The passion and precision behind the perfect equestrian portrait

Equestrian photographer Brian Stubbs on the discipline of photography, the challenge of action shots, and the joy of the horse-rider bond

Born and bred in the Yorkshire Dales, equestrian photographer Brian Stubbs grew up on a farm surrounded by horses: ‘Nothing flash, we couldn’t afford that,’ he says. ‘It was Dad’s hobby – or vice. He said he “didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, so horses were his vice”. I wouldn’t say I rode, exactly: I sat on them and travelled around … but I really wouldn’t call it riding!
‘I trained as a teacher, went to Cambridge for my postgrad, and then moved to Somerset in 1982 to join Sexey’s School for my first job … and I stayed there until I retired from teaching in 2018.
‘My daughter enjoyed riding, and eventually she got her own horse. I was taking pictures of them together, and my camera started to play up. So I invested in a pro-level camera and lenses as a bit of a treat, and I started taking the photography much more seriously.’
Wincanton Camera Club was contacted by Wincanton Racecourse with an invitation to members to come along and take some pictures. Brian took the opportunity, and submitted his photos for the racecourse team to look at: ‘I was contacted by their press officer, and it led to a booking from the Jockey Club to cover four or five of their big race days in Wincanton.’
His reputation quickly grew, and Brian soon had an Access All Areas pass for the racecourse, where he got to know the local racing community.

‘I also called a couple of livery yards, and several asked me to take photos of their horses … and it all started from there. I now go to the Tizzard’s racing yard in Milborne Port quite regularly on the mornings they’re riding out. It’s quite nice for the staff, they don’t tend to get photographed because race days are all about the professional jockeys. For the yard staff it’s an opportunity to have a photo on the horse that they’re spending their life looking after. Kayley Woollacott also invited me to her yard at Crewkerne to cover her Owners Day, and that’s become another annual fixture for me.
‘I’m still a member of Wincanton Camera Club – we’ve got a big day on Wednesday with Charlie Waite, the landscape photographer, visiting (see the BV’s recent interview with Charlie Waite here): we have more than 100 people coming. ‘The club itself has around 20 members – but it’s thriving. And we’ve done well in the Western Counties Photographic Federation – of all clubs in the South West, we’ve won the Small Clubs Award two years on the trot. The club is for all abilities – even if you’re just taking photos on your phone. We all have to start somewhere, and the learning never stops.’

A good tutor
Brian’s enjoying his retirement – by not being at all retired: ‘The photography is growing, just by word of mouth. I primarily photograph horses and dogs: they are what I love, and I therefore have an understanding of them. Like if I photograph a rugby match, I played a lot of rugby, so I know what’s going to happen. If you know an animal, you understand how it is going to react? A horse can make or ruin a picture with a twitch of an ear! And owners know that – if the ears go back, it’s not a picture they would buy. I’m always looking to capture the relationship between the owner and the horse. They book me to take a horse portrait, but some of the best pictures are with the owner in the picture, focusing on their horse and totally ignoring the camera. They forget you’re there and you get to see that genuine relationship.

‘The biggest kick I get is being able to show them the photos afterwards, that’s what gives me a buzz. To know that you’ve given them something that is so personal, it’s very much theirs.
‘I genuinely love the challenge of capturing action photos – horse racing, jumping, Eventing … I have photographed some of the top stars at Nunney, but it’s also nice to see it from the grassroots, from tiddlers up. One thing I’ve got gnawing away in the back of my head is to recreate a Stubbs painting as a photograph. I’d love to do that. But I enjoy just improving my art.

‘The more you learn, the more you realise how much there is to learn. Everybody’s got a camera in their pocket these days. But to take a quality picture is something else. If you are paid to cover an event, you can’t afford for one in ten to be OK, you need to have ten out of ten. Even then, the one that’s got that extra bit of life in it, that’s the bit that makes it really special. Focus, lighting, understanding the right moment … it’s a hell of a discipline, and it’s a good tutor.’

Brian welcomes portrait commissions – please contact via bf-stubbs.co.uk