Highland Cattle

I always carry a camera (a digital compact) with me ‘just in case’:

Highland cattle: a side view
Highland cattle: a side view

This was taken on a visit to see friends in rural mid Wales. We had just pulled into the drive when we spotted these cattle in the field directly opposite the drive. There were several of these cattle right in the corner of the field. I got my camera out and carefully approached them. I had to be careful as they were quite wary of me and would have quickly run off.

There were 4 in the group as you can see below:

A small group of highland cattle
A small group of highland cattle

What made the photography difficult was the fence with a some rusty old barbed wire across the top. This was about 4ft high on the top of an embankment with steep sides going down into a ditch at the side of the lane. To get above it would have meant trying to leap across the ditch onto the embankment and grabbing hold of one of the small trees growing; this would have scared off the cattle. So I had to do the best I can. With some photos I held the camera above my head. But some photos still had barbed wire in the way which had to be ‘cloned out’ – the top photo is one such image with the original below.

Showing barbed wire across the image
Showing barbed wire across the image

This is my favourite of the set:

Highland Cattle: a portrait
Highland Cattle: a portrait

Overall, I was quite pleased with this set of photos. I did not take too many as the cattle were a little nervous and I did not want to stress them. Anyway they soon wandered off across the field.

 

Author: Paul L. G. Morris

I am a freelance photographer whose distinguishing feature is that I am prepared to photograph the unusual and the overlooked. Having had many years of experience pursuing the creative art of photography, coupled with more recent experience as a portrait photographer and garden photographer, I now work professionally through my business: PM Studios Ltd.