is PAY DAY Want to know how to get the best calf photos for your fall sale? We asked several leading photographers for their best tips.

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Martha Haynes
6 years ago
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1 >>SC FEATURE PHOTO DAY is PAY DAY Want to know how to get the best calf photos for your fall sale? We asked several leading photographers for their best tips. By Martha Hollida Garrett There s a new payday in the cattle marketing business! Online cattle sales and video marketing continue to grow in popularity for both the buyer and seller and this shift in marketing has moved a program s most important day of the year from the sale ring to the picture pen. Gone are the days of getting to a sale the day before, looking through the cattle and arriving the morning of the sale to look through the cattle again. Now a photo in print or in an blast peaks a potential buyer s interest. That interest then takes the buyer to a website with photos and videos of the sale lots. The quality of those visuals is most likely the determining factor of whether that potential buyer logs on and purchases on sale day. In addition, many sales now show the cattle to the audience in the stands and online by video. There is far more involved than point and shoot if you want buyers clicking to bid on sale day We have selected five cattle photographers, whose work appears regularly in Show Circuit, to discuss the how s and why s of good images. Our sources for this article include Heidi Anderson, Kyla Copeland, Brad Hook, Linde Sutherly and Pearl In general, these photographers agreed on many points we asked them to discuss, so not all answers are printed. They each did stress it s a team effort between photographer, owner/breeder, the crew in the back and the crew in the photo pen to achieve that eye-catching photo. We asked them to discuss a variety of factors involved in capturing photos/videos that generate interest and the things that a breeder should have done when the photographer arrives. We also asked them to use the scenario of taking pictures for a breeder who had never had photos taken at their operation. 1. How far in advance do you recommend a breeder book their photography session(s) with you? All agreed the sooner the better and pointed out that fall is extremely busy. Also many of them plan their travel systematically, so you want to be on their calendar as they hit the road. I suggest 5 to 6 months in advance for the fall and a month in advance the rest of the year, said Sutherly. I usually like a month s notice and you have to be flexible with weather conditions and considerate of the customer s plans for hiring help, described Copeland encouraged customers to also think about how their photo would be used, as she explained photos for a print catalog need to be taken a minimum of 45 to 60 days in front of the actual sale date, while online sales can even be taken 10 to 14 days in advance. 2. How many head can a breeder expect to get photographed in a day? The general consensus was that you could plan/budget for 20 to 25 head per day. This particular topic has many factors involved ranging from pen, lighting, wind, help, time of year and how the cattle work on a particular day. Everyone has different needs and every photo shoot is different. Some customers have one head, while some have 100 head. Time per head is the

It s easier to shoot throughout the day in winter than summer, as the sun is not as harsh.

2 factor in how many you get done in a day and lighting is a determining factor, said 3. What time of day do you want to shoot? In general, mid-morning and mid-afternoon were the answers for the perfect times, but often each has to work more hours in the day to complete the shoot. It s easier to shoot throughout the day in winter than summer, as the sun is not as harsh. Pearl Walthall has a lifetime of experience in the cattle business and started taking photographs 18 years ago. She and her husband, Greg, operate Pearl s Pics from their home in Missouri. I like to start as soon as the shadows don t affect the photo in the mornings, which is generally around 9:30 a.m. I use the same philosophy for the afternoons, said Hook. Throughout the summer and into the fall a little, I don t like to shoot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. as the sun is directly above and that creates negative shadows and lighting, adds Copeland. 4. What weather conditions do you prefer or will you accept? Hands down the answer was sunny and no wind. Sometimes you don t get to chose, but ideal for me is sunny and I won t shoot in the rain, said Anderson. Walthall commented sun is most desirable to get the detail on the animal and is a must for black cattle, while some cloud cover can be accepted for red and white cattle. I prefer a bright sunny day with minimum to no wind and not too hot, as cattle can fall apart in a hurry on a hot day. Cold, windy days cause cattle to arch their backs and not walk for the video, said Copeland. 5. Do you want to photograph in a pen or pasture? There was unanimous consensus on this subject as all said a pen is necessary to do sale photography. Our experts said pasture shots should be reserved for candids. Photo by Pearl Walthall You have so little control in the pasture if you want good profile shots, stated Anderson. 6. What size of pen do you recommend? First recommendation from our panel was be sure and visit with your particular photographer about this before you construct a photo pen as each has their own preferences. I like a 30- to 40-yard square pen that can be used for stills and videos. I ask the customer to send me photos of possible locations and we work through the location and lighting aspects before the shoot, said Hook.

>>SC FEATURE J. BRADLEY HOOK makes his home in Iowa. He began taking his own cattle photos in 1990 and in 2010, he officially began his photography business and started shooting cattle for others.

Walthall described her perfect pen as 40 x 60 foot for stills and 40 x 100 foot for videoing. You want the pen to be conducive to the animal walking into the right stance.

3 >>SC FEATURE J. BRADLEY HOOK makes his home in Iowa. He began taking his own cattle photos in 1990 and in 2010, he officially began his photography business and started shooting cattle for others. Photo by Brad Hook The bigger the better, I prefer 100 x 100 foot pen if at all possible. I want the cattle to get out and naturally move around the pen with ease, said Copeland. Walthall described her perfect pen as 40 x 60 foot for stills and 40 x 100 foot for videoing. You want the pen to be conducive to the animal walking into the right stance. If it s too big, you may spend your time chasing instead of photographing and if it s too small, you may keep starting over to get the animal into the right pose. This can either get the animal excited or especially if it s a hot day cause them to be too tired to stand correctly and will not pull its head up, said 7. What type of fencing for pen? High tensile fencing was offered as the preferred choice of half of our panel. For me woven wire panels are the least distracting, while hot wire is an option, but only if the cattle are used to it. Panels and corral gates are acceptable as long as they are secure enough to hold the animal, said Sutherly. I like white or electric fencing for the background on loose cattle. I absolutely do not like red or brown fencing. When you look at the photo you want the viewer s eyes to go right to the animal, not the background, said Hook said he preferred wire cattle panels. 8. How should the pen be set up in relation to the sun? The sun always needs to be at the photographer s back, so that should be considered in making the pen work for both morning and afternoon, according to our panel. If you have your pen set up longer one way than the other, then make sure the long way runs east to west, so that it will work the majority of the day as the sun shifts, explained Copeland. I tell my customers to put their back to the sun in the potential pen area and wave their arms. What they see in terms of shadows and detail is what I m going to see as the photographer, as well as the potential customer, described Hook. 9. What do you consider ideal backgrounds for shooting? As little as possible or nothing in the background was hands down the answer from the experienced photographers. Clean, clean. No clutter in the background, stressed Hook, while Sutherly agreed that you want to avoid anything that distracts from looking at the animal. Anderson agreed and went on to say that she tries to avoid horizon and fencing lines a long the topline of the cattle, as it changes how the animal looks to the viewer of the finished photograph. 10. Do you like holding pens next to the photography pen or a lead animal? I do like having a holding pen at the end of the direction you want the animal being photographed to walk. I like to have a tame animal in that pen or at least have it tied in the direction I need the animal to walk, said I prefer a lead animal as opposed to a holding pen, remarked Hook. Yes and no was Copeland s answer. She went on to explain that yes, because it gives cattle a chance to calm down and become composed after coming out of the fitting chute in the barn. If something is worked up coming out of the barn, the odds are that it won t get calmed down. I do like to have a very calm animal tied in the photo pen, said Copeland. 11. Do you like a slope to the shooting area? A slight slope that can be hit at several points was the more popular answer from our experts. I do like a slight slope, but nothing too steep. I want the cattle to look comfortable as they move, said Sutherly. I like a gentle slope. Ideally you want the front end of an animal running up hill not downhill. The lay of the land can determine the physical stance of the animal. You want their feet and legs to be firmly and

pen allows you to utilize more of it and be able to shoot either direction, depending on how cattle want their lead leg to be positioned.

4 evenly planted. Rough ground and downward slopes can change the structural appearance of an animal, explained Copeland said she actually preferred a level pen, adding all cattle act differently and having a level pen allows you to utilize more of it and be able to shoot either direction, depending on how cattle want their lead leg to be positioned. Hook prefers a slope as close to the middle of the pen as possible, so that it can slope both directions. He emphasized that cattle should never be photographed going downhill. 12. How far in advance should cattle be clipped prior to being photographed? General rule of thumb was prior to photo day. I don t care when you clip, but when I get there it is time to shoot, said Hook. Copeland tells her customers to clip them advance, so that cattle can be coming to the picture pen at a steady pace, especially if a lot of cattle need to be photographed. Cattle I call ranchy should be clipped a few days of ahead. This gives them a cooling down period before they hit the pen full bore, hunting down the photographer. Some are faster than others and I m not so fast, said 13. What do you recommend breeders have done with each animal before you arrive or before the animal enters the shooting area? I like for the cattle to be clipped, clean, blowed out and with a light coat of oil. You have to be careful with the oil in the summer, as it can look give a reflection. What the animal looks like in the pen will be what the photo looks like, stressed Hook. Sutherly summarizes that the more detail that is put into the cattle before they enter the photo pen, the better they will look. It was reiterated by the photographers that the cattle should be handled calmly in the chutes, prior to entering the picture pen. 14. How many helpers for the photo pen should a breeder have on photography day? Our experts said two to three for the pen and enough in the back to keep the cattle coming and looking ready for their photo to be taken. I like three people in the pen with me one to push, one to haze and one to get ears, said Hook adding that he likes the hazer to be at a 45-degree angle on the point of the shoulder, as this decreases the likelihood of the calf circling back. KYLA COPELAND started Focus Marketing Group, along with Kent Jaecke in November Today their company includes nine team members that specialize in cattle photography, videography and advertising. She resides in New Mexico. Sutherly also likes three as she likes one to get cattle back and forth to the photo pen, one patient, yet outgoing person to get ears and one patient, quiet person to move the cattle around in the pens. Copeland likes to have two and herself in the pen. Picture pen help is a huge part of how pictures are going to look. I like to have one person help move the cattle around and one to get ears. Too many people can make Photo by Kyla Copeland

>>SC FEATURE the cattle feel crowded. The help needs to know and recognize how cattle work how they move in the pen and the right time to catch their attention, she said. 15.

I m not set on perfect, picture pose as you can wear them out trying to get that perfect pose. I like to get a nice, clean pose that shows as much soundness as possible, explained Hook.

5 >>SC FEATURE the cattle feel crowded. The help needs to know and recognize how cattle work how they move in the pen and the right time to catch their attention, she said. 15. How do you like the cattle to be positioned for the actual photo? I like the animal to be in a natural, relaxed state. I m not set on perfect, picture pose as you can wear them out trying to get that perfect pose. I like to get a nice, clean pose that shows as much soundness as possible, explained Hook. I love taking angle photos and being different on pictures, but these pictures just don t work on some cattle, Copeland said. A lot of it is being in the right place at the right time too. A standard profile picture is definitely the norm. Leg set depends on the animal and at what point they are comfortable and looking their best. A good picture is all about how those cattle shift their weight. They may be set up fundamentally correct, but if their weight isn t shifted right, it s not going to work. The help needs to know how much room to give those cattle and read those cattle to get the feel on how much room to give them. Typically, the further back the help is from the calf, the better, explains Copeland. I like for the animal to stop in a profile position. You always want to be able to see all four legs. The person pushing the animal needs to be a safe distance behind the animal, but be in viewing range of the animal. You don t want the animal pulling its head around to view the person pushing the animal. This will cause the animal to throw its front legs and shoulders out towards the photographer, if it tries to keep viewing the person behind it. This is where the ear man comes in he must try to get the animal to focus on him and not the person behind the animal and especially the photographer, said 16. What about noise? Any other distractions to avoid? Only noise I want is whatever is being used to get ears all other noise should be avoided, said Anderson. Walthall stressed that noisy highways, feed trucks going by the photo pen, nearby construction, as well as grandchildren visiting can all be distractions and most likely keep the animal from cooperating. 17. What type of props/sounds do you like in order to get the ears forward and heads up? We received a variety of answers for this all-important part of the photograph. The sky s the limit. To me people are the best noisemakers, but I ve used a pompom on the end of a fishing pole, animal calls, beach balls, hats, dog toys to name a few. But if someone doesn t know how to use props properly, then it will never work. Again remember each animal is different and what works on one Photo by Heidi Anderson HEIDI ANDERSON has been capturing images since 2001 and established her company, Legacy Livestock in She is located in Kansas.

Walthall relies on her husband to get ears with a fern he shakes in front of them and also uses animal noisemakers.

6 may not work on the next one, said Copeland Hook and Sutherly both said they used animal calls. Anderson likes to start with a low bellow by the ear person and then will resort to noisemakers if needed. Walthall relies on her husband to get ears with a fern he shakes in front of them and also uses animal noisemakers. On some of the tamer, deadheaded cattle, I like for someone to crawl on the ground towards the animal. I suggest this be a younger person, who can get up and run fast if needed, she concludes. 18. How much time should a breeder allow for you to get the images to them as a general rule? Again this depends on time of the year, but most suggested a timeframe close to a week, especially in the fall. The customer needs to let the photographer know when the photos are needed and this date should be considered when scheduling the shoot. In the fall, you shoot all day, drive and edit photos at night, get up and edit and shoot again, so it can take some time, explains Hook. HIGH RES/LOW RES These are terms in the advertising world referring to the size and pixilation of photos. Low resolution photos can be used on websites and in social medias, but should never be used in print. Photos on websites or social media cannot be pulled to use in print as they will be grainy and often out of focus. High res images can be used in all advertising avenues and our panel of photographers all said they provided customers with only high res versions. Copeland adds that editing time is almost equal to the time required to take the photo and that needs to be considered. 19. What other points do you want to make or feel a customer needs to know? Patience and preparation the more everyone has, the smoother things typically go, said Sutherly. Be patient, said Anderson. Photographs get customers to look at the video, so your photos better look like the same cattle in the videos, stressed Hook. There are a lot of talented hard working photographers in the business. Choose one that fits your needs and personality, said LINDE SUTHERLY is the owner of Linde s Livestock Photos LLC and has been shooting cattle across the Midwest for 14 years. She resides in Ohio. We have a common goal of getting great pictures and videos to market your cattle, but it s really a team effort on picture day, said Copeland. Photo by Linde Sutherly 20. What is the cost? That is something you need to ask your prospective photographer(s). Items that factor into the price included how many head of cattle, how many days(s) of shooting, travel distance, travel accommodations, and if your travel costs can be shared. Most photographers have a standard day rate as the base. Editor s Note: Thank you to our experts, who shared their knowledge, skills and expertise. We hope this article will assist you when talking with a professional photographer and increase the value of your payday!

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