Sheep etc.

In lamb sale. Pre-sale pregnancy scanning.

_7812559.jpg

Clive Mitchell consulting the catalogue. He later went on to buy the wrong a sheep by mistake...

_7817326.jpg

I think it's great to see all ages involved, especially young judges. I'm pretty sure the ages of the three on the left in this photo don't add up to Clive on the right's! :D

_7812599.jpg

A junior shepherd section was new this year.

_7812606.jpg

Watching daddy in the ring.

_7812641.jpg

Support British farming.

_7812651.jpg
 
Boots said:
Great set! But that first shot is just excellent!
Click to expand...
Thanks. I got a lot of similar ones to the first and still can't decide which is the best. There was a better shot to be had. But I didn't 'see' it until almost too late and failed to catch it.

This was as close as I got to having a sheep in the scanning crate with one or more in the pen having been scanned. The sheep being scanned just looks like a big ball of wool, and the screen is a bit blank. I might get to some on-farm scanning and have another go.

_7812570.jpg
 
I definitely prefer the earlier one. For me, as a sheep numpty, it really doesn't matter to me what's going on, or what's on the screen. It's the juxtaposition of the heads of the man and the sheep.
 
Boots said:
I definitely prefer the earlier one. For me, as a sheep numpty, it really doesn't matter to me what's going on, or what's on the screen. It's the juxtaposition of the heads of the man and the sheep.
Click to expand...
I agree the first one is the better picture.(y)
 
Dave I come across your images now and again.........what's your background................................ wot makes you drawn to a chuck show or sheeps..................to make images?

ta muchly

stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Dave I come across your images now and again.........what's your background................................ wot makes you drawn to a chuck show or sheeps..................to make images?

ta muchly

stu
Click to expand...

I've no background in farming. I've been an angler since 1971 and have been building fishing rods for a living for over 30 years. I first took photos in 1976, then had a break from '83 until 2010 when I got a DSLR and started photographing wildlife. The wildlife photography was too much like fishing (similar approach and silly hours - early and late) and I was looking for something to take me out oif the 24/7 involvement with angling. If I wasn't fishing I was talking fishing with customers or making rods. I know wildlife is your thing but I found it wasn't the sort of challenge I needed - I much prefer photographing people doing stuff.

One day I saw a sign for a poultry show near home back in 2013 and went for a look and was hooked. There were people doing stuff, and interacting with birds. Good photos to be had, a whole subculture to learn about and stories to tell. The story telling has gradually become very important to me. During the following summer went to an ag show to photography the poultry and had a look at the sheep. It snowballed from there!

Initially I was just trying to take interesting photos, then with the sheep got to thinking that it might be worth documenting the whole scene as it seems we're in a time of change and pressure on rural ways of life. Also got fascinated by the history and heritage of Lancashire's last sheep breed, the Lonk. That lead me to get involved with the breed society and its members. Now I'm working on a book about the breed and the breeders. It's been an educating and fun ride!
 
Dave, thanks for such a lovely and indepth reply......yeah sure I'm a wildlife nut.. Maybe I kinda come from a different place to most togs.with me I painted wildlife from a tenny tiny thiing. I'm unsure quiet what the trigger was.but after one of my 12 hour stints with a brush in me grubby mits I wondered if the SLR I used to capture reference for me paintings, could actually...maybe should is better, be my end game. so rather than being stuck in a room with a brush I could spend hours in the field with me beasties and fullfill my ....'erm " creative need" ( I don't know what drives me Davey tis just there) making photographs. Basically I just changed tools from brush to camera to do sommit inate in me something I'd always done.

That aside the reason why I asked what you do is simply I worked as a rare breeds stockman.mainly poultry Dave....my day job was breeding and caring for around 250 breed of chuck maybe 40 breeds of duck .jees and all colours of turkey ha and a shed load of geese. We at home specialized in breeding calls.............call ducks............we would take 'em all over the shop showing. Used old parafin incubators made probably a hundred years back and genetic articals written just after the war to breed new colours.there's a madness to it.

shaz and I also helped an outstoundingly talented lady breeder with her Wildfowl collection. Ha also did a stint with goats and a bit with cows piggy pigs and just a tiny bit with sheep ha I can tell ya some tales

I'm not from farming either buddy........ bless ya for the depth in the above reply mate very kind...I was really curious basically because I used to be so wrapped up in that world that you photograph

huge thanks (y)

stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Dave, thanks for such a lovely and indepth reply......yeah sure I'm a wildlife nut.. Maybe I kinda come from a different place to most togs.with me I painted wildlife from a tenny tiny thiing. I'm unsure quiet what the trigger was.but after one of my 12 hour stints with a brush in me grubby mits I wondered if the SLR I used to capture reference for me paintings, could actually...maybe should is better, be my end game. so rather than being stuck in a room with a brush I could spend hours in the field with me beasties and fullfill my ....'erm " creative need" ( I don't know what drives me Davey tis just there) making photographs. Basically I just changed tools from brush to camera to do sommit inate in me something I'd always done.

That aside the reason why I asked what you do is simply I worked as a rare breeds stockman.mainly poultry Dave....my day job was breeding and caring for around 250 breed of chuck maybe 40 breeds of duck .jees and all colours of turkey ha and a shed load of geese. We at home specialized in breeding calls.............call ducks............we would take 'em all over the shop showing. Used old parafin incubators made probably a hundred years back and genetic articals written just after the war to breed new colours.there's a madness to it.

shaz and I also helped an outstoundingly talented lady breeder with her Wildfowl collection. Ha also did a stint with goats and a bit with cows piggy pigs and just a tiny bit with sheep ha I can tell ya some tales

I'm not from farming either buddy........ bless ya for the depth in the above reply mate very kind...I was really curious basically because I used to be so wrapped up in that world that you photograph

huge thanks (y)

stu
Click to expand...
Thanks Stu. That's really interesting.

Funny you should mention painting wildlife. As a small child I was always drawing and painting. I had loads of Observers and Ladybird books on natural history subjects and drew and painted birds. I ended up doing a Fine Art degree but had got into photography when I was 17. I stopped the painting after graduation (I still get the urge now and then) but carried on using a camera.

Some of my wildlife snaps can bee seen on Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/49045640@N03/albums/page2

With the poultry and sheep photography I've learned a lot about native breeds, and am trying to record the relationships people have with their stock. One poultry breed I want to do a short project on is the Marsh Daisy, as it was developed in Marshside, Southport, just a few miles from where I've lived all my life.

But for now it's Lonk sheep that are my focus.
 
Davey I hit a like , 'cause me waffles are long and I didn't want to derail your thread I've hit delete twice.......................but tis buggiin' me so I'm gonna bang out a reply and try this time to be breif

Mate all our stock comes from common progenitors.......it's highly inbred .within this highly inbred gene pool are these " rare breeds"............it's really important we keep them going as one day one of these rarities might just hold genes we really need, to keep human society going.

I think your self set challenge is important bro.

Hmm art........very breif........we ponder it to much.............We are a collective on a talk forum.tis natural to chat about it and I love that........but I read lengthy debates and kinda wish folks spent more time finding something that moved their own soul, and really got down and dirty chasing that...than debating minutia:(

Know nowt of lonks bud your on you're own there............but do go get 'em :cool:

Knew nowt of Md's either but had to read up..........clear one thing up for me please do they lay white eggs?

If it was possible I would adore sitting down with Mr Wright...why?

Because he's like your Lonk breeder Dave...............there is something within some stockmen that makes them utterly bonkers obsessive.......they probably never get the limelight :.If one googles MD's.the originator is cited as Charlie M....but the genius and the ground work............... the trap nesting the melding of sevreral breeds into a ( is the right word) phenotype....... that more than melds into a locale and more than thrives: it succeeds beyond expection...................... is "Wrights work"

For me to tell a tale of why breeding ,caring for stock, is so important................ .what it meant to me... what it means to those guys that keep lonk or daisy ( that hugely underated big picture) in images would be unfathomably difficult...........I couldn't do what you do mate
simple as

but I adore your persistence and need to tell a tale

OK , I didn't hit the breif mandate
but it's better than the last couple or 3 tries:runaway:

all the luck in the world:)

stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
Davey I hit a like , 'cause me waffles are long and I didn't want to derail your thread I've hit delete twice.......................but tis buggiin' me so I'm gonna bang out a reply and try this time to be breif

Mate all our stock comes from common progenitors.......it's highly inbred .within this highly inbred gene pool are these " rare breeds"............it's really important we keep them going as one day one of these rarities might just hold genes we really need, to keep human society going.

I think your self set challenge is important bro.

Hmm art........very breif........we ponder it to much.............We are a collective on a talk forum.tis natural to chat about it and I love that........but I read lengthy debates and kinda wish folks spent more time finding something that moved their own soul, and really got down and dirty chasing that...than debating minutia:(

Know nowt of lonks bud your on you're own there............but do go get 'em :cool:

Knew nowt of Md's either but had to read up..........clear one thing up for me please do they lay white eggs?

If it was possible I would adore sitting down with Mr Wright...why?

Because he's like your Lonk breeder Dave...............there is something within some stockmen that makes them utterly bonkers obsessive.......they probably never get the limelight :.If one googles MD's.the originator is cited as Charlie M....but the genius and the ground work............... the trap nesting the melding of sevreral breeds into a ( is the right word) phenotype....... that more than melds into a locale and more than thrives: it succeeds beyond expection...................... is "Wrights work"

For me to tell a tale of why breeding ,caring for stock, is so important................ .what it meant to me... what it means to those guys that keep lonk or daisy ( that hugely underated big picture) in images would be unfathomably difficult...........I couldn't do what you do mate
simple as

but I adore your persistence and need to tell a tale

OK , I didn't hit the breif mandate
but it's better than the last couple or 3 tries:runaway:

all the luck in the world:)

stu
Click to expand...
Thanks Stu.

You get what I'm trying to do. If I can I'm going to make audio recordings of chats with Lonk breeders. There's a wealth of history and knowledge that has been passed on from generation to generation that could be lost if not recorded. I had it planned to meet up with one old timer but it kept getting put off until it was too late. Now all his stories can only be told second hand by his grandson and friends. I have come to realise that a lot of Lonk breeders are passionate about the breed, and admit that even though Cheviots make more money they have to keep Lonks as well because 'you have to keep sheep you love'. And this is despite their habiots of escaping and wandering, and bashing your legs! Lonks have recently become a rare breed, but unlike some others aren't being taken to by the rare breed crowd and numbers are at greater risk of dwindling. Any promotion they can get might help them survive..

I don't know much about Marsh Daisies other than they should have green legs so can't help on the egg colour. I need to do more research before starting that, but the Lonks have to come first or neither project will get finished.

Your encouragement is much appreciated.Thanks again.
(y)
 
white earlobe usually denotes white Eggs, Dave.

MD's have leghorn blood are white earlobed as a breed and yet I'm sure I read somewhere brown eggs..i might of misread , I'm replying to you off brutal days on a building site............me ain't the sharp tool in the box

brown eggs from white lobes: tis contra to what I was skooled Dave...or what I know if ya like...... hence the Q.........

green legs.they be from the ( i'm not going to be able to spell this) Scillian butter cup.....I know them mate. I've kept them mad wild flighty Bd's. sounds like your sheeps..... I'd quietly summize from this that lancs folk are slightly bonkers in the animals they want to breed ;)

Being serious I kinda want you to contact the rare breeds society and have this out with 'em re lonk.....
present a case to them for your locale of breeders
.........Dave folks like me that are deadicated to stock are maybe not good at voicing opinons

.mate I just bred stuff, they do too.... the guys you talk to are the same, they are hands down balls to the wall deadicated to ickle aminals they have no time... .they'll be up in the small hours beating up a lamb so it breaths, grafting so hard in a quiet way,

but so so little time to be vocal about saving the breed they so cherish. This isn't about money it's much more as you are realizing


.you are educated and bright

Maybe use your talents in other ways, beyond toggin to help your lonk ? Dave I'm not saying don't talk to that old guy that is no more, just utilize what you chresh, what fascinates you, what you want to write a book about, to speak for them stock folks.

In all likey hood they can't do it for themselves:(
 
Stuart Philpott said:
white earlobe usually denotes white Eggs, Dave.

MD's have leghorn blood are white earlobed as a breed and yet I'm sure I read somewhere brown eggs..i might of misread , I'm replying to you off brutal days on a building site............me ain't the sharp tool in the box

brown eggs from white lobes: tis contra to what I was skooled Dave...or what I know if ya like...... hence the Q.........

green legs.they be from the ( i'm not going to be able to spell this) Scillian butter cup.....I know them mate. I've kept them mad wild flighty Bd's. sounds like your sheeps..... I'd quietly summize from this that lancs folk are slightly bonkers in the animals they want to breed ;)

Being serious I kinda want you to contact the rare breeds society and have this out with 'em re lonk.....
present a case to them for your locale of breeders
.........Dave folks like me that are deadicated to stock are maybe not good at voicing opinons

.mate I just bred stuff, they do too.... the guys you talk to are the same, they are hands down balls to the wall deadicated to ickle aminals they have no time... .they'll be up in the small hours beating up a lamb so it breaths, grafting so hard in a quiet way,

but so so little time to be vocal about saving the breed they so cherish. This isn't about money it's much more as you are realizing


.you are educated and bright

Maybe use your talents in other ways, beyond toggin to help your lonk ? Dave I'm not saying don't talk to that old guy that is no more, just utilize what you chresh, what fascinates you, what you want to write a book about, to speak for them stock folks.

In all likey hood they can't do it for themselves:(
Click to expand...
There's a MD Facebook group and the eggs look white on there. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10222317114704890&set=g.1514192935489563&locale=en_GB

You're probably right about us Lancastrians!

I am in touch with the RBST, and the Lonk Sheep Breeders' Association made me an honorary member a couple of years ago. They're right behind my book project. There are a couple or three guys giving me lots of help.

As you say they don't have the time to put something together themselves. Back in 1996 Eric Halsall (or One Man and His Dog fame) did a book on the Lonk. A lot has changed since then. I've had a lot going on for the last two or three months but can spare the time to get back out with my cameras now.(y)
 
Probably my worst day (couple of hours...) trying to take photos at a sheepdog trial. This was the English Nursery Final with 15 teams of three from around the country competing. The forecast was bad but I went (a bit late) anyway, arriving just as the rain started.

The wind was strong, and worst of all directly in my face when looking towards the action. I couldn't keep the rain off the front element of a lens. the raindrops on the glass meant that either autofocus wouldn't work, or when it did the pictures looked like they'd been taken in mist. It was unpleasant too, so I gave up and came home early. A shame because the course set up meant I was pretty close to where the action was.

_7812664.jpg

_7817474.jpg


_7812679.jpg

Everyone was wrapped up against the weather.

_7817465.jpg

_7817464.jpg

Brews and bacon butties were in demand.

_7817432.jpg
 
Sorry for your frustration. Hope your gear dried out OK.

For me, shots 3 & especially 4 seem to visually describe the day.
 
Boots said:
Sorry for your frustration. Hope your gear dried out OK.

For me, shots 3 & especially 4 seem to visually describe the day.
Click to expand...
Thanks. 4 does sum it up. Those who weren't sat in their motors watching with the heating on were wrapped up and sheltering behind anything they coild.

_7812681.jpg

The gear wasn't out long enough to get really wet!:D
 
On the road for fifteen minutes for the sheepdog trial and panic stations. Had a bad feeling that I'd left my long lens at home. Pulled over to check and I had! turn round and lose half an hour or carry on and make do with crops? I carried on. As it turned out the venue wasn't great for catching action round the pen no matter what lens was available. After the previous Sunday's rain (I heard 30 cars had to be towed off the field at the end, so my early dart was wise) it was nice to be out on a cool but mostly sunny and still day.

I spent most of my time looking for pics away from the dog action.

_7817487.jpg

_7817534.jpg

There was a busy public footpath along one side of the course which gave a lot of people their first chance to see a trial in real life.

_7817606.jpg

_7817729.jpg

_7817674.jpg

After the prize giving.

_7817753.jpg
 
I put a post on FB on Tuesday evening saying I had a free day on Wednesday to photograph Lonks and almost immediately got an invitation as there was a gather taking place for pre-lambing vaccinations.

The sun shone for a change! It wasn't an easy situation given my recent limited mobility (sore foot...) and the gather being done by quad bikes making it difficult to get into good positions quickly. However, it being a flock of about 600 sheep in a change of scenery has added variety to my Lonk files.

This one's been cropped for to use as my social media banner pic.

_7817826.jpg

_7812715.jpg

_7812734.jpg



_7817858.jpg

Lonks love climbing!

_7812739.jpg

Teamwork.

_7817878.jpg

The handling system made it easy to get through vaccinating the sheep in short order. So quickly were the sheep going through my attempts at getting a good vaccination pic failed miserably.

_7817940.jpg

As well as the traditional Border Collie sheepdogs there were two Huntaways used. Dogs from New Zealand that drive sheep by running behind them barking. They stand up to stroppy sheep and bark at them to get them to move too.

_7817973.jpg
 
Boots said:
Some cracking shots there. The climbing sheep and the sheep / dog / man ones stand out.
Click to expand...
Thanks Paul. Was a bit disappointed with what I came away with. I think I had shots in mind that didn't materialise, which isn't usually how I approach things. I should be more positive and look at the good stuff I did get as usual.
 
A short visit to Gisburn this morning. Nothing substantial in terms of photos but a good networking opportunity with the prospect of more on-farm visits for my Lonk project.

_7818046.jpg

Auction marts provide Saturday jobs for farming kids.

_7818051.jpg

_7818145.jpg

_7818073.jpg

_7818084.jpg



Spring is time for 'sheep with lambs at foot' sales.

_7818098.jpg

_7818124.jpg
 
I had a few days away the other week. Somehow or other I ended up in accommodation with a sheepy view. How did that happen? :ROFLMAO:

_7812787.jpg

I'm back on track now.

This is the end of the road for a breeding ewe. A 'cast sheep' sale.

_7818188.jpg

Lambs at foot sales are ongoing for the season. I was struggling again today. I think I'm out of practice so it was good to have a go at a gloomy mart.

_7813098.jpg

_7813071.jpg

It was worth a try...

_7818211.jpg

On my way home I stopped off to check on Steve's Lonks. I walked into the field armed with a 100-400mm lens expecting the sheep and lambs to keep their distance. However, they must have thought I was bringing them lunch as I was soon being mobbed by bleating sheep! I had difficulty backing off far enough to get them in focus!

_7818244.jpg

_7818239.jpg

Sheep aren't daft. There was a chilly wind blowing and they were all on the lee side of the hill. Some lambs tucked up in the rushes too.

_7818263.jpg

As it turned out Steve was on his feeding round and invited me back to the lambing shed. I didn't stop too long but hope to get back on Monday.

He's pretty pleased with some of this year's purebred Lonk lambs, and hopes a few will make show sheep.

_7818315.jpg
 
Last edited:
I spent a couple of hours with Steve's lad in the lambing shed on Monday. Not really doing much photographing.

When I got there Chris was dealing with the night's crop of lambs - ear tagging, marking, tail ringing and castrating.

_7813173-2.jpg

_7813180.jpg

Week 13 of lambing and there were a few cases of watery mouth so all lambs were being given a dose of antibiotics.

_7813136.jpg

I wonder how many lambing seasons this box has seen?

_7813215.jpg

_7813187.jpg

This ewe was showing signs of lambing while I was there and trying to steal another ewe's lamb!

_7813221.jpg

Once she'd lambed the other mums-to-be came for a look.

_7813224.jpg

_7813210.jpg
 
Another flying visit to Gisburn to get some practice in, and to try to bond with my 70-200 at f2.8. The bonding failed. I still don't understand why a lot of people are obsessed with shallow depth of field. It loses context for me and puts too much out of focus. Wide apertures were a must for me in 1979 so I could get a 'safe' shutter speed but these days with ISO 10,000 and higher better than HP5 ever was f4 is wide enough for me!

Otherwise the bonding went OK. I used the 70-200 most of the time.

_7813325.jpg

_7813341.jpg

_7813334.jpg

_7813397.jpg

_7813368.jpg

I did have my wide zoom with me but it didn't get much use. I do prefer the sort of pictures I make with wider lenses though. There's more going on in them.

_7818348.jpg

_7818358.jpg
 
A bit of a road trip up and down the A59 today.

First stop Gisburn.

_7813482.jpg

_7813550.jpg

_7813569.jpg

I'd parked outside the mart, which has a roadside open shed, and when I was leaving thought some long lens compression might work for a bit of a different take.

_7818382.jpg

Next stop Elslack for a sheep dog trial. I really have done these to the point where I've lost the ability to see anything new. Time to sell the telephoto zoom?

_7818470.jpg

_7818401.jpg

On the return journey I detoured to have a look at Steve's Lonks.

_7818632.jpg

_7818624.jpg

Maybe the long lens still has its uses...

Chris was out dealing with the rushes.

_7818611.jpg

It was good to be out again and have some variety in my subject matter, Even if there wasn't anything decent achieved it was good practice.
 
Last edited:
First show of the year for me this year. Great Harwood as usual.

As soon as I arrived I saw three sheep on the loose!

_7818705.jpg

_7818706.jpg

I'd been offered free entry bat one of the sales and after I accepted came the kicker... Would I photograph all the champion sheep for Facebook! At least I had someone to help me find most of the winners, but the final ones must have gone for lunch and I had to hang around in the rain for them to return. I find it very stressful as I don't have much patience, and there are always has people wandering about in the background. The people move. So does the sheep. The sheep poses nicely, the people crowd behind. :rolleyes: :ROFLMAO:

ghs.jpg

I've not processed the bulk of my pictures yet. If there are any that stand out they'll appear later.

_7819010.jpg
 
Last edited:
I made an effort to venture beyond the Lonks.

Border Leicesters - AKA Bunny Sheep!

_7818760.jpg

Zwartbles

_7818770.jpg

Kerry Hill

_7818786.jpg

Derbyshire Gritstones striding out.

_7818749.jpg

Herdwick lamb

_7818942.jpg

The Junior Shepherd competition comes to a conclusion. All the judges think of this as drawing the short straw!

_7818931.jpg

_7818934.jpg

The winner gets a rosette, prize money, and a bag of sweets!

_7818940.jpg
 
A very frustrating day of dodging the heavy showers at the Deerplay double gather final today.

_7813981.jpg

The rain eventually beat me. It seemed like every time the action came in range the rain would descend driven on the strong wind. The times it didn't the handler would retire before there was any action!

_7819307.jpg

However, I did find a way to revitalise my interest in photographing sheep dog trials. Concentrate on the handlers, rather than the overall action or the dogs.

_7819281.jpg

_7819334.jpg

_7819315.jpg

I still can't resist dogs in the back of vehicles. Especially if there's a stick in shot!

_7819331.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top