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BSCS photographic competition
The Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society is preparing to celebrate Coates’s Herd Book’s bicentenary during 2022 and is looking for help to chronicle that period through images captured by its members and friends.
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A monthly photographic competition entitled ‘members and their cattle’ will aim to capture potentially iconic moments through the year as well as great pictures of photogenic Beef Shorthorn. A shortlist will be drawn up of the best pictures each month with a view to ultimately producing a 2023 calendar showing the very best of Beef Shorthorns and their owners.
Entries for each month are invited and should be submitted by the 7th of the following month.
Top tips for taking quality photographs
Whether you are planning to enter our competition or take photos of your cattle for sale, here’s a few suggestions on how to take a great picture on any devise – camera, mobile phone or tablet.
Think about the composition of your photo. Lighting, backgrounds, and the stance of your animal can all make a huge difference to your final picture. The shot’s background is just as important as the eye of the viewer should be drawn to the animal and not be distracted by the background. Do
• Take several photos, and experiment with different angles and, if possible, backgrounds so you have plenty to select from once you start to download. • Ensure good lighting. Make the most of daylight, photos during the day are most likely to be well lit. Indoor ensure the shot is well lit, but not showing the flare of a flash. • Keep the sun behind you. Photos into the sun can ‘white-out’ an image. Also consider where shadow falls. • Consider your animals’ best feature and position the angle of the shot to best reflect this.
Take photos from the same level as your animal, frame centrally and ensure the animal is not too distant. • Make sure the animal is clean and well presented. • Indoor - make sure the pen is clean illustrating good care is taken of the animal. • Outdoor - do not take photos of an animal stood in a muddy environment. • Be aware of what the animal is doing i.e. it is not distracted and standing four-square. Shots with animals head up and ears forward are always popular. • Try to ensure the animals stance is good with front legs square. • Ensure background features are subtle, neutral, and clean e.g. a whitewashed wall or a hedgerow. • Change your angle so fence poles do not look as if they are growing out of the head of an animal. • Use contrast to your advantage – a white animal against a light background blends in making the profile less dramatic.
Do not
• Use zoom as images may appear grainy on a larger screen. It is best to crop an image later to ensure the animal is in the centre of the frame. • Use camera flash. To avoid red eye, where possible, move an animal into a well-lit area if indoors. • Avoid fences or objects in front of an animal like a wire fence or trough blocking the view of parts of the animal. • Be aware of what other animals in the background may be up to, a mating bull may detract from what the photograph is trying to show. • Avoid health and safety misdemeanors, e.g. an upturned fork lying in the centre of a yard. • Do not feature people in the background. • Do not feature vehicles or signage in the background.
Terms and Conditions
1. Open to anyone that creates photos featuring Beef Shorthorn cattle and their owners. The photo must be in its original state and cannot be altered in any way.
2. All photos should be sent directly to a Society employee marked Photo Competition by the 7th of the following month.
Email submissions should be sent to clive@beefshorthorn.org or ellie@beefshorthorn.org
3. All entrants must provide the following details: name; address; email address and phone number when submitting their entry.
4. Junior applicants, under 16 years, must provide parental permission when submitting their entry.
5. All photos must be submitted by the photographer or with written permission from the photographer.
6. All entrants acknowledge and consent that any photos entered in the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society’s bicentenary photo competition may be used by the Society for the purposes of promoting the Beef Shorthorn breed, including but not exclusively publication on the Society website and social media channels as well as the production of a calendar. The intellectual property will remain with the photographer. Images will not be shared with any third party without consent and agreement with the photographer.
7. An independent judge will shortlist the submitted entries each month.
8. The shortlisted entries will then be forwarded to compile a
Beef Shorthorn Calendar 2023.
9. Each entrant may submit a maximum of two photos per month.
10. All entries will be judged on the quality and content of the photograph.
Marketing your cattle - presenting the correct image
Remember it’s the photos that form an instant impression in any buyer’s mind. A good photo will illustrate elements such as a positive stance, good colouring and animal welfare.
A poor photograph can change a buyer’s perception. For instance, if you were to view a photo of livestock covered in mud, in dirty bedding or with a rusting tractor with flat tyres in the background you may be inclined to form a negative opinion, despite the animal being of good stock on paper.
For any listing on the Society’s online sales platform, the most important selling point is a photograph that portrays the Beef Shorthorn breed in a positive manner.
Please note the Society will only use photographs that it feels are a true and accurate portrayal of the animal and have not been adjusted or enhanced in any way.
