My brother and I ventured out to the eastern side of the Sierras last week, mostly to take milky way photos but also to see what else we could find. We came upon 65 wild horses from the Montgomery Pass herd. They roam a 50,000 acre territory between California and Nevada. Some of the horses were very active, while others were just eating grass.They were also curious about us and some would follow us around. The challenge with taking this photo was to scan the area for interesting shots, focus and zoom in the correct amount. I set the camera to be shutter priority and used auto ISO.
The horses are a controversial topic in the western states because there are limited grazing areas and the horses sometimes go outside of their areas in search of food and damage property..
Hi Sue, I'm dropping in from Groups 71 and 22. Just wanted to say you've captured an extremely impressive image. I can almost feel the horses thundering toward me. I love their brown coats against the soft green and grayish-blue background. Also, super sharp for a fast-moving image like this. If I could offer one minor suggestion: I found the white hoof in the lower left side a bit distracting, since bright colors like white against the edges tend to draw the eye away from the main subject. Anyway, great job here! Posted: 07/08/2026 21:06:35
Sue Peri
Thanks! And I will darken the hoof a bit. Thanks for stopping by and for the suggestion. Posted: 07/09/2026 01:24:49
Pat Coble
Wonderful capture of movement and a very sharp subject. I love the eyes of the lead horse coming right at the viewer.
The rear horse's legs on the right was a little distracting to me but that's not a concern. Well done. I would love to see wild horses. Posted: 07/17/2026 20:06:46
Pinaki Sarkar
Excellent photo. Beautiful, pleasing colors. The horse on the left was partially cut off, but we can't control everything in these kinds of nature shots. Posted: 07/18/2026 21:07:34
Alastair Cochrane
Well captured - all action. Perhaps kill the bright hoof at left edge? This works so well in colour. Posted: 07/19/2026 18:40:14
Ken Fowkes
I love the postures and movement in this photograph. Very strong! But to me, the horses feel cut out from their environment. The hoofs are very important, and well emphasized, but maybe it would work better to blend everything together a bit more? Posted: 07/20/2026 04:15:03
N. Sukumar
What a dramatic image! Action, composition and great contrasting textures too. The out-of-focus clump of grass in the right foreground is an unusual element, but it works for me here - I'm not really sure why, perhaps it provides a termination to the galloping horses. I agree about the bright hoof at left edge. Also I could do with a little less of the sky. Posted: 07/20/2026 14:56:40
