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.
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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.
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I also tried to get a shot or two to show the setting in a broader context when the sun did break through.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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Better have a picture of a sheep dog. This one was guarding the scoreboard...
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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..
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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.