Mike Patterson
April 2026 - Heading Home
About the Image(s)
A herd of sheep kick up a cloud of dust as they head home after a day of grazing in the Texas Hill Country. At the back is a llama that stays with the sheep day and night to ward off predators, such as coyotes. The tree is a live oak. They shed their leaves around Easter and then quickly bud out in a yellowish-green before developing into a pure green. Alongside the herd is a barbed wire fence and road leading to another ranch.
Shot with a Canon R5 and a 24-105mm lens. Processed in Lightroom.
6 comments posted
I like the framing on this Mike - it reads really nicely across the image. The dust cloud gives us a sense of movement through it. I'd have taken a tiny amount off the right hand side so that the top of the tree almost touches the right hand upright, but just allowed a small amount for separation. Posted: 04/01/2026 21:56:48
I like this photo, again full of imagination. Just feel front needs a bit more space. Posted: 04/03/2026 17:35:09
Mike,
this is another nice image of your series on sheep herds. The panoramic crop fit well the image and the oak tree frames well the sheep herd. I think the image lack a little of contrast, although I understand the dust created by the sheep moving is partially responsible for this.
Best wishes
Michele Posted: 04/06/2026 15:18:56
this is another nice image of your series on sheep herds. The panoramic crop fit well the image and the oak tree frames well the sheep herd. I think the image lack a little of contrast, although I understand the dust created by the sheep moving is partially responsible for this.
Best wishes
Michele Posted: 04/06/2026 15:18:56
A lovely country scene. Right now I see two main subjects in the scene, the sheep and the big oak tree since it takes up more than half of the image. I'm assuming those sheep are your intended main subject. Maybe cropping the top and left side of the tree would help some. Posted: 04/08/2026 15:32:19
Mike, really like this image of your flock heading home. Spotted the llama right away after our conversation on donkeys and llamas. The dust of the flock being kicked up is a great addition showing movement. I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty to add some foreground and to darken the road towards the end of the flock. This image has a good story and is very well exposed. Posted: 04/12/2026 13:22:42
Looks good. Thanks. Posted: 04/12/2026 22:25:21