Photography Workshop Reflection - Ranch House Designs

Photography Workshop 

Livestock Photography Handbook by Ranch House Designs 

For my last assignment for my photography course, I had to attend a photography workshop. I got the idea to go through this book and pick out some key facts that were really beneficial to me. 

This book talks about everything from ethics, camera basics, on the farm photography, show photography, photo editing and file management, and what types of photos to shoot based on the time of the year.

There are photos that every ranch needs. They are; the people, the lifestyle, behind the scenes and the cattle. Horizontal photos are used for websites. Vertical photos are more used for magazine covers and sale catalog covers. Square photos are used for social media.

You don’t have to be a professional to be a photographer for your farm. Smartphone pictures are good for behind the scenes photos and day to day pictures, however DSLR cameras need to be used for sale photos, sire photos and livestock shows.

There are acceptable and unacceptable forms of photo editing and this falls under photography ethics. Some edits that can be necessary are removing mud or dirt from an animal, removing a halter, removing background objects, color correcting and cropping. Edits that are not ethical include straightening a topline, cleaning up an underline, cleaning up a neck, or any alteration that would change the physical conformation of the animal.

Everyone is responsible in the livestock editing process from owners, marketers and designers.

Some terminology mentioned in the manual that I deemed was most important is the aperture, F-stop and ISO.

One of my favorite quotes from the handbook is, “there is a difference between taking a picture and making images.” This means that just because you own a camera, it does not make you a professional photographer. Trust me, I am not a professional, but I am trying and learning every day!

Some cameras and lenses tips that are mentioned in the handbook is that the greater the number of megapixels that the camera has, the higher quality the image will turn out. Most professional livestock photographers prefer zoom and wide angle lenses. Telephoto (zoom) lenses are for pasture and ring shots, while wide angle lenses are used for backdrop photography.

Professional photography happens in manual mode. The three basic settings that make up the equation for a perfect image is aperture, ISO and shutter speed.

Aperture is known as the F-stop. The larger the number, the smaller the aperture opening. This controls the depth of field or sharpness of the background. For most livestock photography, a medium level f-stop of 5.6 is appropriate. In a darker show ring, use an aperture of 4.0. In an extremely sunny day, set the aperture close to 18.0.

ISO helps the photographer perfect the amount of light while maintaining the image quality. ISO can decrease quality. Use 400 ISO when you are using flash or when shooting on a farm. In dark show rings, boost the ISO up to 3200, if there is no flash available.

A common shutter speed of 1/250 is commonly used. A faster shutter speed of 1/320 would capture more movement. If one wishes to add more light, just decrease the shutter speed. 

The book made a very good connection on what settings to use to filling a water bucket. How big your bucket relates to ISO, how much you open and close the water faucet is the aperture and how long you leave the faucet open is the shutter speed.

The Ideal Livestock Photo:

·      Keep the animal positioned on level ground or “uphill”

o   Offers the best presentation

o   Front feet place on slight incline, with animal going “uphill”

·      Proper head carriage

o   Natural, upward position and alert

o   Nose down slightly and not pointing in the air

o   Ears faced forward

o   Head placement is a personal preference

§  Some prefer head straight forward looking ahead with one or both ears visible

·      Correct leg placement

o   All four legs visible

o   Front legs directly under shoulder

o   Both front legs visible

o   Hind legs should be scissored

§  Legs closer to you should be further back than the other

·      Straight top line

o   Correct feet placement will help eliminate topline problems

o   Keep animal going uphill to help with toplines

·      Deep quarter

o   Best shooting position is directly in the center or slightly off the hip

o   Squat down or get on your knees to add dimension and make animal appear to have more powerful quarter

o   Avoid shooting from the front shoulder angle

·      Show udder or testicles

o   Indicators of fertility

o   Time photo shoots to picture females when they have a full udder

·      Tail placement

o   Hang downward or upward in the animal’s natural position

It is important to ask your client questions before the shoot:

·      What are the layout and facilities like? Is there a picture pen set up?

·      How many number of head will you be photographing?

·      What is the animal’s disposition?

·      How many helpers will be available?

·      What is the deadline for when the client needs the photos?

·      What will the pictures be used for?

The ideal size of the picture pen is 100 feet by 60 feet. It should have a solid foundation for the animals to comfortably walk on. It is recommended to water the grass so that it is pretty and green for the pictures. A sturdy, neat fence is recommended for the pen and in a convenient area. 

Early morning and late afternoon is ideal for shooting photos. Shoot with the sun at your back, so the sun is shining on the animal. It is ideal for you to have a team whether that be people you bring, or that the farm has available. This includes an attention getter, pusher and handler. 

There are important angles to take of cattle that are mentioned in the handbook. I think it is parallel across all other species as well. 

·      Side profile

o   Most common among sale catalogs and advertisements

·      Rear view

o   Shows off width and muscle

·      Three-quarter view

o   Shows side profile and the rear in one shot

o   Showcases dimension and balance

·      Front view

After the main photos are taken of the animals, it is recommended to take scenic shots of the ranch or farm entrance and the owner with their family. This builds an image database, so they can use these photos for future advertising. 

Show photography includes ring and backdrop photography.

Backdrop

·      Clean, fresh shavings (wet to stay in place)

·      Make a small mound to create incline

·      Center the animal under any signage

·      Instruct the showman on how to set up their animal for the optimal photo

·      Use wide angle lens

·      Turn the animal’s head to face the photographer

Ring Shots

·      Capture a side by side profile view

o   Zoom in to capture the showman at waist-up and not much space from above the animal’s head, wait for the ears to perk up and snap the pic

o   Wait until the exhibitor turns their head so you can see at least half of their face and take the picture

·      Profile shot

o   Wait until the animal is stopped to take this picture

·      Special shot

o   Class winning handshake or the champion slap

The settings depend on the ring. Use 3200 ISO and an aperture of 4.0 and a low shutter speed in low light. In a pavilion, decrease the ISO to 2500. Always take test shots. That is your best bet of getting a good photo.

There are different steps to take after the shoot:

1.     Transfer images from memory card to computer

2.     Self edit by deleting undesirable photos

3.     Fine tune by adjusting color and lighting

4.     Rename and organize the files

5.     Ethically edit photos if necessary

6.     Resize images for the web if needed

It is important to know your worth and charge accordingly. This is something I struggle with, because I don’t like to tell people “no” and I like to make the impossible happen. It is important to establish a day rate and price based on photo quality. Watermarks should be placed tastefully and minimally and not to distract from the photo.

My job as a livestock photographer and a photographer in general is to work hard to create the perfect photo. I want to promote this industry through the images that I capture. Photography can make or break a sales deal, so it is very important. Photography is an art that it meant to be enjoyed. I want to make my clients happy and meet their expectations.

If you would like to schedule a photography session for me or your livestock, I would be happy to share with you my portfolio and we can work something out that fits your needs!

Feel free to sent me a message on Facebook or on Instagram @carolamcafee

Thank you and God bless!