Oh lord! Props to cattle photographers!

Help Support CattleToday:

NEFarmwife

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 13, 2017
Messages
1,172
Reaction score
6
Location
"The Good Life"
I tried to get a few pics today of our donors.

One stood perfect but I was standing behind her and as soon as I walked the other way, she moved.

The other stood quietly but squished together. She looked like me after a heavy meal.

Then when I felt I had a couple good shots of one, I tried to edit her heat tag off and now she looks like she has a tale head the size of Mt Everest.

I'm sticking to video. And... if the time ever comes that we'll need photos of our sale offerings, leaving it to a professional. I ain't about to try and whip that pony! Take my money!
 
I have taken 100s of photos of my cattle and have never been happy with a single shot. Makes me wonder if what i see is what i want to see but the photos is actually what they really look like!
 
I used a black & white umbrella to open and close to get the bulls attention this year, it worked great on the 1st two but by then the remaining ones in the pen had seen it open and close a few times and it became, ho humm, we wont't fall for that one and stand up to attention.

Ken
 
A trick to get ears up, put a grocery bag on the end of a stick (tape or tie) and when the camera man is ready, have someone tap the ground (make a noise), then lift the bag up high. Almost always the cattle will look up at it, and stand sharp!
 
Some animals seem to pose nicely, others it's impossible. I can get great pics of my bull every time I go out, some cows, not a chance, either they're swishing their tail, aren't standing square, or they're chewing and no matter what I do they have their mouth open.. Like this one.. Just had to be mid-chew, the other pics just weren't as good

 
Fire Sweep Ranch":tckgazr9 said:
A trick to get ears up, put a grocery bag on the end of a stick (tape or tie) and when the camera man is ready, have someone tap the ground (make a noise), then lift the bag up high. Almost always the cattle will look up at it, and stand sharp!
you mean they won't tear a$s to the other side of the pasture?
 
Nesikep":ixl3vm6d said:
Fire Sweep Ranch":ixl3vm6d said:
A trick to get ears up, put a grocery bag on the end of a stick (tape or tie) and when the camera man is ready, have someone tap the ground (make a noise), then lift the bag up high. Almost always the cattle will look up at it, and stand sharp!
you mean they won't tear a$s to the other side of the pasture?

:lol2: not mine! But mine see people every day....
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one! Edit function is great for clarity & adjusting light but doesn't do squat for the mouth open, dorky look, massive amounts of hay along their neck from the bale ring, the rogue cocklebur or booger, etc. And there's always one with the perfect pose but what, wait, how'd you end up with poo smeared all over one side of your face? Notice I don't post a lot of pics of my cattle?
 
TCRanch":3f2e4ow3 said:
I'm glad I'm not the only one! Edit function is great for clarity & adjusting light but doesn't do squat for the mouth open, dorky look, massive amounts of hay along their neck from the bale ring, the rogue cocklebur or booger, etc. And there's always one with the perfect pose but what, wait, how'd you end up with poo smeared all over one side of your face? Notice I don't post a lot of pics of my cattle?

Then you fight with the camera!

Decent pic, out of focus


Decent pic, out of focus again. #$%#$%#$#



Oh, crappy pose, red rocket, perfect focus!
 
That's funny. I always want the rear leg slightly back in the side photo. Seems like they naturally stop with the opposite pose. Just take a ton of pictures from different angles & heights but still it's not very easy. Just look at some of the awful photos of ai sires.
 
I think the bulls always stand with their near leg forward to protect their balls. I think they think you are going to whack them in the nuts.

ken
 
Have hundreds of photos, could say thousands, and very few look good to me... Some days it's the light, some you don't have a camera with you, sometimes it's the attitude of the cattle... It takes alot of practice and patience, and it's still hard to get something decent. What's the most interesting about photos that you can change the look of the animal quite alot, and it can look better, longer, taller, etc., or it can look worse... Have many photos of the same animal, where it doesn't look to be the same animal...
 
I need some tips for videoing sale bulls. Our normal photographer couldn't do it. We made it through the catalog still photos but need to video all 38 lots sometime at the end of the month.
I just bought a new camera (Cannon EOS 80D) and am just starting to play with it.
The online sale company will do the editing for me, just need some raw video.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
When looking at bulls i like to see them walking towards me, away from me and side on. I also like to see their feet clearly. This way you get a good look at their structure, stride and width. Most videos have them side on only walking in pasture where you can't see their feet or width.
 
We have done some videos where we start them one way and when we get to the end stop and turn them around and start a new video. Simple and allows for smaller video sizes being sent. Make sure you use a roundish pen and stay in close enough to them so they don't look so far away. Practice with it before hand. Sun behind works but a cloudy day I think looks better if your camera is set right. All that being said we are just ametures with it all and I still don't know my camera.
 
For a still shot, we have a coyote call. Set it up on the hill maybe 100' away. Have a control so we can turn it on and off - makes different sounds - chicken, hurt rabbit, etc. Also, have a cheer leaders pom-pom on a pole. Bag works well though, makes a little noise.
Like Ken said though, you can't let the other animals "in sight" of what's going on.
 

Latest posts

Top