Sheep etc.

[Ed Sutton]

The annual charity speed shear has come round quickly. Although I had a better idea of what to expect second time round (lens selection was better) I still messed up. Although the disco lights were absent the fluorescent tubes through me at first and I got banding on one of the better shots of the night (below) which I've half-heartedly tried to correct. It looks OK in black and white!.



Technical ineptitude aside I think my biggest problem was being the semi-official photographer. I was thinking more of what pictures would go down on social media that which ones I'd prefer.

There's always a chance to get both in one shot - as the above cock-up shows.

Some of my preferred pics:

 

[Ed Sutton]

Westmorland Show today so plenty of Herdwicks. Not often sheep will pose like this.



Usually sheep behave like sheep.



Wayne Hutchinson is a real sheep photographer...



Today he was in front of the camera.





But back behind the lens while his son also a (rural/agricultural) photographer held the champion Swaledale.



I'd started the day with the Lonks. Not many entries so it was all over pretty quickly.





The sun came out for the winners' photos.



Only a couple more shows to go and summer will be well and truly done for another year..

 

[Ed Sutton]

Only a couple more shows to go and summer will be well and truly done for another year..

One of the shows was cancelled at the very last minute with a downpour on the Friday flooding the showfield. Events like this can lead to shows running out of money and disappearing. Fingers crossed this one survives and the sun shines for it next year.

The final show of the season is the Lonk Breeders' show, for which the forecast was rain after noon. The rain held off and all went well. On the Thursday evening I went along to get some pics of the pens being set up - and lend a hand cutting lengths of baler twine!











For the first time since I've been going to the show there were entries in the 'pen of ten' class.







I managed to get a reasonable close-up of a horn branded with the initials of the flock's owner. This is something that is coming back into favour.



Prior to the show there was the annual Horned and Hill Going sheep sale at Clitheroe, colloquially known in Lonk circles as the 'draft ewe sale'. It was a chilly start to the day.











There's a small show for prizes for pens of ten of the main breeds entered in the sale.





Although I missed out on shearing photos again this year my book is taking shape. Mostly it's now a case of selecting the photos and tidying up the writing. I'll be working on it over the winter.

Thanks for looking. As always, comments appreciated.

 

[Barney]

Please excuse my ignorance, is a "Lonk" a specific breed or is it a generic term for all sheep.

Good luck with the book it will have some great photo's in it.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Please excuse my ignorance, is a "Lonk" a specific breed or is it a generic term for all sheep.

Good luck with the book it will have some great photo's in it.

Thanks.

Yes, Lonk is a breed. It was developed around East Lancashire, probably sometime in the 18th century, and by the 19th was well established on the hills, moors and fells of Lancashire and West Yorkshire. Since the foot and mouth epidemic there has been a decline in numbers and it is now classed as a rare breed.

 

[Barney]

Thanks for explaining, I most likely will have seen dozens without realizing!

 

[Ed Sutton]

Thanks for explaining, I most likely will have seen dozens without realizing!

If you've been in the mid-Pennine region you may well have done.

Black and white faces with horns in both sexes. No grey muzzle though.

This light grey is the rough area where they are likely to be seen, the darker area is where they are historically most numerous.

 

[Barney]

Will definitely have seen them, ride plenty of the side roads off A59 into and around Bowland upto Skipton etc.

When I look at the very curly horns I think I might have seen one at the Royal Lancashire show about 10 yr ago, I spent ages trying to get a photo of the sheep's eyeball through the circle of its horn. That was about three hard drives ago, I remember enjoying the images without really achieving what I was after. Needed someone to crank its head right over so I could get the right angle.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Will definitely have seen them, ride plenty of the side roads off A59 into and around Bowland upto Skipton etc.

There are a few flocks to be seen in Bowland and they are shown at the Royal Lancs. Pendleton is a likely place to spot Lonks.

When I look at the very curly horns I think I might have seen one at the Royal Lancashire show about 10 yr ago, I spent ages trying to get a photo of the sheep's eyeball through the circle of its horn. That was about three hard drives ago, I remember enjoying the images without really achieving what I was after. Needed someone to crank its head right over so I could get the right angle.

I've tried to take similar shots many times. It's not easy!

 

[Ed Sutton]

The Lonk breeder's biggest day of the year yesterday - the 'tup sale'. For once I went out with a mental note of the subjects I wanted to record. I came home without any good pics of them...

My biggest 'want' was people evaluating possible purchases. owing to the layout of the pens it's really difficult to get in a position to see people and sheep clearly. The two best of the day.





Another picture I was after was someone tying a lot number to a sheep. I've tried this for years and never got a picture I'm happy with. Again positioning is hard. This is my best so far.



One photo I did get that I wanted for my book was a good head-on shot of a Lonk tup.



I didn't spend as much time photographing the show this year as a) I have lots of show pics and b) I wanted to try for the aforementioned pics in the pens. I went more for overview pics than details.



Luckily John Eveson was there to take photos for the Farmers Guardian so I didn't have to worry about the sheep being posed well as he directed operations! I waited for something to go wrong.



When it was time for the sale I felt like I was worse at things than when I went to my first sheep sale. I just couldn't get anything I liked. So I reverted to trying to improve on a couple of picture ideas I've had before. With moderate success.





That's it for Lonk events for another year, but there are other sales still to come this month and next.

By the way, the Lonk record price was broken yesterday with the first to sell for 10,000 guineas! I heard the bidding getting close so flicked the video switch.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYQo81eUntk

 

[Barney]

Cracking photos Dave,

And phew what a sale, 10,000 Plus commission + VAT, some going that.

I find it a measure of your skills that you went with a set plan and idea of the images you wanted and refreshing that your self appraisal is getting more acute.

TFS

 

[Ed Sutton]

Cracking photos Dave,

And phew what a sale, 10,000 Plus commission + VAT, some going that.

I find it a measure of your skills that you went with a set plan and idea of the images you wanted and refreshing that your self appraisal is getting more acute.

TFS

Thanks Barney. If you think 10,000 guineas is a lot for a sheep search out record prices for Scotch Blackface and Texel tups!

 

[Ed Sutton]

Back to Clitheroe again for the Derbyshire Gritstone annual show and sale today. I was feeling really burnt out on this kind of thing today and found it hard to get motivated. I knew I wasn't in the mood when I'd cut down to one camera and the battery died right as the champion sheep was being arranged for the 'trophy shots'. That's never happened before. I'd checked the level a few minutes earlier and the camera said 38%. I'd have swapped it out if I'd been photographing Lonks! Then I left it too late to get a ringside spot for the sale.

I'd had enough earlier than I usually would and didn't think I had any decent photos. Surprisingly, when I loaded them to my PC I found one I'm really happy with! One a day is OK by me.

Just a couple of Gritstones.



Checking out possible purchases.



Catching up sheep at the show. My pic of the day.



Photocall.



The packed sale ring.



Taking a break as the sheep wait their turn in the ring.



Taking a break from sheep for a week or two and hoping to come back refreshed for a productive November.

 

[Ed Sutton]

I've been in Northumberland for a week, so I had a change and did some landscape photography...

 

[superpippo]

A castle always needs a good foreground

 

[Ed Sutton]

In the interests of trying a new-to-me camera I thought a big autumn sheep sale might be a good place to get to know it!



I'd been after something to replace my compact which has sluggish focusing. The camera seemed to do a good enough job with just the one fixed focal length lens. I used it most of the time - possibly because of the novelty effect...

 

[Ed Sutton]

There was a choice of sheep sales yesterday plus a sheepdog trial. Given the forecast for sunshine and the lack of a need for an early start I plumped for the dog trial!

I've learned that not having a really long lens trying to photograph the dogs working is a bit of a waste of time, but I still do it.



I'm more interested in the interactions of people and dogs and trying to record the feel of being at trials.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Hi Dave, I like the dog shots - they tell a different story.

Is it my imagination, or are the blacks a bit lacking - these look washed out and different to your usual pictures.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Hi Dave, I like the dog shots - they tell a different story.

Is it my imagination, or are the blacks a bit lacking - these look washed out and different to your usual pictures.

Thanks Toni.

The 3rd is with a 'new' camera and looks OK. The 2nd and 4th do look a bit different to me. The 4th is shot into the sun, which might account for it. I did process a little differently, so maybe that's worth a revisit.

Edit to add: I had lifted the shadows a little too much.

 

[Ed Sutton]

 

[Ed Sutton]

One of the trickiest days I've had photographing sheep. Gathering ewes and tups then taking them out to the fields. Difficult to decide where to position myself to get the best angles, whether to go for a wider or tighter view, shoot form afar or close in. And everything changing quite quickly. Limited success I think.







Marking the tups to match their selected ewe group. Not sure if it was user error or a knackered camera but I seemed to be missing focus more often than usual (as below) and exposures were a bit erratic at times. Or am I looking for excuses to 'upgrade' cameras?



Ewes coming to meet the tup.



The old tup knows what his job is.





One man and his dog!

 

[Ed Sutton]

Although I didn't have anything I was desperate to photograph at the auction today I wanted to go to evaluate my 'new' camera. I've tried mirrorless before and knew the advantages, but they pictures never seemed to look the way I like. I was also unsure how good the higher ISOs of the APS sensor would be in the dim mart. It turns out the files are OK. Not as flexible as my DSLRs, but perfectly OK for my low level of acceptability!

In the end I left the DSLRs in the car and used just the mirrorless and one lens. Which was quite liberating.

I'm still trying to set the camera up to suit my way of working so missed a fair few shots.

Here are a few snaps from the morning.







This next one might find a place in my Lonk book.

 

[Ed Sutton]

No sheep outings this week. Today I've knuckled down to the task of sorting through my photos for my book project. I've set a deadline of late October 2026 to get it completed. Otherwise it will drag on forever! That means there are two sections of the book that won't be getting any more photos, so that gave me the incentive to start.

For the first section I had 1342 pics to sort through. I got that down to 252 quite easily, then to 40 to make the final selection from to fit the layout. This is the hardest part. You can have a really good picture that just won't fit the sequencing, or lack a fairly plain shot that would help explain something. After all this isn't primarily a 'photobook' in the art sense. It's really made me understand my failings!

Still, I had one section finished quite nicely, and the latest one is coming together. It'll need some time to 'rest' before I come back to it and do the fine tuning.

As it stands the book is 148 pages - and it's by no means complete! There'll be some serious culling I think.

Some spreads from today's effort below. As can be seen I'm keeping the page layouts simple, and to a minimum.



An example of fine tuning is making a decision of which of the first two shot below gets the chop.

 

[Ed Sutton]

My last visit to a sheep sale for 2025. A flying visit to Gisburn.

Lots going on with two sale rings in operation. The main ring seeing store lambs being sold.





Elsewhere there was the prime (destined for the butcher) lamb show, which I arrived too late for.



Then there was the young farmer single prime lamb show. It being Christmas there was tinsel and glitter...



...and flashing lights!



The glitter paid off for the winner.

 

[Ed Sutton]

A new year and nothing new on the sheep front! I'm finding it difficult to see meaningful photos at auctions these days. But the light can be interesting at this time of year.

It was a cold one this morning.



Geometry, light and sheep.



Light and sheep.



Light, sheep and dairy wagon.



It's funny how you can feel at a dead end then something happens by chance to revive enthusiasm. While processing my photos it occurred to me I could make a grid/series of auctioneers in action. This is just a rough one from the shots I grabbed today. With more perseverance at different marts it could amount to a mini project. Thoughts?

 

[Boots]

Love "Light and sheep"!

 

[Ed Sutton]

Love "Light and sheep"!

Thanks Paul. And a Happy New Year to you.

 

[Boots]

And Happy New Year to you too Dave.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Light and Sheep is very well seen. Happy new year - may you continue finding new things in your quest for sheep pictures.

 

[Barney]

Love the light and sheep Dave, good spotting!

a couple of nice illuminated ear'oles there as well,

not a pair though.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Light and Sheep is very well seen. Happy new year - may you continue finding new things in your quest for sheep pictures.

Love the light and sheep Dave, good spotting!

a couple of nice illuminated ear'oles there as well,

not a pair though.

Thanks both. Happy New Year and good photo taking.

 

[Ed Sutton]

A frosty start to the first sheepdog trial of 2026 on Saturday.



More of the usual stuff, but good to be back out and not in a dismal gloom.

Penning the sheep.



Shedding one from three.



Taking the sheep back.



A sheepdog.



Another collie.

 

[superpippo]

The frost makes quite a difference to the photos

 

[Barney]

Brilliant action shots Dave

 

[Ed Sutton]

The frost makes quite a difference to the photos

Brilliant action shots Dave

Thanks both. The frost soon melted. It's a good venue for action as the pen is close to where you can watch from.

I've an idea for another book project forming, but must resist the temptation to make a start on it before I've finished the Lonk book!

 

[Ed Sutton]

Off to an auction to get in practice for one in a fortnight that might throw up something for my book project. I don't want to be rusty for that one!

I deliberately left my usual do-it-all lens (35-150mm) in the car as I'm trying to break out of the moderate telephoto approach to shoot wider (70mm and shorter) and closer. Did it work?

 

[superpippo]

#2 seems to work on the wider angle - a lot of action/movement in that one

I am strangely liking the pink background

 

[Ed Sutton]

#2 seems to work on the wider angle - a lot of action/movement in that one

I am strangely liking the pink background

Thanks Alan. A splash of colour can be good!

 

[ancient_mariner]

The close-up in 3 and the focus through the gap in 7 are both good and different.

 

[Ed Sutton]

The close-up in 3 and the focus through the gap in 6 are both good and different.

Thanks Toni. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find new takes on things.