Snowy Cows

You don’t need to shoot wildlife to get one on one with an animal quite larger than you. Domestic cattle in Sanabria region of northern Spain graze freely through meadows and mountains.

I parked the car and walked a long beautiful path, with small hills on the sides covered with green moss and white snow, a spectacle I was not used to see close to my hometown. Then a large field appeared before me, some dispersed trees, muddy paths, and mountains to my left. I saw large cattle and some sheep along the mountain sides and walked on that direction, but the barking of a loose dog kept me at a distance.

Then the snow came, the dog shut up and the animals came down from the hills to meadow. I took my tele lens and waited below a tree for shelter for their approach. Those horns are no joke, and had no idea what their behavior would be in the presence of a stranger, so I took my time and kept under the trees for safety.

Face to face cow. Sanabria, Spain
Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS L II - 200mm, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 640

I could make a million dramatic stories about the image above, but the truth is that it was an enjoyable moment face to face with this cow. I didn’t feel threatened at all, but it is always good to keep a distance and let the animals decide the safe distance for you.

The snow got heavier and for me it was a true spectacle. The following image shows what I felt, a different place at a different time, the cold white spots all around, the eye contact, and the black & white for added drama. This is how I see my country, and Spain some decades ago.

Cow in the snow. Sanabria, Spain
Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS L II - 130mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 1000

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Posted on Sunday, March 25th, 2012 at 9:07 pm. Filed under: Spain, Wildlife Tags: animal, cow, nature, sanabria, spain RSS 2.0 feed.