kerry ould

Rolleiflex roll #1 - not bad for an antique

It's been a while since I've found the time to blog.  It's been a busy couple of months, but hopefully things are getting back on track.

After a successful bidding war on eBay, I finally received my Rolleiflex. Since it came from Germany, it took FOREVER to arrive, and without an English manual.  Google is a wonderful thing, and within a couple of minutes of searching I was able to download a PDF of the original manual in English.

I recently shot my first roll and I have to say that I miss film!  Part of the fun of photography is the anticipation of seeing what you got after it's developed.  Digital is great, but because it's so immediate, and the number of shots you can take are virtually unlimited, I have found myself falling out of love with it as it's becoming almost too much about the technology and less about the art.

Shooting just 12 frames of 120 film with my Rolleiflex easily took me over an hour as I was much more deliberate knowing I only had a few shots to work with.  I feel like there's a stronger connection to the artistic process for me with my new friend and that is making me very happy.

I have to admit that I was very afraid that the film would come back all black, but it didn't.  And in fact, the meter is bang on - I would even argue that it exposes better than my very fancy Canon. And there is a buttery richness to the images that just doesn't happen with film.

Here are a few of the test images I took using Kodak Ektar 100.  Other than converting the high resolution scan to B&W in Photoshop, I did not adjust them.  I am pretty impressed with the Rollei...can't wait to get out there and do some more shooting.  I bought a bunch of different types of film to try.  This could get expensive (which is about the only downside to film I can think of!).

 

Jake - a very uncooperative Golden Retriever

Cricket - getting into the catnip

Daisy - doing what she does best...plotting world domination.

Sneak peek: Storiline Skye Knight | Dog photography

Today was a perfect day for a winter snow session, and just in the nick of time as it looks like the snow may be gone by next weekend.  My session was with Storiline Skye Knight, a beautiful golden retriever - and it was a very special session for me as Skye is Jake's full sister (Celeste x Bentley, September 2009).  It was fun to see the differences and similarities between then - for example, Skye is much calmer than Jake, yet I think they have a very similar expression.  They are also both lovely dogs.  If only I were home more to take care of a dog! 

Skye is just about 18 months old now and I think she looks very Hollywood in her photos.

Stay tuned for more from Skye's session...

A whole year of Jake | Dog photography

Jake turned 1 back in the fall.  Because he has grown up with a couple of photographers in the family, there are lots of photos of him.  I thought it would be fun to put some of my favourite photos into an album to see how he changed over the year.  You can see the album on my Silver Lining Photography Facebook page.

To me, pulling together albums like this really reiterates the value of photography.  It's amazing how many of the small details you forget without a little visual reminder. 

I've also been loving all the photos my horsey friends have been posting over on Facebook this week (apparently you have all used your snow day well!).  There are lots of old pictures flying around, and it's bringing back some very, very happy memories for all of us.  Say what you will about Facebook, but it does have its uses.

5 years of images | Horse & Dog photography

I was fortunate enough to be able to take a vacation over the past couple of weeks to catch up on many things - like revisiting some aspects of my photography business, spending time with Poppy and generally just recouperating from a busy 2010. 

Another thing I found time for was going back through my archives and pulling together just over 90 of my favourite images from the past 5 years.  It was tough narrowing down the images, so the way I did it was to include images that stick out in my mind, as well as those that have been favourites from my fans.    Overally, I found the process really energizing, and it got my creative mind working a bit.  Hopefully the next 5 years will bring even more images like these.

Be sure to click on the "Open publication" link below to see the album in full screen.  Enjoy, and let me know what you think. 

Were there any images that stand out in your mind that I didn't include?

What's your favourite image from the album?

Open publication - Free publishing - More photography

Gift certificates and snow

If you are already in mall-avoidance mode, let me help!  Silver Lining Gift certificates are available in any denomination and don't require a trip to the mall. 

Snow sessions

Just a reminder as well that winter photo shoots are available - and often result in magical photos for both dogs and horses.  I still have a couple of more spots available so if you are interested, let me know and I will provide you with more details. 

Jake at 10 months | Dog photography

Here's Jake at 10 months.  He is a terror.  Shortly after these photos were taken, his squirrel was stripped naked of his little yellow vest and part of his tail.

 

Jake and the bone | Dog photography

The only thing that seems to keep Jake quiet is his bone.  It's actually quite disgusting as it's a real bone that gets filled with peanut butter or cheese for him to lick at.  Between that and watching him eat a grub out of the lawn, I am now avoiding his sloppy kisses.  He is pretty cute though...

Jake and the garden hose | dog photography

Jake has a strange fascination with the garden hose.  He attacks it.  It's quite entertaining and does make for some fun photos - though watering the garden is now an epic challenge.