Waiting for Godot to bring the apples

[ucci]

Not the greatest of subjects, I know. But not often does one see all lying down together like this. When I saw this my aim was to try and convey the concept of group contentment/patience.
Have to admit This is now a common sight at our front house gate. My fault entirely. Started to feed them them the 'falls' off the pear and apple trees. So, now they wait there every morning, basking in the sun, waiting for a hand out. It did not take them all that long to train me either!
Maybe I could apply a similar principle to the birds around here. To get them to slow down a tad so I can get a shot of them? They are far too flighty and fast for my reflexes at the moment.
K

[ilovelucydog]

These have a painted look to them? I like them.

[ucci]

Thank you Mary. The Hereford is my pet and will never go to Market. Her name is Penelope.

[ilovelucydog]

How perfect. I love it more now.

[ktuli]

Ken,

Nice shots. However, I find #1 to be fairly over-exposed. What I do like about both shots it how the brown (is that the Hereford?) one is offset by all the black cows.

Now, if I were to nit-pick here, I don't like how we just get to see the top of the head poking up behind the brown cow. Without seeing the face, it is a little distracting. Additionally, in #1, I don't think there is enough of the tree and it just looks like it is intruding on the scene. In #2, I feel the gap between the main group and the other two is either too small or too large. Either close that gap and bring them into the group, or widen the gap and use it to maybe frame the tree between the groups? (And we have another convergence there with a cow's head just barely being visible behind another). I think since they're all looking to you for their daily treats, then they probably would follow you where-ever you repositioned yourself around the group, so you could potentially just side-step a bit to get a better angle.

I know that looks like I'm doing a lot of complaining, but they really are minor issues but they took a few more words than I had expected to explain what I was thinking.

Good shots though, and since it is a scene right out your front door, you'll probably be able to keep trying these shots. And just consider those pears and apples as modeling fees now.

- Bill

[ucci]

Hi Bill
Thank you for your comments. No, they were not nit picking in my opinion. They were spot on and were issues which concerned me as well. In picture 2 one could drive a truck through the space between the two groups. I had thought that maybe I should gave cropped here and 'lost ' the other two beasts on the left. They are not the most obliging of models and are very over friendly. So, as soon as I get too near then they get up and approach, pressing all around me like bees around a pot of honey. Given their size this can be quite daunting and certainly means the end of any chance of a group photo!
The faults are there and well picked up by you. I can only whine in defence that it was 'a shot of opportunity' with no time for much else. Thanks for your intuitive response.
Ken

[ktuli]

Ken

Glad you took the comments for what they were.

I definitely understand what it is like working with living animals, so I know that sometimes you have to work with what you have.

- Bill