Cows in the Country – Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrast

“The cow by itself is just a cow, and the meadow by itself is just grass and flowers, and the sun peeking through the trees is just a beam of light, but put them all together and you’ve got magic.”

Wendelin Van Draanen

CONTRASTED CALF

This week my husband and I spent several days in Asheville with good friends at their home in the mountains of North Carolina. On Saturday we took a fun hike which eventually led to a beautiful open meadow – whereupon we came across a herd of cows. I’m not sure who was more surprised, the cows or the hikers :-), but they proved to be perfect subjects for this week’s photo challenge “Contrast”.  Do you suppose the little fellow above will someday deliver milk in chocolate or vanilla?!  And what about the sweet-faced, big-eared baby below?

NUMBER 5

“When I encounter a sunrise, a painting, a woman, or an idea that makes my heart bound like a young calf, then I know I am standing in front of happiness.”

Nikos Kazantzakis

Contrast can be seen in many ways – some much more serious than others. But for this week’s challenge I’ve taken a literal and somewhat light-hearted approach. Below, a contrast in both size and age.

NURSING CALF

 “As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists.“

Joan Gussow

We saw several calves nursing, and were surprised at how large some of them were.  I suggested that they were obviously La Leche cows :-). Here, a stark contrast in color as well as size.

LA LECHE COWS

The cow is of the bovine ilk; One end is moo, the other, milk.

Ogden Nash

The smallest calves we saw were these young siblings happily playing in a field of flowers.  How sweet of them to stop and pose for me, their caramel-colored coats contrasting nicely with the yellow buds.

CALVES AND FLOWERS

 “Now I’ve a sheep and a cow, everyone bids me good morrow.”

Benjamin Franklin

There were other examples of contrast in our hike, not the least of which was the contrast between the bright green of the leaves against the dark of the forest we’d just exited – or the golden grasses contrasting that same bright green.

LEAVES AND TREES

GOLDEN GRASSES

 “Contrasting color is the best means of capturing and incorporating the dramatic effects of light”

Desmond O’Hagan

But as unexpected as it was to come upon the cows, the shot below captures the biggest surprise of the day. Of course we all wondered what had happened to the owner. Had he walked away bare-footed? Surely not if the cows were anywhere nearby, as the evidence of their very efficient digestive systems was everywhere; just waiting for one misstep to ruin the day!!

WELL-WORN

 “Unmitigated seriousness is always out of place in human affairs.”

George Santayana

 

Care to check out some other bloggers’ contrasts? Click here.

Tags: photography, weekly photo challenge

• June 29, 2014
• cow, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge
• 94 Comments