Smile! The art of equine photography

2 minute read
Updated 6:30 AM EST, Tue February 7, 2017
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Photographing the world's best thoroughbreds
01:47 - Source: CNN

Story highlights

Asuncion Pineyrua is an equine photographer

She snaps prize-winning racehorses from across the world

CNN  — 

You can lead a horse to cameras, but you can’t make it smile.

Asuncion Pineyrua, an equine photographer who travels the world snapping the finest thoroughbreds, has discovered that celebrity stallions aren’t as obliging as their human counterparts when they take to the catwalk.

“They are not like people,” Pineyrua tells CNN Winning Post. “You cannot tell them how to do things and where to look so basically to draw their attention is really challenging.

Asuncion Pineyrua is a professional racehorse photographer dedicated to snapping the world's speediest stallions.
Asuncion Pineyrua is a professional racehorse photographer dedicated to snapping the world's speediest stallions.
Asuncion Pineyrua
Pictured is Frankel -- Pineyrua's favorite horse to photograph -- who was adjudged the world's <a href="http://frankel.juddmonte.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank">highest-rated racehorse</a> in 2011.
Pictured is Frankel -- Pineyrua's favorite horse to photograph -- who was adjudged the world's highest-rated racehorse in 2011.
Asuncion Pineyrua
Ridden by jockey Tom Queally and trained by Henry Cecil, Frankel went unbeaten in all 14 races of his career.
Ridden by jockey Tom Queally and trained by Henry Cecil, Frankel went unbeaten in all 14 races of his career.
Asuncion Pineyrua
Sea the Stars is an Irish thoroughbred distantly related to Frankel.
Sea the Stars is an Irish thoroughbred distantly related to Frankel.
Asuncion Pineyrua
He recorded wins at some of the most prestigious races in the world, including the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
He recorded wins at some of the most prestigious races in the world, including the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Asuncion Pineyrua
Photographing horses is tricky business. Pineyrua tells CNN how horses "start losing their minds" after half an hour. The challenge is to shoot them while they're relaxed.
Photographing horses is tricky business. Pineyrua tells CNN how horses "start losing their minds" after half an hour. The challenge is to shoot them while they're relaxed.
Asuncion Pineyrua
She tries to bring out the "muscular" quality of a racehorse -- the end result being "more like a sculpture" than a photograph.
She tries to bring out the "muscular" quality of a racehorse -- the end result being "more like a sculpture" than a photograph.
Asuncio Pineyrua
But you have to be patient -- it can sometimes take days or even weeks to capture the perfect angle.
But you have to be patient -- it can sometimes take days or even weeks to capture the perfect angle.
Asuncio Pineyrua
Bated Breath raced from 2010-2012, gaining six wins in European flat races.
Bated Breath raced from 2010-2012, gaining six wins in European flat races.
Asuncion Pineyrua
He is the sire of Dansili (pictured,) whose most notable victory came in France at the Prix du Muguet in 2000.
He is the sire of Dansili (pictured,) whose most notable victory came in France at the Prix du Muguet in 2000.
Asuncion Pineyrua
France-born Champs Elysees was victorious at the Canadian International Stakes in 2009.
France-born Champs Elysees was victorious at the Canadian International Stakes in 2009.
Asuncion Pineyrua
In 2011, So You Think won <a href="http://coolmore.com/stallions/so-you-think/" target="_blank" target="_blank">more prize money</a> in Britain and Ireland than any other horse -- including Frankel.
In 2011, So You Think won more prize money in Britain and Ireland than any other horse -- including Frankel.
Asuncio Pineyrua
He enjoys a shower by the stables.
He enjoys a shower by the stables.
Asuncio Pineyrua
You can see the full range of Pineyrua's work <a href="http://asuncionpineyrua.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank">here</a>.
You can see the full range of Pineyrua's work here.
Asuncio Pineyrua
Capturing the perfect picture

“Horses have a certain amount of time you can work with them. Usually after half an hour they start losing their minds. You just need them to be relaxed […] So I want to show them muscular – which is very important – but also super relaxed. More like a sculpture really.”

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‘Showman’ Frankel

Pineyrua has photographed some of the biggest names in horse racing, including the notorious father-son pairing of Galileo and Frankel.

Galileo won some of the world’s most prestigious races, including the 2001 Epsom and Irish Derbies and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth stakes at Ascot, while his son boasts an unbeaten fourteen-race career.

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spc winning post a block december 2016_00030009.jpg
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“They are totally opposites,” Pineyrua admits. “Frankel is a showman and he loves the attention and is always parading. He knows what’s going on and you can’t take him away from his comfort zone. Whereas other stallions, like Galileo, are just so easy to work with.”

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But it’s the roguish son Frankel she enjoys shooting the most.

“[Frankel] really shows very well in the camera and also he’s just fun to work with. He’s always looking through my lens. He looks at you in a very different way if he’s out on the paddock than any other stallion. He’s really cool.”