Photography elevates production sales
Photography is a skill that can be easily overlooked during livestock production sales, but when done correctly, it can change the livestock sale marketing game.
When taking sale photos, the most important thing is having a good space to picture livestock in. A proper photo pen or space can transform average pictures into great pictures.
A fenced-in lot with a clear background that provides space to run livestock through is preferred for high-quality livestock marketing photos.
“I think the most important thing is having a good picture pen set-up,” said livestock photographer, Chyanne Fogg. “Making sure they are the right size is crucial, and honestly the bigger the better.”
When the day comes to take livestock marketing photos, teamwork is a key factor in being successful. Having a good team to help with all the moving parts is crucial.
“One of my biggest tips is you really need good help that day, and people you trust to get the job done,” said Fogg.
Having a great team is important, as is ensuring everyone is doing their jobs efficiently.
“There are a bunch of moving parts, and every person has a place,” said Fogg. “You need someone placed in front of your livestock to help position their ears upwards, which elongates their neck. You also need someone pushing livestock into pens, placing them in a preferred position, and then driving them out of the pen.”
Livestock producers know animals can often be uncooperative, which can make getting quality photographs difficult. So, having equipment ready to get that shot is key, because when the moment comes, the photographer may only have seconds to get the shot, said Fogg.
Throughout the process of capturing sale pictures, it is important to understand how each species should be set up.
Fogg emphasized that knowing the industry trends is important when taking sale pictures. For instance, in cattle, back feet used to be squared, but now they are preferred to be staggered. In sheep and goats, knowing how to “bounce the front end,” or pick up the front end of the lamb or goat to set its stance and tense its hindquarters, can change the quality of both the look of the animal and the photo.
The quality of a photo can be the reason a buyer’s attention is captured or the reason a buyer turns away.
“If I come across a bad picture, I’m probably skipping over that animal and going to look at one that is pictured better,” said Fogg.
