Shearing day at the farm

A very long hot day of which I photographed a couple of hours. You could have had the sweat-drenched shepherd, all manner of farming people, bewildered looking sheep and a lost-looking alpaca but instead I bring you the gadget that had me momentarily confused until I realised it was for the shearer, not the sheep. You lean into it, the sheepskin lined arc supports you from one side of your chest to the other, and the springs at the top let you glide supported up and down to get to the right height for the sheep. It's like a cross between one of those 70s wicker suspended chairs and a baby bouncer.

I definitely had the easiest job of anyone, despite the strong light and shadows. I think I've also got the shots I need for my next course project, which is about portraits taken as part of an outdoor activity where the activity is the main subject rather than the portrait.