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RedRobin

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• 11 Nov 2018

• #81

Ed Sutton said:

Well done. That's the only way I could do the 'official' photographer job, too. There seem to be set pictures which are required. And set ways of photographing prize winning sheep! From watching those who photograph sheep professionally (yes, there are such people) the sheep have to have their legs in a certain position, and the angle of the head has to be just so. I've done a few pics of champion sheep when asked, but have always had to force myself to do it 'the right way' .Although I do sneak one or two frames in for myself...

The relationship between people and animals is a good part of the motivation behind this project and my poultry show pictures.

Click to expand...

.... Fortunately the show already has several other 'official photographers' who are at their beck and call and are professionals who do that kind of work. They welcome me as a photographer with a fresh angle and the fact that I want to do it for free also makes me free of any obligations. Hell, I am retired and just want to take pictures for enjoyment.

I have photographed at this show a twice before but just as a member of the public with limited access.

 

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• 16 Nov 2018

• #82

I'm slowly trying to expand my sheepscape series by looking for different locations. This is on an opportunistic basis rather than deliberately setting off with something specific in mind. That sort of pre-planned approach doesn't seem to be in my make up no matter what I'm photographing.

(The black borders are too thick on these versions.)





A flock of Herdwicks is having a winter holiday by the sea at Ainsdale. Officially it's conservation grazing, being carried out along with some Red Poll cattle. I went for a recce this afternoon on my way home from a job I had to do. There should be some scope for sheepscapes there. All I came away with today were a few snaps and the second shot below which made me smile.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 24 Nov 2018

• #83

Sheep dog trials in winter are different to those in summer. for one thing most are nursery trials - for dogs which are still learning the ropes. For another the weather, especially in the uplands, can be inclement. Today I went to a trial at the same place as the first visit I made back in January. It's only 18 miles from home as the crow flies but it was three degrees colder! I took a few prints I'd made from that first visit and passed them on to the chap I had been chatting to back then. Having photographed a few trials now and knowing the layout I had some ideas in mind. One or two worked out, although I messed up quite a few through my usual technical incompetence.

I started out at the release pen then I moved down to the trial field. The photos aren't all in the order they were taken but presented to form a short picture essay. It's not easy whittling 400 odd shots to eight - even after deleting over half of the 400 on import, and half of the remains after some consideration! There are still shots that I like and which 'work' but don't fit a small selection like this here. I've put a larger than usual selection on my website (here) as a couple of people asked what I do with my pics, and I gave them my details.

When photographing the action I have trouble deciding what to focus on. The sheep, the dog, or the handler. I suppose it depends on how the action is progressing as to what the main subject is. Too often I find myself making the wrong choice. It's probably just as well I'm not doing it for money!

As ever, comments appreciated.

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Last edited: 5 Jan 2019

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Ed Sutton

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• 6 Dec 2018

• #84

It's Christmas prime stock show and sale time at marts around the country. Tuesday I was hoping to get to my closest mart for a look and then head off into the countryside as the forecast was for the only dry and sunny day of the week. The forecast was wrong and it was foggy/misty until well after noon, so I stopped at the mart until later than planned. When I did get into the wilds I saw two packets of sheep being rounded up and herded, but in both cases by the time I was in lens range the job was done. Missed opportunities!

The usually gloomy sheep shed was even gloomier. However the near zero temperature and damp sheep created a mist inside the shed which was interesting, but tricky to photograph to convey the atmosphere. This time I tried to get photographs of the work going on booking the sheep in, scanning their electronic tags and so forth. With traceability a big thing in the food chain there is a lot more electronics and IT, not to mention paperwork, involved in the industry than might be imagined.

I'm a bit down on this project at the moment. It feels like it has no direction and I'm playing at it. Perhaps I need to step back and do some thinking.

As always, comments appreciated on both the pics and the project.

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2

3 Each batch of sheep is kept together by the series of gates.

4 Then they are booked in and directed to the correct pen.

5 Marker spray and paperwork.

6

7 Tag reading 'wand' (I tried to get a shot of it's flashing lights...) and tablet.

8 Livestock weighing station.

 

Last edited: 7 Dec 2018

sirch

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• 6 Dec 2018

• #85

I think 2 and 3 in particular are very good closely followed by 6, admittedly perhaps something of a departure from the rest of the project but really capture the mood and may be hint at an end point?

 

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• 7 Dec 2018

• #86

sirch said:

I think 2 and 3 in particular are very good closely followed by 6, admittedly perhaps something of a departure from the rest of the project but really capture the mood and may be hint at an end point?

Click to expand...

Thanks Chris. The weighing display was pure luck being set to read sheep. Every other time I passed it by it was on cattle. I think I'd have singled out 4 and 6 myself but see how your choices set the scene. Overall I was a bit disappointed with my results as I didn't get any satisfactory pictures where there was anything 'happening'. One of my faults is not taking enough shots at times.

As for an end point, perhaps a time to reflect and see what is missing?I guess I'll still be on the sheep-related trail as I spent yesterday evening filling in dates on next year's calendar for shows and other events. For example, the English national sheepdog trials are being held the other side of Preston next August - although the final day clashes with a favourite agricultural show of mine. Then there are some other ideas which I have, but need a kick up my backside to make/follow up some contacts. Something I find difficult.

 

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• 7 Dec 2018

• #87

I have really enjoyed following your sheep project this year. You do criticise yourself too much I fear.
The shots are a good record of the happenings at such shows, the interaction between handlers and sheep, the inclusion of the public and their interest, the seasons (that Slaidburn show looks particularly wet!).
But also you do manage to capture that it is not just shows and competitions, but also an important business and a livelihood for people.- and tough conditions for them to work in too.
Also quite inspiring - you have some tenacity and drive to do what you have done.
Here's to next year.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 7 Dec 2018

• #88

superpippo said:

I have really enjoyed following your sheep project this year. You do criticise yourself too much I fear.
The shots are a good record of the happenings at such shows, the interaction between handlers and sheep, the inclusion of the public and their interest, the seasons (that Slaidburn show looks particularly wet!).
But also you do manage to capture that it is not just shows and competitions, but also an important business and a livelihood for people.- and tough conditions for them to work in too.
Also quite inspiring - you have some tenacity and drive to do what you have done.
Here's to next year.

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Thanks.

It doesn't feel like tenacity, more a daft obsession. That was a wet day at Slaidburn, but strangely enjoyable - I still haven't got round to buying new waterproofs!

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 8 Dec 2018

• #89

Scrub that daft obsession and replace with stupidity. I knew it would be gloomy and almost certainly wet, with a capital WET, on the moors today but I went anyway. Not only do my waterproofs still leak but I'd forgotten to collect the new (non-leaking) boots I had ordered a fortnight ago. I also managed to (just) avoid getting my car stuck in the mud. I gave up when I couldn't tell what I was looking at through my steamed up, and raindrop covered, specs.

There may be photos to follow. Or not...

 

superpippo

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• 8 Dec 2018

• #90

Ed Sutton said:

Scrub that daft obsession and replace with stupidity. I knew it would be gloomy and almost certainly wet, with a capital WET, on the moors today but I went anyway. Not only do my waterproofs still leak but I'd forgotten to collect the new (non-leaking) boots I had ordered a fortnight ago. I also managed to (just) avoid getting my car stuck in the mud. I gave up when I couldn't tell what I was looking at through my steamed up, and raindrop covered, specs.

There may be photos to follow. Or not...

Click to expand...

Good man! What were you looking for? Just sheep on the moors or a particular place?
If it is any comfort I went to Fylde rugby and it was like standing in a cloud for 80 minutes. Presumably Southport was the same

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 8 Dec 2018

• #91

At 1300 feet or so above sea level at the sheep dog trial I WAS standing in a cloud.

At one stage the sun made an appearance, fooling me into thinking the day was going to fair up. When that happened the sky got more interesting. It didn't last.

I got a few pictures, but had to crop most of the action shots. Maybe my brain was cold causing me to fail to spot the better compositions? My hands were certainly cold because I forgot my gloves...

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3 Blue sky!!!! I wanted to work this view - Landrovers and sheep dogs go together, but another vehicle parked next to the Landy.

4 Mind you Isuzus, Mitsubiishis and Toyotas are more favoured farming vehicles these days.

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6 I really wish I'd framed this one better and hadn't had to crop it to get it this way. Just my irrational anti-cropping attitude I guess.

7 There are times when pictures really aren't enough. I was chatting to this novice handler prior to her run (it was a nursery trial so the dogs are all inexperienced) and she said both her and the dog were nervous. The dog was from the line of dogs bred by a friend of hers who is now in a home suffering from dementia and she is training the dog, and its sibling, in respect - sort of as a thank you, if you get my drift. At previous trials they hadn't done very well and hadn't completed a course. Today I saw quite a few get timed out. Even experienced handlers. Excuses abound such as the wind, the sheep, you name it! But this run went well and the sheep were penned easily. The picture shows the end of the run with dog round the back of the pen to drive the sheep back out. The handler was well chuffed and hoped that when she told her friend it would put a smile on his face. The dog wanted another go!

Talking to people at these events is as interesting as taking the photos, and I'd like to find a way to combine the two.

On the positive side I'm getting to know a few sheep dog people now. On the negative side I might have to get myself a 4x4 as the wheels did a bit of spinning today!

 

Last edited: 5 Jan 2019

superpippo

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• 14 Dec 2018

• #92

Notwithstanding the weather, you have coped well there and the shots add another facet to your year's work.

 

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• 14 Dec 2018

• #93

superpippo said:

Notwithstanding the weather, you have coped well there and the shots add another facet to your year's work.

Click to expand...

Thanks Alan.

Giving it a miss this weekend. I've got work to do to keep customers happy before the Christmas shut down.

But progressing another project close to home in my spare time.

 

superpippo

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• 16 Dec 2018

• #94

Ed Sutton said:

But progressing another project close to home in my spare time.

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Locking at your Flickr, might it be ‘trees’?

 

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• 16 Dec 2018

• #95

superpippo said:

Locking at your Flickr, might it be ‘trees’?

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More accurately the wood about 300yds from home.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 26 Dec 2018

• #96

For someone who lives almost at sea level it really is like travelling to a different world going to hill country - even though it's on a couple of dozen miles as the crow flies. It didn't rain today, but the fog hardly lifted! There was no hint of a breeze to shift it. There were spells when the visibility improved, but they were brief. This reduced my options for photographing the sheep dogs working. Luckily it was a charity event (in support of the air ambulance) with food being cooked, a raffle and an auction. The auction featured the expected bottles of whisky and food hampers, and the less expected wellies and a bale of hay! There was also a bonfire to drive a way the damp. So there were other things to photograph.

Quite a few people left early before running their dog/s because they didn't think the conditions would improve enough for everyone to compete before dark. Some dogs got confused by the fog. Some sheep got confused too! A challenging day for all concerened.

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2 - I see no sheep!

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5 - The auction commences.

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Last edited: 5 Jan 2019

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Ed Sutton

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• 2 Jan 2019

• #97

Not really part of the project, but a sheepy encounter.

I did a bit of unpaid shepherding this morning on my walk to the Post Office via the canal. It being a clear frosty day I took a camera along.

You're not supposed to be there.

Leg it girls!

Follow me...

Damn. Wrong way.

Their less adventurous friends were watching the proceedings.

This hurdle didn't untie and move itself, and the sheep didn't do it.

I got the escapees back over to the canal side of the floodbank and before I joined them they were through the gap where they were supposed to be acting all innocent as if they'd never been away.

I tied the hurdle back in place and carried on my way. Never a dull moment with sheep!

 

Last edited: 2 Jan 2019

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• 3 Jan 2019

• #98

I've really enjoyed scrolling through this thread. You have some very interesting photos here. I love your theme. it is also good to have some narrative with some of them as well. I particularly like the black and white photos, the sheeps fur and close ups. There are some amusing ones here as well. I think you are finding different angles in the subject well to keep us all interested. Will certainly be watching this thread as it is enjoyable to look at. Thankyou for sharing

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 3 Jan 2019

• #99

HeartandSoul said:

I've really enjoyed scrolling through this thread. You have some very interesting photos here. I love your theme. it is also good to have some narrative with some of them as well. I particularly like the black and white photos, the sheeps fur and close ups. There are some amusing ones here as well. I think you are finding different angles in the subject well to keep us all interested. Will certainly be watching this thread as it is enjoyable to look at. Thankyou for sharing

Click to expand...

Thanks Mandy. With this sort of subject I'm sure that pictures can't tell the whole story, especially to people who know little or nothing about it - of which I was one when I started out. It might be a while before I can add anything new. So here are a couple of 'sheepscapes' I've taken recently.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 26 Jan 2019

• #100

I've been 'between computers' for over a week, unable to even look at any pictures I'd taken except on the back of my cameras! I haven't got a decent monitor yet, so apologies if the following pics look a bit oddly processed. I find it hard to judge contrast and shadow detail on this crappy screen.

Last Saturday was cold and there's been snow which was still lying up in the hills. That was one reason I made the effort to get to the sheep dog trial, to get some slightly different pictures which would show that no matter the weather the fanatics carry on!

The light was poor and my ISO's high. Rather than use a longer lens with a small aperture I chose to use a faster lens and crop for the action shots. That's the technical guff done with.

I'm still trying to find a way to make something of the subject which isn't the usual sheepdog action stuff. But it's a struggle.

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Wider views are one approach.

2 People muck in to get the sheep back to the release pen.

3 No neat white-painted hurdles at these local trials, road work barriers do the same job.

Handlers walking off with their dogs is another.

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What I call 'stuff' is a third.

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Rather than try to get one or two 'definitive' pictures I think of the photographs for my projects as contributing to a bigger picture. Individually inconsequential images can be as important as the more obvious pictures.

No matter what, I can't resist photographing the collies. Even when they are only driving the sheep from the field after their runthey retain their obsessive concentration.

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I've been to a sheep show and auction today. So another post is imminent.

Thoughts and comments always welcome.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 28 Jan 2019

• #101

Due to a combination of not paying attention I was late getting to the sheep show - it was almost all over when I arrived. Then it took me ages to get into gear. I felt right out of practice and the only solution I have found that gets me going is to take loads of crap pictures! Just snaps, but they seem to give my eyes a prod.

I wasn't the only one there taking photos. The Sheeperazzi were out in force.


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I think I've mentioned before that there's a bit of a hierarchy when it comes to what are considered photogenic sheep, with Herdwicks and Swaledales at the top, and the main attraction on Saturday, Rough Fell, not far behind. For some reason Bluefaced Leicesters (BFLs)are mocked for looking like camels, and mules are just plain ignored. Yet the mule has been the backbone of the UK sheep industry for a long time and mules rely on BFL tups to mate with Swaledales. But I guess neither are 'pretty' sheep. Being an odball these two breed appeal more to me than the more popular breeds! I find BFLs regal looking, and mules strike me as cheeky.

There was a bigger turnout of BFLs than Rough fells.

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6 Not so many mules.

What is apparent at these events is that it they are very much a community thing bringing together people from a wide area. They are a chance to meet people that don't see each other all that often. Photographing this aspect as an outsider who is asocial inadequate like me isn't easy. However it was nice when Arnold (who appears elsewhere in this thread) spotted me and said hello. I took the opportunity to take a couple of shots of him greeting an old acquaintance. Not great, but I was lucky to have my wide angle on the camera at the time. Not the best picture, but the sort of thing I'd like to get more of.

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8 The sale ring was packed.

Not my best day's photography. I tried a few things which didn't work out - like photographing the sheep leaving the sale ring. For once I think I can safely blame the gear for that as my old wide angle lens is sluggish to focus, and prefocusing didn't work.

Reviewing my pictures I began to question the whole point of it. After all the Sheeperazzi are taking plenty of pictures which record this world. What do mine bring to the table that adds anything? Then I went for a browse at what else is out there and my confidence returned. Every now and then I think I do get something a bit different. Even if it's just pictures of mules and BFLs!!

 

Last edited: 29 Jan 2019

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• 28 Jan 2019

• #102

Yours do add something IMHO, you are not just shooting sheep, yours include context, things like people photographing sheep. I'm glad you are still going with this, I do enjoy calling in from time-to-time.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 28 Jan 2019

• #103

sirch said:

Yours do add something IMHO, you are not just shooting sheep, yours include context, things like people photographing sheep. I'm glad you are still going with this, I do enjoy calling in from time-to-time.

Click to expand...

Thanks Chris.

It was the wider views I take and those of the less obvious aspects which convinced me that I do have something to offer when I thought about it. Most photographers seem to concentrate on taking 'good pictures' which (I think) appeal more to other photographers. What I call 'clever' pictures. Pictures which follow the 'rule' of simplifying composition and closing in on details. Nothing wrong with that, I take them myself as such pictures can help tell the story. But I'm always considering my projects as a whole rather than a collection of individual pictures. If you know what I mean.

For a few years I've been consciously trying to take complicated pictures which include lots of details. Brueghel didn't make simple pictures. It's more difficult to do this with a camera than a paintbrush while making pictures which have a compositional coherence or rhythm to them, which capture a moment in the foreground while having an equally interesting background which adds to the storytelling is a real brain frazzler!

I'll be sticking with it.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 1 Feb 2019

• #104

As an aside, I've been scanning some of my negatives from way back when and I'd forgotten I took my first sheep photographs in 1979. They weren't very good. But I do remember the sheep in the paddock at the end of my road.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 3 Feb 2019

• #105

I'd been hoping the snow would stick around on the moors until today ever since it started melting where I live at almost sea level because I thought it would make for a different look to the sheep dog trial, and show how it doesn't deter the competitors - or the dogs. Luckily the roads were clear and the snow still lying. There was scope to make some dramatic pictures of the dogs, and sheep, running and turning throwing up snow, but I'd have needed a longer lens and it's not really my bag anyway. I used to have a long telephoto which I used for a while photographing kite surfers but I got rid of it to stop me taking that sort of action shot!

Anyway, the snow did make the pictures look a little different, it certainly made the handlers and animals stand out more by providing a cleaner background. It also helped make for some more graphic pictures.

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I had a walk up to the release pen at one stage and timed it when the sheep were being returned. I like watching a flock being moved by dogs and it makes for good pictures too. I just wish I'd framed this next one a little better with the sheep lower.

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Then they have to be got back in teh pen.

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With folk getting to know me now I feel more at ease taking candid shots. I'm also overcoming my (irrational) fear of cropping images, although I always try to frame my shots so they don't need to be cropped.

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In terms of subject matter nothing radically different to what I've photographed before I suppose. But maybe something worthwhile added to the overall project.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 16 Feb 2019

• #106

It being the first Derbyshire Gritstone and Lonk in lamb ewe sale, in conjunction with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust at Clitheroe today I wasn't sure what to expect apart from the usual horrible, multi-white-balance, light to battle with! The sensible approach might be black and white. But I've never been sensible...

On arrival all sheep were scanned to assess how many lambs they were carrying, if any. Not something that I think would be easy to show in a photograph under controlled conditions, let alone in an unplanned one. The operator sits in a small box next to a contraption with a gate at each end to keep the sheep confined. This was wedged up against a cattle pen, making getting a good vantage point pretty much impossible. As each sheep was scanned the results were tallied with the ear tag and lot numbers so potential buyers would know how many lambs they were likely to get from each sheep sold.

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With all sheep delivered and scanned it's time to wander round and look at what's on offer. In addition to the Gritstones and Lonks there were a few Hebrideans and a decent lot of Whitefaced Woodlands, another hill breed of the southern Pennines.

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Each sheep has a label attached to it with the lot number on. I don't know why I wanted a photograph of sheep number one.

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When the sale got underway the ringside was packed. It was Gritstones first, follwoed by Lonks, then the black Hebrideans and finally the Woodlands. After the first two breeds had been through the ring the crowd thinned out.

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I hadn't expected to spend much time photographing the sale as it's something I've seen before, but as I managed to get a space at the ringside I actually shot a lot of frames. A lot of crap frames...

The Gritstone Breeders had a brand new banner on display. Sadly a lively Lonk tried to jump out of the ring putting a hoof through the banner and ripping it from the supporting cable ties. The irony is that the banner had originally been placed at the opposite side of the ring and moved for better visibility. The damaged banner can be seen below.

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I'm not sure that leaving the zoom lens at home was the best move today given that my shooting positions were limited. I kept finding the lens I was using was either too short or too long. No special sheep sales for a couple of months, so plenty of time for a rethink.

As ever, comments welcome and appreciated.

 

Last edited: 16 Feb 2019

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• 23 Feb 2019

• #107

Yesterday I went to the sheep dog auction I visited twelve months ago. Looking back at the pictures I got then I'm not sure I actually made any progress this time. One thing's for sure, you'd be hard pressed to guess from the photos that they were taken in February. It was t-shirt weather by lunch time!

I did spend some time photographing the main auctioneer, trying to get a combination of good gesture and background sheep dog action. not easy. I tried the safe option of closer framing too, but I'm not sure what that brings to the project. Maybe if there was a series of portraits of the staff?

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At the small puppy ring I was trying for some views to give a feel of what it's like being in the midst of things, and found a higher vantage point to get an impression of the size of the crowd.

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I gave in to the temptation to take some 'easy' pictures of people standing or sitting around. These are something I usually avoid, but I suppose they can provide some punctuation to the project in the same way that detail shots do. I got some detail shots too.

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The shepherd's whistle picture might be the start of a series.
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I could post a load more pictures of dogs running, dogs watching sheep, dogs being hot and tired, dogs doing doggy things. They are such appealing subjects. And so easy to side track a butterfly mind like mine. I had to keep forcing myself to concentrate on telling the story rather than making cute dog pictures.

One dog picture I wanted to get a picture of was micro-chip scanning. It's tricky to find a way to show what goes on in a single picture. Not least because it's just wafting a 'stick' over the dog for a few seconds. This rather awkward picture was the best I managed. So you can imagine how bad the others were!

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No doubt I'll be back at a future auction hoping to work on filling the gaps I've come to realise need filling for this section of the project. What I probably should do is set out to take those pictures and concentrate on them to the exclusion of the 'easier' ones. Time to go back and read On Being a Photographer for the umpteenth time.

Thanks for looking.

 

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• 23 Feb 2019

• #108

I haven't looked in on this in while. The snow certainly does give a different feel and a seasonal context to the project I think. Really good to see the Clitheroe auction in action and there are some good photos from there. If you don't mind me saying I don't think the final set from the sheep dog auction adds much, perhaps the bright sun isn't helping.

 

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• 23 Feb 2019

• #109

sirch said:

I haven't looked in on this in while. The snow certainly does give a different feel and a seasonal context to the project I think. Really good to see the Clitheroe auction in action and there are some good photos from there. If you don't mind me saying I don't think the final set from the sheep dog auction adds much, perhaps the bright sun isn't helping.

Click to expand...

Thanks Chris.

I'm not sure about the latest set either. Maybe because a lot were taken with longer focal lengths than I usually use and there's a lack of connection, or maybe they're too general. I will be back. It might rain next time!

 

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• 23 Feb 2019

• #110

Ed Sutton said:

I will be back. It might rain next time!

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• 24 Feb 2019

• #111

Some more sheepscapes. I should take more care over these but they are never planned and patience isn't one of my strengths.

 

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• 24 Feb 2019

• #112

Love the third one.

 

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• 24 Feb 2019

• #113

Baloo said:

Love the third one.

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Thanks Roger.

It's hard to go wrong with some mist and receding lines of walls and trees.

 

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• 28 Feb 2019

• #114

Number 3 in post #107 is especially good because of the shapes and lines the people have formed, rather than them being a clot of 'country folk' by a fence.

I've just found the thread and wandered through over about 50min.

 

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Ed Sutton

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• 28 Feb 2019

• #115

ancient_mariner said:

Number 3 in post #107 is especially good because of the shapes and lines the people have formed, rather than them being a clot of 'country folk' by a fence.

I've just found the thread and wandered through over about 50min.

Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to look, like, and comment.

The crowd photo came after trying to show how many people there were with a head on shot -which did indeed look like a 'clot of country folk'! The angles and lines give it a sense of depth, and show more people in a way.

 

Last edited: 2 Mar 2019

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• 10 Mar 2019

• #116

I won't post many pictures today as yesterday's visit to the sheep dog trial was a blow-out and a washout as the wind howled and the rain came in on it horizontally. I almost stayed home but a burst of sunshine tricked me in to thinking the weather was improving.

Because of the rain most handlers sat in their vehicles with the heater on. I took shelter in the livestock trailer for a while and tried to be creative.

1

I also made an attempt to get a few pictures to illustrate the conditions.

2

Eventually the rain stopped and the sun shone at times, but the sheep hadn't been playing nicely all day so there weren't many chances for action shots. They'd been run a few times and had learned the score and where the exhaust gate is. Rather than trot round the course they headed straight for the gate as soon as a dog got close. Some did what they were supposed to do but I find it hit and miss getting what I consider good pictures at the pen and my chances were reduced.

This was also the association's nursery championship which is a run-off between the dogs which have accumulated the most points through the nursery season. The nursery trials are for inexperienced dogs and kept simple, going round the course and penning the three sheep to finish. The championship runs four sheep and includes the additional task of splitting the packet into two. This gave me something new to try and show. As always getting a good angle is difficult as I'm restricted in where I can stand, and can never tell where the peak action will take place anyway.

3

All that was left was the announcement of the results and the handing out of prizes and the championship trophy. Another frustrating day was over.

4

 

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• 23 Mar 2019

• #117

A long day at the Pennine interclub nursery championship today. The weather was fine for a change, although a venue I hadn't been to was both a plus and a minus. A plus as in offering different scenery, a minus in that I didn't know where to get good vantage points. On my way I stopped off to photograph the direction signs. The spelling mistake adds a certain charm, as does the wonky post.

Will post a few pics from the day tomorrow when my eyes and brain are back in working order. I took far too many pictures, a lot of the time trying to get the best angle or time the right piece of action, and usually failing.

 

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• 24 Mar 2019

• #118

The championship had been postponed for a week as the ground was too wet for parking. Not having a 4x4 myself I still played safe and parked on the road there being a handy pull-in near the release pen. I stared the day off there, at the top of the hill. Trialing is an egalitarian sport. Everyone, or most, take turns helping out out with the mundane tasks. There were a number standing by to guide the sheep to the post.

1

Walking down the hill I tried various ways to frame the action with an ash tree. In the end I think they mostly ended up looking a bit of a mess. Maybe some sun would have helped.

2

I also tried to get a shot or two to show the setting in a broader context when the sun did break through.

3

Rather too late in the day I found a spot to take advantage of the slope. My lack of patience got the better of me. While I could image the picture I'd have liked to get when the sheep and dogs wouldn't get into the right positions after three or four runs I gave up.

4
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ur__ufRfp42gywZDqb8AJg958os15DL2y-T1L2HeXJiLEnDx_eVmMK3anQ0yTGrYQIuCZ8gtnfHCxGWO8G7FntbyP-SPAMSmx43YQ2muPeJ9KBy-6Pwexw6absrFcb142yn1FEUmKbhzsv_-HzhOAfw-AlVRqJHoVQ6hhCHuz18OjQcNLxKGy5Gi3s74LJT5VEe1c0vZP9TpAXN3oWX0yd25-4sfiC4TrKRfc9npzko1bLLIVR2y6pKmUrjG5s8Nv5jdxsh7CCkSLutyw6y438mhN_Y0PpyVU_rsGNNaDMbAaIdmNsA59GpbDeMuVtFBUsZhhCkV40UzRE2LnedjF7xuW4eW2uvuBhVHU6XIjESM0swyM-va3HNhs_8uk6Dd52-itljGdW9uV8eYTLkoowBZc0uIR1pbIHafaGnLB3GuWKm3unI_h2lAezTwLYPb6ZCumw1VKYOMJWpfWHSnFdsui1FksUnqjHWi7-0xSbh59GTWhtkjRnFsNf2oKE3391g7DIHPr7sEV9ajgEHKEevCxqjrIvJC3WeEvdjnW9fM0CiPERy4AJAGMtVgml5iKLseRq3d7FBx9KiqHnbBrRnX8SbdwDwwfiMvi7hX3oILJjKsy9nl0WuVhHD9hf-xvz3gRkeR2277kJvyCH_6Kqb5LYSPsgZ7g=w1024-h684-no

I often try things which seem like a good idea at the time but turn out to look like I messed up! I had something in my head about the shapes on the van echoing the shapes of the field walls. I think I need help!

5

Throughout the day scores were posted on a leader board at the end of every round - five teams each with seven dogs running. It soon became a two horse race and interest from the two contending teams was keen.

6

Better have a picture of a sheep dog. This one was guarding the scoreboard...
7

I took lots more photos. Probably far too many when trying to get what I had in my minds eye. The forum's eight picture limit per post can be a bit restrictive, but it helps concentrate my thinking on which ones to post that aren't essentially repetitions of ones I've shown before. There were lots of dogs in action and a fair few of people standing watching. I'm not too sure why I keep on taking them!

After the prize giving it was time to leave. But before I did I grabbed a shot of the pen being dismantled. That's something I hadn't photographed before. Not a great picture but I think it shows what's going on..

8

Even before setting off I was in a bit of a 'why do I do this' phase. Wondering what the bloody point is of taking these pictures to stick on-line where hardly anyone looks at them (even if they were 'liked' by thousands it would still feel futile) and having them clogging up my hard drives. There was another chap there yesterday taking photographs and I had a look at his Flickr stream last night. It made me think that doing this for a hobby is really just p***ing about. I

If I'm only doing this photography thing for my own amusement I'm not sure I want to bother any longer. Perhaps this is because in the past when I've dreamed up writing projects I've carried them through to conclusions which resulted in something tangible -dozens of articles and three books. Perhaps I need to start telling the world I'm working on a book (a real one to make some cash, not a self-indulgent Blurb creation), on the basis that then there would not only be a purpose but no going back!

Hey ho. The sun's supposed to shine this week. I might feel more positive by Wednesday...

Three more pics to follow in another post.

 

Last edited: 24 Mar 2019

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• 24 Mar 2019

• #119

I mentioned the slope gave me ideas for pictures. Some were a bit out of synch with the main flow. Not quite sheepscapes. More standalone pictures which work better in black and white to my eye. Sadly they are technically imperfect, not even up to my low standards. The conversions are a bit crude for one thing, but mainly they're not as sharp as they should be where they're supposed to be. Mostly user incompetence but also a result of being taken using a teleconverter. Not the nasty 'bokeh'.I think the ideas were OK though, and shown small you can get away with a few imperfections!

 

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• 24 Mar 2019

• #120

PS The middle black and white was inspired by Ingmar Bergman.