A PICTURE is worth a thousand words By: Kori Conley While many people have become accomplished photographers through many years of practice, not everyone has had such good luck. This section was developed by the staff at the American-International Charolais Association and the Charolais Journal for the benefit of breeders and readers alike. Photo by Floyd Wampler continued on 46
With each day that passes, technology continues to advance, getting better and better all the time. The only problem with this rapid advancement is that it is often leaving the average person a little behind the times. This story has been developed for the benefit of all breeders to take better quality photographs and use them to most effectively market your animals. The Camera Shooting with film or a 35mm camera has nearly become obsolete in recent years. Technology has gone so far that digital cameras can now more easily match the quality of prints produced from film. Digital photography provides a quicker turnover of images. This way, you don t have to wait on the film to be developed, said David Hobbs, Charolais Journal Manager. Images can quickly be sent over the internet and easily stored on compact discs. The pictures taken with a digital camera can be sent off to livestock publications, prospective customers or other interested individuals in nearly a matter of minutes. Digital pictures are quick and easy to load onto your personal computer, edit, publish and send. The speed at which you can tell whether or not you have the picture you are looking for is a major advantage, said Kristian Rennert, AICA North Central Representative. The initial cost is fairly substantial, but in the long run it will save you a lot of time and money by not having to develop film. When looking to purchase a digital camera, you must first consider what type of subjects you will be photographing. Lower grade cameras will often work fine for pictures around the house, but when taking cattle pictures from farther distances, a higher quality camera is necessary. When choosing a camera to take cattle pictures, it is important to select a camera that is able to take photos at a high resolution. The resolution of a picture is the number of pixels that are used to create the image. In digital photography, a pixel describes the basic unit of composition of an image, meaning the greater number of pixels, the larger photo you will be able to produce (both file size and physical size) while still maintaining sharpness and focus. Newer cameras are developed to allow for better composition, said Hobbs. You are more able to control the depth of field. There are also more cropping advantages vs. film cameras because there is generally more focal field with an image to work with. Knowing your camera and pictures Before you begin taking pictures, make sure that your camera is set at the highest resolution possible. Normally, the automatic factory settings for the camera will be lower than what you need them to be. Refer to your user s guide or consult a local photo technician to assist you in changing your camera settings. Technology is taking steps in the right direction to make our jobs as photographers easier. However, the user is often mislead by the capabilities of the camera. Regardless of the camera or photo program that you are using, the animal s condition is still important as digital capabilities cannot compensate for this, explained Hobbs. The following page has been composed to more graphically explain the difference in lower to higher resolution photos. This information is very important to consider when submitting pictures to the Charolais Journal. Notice how the quality of the photo increases with the higher setting on the camera. This not only allows the photo to run larger, but it also runs at a better quality. When shooting with a 1 Mp camera at the highest setting, the photo to the right displays the largest size that the photo will be able to run. The explanation is the same up through a 5 Mp camera. For example, if you need a 3 Mp photo to run larger than shown here, have the photo printed professionally and send the hard copy to the Charolais Journal. A high quality, high resolution print can be scanned to the size necessary. The photo below is an example of what happens to increasing the size of a photo while keeping the resolution the same. Its is obvious that this photo lost all clarity and is now extremely grainy. The photo appears to be blown out. It is important to recognize that digital photos sent to the Charolais Journal and sent to a photo printer have different size requirements. Pictures sent to the CJ can easily be downsized, but can not be made any larger than the original size without losing resolution and clarity. The Charolais Journal requires pictures to run at 300 dpi. It is acceptable to send in low resolution photos, however, the original must be large. For instance, if we receive a 42 x 38 inch photo at 72 dpi, we can bump the resolution up to 300 dpi, but the size the photo will be able to run in the Journal now changes to approximately 11.5 inches x 7.5 inches. This The above photo is an example of what happens when you attempt to increase the size of a photo when the resolution does not allow for it. Before shooting your pictures, set your camera to the highest possible setting to ensure that your photos will be suitable for advertising.
1 Mp continued on 48 2 Mp 3 Mp 4 Mp 5 Mp
leave for the show is another excellent photo opportunity. Here the animals are in their best body condition and nicely clipped. As we all know, show time can be hectic, but it is a premiere opportunity to catch your animals looking their best. Consider taking pictures before leaving for the show if the weather is favorable. RC Budsmydad 225 Polled Floyd Wampler The above photo does an excellent job of representing our breed from a herd sire standpoint. The photo was taken in the spring, mid-day with the sun very high in the sky. The bulls head is up and his body is pulled together nicely. Since he was shot on the top of the hill, there is nothing behind him distracting the viewers attention. The rich sky color adds personality to the picture. The grass is well kept which reflects on the subject. There are a few too many shadows and dirty spots on the animal, but is still acceptable because the rest of the photo is so clean. If you were to really pick the picture apart, the back leg closet to the camera may be a little far back. All in all, an extremely nice photo. photo is plenty large to run wherever it is needed. The photo program that you are using is not a determinant of the what resolution that your photo can run. The only determinant is the resolution that your camera is set at when you took the picture. The same rule applies, you cannot increase the resolution of the picture without downsizing the photo at the same time (most photo programs can be set up to do this automatically). A common misunderstanding is the setting of your camera. When buying a memory card, be sure to select one large enough to store a number of high quality photos. Even though the lower that you set the resolution on your camera, the more photos you are able to store to the memory card, they are going to be very low quality photos. Understand that high resolution photos will take up more file space than those at a lower resolution. If you are unsure of the resolution or size of your digital photo, send you picture to the Charolais Journal completely un-edited and uncropped so that it can be sized correctly. Tightly cropped photos make placement extremely difficult and limited. Time Frame Look for photo opportunities throughout the year. This will eliminate rushed photo shoots and poor quality pictures. For example, a few days after clipping or torching a select group of your animals is a great time to take pictures. The animals look fresh and prepared for viewing. If you are showing the animals that you plan to take pictures of, right before you How to Prepare Starting several days in advance, it is a good idea to walk through the cattle as often as possible. Perhaps feed the cattle (range cubes or handfeeding better quality hay) beginning 3 or 4 days prior. This will give you the opportunity to know their habits. Also, know where the herd is located during different times of day. This way you will disturb the animals as little as possible when you begin shooting pictures. Walk through the cattle when they re grouped up. This may make singling an animal out easier for you, suggests Hobbs. If you move cattle to a fresh pasture, do so a day or two prior so that they are not continually wandering around. Back off of the feed the day before the photos. This will keep the animals from having loose manure. In order to have the animals looking full in the picture, feed quality prairie or grass hay the night before the pictures. Before you begin taking pictures, select a spot where the photos are to be taken. If you are unsure of your cameras capabilities, consult your user guide for additional assistance. RLL Goin Places 1329PET Photo by Brett Sayre This photo was taken in late July, mid-day with a digital camera utilizing the flash. By using the flash, you are able to see the underline and udder of the female. Without the flash, the female would have been lost in the background. The photo shows some shadow in the brisket area which may have been compensated for by squaring the angle of the camera up slightly. continued on 66
continued from page 48 AICA/Charolais Journal Field Staff Picture Profile Camera: Nikon F100, 35 millimeter Make sure that the cattle are picturable and the environment is friendly. Most of all, you ve got to be patient. West and Commercial Marketing Representative Dennis Metzger cell - (816) 519-8208 dmetzger@charolaisusa.com Southwest Representative Brett Sayre cell - (573) 881-1876 bsayre@charolaisusa.com North Central Representative Kristian Rennert cell - (308) 440-9463 charolaisrep@aol.com Southeast Representative Floyd Wampler cell - (423) 612-2144 fwampler@charolaisusa.com Camera: Nikon D70, 8 megapixel Remember that all of your movements should be at half speed when taking pictures to reduce the nervousness of the cattle. Camera: Cannon 30D, 6.3 megapixel You want the animal on a gentle uphill slope. You also want to do your best to keep the background clean by avoiding anything that might be a distraction to the picture. Camera: Nikon D50, 6 megapixel Present your animal to the buyer looking its absolute best. From a marketing standpoint, the buyer has many choices, so you have to do everything you can to get his or her interest. Charolais Journal Manager David Hobbs cell - (913) 515-1215 dhobbs@charolaisusa.com Camera: Nikon F100, 35 millimeter. Lens: Nikkon 24-120 mm and Nikon 28-200 mm (both wide angle zoom) Animals like company. An attention getting animal tied ahead of a photo shoot sometimes helps. Be aware of your background. If you have a fence in the background, make sure that the animal is 8-10 feet away from it. When the animal is right against the fence, you loose dimension of the animal. In pasture shoots, it helps a lot if the cattle are used to people moving around them on foot.
Depending on the time of year, it is nice to have the grass trimmed and the area cleaned up. Eliminate as much background clutter as possible. Have an extra person along to help to the get animals ears and attention. Depending on how docile the animals are that you are working with, often times fewer people is better. The cattle are likely to get rattled with more people in their area than normal. A well groomed animal that looks very alert will be very eye catching to potential customers. Remember that all movements should be at half speed to reduce the nervousness of the cattle, said Brett Sayre AICA Southwest Field Representative. HCR Cool Breeze 4105 Pld David Hobbs The above photograph was taken in December, late afternoon with a film camera utilizing 100 speed film. The animal is the focus point of the picture. The topline and the shoulder of the bull may have been improved by moving the camera slightly to the right. Thomas Charolais, Inc. Brood cow, 2007 Photo by Brett Sayre This photo depicts a nice cow-calf pair taken during early May, in the middle of the morning. The cow is well displayed in a clean background that is free of debris. Even though the grass is taller than you would normally look for in a photo spot, the rest of the background compensates for this imperfection. The cow is not shadowed and her underline and udder is seen very clearly. An improvement to the photo would be to move the calf closer to her shoulder, rather than standing in front. Also, turning her head away from the camera slightly and putting her shoulder a little farther away from the camera, because it is creating an illusion that she is big shouldered. Lighting and Environment Different times of year will present different lighting conditions for photo shoots. White cattle are often easier to photograph than darker hided animals because the lighting does not have to be so exact. I like the angle of the sun to be at my back between my waist and the top of my shoulder when I am knelt down, said Hobbs. Ideal conditions are when the sky is really blue. Often times in the midwest/southeast, this sky condition is tougher to come by as many times the sky is lighter blue or gray in color (normally on high humidity days). Use clouds to your advantage. Often times when there is a storm moving in, big clouds and strong sky color can add a lot of personality to a photo. If you shoot approximately between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. you have to be aware of your shadows, Hobbs said. The sunlight is directly above the animal and you loose the detail of the underline (udder, scrotal, etc.). A clean and well kept photo pen or pasture will also enhance the animals appearance. Even the best clipped and conditioned animal can be discounted in a less than favorable environment. Be aware of your surroundings. Fence posts, trees and miscellaneous clutter can really distract from the picture. Attempt to position the animal in an unobstructed background. The Animal For best results, do your dirty work and make sure that the animal that you will be shooting is as clean as possible and properly clipped. A dirty, unkept animal will never photograph as continued on 70
continued from 67 LHD Flawless R1538 Pld Photo by Dennis Metzger A quality photo with the bull being the focal point. He is posed well, showing a strong topline and smooth shoulder. The person assisting the photographer has done a good job directing the bull s attention. The shadows in the rear flank and the front of the bull are slightly distracting for the view. If the photo represents the entire available image, it is cropped too tightly, especially on the front of the animal. well as the animal that has been prepared for the picture. If circumstances allow, wash the cattle the day that you plan to take pictures. Blowing them out will also enhance the way that they look in the picture. It is essential to present your animal to a buyer looking its best, said Floyd Wampler, AICA Southeast Field Representative. Your goal is to get the buyer interested in your animal rather than someone else s. From a marketing aspect, the buyer has many choices so you have to do everything in your power to get his or her interest. When shooting haltered animals Allowing the animal to walk into a stance will always make the animal look more true to their nature. Attempting to back the animal up will cause the animal to look less natural and often bunched up. Take the extra time to circle to animal around again. The extra effort will pay off. The pose of the animal is extremely important. By keeping things as natural as possible, the animal will look more at ease and comfortable. Regardless of whether your subject is a bull or cow, leg placement is important. Make sure the animal is not stretched. The front legs should be stood squarely under the shoulders and offset slightly so you are able to see both legs in the picture. If the animal s front legs appear to be one leg (the opposite front leg is hidden behind the photo side), I ll tend to back over a step, angling toward the front shoulder, explains Hobbs. Being able to see the opposite front leg adds a bit of dimension to the photo. The back leg closest to the camera should be set back so that the udder or scrotal are clearly displayed. For staged pictures of animals with a halter on, attempt to let the animal walk into a show ring stance, moving their feet as little as possible to ensure the most natural pose as possible. This will also keep the animal from getting irritated. On a particularly nice fronted bull or female, you can shoot off the front end at a 40 to 45 degree angle, for a different look, said Hobbs. You don t get one very often, but they can be awesome. Be sure you can see the udder/scrotal in the view finder and that the back legs have some width between them. The best tip for a pose If it looks good, shoot it! With non traditional poses, try to take some vertically instead of doing all of them horizontally. These photos make good odd sized fillers and/or backgrounds photos for a full page ad. Remember For the most part, the picture looks like the animal. Certain times of year, allow for not clipping, ie. late spring through early fall. If the animal is shaggy and dirty, the photo will certainly show it. The Photographer For the most part, kneeling is the best pose for the photographer shooting cattle pictures. Ideally, you will be shooting level with the center of the animals body. Take into consideration that kneeling is going to make the animal look bigger, standing will make the animal look smaller and more moderate, said Wampler. It is important to adjust to the animal that you are shooting. Each photographer will develop their own style, a general consensus has been taken at the Charolais Journal that kneeling has often produced optimal results. In a sense, you want to use photography as an art by creating an optical illusion of the animal, said Sayre. Photo by Kristian Rennert This is a nice bull calf, but the way he is standing is not advantageous to marketing him. His back legs should be reversed in order to see his scrotal. The shadows are working to the calfs disadvantage and make him appear choppy. Not enough patience was used in waiting for him to set up correctly. From a buyers point of view, interest is quickly lost looking at this calf. He was in a group and was sorted by himself in a pasture. The pasture and background is fair enough, but the angle of the calf does not allow enough sunlight on his profile. Photos like this are certainly usable, but are not ideal.
Things to Remember: There is a lot more that goes into taking a nice picture than just point and shoot. Do your homework, know your camera and prepare your animals. When sending pictures in for an advertisement or sale catalog, send the un-edited, original version. Tightly cropped photos make placement difficult. Copying pictures off of the web do not meet the requirements for the Charolais Journal. Web photos are normally 1/3 or less of the resolution that is required for publication. Pictures can absolutely NOT be blown up larger than the resolution allows. Increasing the resolution of a picture will reduce the size that the picture is able to be printed. Advertising is everywhere. Therefore, you need to have high quality pictures in your advertisement to make your cattle really jump out and catch the reader s eye. Time is money. If a prospective customer is not in the position to come to the farm and look at the animal, you are saving them money with good pictures. A poor quality photo with a poorly photographed animal will rarely sell over the phone, or attract any positive attention. Please send photos to the Charolais Journal in the original color scheme. Pictures can easily be transformed to black and white if it is necessary. Learn to use the automatic settings on your camera. When shooting photos, in general, closer is better. Fifteen to 30 feet from the animal works well. A bigger lens is not always the answer. Even when shooting with a telephoto lens from a distance, the resulting photo prints can have a grainy, pixilated look to them. When your at a show, have the professional photographer take photos of your animal. Many of the pros now maintain websites where you can select/purchase photos at a later date. When emailing pictures, if you are given the option to downsize the file, be sure to select NO. Downzising will reduce the file size and even though it will make the email transfer faster, the picture will now be very small. When shooting several animals for a specific ad or sale booklet, try to keep the photos consistent in terms of distance shot and the size of the animal in the viewfinder of the camera. In utilizing film 100 speed film is normally ideal. If lighting conditions warrant, consider a high grade 400 speed. Multipurpose film is generally 800 speed which results in grainy prints. If using film, instead of prints, have your photo processor put the images on a CD. Make sure they understand that they need to be high resolution.