Each and every creature, all living things, and indeed all *things*, are spectacular miracles; incredible uncanny arrangements of atoms. Walt Whitman wrote that a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels. Then what of a cow? A cow is divinity disguised as bovinity. A cow is beautiful. A cow is a something to be marveled at and revered. It's no wonder that Hindus worship cows. There is something very spiritual about them - though we take them for granted and even laugh at them. They cow is seen as a clumsy, comical creature, ripe for exploitation and slaughter. It is common to hear humans moo and low when they are moving in unison in large masses and being treated like cattle is a disparaging term that speaks volumes. We recognize our attitudes toward this animal when we say this, yet we routinely eat them, brand them with hot iron and wear their tanned hides on our bodies. But this is not a polemic against meat eaters or an animal rights rant. This is an homage to the cow - an animal I am only now coming to appreciate and love. And I have my camera to thank for that.
I have had several remarkable experiences with cows lately. I have been approaching them regularly since I got my camera and through my contact with them I have come to love them as much as I love any animal, including cats and dogs. I would, if I could, keep a cow for a pet, provide for him a human name and care for it as I'd care for a child. The more I photograph cows, the more I observe them and spend time in close proximity to them, the more I respect and grow fond of them. I have found them to be creatures of great curiosity and personality who respond to the human voice and they seem to read the emotions in the human face much like a dog. Cows, I have discovered, are excellent listeners. I have regaled large groups of cows with my voice and my observations and they seem to enjoy the attention from the camera. They are very sensitive animals, capable of displaying subtle movements and cautious interest - dispelling any erroneous conclusions I had drawn of clumsiness and stupidity. The more time I spend with cows the more time I find I *want* to spend with cows. They fascinate and entertain me. I have become a sort of Jane Goodall of cows, though my breadth of knowledge pales in relative comparison.
When I finally broke down a year ago and bought that digital SLR I had been fantasizing about for years it was, ostensibly, to pursue my interest in photographing trees. Trees were to be my muses and my artistic/thematic pursuit. And I did pursue them and I still do - avidly. What amazes me however is how many other subjects I have discovered because of the camera. The camera has opened so many doors of expression for me - doors I would never have guessed at let alone opened if I had not listened to my dear, best friend and gotten that camera. Cows were not even on my radar. I discovered that I loved taking pictures of cows through the series that included this fine lady above. Oh I dabbled in cows before, but that gal wooed me stole my heart. Now I am a cow lover and a cow photographer. I cruise the back roads of Marin County with my Canon T1i on the seat beside me and I stop by any pasture where dairy cattle are grazing close to the fence. I have found that the 10-22mm wide angle I got specifically for trees is just fabulous for close-ups of cows. Just look at that face. You can smell it. You can feel the beads of spit on the fine pink nose. You can feel the bristle of those whiskers. And to me, that's the joy of photography. Getting close to strange and beautiful (and sometimes ugly) things. The camera takes me places I would never have gone to otherwise and it gives me courage to approach unknown and often frightening places and things. The best thing I ever did was dive back into photography after 15 long years of absence. Through the camera I feel alive again. Through cows, I feel human.
* * *
No comments:
Post a Comment