Sheepdog trial to take centre stage at photography event
Photography enthusiasts will get the chance to hone their skills with the help of a live sheepdog trial in Co. Clare this month.
Whelan Cameras, which is based in Limerick city, is organising the event in association with Canon Ireland.
Participants will gather for the training session between 9:00a.m and 11:30a.m on Monday, May 19 at Caherconnell Fort in the Burren.
From a field enclosure, the group will be able to get up close to the sheepdogs while they work.
The photographers will be given advice and direction from Canon expert Dave Newton from the UK as they try out new equipment and learn how to master the tracking and focusing systems of the latest Canon cameras.
Caherconnell Fort, which is a working farm, offers visitors the chance to see daily sheepdog demonstrations, while also being an educational hub with a stone fort.
David Whelan, from Whelan Cameras, told Agriland that his own love of dogs was part of the reason they decided to use sheepdog trials as the subject for the session.
"An awful lot of customers would ask us can they get out and use longer reach lenses in the field itself. The only way to do that really is to shoot something working, like dogs, or you could do wildlife," he said.
The shop has previously run sessions in local wildlife sanctuaries, but this will be the first time that working sheepdogs will be at the end of the lens.
"Why we're using the sheepdog demonstration is we can show people dogs at work.
"With the cameras and lenses that you're using nowadays, there's eye detection, so it's really easy to focus in on animals and actually get the focus where you need it to," Whelan said.
The training session is aimed at people with Canon cameras with an intermediate skill level, and not beginners.
The participants will be given a chance to improve their skills and determine if they are using the correct lens for the subject they are shooting.
Following the session, there will also be a "debrief" where the photos captured will be analysed to see where improvements could be made.
Whelan noted that places on the session are limited, so people are advised to book early.
