Setup for intense Texas summer light?

[Convert]

I've always had difficulties shooting in the bright light of the Texas summer. My solution has been to just not shoot during the day, or only shoot in the shade during the day, but that isn't always practical. Recently I've been approached by one of the hog doggers about taking photos of his cattle for auctions. Just the thought of the bright sun reflecting off dark cattle in the the Texas summer is making me anxious.

So, what sort of setup do you use to make the most out of the sun? Either in camera on equipment. I'm thinking crank down the exposure a couple ticks and maybe a polarizing filter. Any other tricks you like to use?

[texag93]

Turn your ISO down would be one thing. Filter of some sort. Don't do the filters so not sure which one.

[TBoat]

Low ISO, Close your aperture down (f16 down to f32 area), and use the highest shutter speed that will sync with a flash. Yes I said flash, it will fill in the dark shadows. A neutral density filter will help if you get the shutter speed down if you dont have high speed sync capability.

[Shane]

A polarizing filter works well to tame bright light and glare - like glare on shiny black cattle. Ditto on the low ISO, small aperture, and fill flash when needed. An on-camera flash can kill any hint of directional light and depth-producing shadows though, so you may not want to use it in every situation.