Shootout
94 DIGITAL CAMERA^ JUNE 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
Challenge 2
Jen Dixonennywell Farm is home to a
wide variety of animals, and
we got to see some of them
after our pig-petting session.
Shire horses, goats, sheep
and alpacas all figured in an impromptu
game of farmyard I-Spy. After checking
out some Highland cows, it was time
to meet some other cattle – and this
meant a trip on the back of a trailer.“We were fortunate to be taken by tractor to
a field on the other side of the farm that had
these beautiful beasts in it,” recalls Jen.
“They were very gentle, unlike one of
their mates, who took every opportunity to
remind us who was boss by gently butting
us every time we got down low to take a
photo. But two of them seemed to enjoy
all the fuss, and posed naturally for me.
“My shooting setup was 1/400 sec at f/5
in Aperture Priority mode, with an ISO of- Looking at the image afterwards, the
surroundings were messy with other cows
and debris, so I cropped the image in
Photoshop to draw attention to the affection
these girls really do have for one another.”Expert opinionThis image is all about that moment, and
Jen has done a great job in capturing that
tender embrace. From a compositional
viewpoint, it uses the rule of thirds well
and draws you in. The extended leg of the
white cow around the other’s head is the
key element of the scene for holding your
gaze. The contrast in the cows’ colours
makes a ying/yang type of effect.P
Pre-focus to save time
The pig race was an ideal way to wrap
up our day’s shooting, but the animals
came thick and fast, so pre-focusing
on the tyre would save valuable time.
“I selected continuous drive mode,
with 1/250 sec for the shutter and an
aperture of f/5, hoping to catch one
pig mid-flight,” says Jen. “Later on,
I cropped and brightened the image.”Challenge 2Focusing on an
animal of your
choice, capture a
tender moment
Camera Canon EOS 60D
Lens EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
Exposure 1/400 sec at f/5, ISO 100