Photo Manipulation

[blackdirt cowboy]

Why are all the fences in the background of photos of cattle all running uphill? What's the point of altering the image to look this way? Anyone have any before and after photos they can post to show the difference?

 

[ROMAX]

SHUSH,we do not speak of these things,you already know too much.

 

[Bradenh]

It a hypnotic effect to make you become brainwashed to buy semen on a puddy ass bull

If everyone could picture cattle the way Raymond at CEG does... We would all be better off. Take a phone out and promote them with that picture

 

[buckeye]

Don't worry Raymonds bull will have "professional" pics as well. I have also saw cell phone pics of the other guys bulls

 

[sizzler14]

It a hypnotic effect to make you become brainwashed to buy semen on a puddy ass bull

If everyone could picture cattle the way Raymond at CEG does... We would all be better off. Take a phone out and promote them with that picture

because there's no way to Photoshop a cell phone pic right? Not casting any stones but anybody can take a cell pic get it to a laptop and enhance it

 

[cowboy_nyk]

I'm sure most of you know this but the purpose is to make their topline appear more level.  Same reason show pics are done standing on a mount of dirt/shavings/whatever.  Where the biggest issues arise are from cattle with terrible tops or if the ground naturally slopes downward somewhat.  Below is a before edit/after edit.  Nothing too fancy but it certainly changes the perspective of the heifer.

 

[librarian]

Not a manipulation, but I have always wondered if this gray weathered plank fence runs from one end of Canada to the other? Is it snow fence?
Photo from Hatfield site, but yearling bulls are always (seems like) posed by a similar fence.

 

[Bradenh]

It a hypnotic effect to make you become brainwashed to buy semen on a puddy ass bull

If everyone could picture cattle the way Raymond at CEG does... We would all be better off. Take a phone out and promote them with that picture

because there's no way to Photoshop a cell phone pic right? Not casting any stones but anybody can take a cell pic get it to a laptop and enhance it

you don't say? (Duh) that's why I sited a specific example of cellphone pictures that clearly were not  doctored

 

[cowboy_nyk]

Not a manipulation, but I have always wondered if this gray weathered plank fence runs from one end of Canada to the other? Is it snow fence?
Photo from Hatfield site, but yearling bulls are always (seems like) posed by a similar fence.

It's windbreak fence.  About 8 feet high.  Three sides of every corral at my place are windbreak.  Without it my cattle would literally freeze to death. I have no trees for miles.  No farm in western Canada is without it.

 

[oakview]

I've been to Canada.  Don't let them kid you.  That fence runs all the way across the country.  It's to keep out the undesirables.  Not illegal aliens, silly, it's there to keep out the Angus, Herefords, Simmentals, etc.  Only NATIVES allowed.  (other than the Irish). 

Wish those Canadians would raise the fence a little to keep their Alberta clippers to themselves.  -30 wind chills today.  Why do so many people live in Florida?

 

[librarian]

Thanks for explaining the fence. Guess I'll stop thinking its cold here today at 3 degrees.
Looking for a photo with "the fence" as backdrop, I liked the roan bull in the Hatfield picture, so read their history page. They have 3 Mandalong Super Flag daughters still walking their pastures.
I see Super Flag is posed on a slope with a level horizon behind that. Tricky!

But that photo stuff is as old as photography and true of paintings before that.
farm Live Stock of Great Britain is a great source of turn of the century breed photography. In the preface to the first edition the author proposed to document different breeds with the new photograph technology. By the 5th edition, his aim was to present accurate photos, not the re touched versions so commonly used to misrepresent individuals.

Anyway, nice bulls, and nice fence Hatfield. Hope you do not mind the photo. I used it because the animals were so thick looking.

 

[RyanChandler]

Simple solution to avoid getting screwed.  Ask for a natural picture.  If they're unwilling to comply, go elsewhere.  I always get a kick out of it when someone asks to see a natural picture and an owner replies, " I don't have any" or "I'll have to get back with you on that"-- something to that affect.  There's not an animal I own that I don't have 20+ pics of on my phone.  If you don't even have 1 ... well then... chances are we don't share the same affinity for cattle and I need to go elsewhere anyways. 

 

[Tallcool1]

I know that pictures get manipulated and touched up.  I am not disputing that.

There is another thing that happens and that is simply the point of perspective and the way that things that are not front and center in the photo becoming distorted.

Look at the metal siding behind this bull.  behind his head, the siding clearly runs vertically, but as you move back toward his tail head, it gradually gives the distorted impression that it is no longer vertical.

I don't know why that happens, but it does.

Anybody know why?

 

[oakview]

Is there anybody else out there that would like to see more "natural clothes" photos?  There seems to be more people out there every day that can't/won't/don't look at an animal unless it's clipped and fitted to a T.  Does that animal in the previous post really need all that hair to look good?  What's being covered up?  I still enjoy going out in the pasture and looking at the calves, their dams, and the sire as they are.  I still think you can truly pick out the best ones that way.  Maybe that's a lost art.

 

[chambero]

Same reasons different map projections look so different.  You are taking something multiple things that are 3-dimensional and projecting them onto a two dimensional image. 

Photoshopped or not, I think people are crazy for trying buy or judge cattle off a picture.  All I can ever tell is whether or not one is worth making the effort to look at.  And I'm probably often wrong on ones that I think aren't.

 

[Cabanha Santa Isabel - BR]

Always try to take pics positioned on the middle of animal, a little bit crouched to stay at loin level or a little bit below loin level.
Also see that pics of my camera - not a professional or semi professional camera - always take off a little bit of body condition of animals.....don't understand if is the camera that takes off it or my brain insert some kilos more on the animal.
Pics on normal condition - farm or fields - sometimes are not easy as animals are not well posted.....but are better than prepared pics or brushy hair animals.

 

[cowboy_nyk]

To be the devil's advocate, sometimes we read too much into photos.  Below is a completely untouched bull pic.  He happened to stand in front of the world's ugliest windbreak fence but this was before I owned (or knew how to use) photoshop.  You'd think the pic was distorted or the angle changed but it wasn't.  Others have the right idea.  Never buy off just a picture.  As much as a good pic can sell an animal, a bad pic can really hurt a good one as well.

 

[Tallcool1]

Always try to take pics positioned on the middle of animal, a little bit crouched to stay at loin level or a little bit below loin level.
Also see that pics of my camera - not a professional or semi professional camera - always take off a little bit of body condition of animals.....don't understand if is the camera that takes off it or my brain insert some kilos more on the animal.
Pics on normal condition - farm or fields - sometimes are not easy as animals are not well posted.....but are better than prepared pics or brushy hair animals.

I know what you say about crouching down, but my preference has always been to take pictures from eye level.  I want the picture to look the way that I am going to see the animal.  I am not going to crawl around on my hands and knees when I go look at cattle, so my preference it to look at pictures that are taken from the point of view I will have when I go look at them in person.

 

[ROMAX]

Simple solution to avoid getting screwed.  Ask for a natural picture.  If they're unwilling to comply, go elsewhere.  I always get a kick out of it when someone asks to see a natural picture and an owner replies, " I don't have any" or "I'll have to get back with you on that"-- something to that affect.  There's not an animal I own that I don't have 20+ pics of on my phone.  If you don't even have 1 ... well then... chances are we don't share the same affinity for cattle and I need to go elsewhere anyways.

Preach it my man!

 

[cowpoke]

Most are too young to remember but the some of the best bull pictures were taken by a man who signed his name Walt Browaway{im sure that not correct spelling]most all the AI catalogs had his pictures back many years ago and some of those bulls had plenty of help.The trends have changed but we all know how much better cattle look in 4/5in grass and correct setting.Picture taking is truly an art and not all pictures are photoshopped .Videos are much better.It is funny at sales that pictured cattle usually bring more.Funny that underageing and photoshopping show up at same time on this forum like it hasn't been going on for 60years plus.