“Are you my friend?”
San Luis Obispo, California, USA 2011
This is a favorite memory. I was visiting my daughter: always a happy day for me. She and her husband tried to make my visit special by taking me out to photograph rare breeds of cattle. Highland cattle, a shaggy coated Scottish breed, and huge longhorn cattle grazed on golden hills studded with live oaks .
The Longhorns immediately attracted my attention. I wanted to get some geometry with the horns but I couldn’t get too close. One swing of the animal’s head and I could be in big trouble. Animals don’t stay in one place when they graze. They are moving, lifting their head, turning from side to side as they gather the grass by wrapping their tongues around it and pulling.
My photographic hope was an “echo” of horns, or a forest of horns, or maybe a an abstract of horns. This hope was born in Africa when I photographed the Wodaabe as they watered their cattle. It didn’t happen then and again my envisioned geometry eluded me.
But the little Scottish steer made up for it. His sweet, wistful expression melted our hearts. He was shy but curious and whenever we moved he lifted his head to watch. It was as if he wanted to be our friend. Expression is key whether you are photographing animals or people.