These run from February to April each year. I am at a point where there is not a lot of work to do in adding the new releases for each category, so my big task has been scouring the main two reference sites to check for improved photos. There are a LOT of models that have very old photos, low quality, or actually don't even have anything beyond stock photos available.
Cataloging all of the known models is not an easy job, and I certainly cannot delve in to all of this prior to giving a huge shoutout to Barb at BreyerHorseRef and the IDYB team - Eleda, Stephanie M, and Stephanie V for their massive service to the hobby. Thank you for all that you do!
All of my images in the surveys are either sourced from these two websites, or uploaded by myself in a couple of oddball cases. Sometimes, they are old images that are not currently included on the sites, but rest assured, they were at the time I built that part of the survey. I am trying my best to go through and remove old images, but I have to make sure the newer ones score higher on my list of factors to actually make the replacements.
So, what makes my "ideal" photo for this purpose? There are a number of factors that I take into consideration when evaluating potential replacements. I'll list below, and then dive into a few of them later on. Please note that I in no way judge anyone for helping out the reference sites if their photos do not meet all of my high ideals for this particular project, I'd love for everything to be of higher standard, but that is not realistic or fair to expect of everyone. In particular, older photos that were working with what they had at the time are also understandable, I am sure I will still have some of those included for a while, and it is nice to have any pic of the model :)
Here are factors that I think about!
- Whether it is a stock photo or not
- Model should be by itself without set (few exceptions) and free of any tack
- In the majority of cases, I prefer a side-on shot, head facing camera if the head is not straight
- I will avoid large and/or sharp shadows whenever possible
- Angle of the photo, it should not be too low or too high and distort the proportions
- Clarity of the image (fuzziness or low quality old photos not preferred)
- Plain background/footing often preferred over realistic or otherwise "busy" shots
- I try and avoid bright color settings if possible, especially bright BLUE - Light tan/gray ideal
- Lighting/exposure is important, so the model's details are clear no matter the color
- Cropping is good - the model should not be too small in the photo so it can be easily seen at roughly a thumbnail-scale (phones) or a bit larger (computers)
- Models that come in matte and gloss versions, I'll try to use the matte example unless the glossy's photo is far superior
- Above all else, all factors combined should provide a viewing experience that makes it easy to identify, evaluate, and choose between the groups of models on each mold without being visually overwhelming or distracting. People need enough visual information to feel confident in their choices
Stock Photos
While stock photos are great for brand new models, because there are understandably no in-hand photos yet, or for very rare models, in most cases I like to have a photo of an actual model when possible. Sometimes Breyer has "promo" shots of rarities/SR that are actually quite nice, and those I don't mind using if there are no hobbyist photos available/no better quality options.
Model Alone in Photo - No Set, No Accessories
The main goal of this one is to provide an unobstructed view of the model whenever possible. There are a very few exceptions - one is Tuxedo from the 2023 Vintage Club! Since his markings don't really make him different enough to have each one voted for separately, I've used a photo that has all 3 to represent him. Models that have removeable tack, costumes, etc. should have that taken off, and if they come with a hang tag, I'd prefer to not see it on the horse (but if it's sitting to the back and not blocking any details that's not so bad).
Photo Positioning
For *most* models, it is easiest to evaluate them using a side-on shot, 90 degrees to the camera. However, there are a select few like Brighty where it can be a bit better to have them at a slight angle instead. If the model's head is turned, the side with the head facing the camera is the shot I'd prefer to use. On occasion, the off-side is the only good quality, or sometimes even the only photo available. I do also like to have as many of the models facing the same way in each group as I can, which is not always possible, but it's a bonus of being more pleasing to the eye when I can make it happen.
Shadows!!
Heavy shadows, especially any that are right along/behind the model are *very* distracting and make it harder to tell what you're looking at at a glance. Softer shadows may get a pass if they don't detract from the visual, and a tiny bit of shadow isn't all bad - the model shouldn't be looking like it's floating in an empty space, after all.
Photo Angle
The best way to position photos is to aim the camera to line up with the model's withers, and to have the center of the model be roughly along the center line of the photo, and no tilt to the camera. Any shots that are too low or too high will distort the proportions of the model. And those that are too low especially give a weird sensation of perceiving that you're sitting on a stool looking "up" at the horse! Which is certainly odd to feel when you know it's a model!
Image Clarity
This often cannot be helped with older images, quality in particular, but it's important to ensure the model is in focus to avoid blurriness or fuzziness for ease of visibility.
Background Clutter
I find that reducing visual clutter helps to focus on the model easier! This basically means, I generally do not gravitate towards any photos that are taken in the style of "realistic photo show" - anything taken outside with nature visible, unnecessary objects in frame, etc. I also balk at patterns in the background/footing fabric that are "too noisy" - however, if it's just the pattern that's distracting, that's not as bad as if the pattern also has distracting color.
In Consideration of Color
While colorful fabrics/paper/material were "in style", for quite a while for taking reference/cataloging photos, there are some big pitfalls of going bright. The most obvious one is that brighter colors, especially darker blues and greens can give an unintended hue or cast to photos that would need to be adjusted in a photo editor. Bright colors are unfortunately just quite distracting as well, so some of my favorite replacements happen when I come across a suitable update for a BRIGHT BLUE one! As a note about white - I don't dislike white for photos, but it can be a challenge to make work with the largest possible variety of colors (I was using white myself for a while). The best colors out of what I've seen during this project are neutrals - light grays and very light tans. These work with the majority of model colors, providing enough visual contrast and avoiding casting hues.
Lighting & Exposure
Proper lighting and exposure not only prevent large/sharp shadows, they also ensure that the model's details are shown off well no matter of the color or finish. Some photos do not have enough highlight and on a dark model, the details are obscured. On a lighter model with not enough shadow, the low contrast means it is harder to see where all of the edges are. Softer lighting is best for photographing glossies, in particular. Newer lighting equipment, such as ring lights, are easy to use and fairly inexpensive for decent quality, but you may need to take extra steps to diffuse light if it is not soft enough.
Cropping & General Position
The model should be as close to the center of the photo as possible, and it should not be too far away from the camera. If focusing is easier to manage at a further distance, it's important to crop the images in the photo editor. Models that are not large enough in a photo will be more difficult to compare to others in the group that do not have this problem.
Glossing Over the Matter of Finish
(I am probably too pleased about this pun...😆) As noted above, glossies can be more of a challenging to work with than mattes. In most cases, the mattes are also more common, so the likelihood of their images being available are sometimes higher (I've found this is not always true! So many RR are only at stock photos!) I tend to favor the mattes in general, unless the glossy's photo is much better overall in meeting my standards. Each model that comes in both finishes only has one option on the survey to help curtail the scale of the project from spiraling into unmanageable territory very quickly, and besides, this is based on colorway rather than individual run.
Tying it all together!
For each photo option, I look at all of these factors to determine if I should or should not replace an existing photo. Usually there is a clear yes or no, but sometimes each option falls short in different ways, so I have to decide which factors are more important to me for that model.
My overall goal is to create as much consistency and cohesion throughout the project as I can, to provide a more enjoyable experience for my survey participants! The quality of the photos will hopefully lead to an easier time making choices (in terms of being able to properly see all the colors at least!) less eye strain and visual distraction. I do not know if Google has an option that auto-captions photos for accessibility, so making the experience more uniform and choosing photos that are as clear and sharp as possible may be all I can do at this point to aid anyone who is visually impaired.
I'd like to finish this out with a spotlight on Barb of BreyerHorseRef specifically, as the photo sessions she completed this last year are very impressive and consistently fall into my go-to choices for the surveys! Let's look at this photo of the 2023 Premier Club Rhiannon as an example:
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