The May cattle sort came with its fair share of challenges—but also a few unexpected gems. Among them? A group of incredibly cute calves who turned out to be excellent subjects during what ended up being a surprisingly slow-paced day.
Normally, these events are fast-moving and tightly run. But this particular day felt like the perfect storm: long stretches of downtime between sorting rounds. While that can be frustrating, it also opened the door for something a little different.
With no pressure and no expectations, I took the opportunity to make a few low-risk portraits of the calves nearby. No one was hoping for standout images of them—it was purely for me. And sometimes, that’s exactly when the best images happen.
These portraits have quickly become some of my favorite cattle images to date. There’s something artistic and emotive in the quiet way they came together. Plus, the calves were so curious and calm, they wandered right up to me—and I even got a few pats in between shots!
It was a sweet, slow, and surprisingly meaningful moment in a day that otherwise tested my patience and gear.
Sometimes the quiet, in-between moments become the ones that stick with you—and I’m so glad I didn’t put my camera down during the lull.
I put together a short video featuring some of my favorite portraits from that day. You can check it out below and let me know your favorite portrait in the comments.