A Classic Horse Portrait Using Textures

Horse portrait before textures and edits

Note: I’m no longer using image mouse-overs for the Before/After as they do not work on touch devices such as iPads.

This is Sha-Namay, an Akhal-Tékké stallion at the Chevaux du Layon horse ranch in France.

I was horse-crazy as a girl. I used to go visit my Aunt and Uncle on their ranch and I had my own horse for awhile as an young teen. I’ve been yearning for some time to start photographing horses and I particularly wanted to try some classic horse portraits. I finally got my chance a couple of weeks ago to visit a wonderful horse breeder here in France. I was actually photographing a new-born foal, when I turned to snap this quick portrait of the stallion, who was in the neighboring pasture. A little editing in Photoshop and a few textures transformed the distracting background into a rich canvas.

How It Was Made

Basic Edits

I first did my basic edits to the horse image.

Levels Adjustment
Burn & Dodging
Selective lighting of the eyes with a Levels Adjustment Layer.
Topaz Labs Filter Adjust* Photo Pop to add contrast.
I then merged the base edits. Note: command+option+shift+E (mac) or control+alt+shift + E (PC) will merge all visible layers..
I placed the merged horse above the textures and created a layer mask with Photoshop CS5’s refine edge.

Textures

Naturally, I played around with a few textures, but it didn’t take me long to choose a few favorites for backgrounds. Below is the layer panel. Notice how I used a layer mask on the texture, Ancien to lighten the texture. This is what gives a slight luminosity behind the horse’s head, creating more depth in the image. I’ve created further depth by repeating the texture, Bibliotheque above the horse to “paint” in shadow areas.

Photograph © Leslie Nicole.

Resources

* Topaz Labs Filters is an Affiliate Link. I will receive a commission on any purchases. Thank you for your support.

Textures from French Kiss Collections
	French Kiss Texture: *Ancien* French Kiss Texture Collection I Blend Mode: Multiply Opacity: 100% Notes: Gives a nice edge definition. Notice in the layer panel how a layer mask lightens the area behind the horse’s head.
	French Kiss Texture: *Bibliotheque* French Kiss Texture Collection I Blend Mode: Multiply Opacity: 41% Notes: This texture also used again over the horse to burn in more shodows around the chest area.
	French Kiss Texture: *Classique Keepsake* Classique Texture Collection Blend Mode: Normal Opacity: 100% Notes: Used as the base, so it is set to normal. Th color gives a nice hint of that caramel, bay color of the horse.

Leslie Nicole

American Photographer and Designer living in France with my French husband, 2 Weimaraners and Cat Rescues. Camera, Mac, studio, garden.

15 Comments

Laura Knight on July 21, 2011 at 12:11 pm

Thank you for sharing..you did wonderful work here. I am a great user and fan of your textures.

Mary Loughlin on July 21, 2011 at 7:12 pm

You did a gorgeous job on this, and have given me some new ideas. I love using your textures–I find them to be very rich with a lot of depth. Can’t wait for your new ones!

Betty on July 21, 2011 at 9:06 pm

Awesome! But how did you get the wispy hairs so perfect?

David A on July 30, 2011 at 10:54 pm

This is a beautiful image but like Betty I would like to know how you kept the detail in the horses mane? I’ve used the same textures on an image of my dog but cannot maintain the detail in the dog’s whiskers, help!

Leslie Nicole on August 2, 2011 at 8:01 am

Hi all, I’m not ignoring this request for more info on the hair. I want to do a little tutorial and haven’t found time yet. I’ll get to it soon! Thanks for your comments. 🙂
- Hayley on March 7, 2014 at 11:25 am
  
  Hello any tips on the trick to keep the mane detail be wonderful please x
  - Leslie Nicole on April 4, 2014 at 4:48 pm
    
    It’s on my list! Sorry, I’ve been so caught up on site re-design, I haven’t had much time for tuts. Hope to be done soon.

Michael on August 15, 2011 at 2:19 pm

me too, i would love to know how you kept the fine details?

David Bennett on October 27, 2011 at 9:57 pm

I usually put a texture layer over the subject and then cut back within the subject. I am trying to get my head around how it works with putting the texture below the subject. ?
David Bennett recently posted..World Animal Day 2011 And The Environment

Leslie Nicole on October 28, 2011 at 8:18 am

Hi David, I too, usually put the texture over the image. I do occasionally do it the other way around—when the texture becomes a background that covers the existing background. Usually, when we work with textures, we use a blend mode and you want the texture to blend with the image below, but when the texture needs to cover what is below, it doesn’t make much difference which is on top. Since I needed to create a mask of the horse to separate it, I went ahead and placed the horse over the texture with a layer mask.
- David Bennett on October 29, 2011 at 1:11 am
  
  Ah, I see – thanks.
  David Bennett recently posted..World Animal Day 2011 And The Environment

Ken Fields on February 12, 2012 at 3:56 am

Nice job and thanks for sharing the tutorial.

Heather Gill on October 5, 2013 at 6:48 pm

Leslie this is so beautiful! I love it!
Heather Gill recently posted..Something New

Leslie Nicole on October 9, 2013 at 1:13 pm

Thank you, Heather!

joan kusek on January 29, 2016 at 2:47 am

beautiful work you do..love it very, very much..thanks….

Laura Knight on July 21, 2011 at 12:11 pm

Thank you for sharing..you did wonderful work here. I am a great user and fan of your textures.
Mary Loughlin on July 21, 2011 at 7:12 pm

You did a gorgeous job on this, and have given me some new ideas. I love using your textures–I find them to be very rich with a lot of depth. Can’t wait for your new ones!
Betty on July 21, 2011 at 9:06 pm

Awesome! But how did you get the wispy hairs so perfect?
David A on July 30, 2011 at 10:54 pm

This is a beautiful image but like Betty I would like to know how you kept the detail in the horses mane? I’ve used the same textures on an image of my dog but cannot maintain the detail in the dog’s whiskers, help!
- Leslie Nicole on August 2, 2011 at 8:01 am
  
  Hi all, I’m not ignoring this request for more info on the hair. I want to do a little tutorial and haven’t found time yet. I’ll get to it soon! Thanks for your comments. 🙂
  - Hayley on March 7, 2014 at 11:25 am
    
    Hello any tips on the trick to keep the mane detail be wonderful please x
    - Leslie Nicole on April 4, 2014 at 4:48 pm
      
      It’s on my list! Sorry, I’ve been so caught up on site re-design, I haven’t had much time for tuts. Hope to be done soon.
Michael on August 15, 2011 at 2:19 pm

me too, i would love to know how you kept the fine details?
David Bennett on October 27, 2011 at 9:57 pm

I usually put a texture layer over the subject and then cut back within the subject. I am trying to get my head around how it works with putting the texture below the subject. ?
David Bennett recently posted..World Animal Day 2011 And The Environment
- Leslie Nicole on October 28, 2011 at 8:18 am
  
  Hi David, I too, usually put the texture over the image. I do occasionally do it the other way around—when the texture becomes a background that covers the existing background. Usually, when we work with textures, we use a blend mode and you want the texture to blend with the image below, but when the texture needs to cover what is below, it doesn’t make much difference which is on top. Since I needed to create a mask of the horse to separate it, I went ahead and placed the horse over the texture with a layer mask.
  - David Bennett on October 29, 2011 at 1:11 am
    
    Ah, I see – thanks.
    David Bennett recently posted..World Animal Day 2011 And The Environment
Ken Fields on February 12, 2012 at 3:56 am

Nice job and thanks for sharing the tutorial.
Heather Gill on October 5, 2013 at 6:48 pm

Leslie this is so beautiful! I love it!
Heather Gill recently posted..Something New
- Leslie Nicole on October 9, 2013 at 1:13 pm
  
  Thank you, Heather!
joan kusek on January 29, 2016 at 2:47 am

beautiful work you do..love it very, very much..thanks….