Barn Cat
Cooperative cats are hard to find. They seem to have a mind of their own and don’t take instruction worth a darn. When one finds you interesting, you have to take advantage of the opportunity. We were visiting a friend and his horses one day and he was showing us the barn. A cat was sleeping on top on the hay stack and came down to see what we were doing. She then posed for a few pictures before returning to her nap.
In the best light…
Catahoula
One of the farm dogs on our visit is a Catahoula Cur or a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. The Catahoula is believed to be the first dog breed developed in North America. The breed is sometimes referred to as the "Catahoula Hound" or "Catahoula Leopard Hound", although it is not a true hound, but a cur. It is also called the "Catahoula Hog Dog", reflecting its traditional use in hunting wild boar.
Dexter Cow
Dexter cattle are the smallest of the European cattle breeds, being about half the size of a traditional Hereford and about one third the size of a Friesian (Holstein) milking cow. They were considered a rare breed of cattle, until recently, but are now considered a recovering breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. The Dexter breed originated in Ireland.
Taken recently at a friend’s farm, where they have a small herd of Dexter cattle.
Processed in Adobe Photoshop CC using Nik Software’s Color Efex Pro, High Key filter.
In the best light…
Musk Ox Horn
The Musk Ox has one of the most distinctive horns in the North American animals department. I reminds me somewhat, of the African Cape Buffalo, in that it starts in the middle of the skull and spreads across the entire head. The shape however, is different. On looking at them closely, you can see that there is almost a wood grain pattern on the outside of the horn. The Musk Ox at the zoo seem quite passive but the lore of the musk ox is that they are active in their defence of the herd. Photographing a large animal through a fence can introduce a large number of distracting items. Using a long lens at a wide aperture allows you to narrow the focal point and reduce the subject area, leaving the distractions behind.
In the best light…
Red Panda
We were lucky enough to see the Red Panda while it was active. The staff had placed fresh bamboo in various locations in the red panda enclosure and this fellow was actively seeking it out. The other red panda was relaxing on a wooden platform. I thought this one looked like it was in a slightly more natural looking setting.
The Dustin Hoffman character Shifu from Kung Fu Panda was supposedly a Red Panda.
The Panda’s coat was in marvellous condition and shone in the bright light. I used some tonal contrast to increase the detail in the foreground snow and some sharpening on the fur and I was done.
In the best light…
The Stentorian Image 
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