t’s often said a picture is worth a thousand words. When it comes to marketing Suffolk I PHOTOS & VIDEO TO MARKET YOUR SUFFOLKS TIPS FOR TAKING
including time for reshoots on other days if necessary. • Make sure the person holding the sheep is relaxed, because sheep can sense a person’s tension. Avoid over bracing the sheep to the point it starts to squat backwards and pull back on its front legs and instead, hold it as calmly and naturally as possible. • If the sheep is fighting the person holding it, walk the sheep, ease up on your grip, and let the sheep relax and calm down before recording. • Look at the first few photos in the digital camera to make sure it’s what you want to achieve, and reposition and reshoot as needed if it’s not. FEED THEM FIRST • Just like people, sheep can get cranky when they’re hungry or thirsty. Make sure you’ve stuck to their daily feeding times so your sheep are not hungry or fidgety when it’s time for their photo or video session. HOLD STILL • The person operating the camera needs to hold the camera as still as possible to avoid blurry photos. • Tuck your arms in next to your body to help stabilize yourself when shooting photos or video, especially if it’s windy. Or prop your camera on something to stabilize it like a block of wood an overturned bucket.
• Or consider using a tripod to stabilize your phone or camera when recording. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIME OF DAY • Avoid taking pictures at 12 noon, when the sun is directly overhead. • If you must capture images in the middle of the day, position the sheep under a shade tree or the overhang of a building with filtered light to avoid the bright overhead shadows of the sun. • Instead, consider capturing images during the golden hour, an hour after sunrise or before sunset for golden light. PAY ATTENTION TO LIGHTING • Taking photos or videos outdoors in the natural light is preferred over artificial lighting, which can add blue tones from LED bulbs or blueish or amber tones from fluorescent lights. Artificial lighting can also create more shadows, especially when its overhead or a flash is used. • Watch for shadows. Position yourself and the camera so the sheep is not in the shadows. Watch so that shadows of fences, people, trees, are not cast on the sheep or in the shot. CHOOSE A GOOD BACKGROUND • Consider a clean, visually uncluttered background. Avoid one with lots of people, vehicles, machinery or equipment in the background. You want the eye to be drawn to the sheep, so simple,
sheep, good photos and videos can help connect buyers with sellers and make sellers more profits. Today, many registered Suffolks are promoted and sell online, either through online sales like those sponsored by the United Suffolk Sheep Association, on the USSA’s online marketplace on Facebook @Suffolk Sheep Marketplace or through USSA or United Junior Suffolk Sheep Association (UJSSA) member breeders’ social media pages. Wondering what separates good photos or videos from the rest? Consider these tips for starters. HAVE PATIENCE, RELAX, GOOD IMAGES TAKE TIME. • Plan ample time to take photos. Capturing good photos and videos takes time to achieve and multiple views and shots. Allot plenty of time for your photoshoots,
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