Sheep etc.

[Ed Sutton]

I'll be upfront about this, I don't know where this project is going to go, if anywhere! Back in the summer of 2016 I started going to agricultural shows in search of poultry photos. But there's only so much to photograph in a tent full of chickens, especially when it's closed to the public for judging. That meant I had plenty of time to wander round the show grounds. I could have taken loads of candids of 'characters' but that seemed a bit lame and I found myself spending most of my time by the sheep pens. Last summer the avian flu outbreak from the preceding winter and spring had a knock on effect and quite a lot of the poultry shows were cancelled, as were many poultry classes at the agricultural shows. That spurred me to go to some shows specifically to look at the sheep. One thing lead to another and I began to see sheep all over the place! The result is that I now have plenty of photographs of sheep: being judged at shows, grazing, wondering why some old bloke is pointing a camera at them, in the landscape, dead sheep, sheep bones, and so on.

The problem is finding a way to make some sense of it all. A project about sheep is just too broad. It needs a focus. Sheepdog trials is a possibility, although I'm not sure if there is enough subject matter in that alone after going to a couple.

Showing sheep is an obvious option. Possibly concentrating on one breed. Then there are auction marts where there are often shows preceding the auction. In fact I'm thinking of marts as a subject/project in their own right as some of the old ones have disappeared or been relocated to what are out of town rural industry parks and at least one of these is due to relocate again. It would be interesting to compare the surviving old style, 'town centre' marts with the modern ones, not just regarding the sheep sales. I guess most people wouldn't think there are auctions of sheepdogs, or imagine the prices they can sell for. The more I've read about the sheep industry the more different angles I can see which it could be approached by.

That's the end of my rambling introduction to this half-baked project. I'll probably carry on taking all sorts of pictures until something clicks, or I end up with thousands of random sheep related photographs!All thoughts gladly taken on board.

I might post some more photos later.

 

[keef32]

Gonna follow this thread.

Not sure why but I have a bit of a photographic obsession with sheep. Living very close to the peak district, whenever I am out and about there is generally always a sheep or 2 and find myself photographing them .

 

[Ed Sutton]

Not sure why but I have a bit of a photographic obsession with sheep. Living very close to the peak district, whenever I am out and about there is generally always a sheep or 2 and find myself photographing them .

I've photographed sheep long before I thought of doing a project relating to them!.

This is a small set from a show back in September last year.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Looking back through my files I've found a few sheep of yore. Well, of six years ago at least. It being almost spring this one is appropriate.

I had planned on visiting a couple of sheepdog trials over the last few weeks but the weather was always awful. If it wasn't raining it was snowing! So here are a couple more from the show and auction a few weeks back.

I've seen Rough Fell sheep described as docile and easy to manage The woman second left got knocked down by her sheep a few minutes later.

Native Rough Fell sheep and a 'Eurosheep' (Texel) in the ring.

 

[Cloudforest]

This project has great potential. I love to see people and their lives documented in this way, particularly in depth and of subjects that I know little about. Beats looking at sunsets all the time for me.

 

[Ed Sutton]

This project has great potential. I love to see people and their lives documented in this way, particularly in depth and of subjects that I know little about. Beats looking at sunsets all the time for me.

Cheers Pete. I think I enjoy looking into these other worlds as much as taking the photographs. And it's a nice feeling when I get accepted as almost a part of it as I have among the poultry fanciers. The sheepdog auction I went to yesterday (photos to follow) was a real eye opener.

Here's a sheepy sunset, just for you.

 

[Ed Sutton]

The visit to the sheepdog auction was exploratory really, which is my excuse for not coming away with the pictures I should have got. I arrived later than I knew I ought to and struggled to find anywhere to park. The place was rammed out with vehicles from as far afield as Belgium and Finland (if I read the number plates correctly), and there were accents from all over the British Isles to be heard. It was an eye-opener.

Most of the pictures I made didn't tell the story as I'd have liked. Partly because I was ill prepared, some because I messed up. But also because (as is often the case for me) I didn't realise what pictures I needed until I got home and looked at what I did have and saw where they were lacking.

There are two auctions run consecutively. One for trained, or partially trained, dogs which are run on the field laid out specifically for the job, with packets of four sheep for each dog. The dogs are put through their paces while the bidding takes place.

The other auction is conducted in a small ring with a pen of sheep in the centre for young dogs to circle in order to demonstrate their natural instinct to herd - or not in some cases.

Although it's a serious business the auctioneers have a good line in patter and banter with the crowds and vendors. Not something that you can capture in photographs.

As you'd expect, there are plenty of dogs around, and dogs are great subjects. You could probably fill a memory card with dog photos alone! Pups are irresistible. So I gave in.

.

Now I know what to expect, and to look for, I hope to get back to a future sale. I couldn't leave without taking a collie in a Land Rover photo.

 

[Suomi]

Looking forward to seeing more on this one. Such a board range of types and characters in sheep farming you certainly have a wide and varied subject (in the animals and the humans). Can still remember the biting cold being dragged to the old Troutbeck sheep auction which was made from tin sheeting.

 

[Mr-Incy]

Sheep meat is one of my favourite foods .... and I also find them as animals slightly appealing.
I have watched sheepdog trials and although I can't say I am all that enthralled by them, when they are on the telebox I do tend to watch it.
I guess growing up in the sticks and being constantly surrounded by farm land, and the animals on it, I will always have a liking.
Some nice shots here, I will come back to look when you update.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I've not made much progress with this of late. There was another sheepdog trial but the weather was horrible and photography a waste of time with hardly any light and everyone sitting in their vehicles to keep out of the biting wind! Shortly after that the Beast from the East arrived, bringing with it a nasty bug which took me about six weeks to shake off entirely. I didn't miss much as one trial was cancelled and another held up by fog. Agricultural show season starts later this month round here, so I might start getting somewhere.

I did get to an auction of rare breed sheep last weekend but there wasn't much going on, or I couldn't get in the groove with being out of practice.

Picking out details like the lot numbers was about much inspiration as I got.

A sort of project in a project I've developed is trying to make a series of pictures of hogg holes in dry stone walls. Finding them is very much pot luck when I'm out and a bout though! At the moment I'm giving them a black and white conversion - which goes against my self imposed rule of always using colour. My justification is that it should unify them as a series. If they get that far.

Agricultural show season starts later this month up here, so I might begin to make more progress then.

 

[sphexx]

A sort of project in a project I've developed is trying to make a series of pictures of hogg holes in dry stone walls. Finding them is very much pot luck when I'm out and a bout though! At the moment I'm giving them a black and white conversion - which goes against my self imposed rule of always using colour. My justification is that it should unify them as a series. If they get that far..

There are also the similar smaller holes built for hares. It is said they sometimes have drop traps for rabbits (like those around woodland) but I haven’t seen them.

 

[Ed Sutton]

There are also the similar smaller holes built for hares. It is said they sometimes have drop traps for rabbits (like those around woodland) but I haven’t seen them.

I'll keep my eyes open for the hare holes. I didn't know about them.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Slow progress on this at the present, but show season is upon us so things might pick up a bit. I have photographed another hogg hole - from both sides. Not the best of days though, with bright midday sun. I prefer it overcast and gloomy!

And there was a sheep in the lay-by.

.

 

[Fuji Dave]

You got a good set of shots Ed, cool subjects too.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Thanks Dave. I keep plodding along.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I visited my first show of the season yesterday (see also the Chicken Shack thread) and having an exhibitor's pass I was there early before the public were let in. This gave me the chance to miss some new opportunities! I wanted to get some pictures of sheep being unloaded, which I did but nothing special. The one unusual angle I went for almost worked.

The people who show Jacobs really go to town on preparing their stock. Last minute titivation is very much the thing. Horns are oiled, legs sprayed white and something called 'fleece fix' is used. I thought poultry folk went to great lengths!

I'm always on the look out for pictures with a humorous potential. Lonks are big, strong sheep, which have minds of their own. So there's always a chance for a display of sheep wrestling when they are being judged.

As with any type of event finding new angles on subjects, especially when you are limited as to where you can stand, isn't easy. It doesn't always work to add anything to the storytelling, but it keeps my brain ticking over. With it being so hot yesterday that was really difficult after I began to wilt.

The sheep looked like they were wilting too.Which provided the mildly surreal to look out for.

Not as productive a day as I had hoped, but I didn't spend as much time round the sheep pens as I would have liked as I felt obliged to concentrate on the poultry seeing as that was how I wangled my ticket. The next show with sheep is in a fortnight. I'm not sure if I am brave enough to venture across the border to Yorkshire though!

 

[Ed Sutton]

I had an unexpectedly sheep-filled day yesterday. As well as the poultry show mentioned in my Chicken Shack thread and the sheepdog trial I knew about there were two tents of sheep at the Country Fest and a shearing demonstration. As I didn't know about these things I hadn't gone equipped to photograph them. The tents were quite dark with it being an overcast day. This meant I didn't get any decent pictures of the smallest, cutest lambs I've ever seen. Ouissant lambs. However, I got some ideas for the future. One being sheep portraits, but cropped in close. With more light I could get more in focus more easily.

The shearing was a challenge as it took me by surprise and the sheep was half way clipped when I came upon it. I could have hung around for the next sheep, but I was there for the sheepdog trial really. With hindsight I Know what I should have been looking for in the clipping pictures.

After that it was off to the trial field and a big step outside my comfort zone. Photographing fast moving animals! It took me a while to find a position without too much clutter in the background (apart from passing cars) and to work out when the best opportunities for picture arise during each run. Once I had that worked out I had plenty of time to delete all the rubbish shots without missing anything interesting. Because of the eight picture limit per post I'll put a few together in a following post. As ever comments and thoughts gratefully appreciated.

 

[Ed Sutton]

 

[Peter123]

This is a few years ago but might be of interest.

https://www.rheged.com/event/archive-herdwick-portrait-lakeland/

 

[sirch]

It sounds a bit trivialising to say "I like it" but I do and it looks like a really project in the making. This projects section seems to have been a bit quite of late and its good to see something like this.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Thanks Peter. I was aware of the book, but not the show. I can't say I like the (to my mind) OTT processing in some of the pictures - which are otherwise fine.

I spotted a photo in the show video of Arnold Lancaster with a Herdwick. I photographed Armold with his prize winning Swaledale ewe last September.

It's the only time I've ever been asked if I thought a sheep was beautiful! My processing on this isn't up to much...

 

[Ed Sutton]

Thanks Chris. I sometimes wonder if it's just a load of random sheep related photos, but a project often comes together in the edit. I can already see the potential for two or three sub-edits within the collection of photos I've amassed so far.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Another trial yesterday and another set of challenges. This time it was bright sunshine after the cloud cover broke, and grass stalks that were fooling the camera's autofocus or obscuring the dogs. Oh, and a field that had a hump in it! If that wasn't neough it got bloody hot and by three I had a banging headache despite drinking plenty of water and wearing a hat. So I quit early.

It's a funny thing but one of the hardest things I find with photography is knowing what the subject is. At a sheep dog trial it's easy to get carried away taking photographs of the dogs in action. They do make great shapes as they run around and they are full of character. But...

I suppose the subject is the event itself. The dogs, people, sheep - and the place. When I remember I try to take photos which can be put together to tell the story of the event - either on a page or as a slideshow/gallery. The old advice of a scene setter followed by others which build the tale. It helps to keep my mind working and to stop me taking hundreds of pictures of dogs running around! Handmade signs always have a charm.

One aspect of trialing that interests me is the relationship between people and animals. So I keep trying to capture that.

And there's the obsession the dogs have with sheep. They just can't take their eyes off them.

I find the 'dance' that goes on when it comes to penning the sheep provides the chances for good pictures. But getting in a good position to show what's happening is difficult. One shot I would like is the 'ultimate' dog-between-the-legs picture. I have it in my mind. It should tell the story well.

Another 'must have' picture is of the stubborn sheep stand off. Plenty of that going on yesterday, but again being in the right place to capture it is the key. That grass again...

This venue was more scenic than last week's. Miles from anywhere down a road to nowhere. When the sheep have all been run they get rounded up for another go.

On my way home over the fells I twice saw resourceful sheep using the remains of the highway department's winter salt piles as mineral licks. There being no other traffic on the single track road, unusual for a sunny Saturday, I photographed one for the record.

 

[Suomi]

Nice to see how this is coming along.

 

[Ed Sutton]

This is proving a difficult project to get to grips with. The show side of things especially. Unless you are there before the public, as I was the other week, there's not really all that much happens! And being stuck outside the pens not only puts distance between you and the judging, the pens get in the way too. This all makes life difficult when it comes to taking photographs. At least it does for me. There's always the option of sniping portraits with a long lens of weather-beaten farmers, but that's something I try to avoid. Unless they are doing something more interesting than looking like 'characters'. I feel portraits should be consensual. Maybe that's just me. I do give in a time or two, but always feel kind of guilty.

One thing I am struggling with is making pictures which are a bit different to the norm, without going to extremes. I'm sure that some of this is down to restricted viewpoints, but a lot of it is due to how I'm looking at things. Out of over 300 frames most were the kind of snapshot anyone could have taken.

Apart from one or two close ups of sheep, and one of a sheep's teeth being checked over (which no project about sheep should be without), the pictures I was most pleased with were of people interacting with their sheep. Still, there are plenty more shows to go to this year for me to keep trying.

Finally got an almost symmetrical shot of two sheep being held with the hand under the chin method.

The old hands tend to remain looking dour no matter how many ribbons and trophies they get. Not to mention a pocket full of small brown envelopes...

...but some people don't mind looking happy. Even if their sheep aren't so chuffed!

I got the impression there are people who are rather fond of their sheep. The feeling seemed mutual.

 

[sirch]

I understand the difficulty but you have done a very good job IMHO, they really capture the sense and atmosphere of these kind of shows.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Thanks Chris. I guess it's down to working with what you have to go at and making the best of it. In future I'm going to try to look for different aspects than those I've concentrated on so far. That's the plan!

 

[Suomi]

Looks like it is coming along nicely. Wonder what the 'sheep eye' would look in B&W.

 

[sphexx]

The “sheep eye” looks rather landscapey to me, I’m sure you’ve seen these:
http://www.katekirkwood.com/b-cowspines/04kirkwood/

 

[Ed Sutton]

The “sheep eye” looks rather landscapey to me, I’m sure you’ve seen these:
http://www.katekirkwood.com/b-cowspines/04kirkwood/

I have indeed seen those before. I like a lot of her work. Living where she does is a big help. Although being an arty-farty type I prefer Keith Arnatt's 'I wonder whether cows wonder'. http://www.source.ie/artists/artistsA/artarnkei.html#cowswonder

Black and white? I've developed a theory that if you convert any picture to black and white, put a thin black border round it, then a broader white border like a mount, it automatically becomes art.

Like this.

 

[sphexx]

I have indeed seen those before. I like a lot of her work. Living where she does is a big help. Although being an arty-farty type I prefer Keith Arnatt's 'I wonder whether cows wonder'. http://www.source.ie/artists/artistsA/artarnkei.html#cowswonder

And you can’t get more arty-farty than John Berger who K Arnatt says inspired those photos . Berger makes provoking reading but when in that essay “why we look at animals” he writes “ Today we live without them.” He speaks for himself, certainly not me and likely not you
BTW, I would have thought Kate Kirkwood’s photos might be classed as arty-farty.

Edit. I’m a monochrome person usually but I prefer the colour version of the sheep eye.

 

[Ed Sutton]

And you can’t get more arty-farty than John Berger who K Arnatt says inspired those photos . Berger makes provoking reading but when in that essay “why we look at animals” he writes “ Today we live without them.” He speaks for himself, certainly not me and likely not you
BTW, I would have thought Kate Kirkwood’s photos might be classed as arty-farty.

Edit. I’m a monochrome person usually but I prefer the colour version of the sheep eye.

I try not to do black and white conversions as a rule. On some strange principle of my own making. And because I usually prefer the colour original.

I find Kirkwoods picture borderline cheesy at times. She has the knack of finding subjects and light which makes people press the 'like' button.

Strangely I think Berger is sort of right about people living without animals.In a way. Something I have been thinking about lately is that an increasingly urbanised society doesn't come into contact with animals that aren't either pets or wildlife viewed through the glass of binoculars or back windows. Working animals and livestock aren't a part of most people's lives today. Look at photos of towns and cities before and even after the advent of the motor car and there are horses aplenty. I can remember the rag and bone man's horse and cart in the early 1960s. The presence of working animals in people's lives must have given a different attitude towards them. It's a subject I could ramble on about for ages! I suspect it's also part of the reason for my poultry project and this one.

I'll have to have another read of Berger's book, it's a while since I read it.

 

[sphexx]

I try not to do black and white conversions as a rule. On some strange principle of my own making. And because I usually prefer the colour original.

I find Kirkwoods picture borderline cheesy at times. She has the knack of finding subjects and light which makes people press the 'like' button.

Strangely I think Berger is sort of right about people living without animals.In a way. Something I have been thinking about lately is that an increasingly urbanised society doesn't come into contact with animals that aren't either pets or wildlife viewed through the glass of binoculars or back windows. Working animals and livestock aren't a part of most people's lives today. Look at photos of towns and cities before and even after the advent of the motor car and there are horses aplenty. I can remember the rag and bone man's horse and cart in the early 1960s. The presence of working animals in people's lives must have given a different attitude towards them. It's a subject I could ramble on about for ages! I suspect it's also part of the reason for my poultry project and this one.

I'll have to have another read of Berger's book, it's a while since I read it.

Ah, the totter’s horse! I grew up with horse drawn bakers and milk delivery and we used to collect the dung to sell to gardeners . As I’ve probably mentioned before, I keep poultry and until constrained by the law go hare hunting and mink hunting etc etc with dogs , so as I say, Berger does not describe my life.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Although I don't keep any animals myself I've been an angler for almost fifty years now and have friends and customers who work terriers and shoot. One of my favourite photobooks is Hunting with Hounds by Homer Sykes. Hard to say if he was pro or anti hunting with dogs from the pictures, which I think makes it good. Worth a look if you haven't seen it. Black and white too.

 

[sphexx]

I seem to remember that angling is the most popular participatory sport, which also tends to contradict Berger’s argument. Didn’t an angler win BBC Sportsman of the Year some time ago and caused the BBC to fix the “competition” so it couldn’t happen again?

 

[Ed Sutton]

I seem to remember that angling is the most popular participatory sport, which also tends to contradict Berger’s argument. Didn’t an angler win BBC Sportsman of the Year some time ago and caused the BBC to fix the “competition” so it couldn’t happen again?

Angling used to be regarded as the most popular participatory sport, although it's debatable these days. Angling authorities don't seem to promote it as a stat any longer.

Bob Nudd was denied the BBC award due to an angling press campaign being judged to have broken the rules.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I walked back home from the Post Office via the canal today. There is a flock of sheep kept on the land on the other side of the canal which must have been clipped recently because there were some sacks of fleeces near the gate by the swing bridge. I had a camera with me and took some snaps and returned later with a different camera/lens combo on my way to pick some stuff up. I don't know where these photos fit, but they're sheep related. I'm sure that with more imagination and technical expertise than I possess abstract close ups of wool could make for a good series of pictures.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Ever since September I've been wondering when Arnold Lancaster was going to be on TV when I saw he was being filmed for C4. It was this week - http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-yorkshire-dales-and-the-lakes. I don't watch telly as a rule, and TBH the commentary is the kind that drives me nuts. But now I can say I've photographed a TV celebrity. Arnold's beautiful sheep, that is! I hope these pics display OK because I'm linking most of them from a new website I'm building for my photos.

Because there was a royal visitor the press were there en masse. Which was fun to watch.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Another day, another sheep dog trial. Until I started researching them I didn't realise what a hotbed of trials Lancashire is. Nor how many renowned handlers come from the county. But there is more sheep country than might be imagined once you leave the Liverpool/Manchester corridor and the flatlands where I live. If it hadn't been so hazy I might have been able to pick out my village's church steeple from where I was today. I did just about make out Southport pier by zooming right in on a frame.

Whether I'm just odd (which I am) or because I get bored of doing the same thing all the time, I found myself losing interest in taking pictures of the dogs and handlers in action. That's not to sat there is anything wrong with my more successful efforts. Some are okay. They just look like the sort of pictures I've seen before. The upside to this is that when boredom does start to set in I begin looking for other sorts of pictures. Maybe I have to go through the 'stock' photo phase to release my creative side? That's not to say I did much of that today, but the picture above isn't a trial photo. Nor is the one below, but they're among my favourites from today's meagre selection.

On the trialling side I prefer the first one below to the second. Not too sure why. I think it's the pose of man and dog. It does make a counterpoint to the second frame though.

Maybe they serve two different purposes?

One thing that frustrates me at trials is not always being able to get in a position to see the handlers faces. Pictures of people's faces are usually far more interesting. There are some opportunities. And the classic bit of rope serving as a dog lead helps make a picture.

But I'm sure anyone in the know would recognise this chap from behind. Another shot I like because it is a bit different but has the necessary elements in it - dog, sheep, handler, stick, post. Even though it isn't a 'wow' picture.

When I had got really jaded I tried something that I don't think quite worked despite trying a lot of shots and angles. Still, it got me thinking for next time.

As ever, comments etc. appreciated.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Another weekend another sheep dog trial. It's proving a tricky subject for me. Photographing dogs running around requires technical knowledge well outside my comfort zone of snap shooting. Which might explain why I don't do too much of it. I got a few pictures but I'm not sure they add much to the mix. As always seems to be the case I'm torn between trying to take the sort of pictures I'm used to seeing of trials and looking for a different way to show things. Or different things to show? Whatever the case this was probably my least productive day so far. Too many snaps and not enough pictures. I even managed to get the first one fuzzy.