YOUR PHOTOS ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION
Part 2 of a 4 Part Series
You don't need a professional camera, a photography studio, or perfectly manicured pastures to take great photos of your KuneKunes.
You do need to remember that online, your photos are often someone's first introduction to your pigs and your farm.
GET DOWN ON THEIR LEVEL
Photos taken standing above a pig can distort their proportions and make it difficult to see their actual build. Get the camera closer to pig level whenever possible.
One of our favorite tricks? Use a selfie stick. It lets you get your phone down at piglet height without crawling around the pasture trying to convince a six-week-old pig to stand still. Your knees will thank you.
GOOD LIGHT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Whenever possible, photograph pigs outside in natural light. Morning and later afternoon light are usually much more forgiving than harsh midday sun.
PHOTOGRAPHING A BLACK OR VERY DARK PIG?
PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR EXPOSURE
Dark pigs can easily turn into a black blob on camera, especially when they're standing in shade or against a dark background.
Try to put them in open, even light and choose a background that provides some contrast. On most phones, tapping the pig on your screen before taking the photo will tell the camera to expose for your subject rather than the surroundings. If your phone allows it, slightly increasing the exposure can also help bring out their face, hair, and body detail.
SHOW THE PIG, NOT JUST A PRETTY PICTURE
Try to catch your pig with their head up and moving naturally. A walking photo can be especially useful because it gives potential buyers a better look at the animal's overall structure, movement, length, shoulder development, and hams.
A good side profile is valuable, but don't stop there. Front and rear views can help someone get a much better picture of the animal you're offering.
And sometimes getting that perfect head-up shot means making ridiculous noises, shaking a feed scoop, having someone stand outside the fence, or taking 75 pictures to get three good ones.
Pro tip: take the pictures BEFORE you throw the food. Once the feed hits the ground, congratulations: you now have 47 photos of the top of a KuneKune's head.
DO NOT FORGET THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
If you're marketing breeding stock, some of the most useful photos aren't necessarily the glamorous ones.
For gilts and sows, have clear photos of the underline and teat placement. For boars, include the underline and clear photos showing both testicles.
They don't necessarily need to be the first photos in your Facebook post, but having them ready for an interested buyer saves everyone time and helps buyers properly evaluate potential breeding stock.
YOU DO NOT NEED THE PERFECT BACKGROUND
We're raising pigs. There may be fences, feeders, dirt, hay, mud and the occasional photobombing pig butt.
That's okay.
A reasonably uncluttered area helps your pig stand out, but an authentic farm photo doesn't need to look like it came from a catalog.
TAKE MORE PHOTOS THEN YOU THINK YOU NEED
Pigs move. Piglets REALLY move.
Take several shots, use burst or Live Photos when you can, and change your angle. Somewhere between the blurry nose, closed eyes, butt shot and pig walking directly into the camera is usually the winner.
Most importantly, let people see the animal.
Good livestock photography isn't about making a pig look better than it is. It's about accurately showing the pig you worked hard to produce.
A beautiful, honest photo can stop the scroll—but the animal should be what keeps their attention.