Picking Her Nose
How cows pick their nose.
How cows pick their nose.
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Feb, 2020Views
1618
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Awards
Winner in Animal Tongues Photo Challenge
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2
Top 20 rank week 1Categories
MossyCreekPhotography
February 12, 2020
As a farmer’s daughter I absolutely love this photo! Great job!
Platinum
jenalynnphotography
February 16, 2020
Thank you so much! I ended up marrying a farmer, so now I get to take all the animal photos. :)
PRO+
KatieMcKinneyPhotography
December 19, 2023
Congrats on winning my \"Animal Tongues\" challenge! There were so many great pictures to choose from but i kept coming back to this one! I love everything about it, well done! 😁
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on a chilly winter day several years ago while playing around with a zoom lens. I've always been interested in taking portraits of animals and since I now own a farm with my husband, I have a lot of subjects.Time
It was a gloomy winter day with snow flakes in the air and a brisk wind. This picture was taken in the afternoon with the cloudy overcast skies from the snow. I remember being so excited when the cow licked her nose and I was able to capture some images.Lighting
I wanted the body of the black cow to stay darker than the main focus because I wanted the tongue and nose to really stand out. I made sure not to overexpose which was easy with the overcast skies. I used Lightroom to brighten the focal area to help draw your eye and make it stand out.Equipment
I used a Canon 5D Mark III to take this image with a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 so I could zoom in as much as possible while keeping a safe distance from the cow.Inspiration
I find it special capturing animals during snowfall, so when I saw the snow coming down and it was such a beautiful fluffy snow, I just had to grab my camera and go visit the cows at the farm. I leaned on the metal gate and zoomed my camera lens as far as it would go and captured some photos. The cows were curious so I didn't have to make noise to get their attention or anything like that.Editing
Yes! I always edit my pictures in Lightroom. These days I finish them up in Photoshop too, but with this image, it was just Lightroom. I did my usual tweaks and desaturated magentas and decided against desaturating the blues so it would keep the chilly vibe of the day. I made sure to brighten the nose and tongue as well as add clarity and a little texture.In my camera bag
These days my equipment of choice is a Canon R5 and if not that same 70-200 f/2.8 zoom lens now with an adapter, then my RF 85mm f/1.2 which is my new favorite lens because of the dreamy bokeh it creates. I also pack a Canon R6 Mark II for a second camera with one of the two lenses mentioned above on it so I don't waste time switching lenses. I love using my House of Flynn camera bag to hold both cameras, both lenses, and depending on the day or shoot, I will also pack either my Sigma 35mm f/1.4 or my Canon RF 28-70mm f/2.Feedback
The biggest advice I give people to accomplish a similar photo is to turn up the shutter speed. A fast shutter speed is going to help capture and freeze the action of, in this case, a cow licking its nose. When I saw a fast shutter speed, I usually mean around 1000 or more. The second piece of advice is to take a lot of photos and practice. Don't be afraid to crop your photo a little bit to help make the subject stand out. You've got this! If I can do it, you can do it too. :)
