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Winter 2007
Newsletter |
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ALPACA Works
Valuing the Past...Breeding for the Future
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Winter
2007 -
Vol 2, Issue 2
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What's in This Issue... |
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Quick
Links |
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Greetings
from Heritage Farm, |
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Welcome to the winter issue of ALPACA
Works, the quarterly newsletter for both
seasoned alpaca breeders and new enthusiasts who want to
learn more about these fascinating animals. This issue
continues with another article on fiber and an
opportunity to attend a fiber dyeing workshop. You'll
also learn some techniques that will help you take great
pictures of your alpacas for your marketing
campaigns.
Even with the mild temperatures most of us have been
experiencing, winter is fall from over. Are your and
your alpacas prepared when winter finally arrives? Find
out by reviewing an article from last winter's issue
from Dr. David Anderson entitled "Hypothermia
-- Are You Ready for Winter". |
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Explore the
possibilities of painting color into your alpaca fiber!
This workshop, taught by noted fiber artist Vanessa
Kessler, provides you with the tools and techniques
to create your own colorful fiber art. The class begins
with two hours of instruction and demonstration.
Different methods for dyeing your protein fibers, yarns,
and roving will be shown. You will learn how to mix,
apply, and set the dyes using various techniques. Then
the fun really begins! The rest of the workshop you will
be experimenting using your own yarns, fibers, and
rovings.
Location: Heritage Farm
Date:
March 17th, 2007
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00
PM
Enrollment is limited, so call or
email today if you are interested. The cost of the
workshop is $45 which includes some materials to get you
started. Other materials are available for purchase.
Lunch is included!
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This article from
our Getting Started Guide discusses the importance of
follicles and the corellation to fiber
fineness.
Follicles are the skin structures from which
the fiber grows. Alpacas have two distinct follicle types: the
primary follicles and the secondary follicles. Primary
follicles are the first follicles to develop in the fetus
during the first three months after conception and are the
focal point around which secondary follicles form at a later
stage. Primary follicles produce fibers that are greater in
diameter and have little or no crimp in the staple and no
crinkle in the individual fiber. These are the relic of guard
hairs that are seen in primitive types of alpacas as long,
straight hairs that project beyond the length of the finer and
softer down underneath.
Secondary
follicles produce the undercoat or down of the fleece and
are the softer, finer fibers that give alpaca fiber its luxury
feel and improved insulation qualities. The secondary
follicles develop around the primary follicles after the
fourth month to create follicle groups. A higher ratio of
secondary follicles to primary follicles creates finer, softer
and more uniform fleeces. In huacayas, the secondary fibers
create the crimp which is exhibited as waves within the staple
or lock.
A subtype of the
secondary follicle is called a derived secondary
follicle. Fibers from derived secondary follicles exit the
skin from the secondary follicles they are grouped around.
They have their own follicle root and enter the follicle
sheath from the side and share a common exit point from the
skin. These fibers are the finest the alpaca produces and form
a higher percentage in the fleece of elite alpacas. The
noticeable fineness may be due to the increase pressure of
several of these fibers exiting the same skin opening. This
causes the fibers to not only squeeze through by becoming
finer but also longer because of the squeezing action.
Needless to say, these are highly desirable
fibers.
A third type of
fiber is called medulated fiber. Medulated fibers are
course fibers that cover a range of types including solid,
hollow and various grades between the two extremes. They
create problems for the fiber processors in that they do not
accept dye readily or uniformly thus producing variations
within the yarn that make it largely unacceptable for premium
markets. They present customer acceptance problems for
processors because they have sharp ends which protrude from
the finished product and create a prickle factor when felt
against the skin. In the early days of alpaca development in
the U.S., much was made of the supposed superior insulation
properties of this miracle fiber with its hollow core. Alpaca
fiber was touted as having 5, 8 or even 10 times the
insulating qualities of even the finest wool. It is now
generally thought that this claim is without merit. Hollow,
medulated fibers are not desirable. |
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Creating Great Alpaca Photos |
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"Good livestock
photography stands out because of its rarity," Darol Dickinson
noted in the introduction to his book, Photographing
Livestock: the Complete Guide. Why? Because photographing
livestock is so tricky. It seems an infinitely complex mix of
animals, people, actions, lighting, weather, settings,
purposes and other considerations, often requiring action
within the blink of an eye.
Not only is it
tricky, livestock photography can be downright difficult.
"This was some of the hardest work I've ever done,"
agricultural writer Lee Pitts once confessed. "You'd jostle
with an obstinate beast for hours to get the pose right, and
then a telephone pole would be growing out of its back, the
animal would decide to go wee-wee or would tire of the whole
ordeal and boost you over a fence."
Still, by
understanding some basic techniques and with a little
practice, you can produce some great alpaca photographs. Time
spent on the farm and in the field is precious, so make the
most of it by practicing and applying some of these
skills.
A few tips for
success:
Use the right equipment for your purpose. Digital
technology is revolutionizing photo-imagery and digital
cameras make posting images to the internet a breeze. Buy the
best quality of digital camera and lenses you can afford. But,
the camera with the most mega
pixels is not necessarily the best.
The best time of day for good natural lighting is early in
the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is soft.
Avoid the glare of the mid-day sun when the shadows are harsh
and unflattering for both people and animals. One of the best
lighting conditions is a bright cloudy day. With this diffuse
light, you don't have to deal with difficult exposure problems
caused by harsh shadows.
For the sharpest possible pictures, keep the camera
steady. Brace it against your face, keep your arms against
your body and plant your feet slightly apart. Gently squeeze
the shutter - don't jab. If there is a post or other steady
object nearby, lean against it.
Most digital cameras are auto-focusing, but you can still
have disappointing results if you do not point the focusing
eye (an indicator in your viewfinder) at the part of the
subject you want to be in sharpest focus. Consult your camera
manual for specific instructions on how to use auto-focus to
its fullest advantage.
Practice good composition by cropping your photographs in
your camera. Begin shooting your images from the distance you
feel is right, and then gradually zoom in closer. Some of the
best images are extreme close-ups. Move in as close as
possible and fill your viewfinder with as much of the subject
as you can.
Be careful not to cut off feet or ears. You need to know
how much of the subject in your viewfinder will be recorded in
the camera because it's not always what you see. Tilt your
camera sideways to see which composition makes the best
statement for the intended purpose.
Strive to keep your composition simple - concentrate on
one idea at a time. Before shooting, look closely through the
viewfinder and eliminate any details that don't contribute to
the idea you have in mind.
In theory, it is desirable for all animals in a group shot
to be looking in the same direction. Practically, this is
difficult to achieve so practice, practice, practice.
Make sure your background is free of clutter. Poor
backgrounds ruin more pictures than any other factor except
for exposure. If the background is good, it will generally add
to the composition and set the mood. If it is bad, if will
greatly detract for the final effect.
Shoot light colored alpacas against a dark background.
Solid evergreen trees make an excellent background for a white
animal. Try to capture dark animals against the sky or other
lightly colored backgrounds.
Make sure your digital photo is taken and/or saved at the
proper resolution for it's intended use. Click the link below
for more information on dpi, resolution and mega
pixels.
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Photography to Promote Your Farm |
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So far, we have
discussed some basic skills for taking a good photograph. So
let's apply the principles we've learned to take a good
advertising shot:
Think about the concept for your ad. What do you want to
convey with this photo? Are you striving to capture an
adorable baby alpaca? An elegant face? A herd sire with
terrific presence? A close-up of fleece? A warm and inviting
farm scene?
Once you decide on the concept, it's time to meet your
subjects. If you are taking a field shot, wait till the light
is right and simple hang out in the field with your camera set
and ready. Get another person to help you. When the animal
moves into a suitable background, have the other person stand
in front of the animal and do something to get their
attention, wave their arms, whistle or do whatever necessary
get the alpaca to look at him. This is harder than it sounds.
The key is to move slowly and have patience.
The correct stance for a natural side profile shot is to
have the neck extended vertically and ears pointed forward.
The subject should look alert, alive and well. The back should
be straight and the back leg furthest from the camera should
be slightly forward of the other leg.
Use fill
in flash (or use a reflector) when the animal is backlit.
These techniques can enhance an animal's appearance, revealing
shadow detail and showing an animal's entire presentation. A
portrait lens (telephoto) will ensure proper proportioning,
although a normal lens will also produce a satisfactory image.
A wide-angle lens, however, should generally be avoided in
order to prevent any distortion.
If the photo is not to your liking, delete it and try
again. You may take many pictures before you get the ones you
want. That's the beauty of using a digital camera! Patience is
critical especially for young animals. If the animal won't set
up properly, walk him/her out and circle back to the set up
spot. Keep trying until you get the result you want. If the
subject becomes bored with the whole process and grumpy, put
her away and try another animal then come back when she is
rested.
A
picture is worth a thousand words--but bad pictures of your
alpacas can cost you plenty! Many potential customers' first
impression of your alpacas and your farm is through a sale
catalog, an advertisement in a breed publication or on the
internet -- you want their first impression to be a good
one.
Once you have taken
all your pictures, be sure to identify them correctly. If they
stored on a digital file, give them a descriptive file name
and organize them in files created for each of your alpacas.
If you make prints and place them in an album, be sure you
have a reference to the digital file so you can easily make
more prints. There are many ways you can use your photos, but
make sure after all your hard work - put them where you can
enjoy them! Enter them into a photo contest. Enlarge that
special photo and frame it, use a digital copy for your
desktop wallpaper, and keep a copy in your alpacas' permanent
record. |
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That's all for this issue. Hopefully you
have taken away some valuable information. If you would like
to learn more about alpacas or to see what we have for sale, we invite you to visit our website
or better yet, schedule a visit to Heritage
Farm sometime soon.
Hoping for a continued mild
winter and early spring!
Sincerely,
Tim & Beth Sheets
Heritage Farm Suri Alpacas - Flora, IN
phone: 765-566-3077
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