kerry ould

Poppy Love | Equine photography

Poppy meets Jake | Horse and dog photography

Today was the first real taste of spring.  The temperature climbed above 0 and the sun was out melting all the horrible ice that's been everywhere at the farm.  There is an end in sight! 

My mom brought Jake up to meet Poppy for an impromptu session today.  Poppy loves dogs.  And I mean loves them.  If I am riding and Bing (the resident barn dog) is in the arena, Poppy always has to go see Bing and get her kisses or she just can't concentrate.  Luckily Jake came from a breeder who also kept horses so he kind of understands what they are all about.

As always, Poppy was a total angel and was very kind and careful around little Jake. Her feet hardly moved, even when Jake was right under her nose.  It's like she knows when to be gentle.  I think it's the Clyde in her breeding. Jake, not surprisingly, had no fear so the two were fast friends. 

My mom did most of the photography today, but I did manage to get a few shots of my own in.  

 

Dance with me - music to edit by

There's nothing better than a relaxing night with a few good books and some good music to inspire some creativity.  It's no secret that I love the 80's and it's this music that I frequently choose to edit photos to. 
My challenge though is that I also love some of the more alternative current bands.  Imagine my happiness when I discovered Nouvelle Vague - a modern band that covers the 80's.  The perfect mix.

This is my current favourite I think (though it changes daily). 

If you are following this via my facebook feed, here's the link.

Which brings me to my next point...if you are on facebook, be sure to become a fan of Silver Lining Photo

I've really been enjoying everyone's comments about my images, so please keep sending along your feedback - either via the fan page, or from my blog by clicking the "comment" link at the end of each post.

And since no post is complete without a photo, here's one I haven't shared before.  It's one of the wild ponies I photographed in Wales.  The light was so perfect that day.  It was also one of the most inspiring and moving places I've ever been.  I will go back.

Daisy with a macro lens | Cat photography

Daisy is typically a very hard cat to photograph.  She is very suspicious and flighty - except near dinner time.  And then, she will put up with just about anything as long as she is near her bowl.  I used today as an opportunity to play around a bit more with my Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro.  It's a noisy lens so I don't use it often since it scares many animals.  It does however take great photos once you get the hang of it, and once the animal is desensitized to the sound.  It's not my favourite lens, but it has its uses.

I started with some macro images of Daisy's cute little pink nose and her bright green eyes.  From there, I moved on to a few more portrait type shots.  Here are some of my favourites. 

All were shot at f2.8 at ISO1600 with the Canon 5D.

NYC | Travel Photos

A few images from our trip to NYC.  I love the retro-ness of the viewing machine things.

Poppy | Horse photography

Poppy has really grown up over the last few months so I thought it was time to grab a few shots of her.  Now that she knows her name, she's a little easier to get some photos of.  I just have to call her and she pops her head up and pricks her ears forward. 

I still have some availability for fall sessions.  If you are thinking about a session, get your request in soon.  The next month will be the best for the fall colour.

Perfect Light | Horse Photography

Early morning light at the barn.  Sometimes it's worth getting out of bed early on the weekend.

Vintage portrait of Sarah

Some of my favourite photos are the ones I take when people don't know the camera is on them.  This is one example and also a new favourite photo for me.  It also helps that I now have an amazing zoom lens...easier to catch people unaware.

I snuck up on Sarah while she was helping me with Seuss in the round pen (basically a small paddock) yesterday afternoon.  I processed the image so it has a vintage-y feel as I think it really suits Sarah somehow.  I also really like the lines of the fence and the grain that's showing in the wood.

Up next:  some of the images of Seuss I took on Sat.  Including one set I like to call "after the bath"...

Cricket...as a test subject

Well, I finally got frustrated enough with my old zoom lens that I made the investment in a new one.  I've been drooling over this one for a while.  It's a Canon 70-200 2.8L with image stabilization.  You can read more about it here.  I've used it for the last couple of dog sessions (Vince, Dakota, Archie & Radar) but it was actually Cricket that was my test subject to get the hang of it.

This lens is perfect for working with animals since you can sneak up on them a bit better.  The lens is also basically silent.  My old zoom that had image stabilization was not so it would actually scare more nervous animals.  I am so in love with this lens. 

Cricket is a great subject.  She's pretty unfazed by just about everything.

Don't be fooled by her cranky look...she's actually a big suck who loves attention.

Catnapping sisters

Daisy and Cricket are from the same litter of stray kittens.  When I went to pick ONE to bring home, they were the only 2 left and I just couldn't separate them.  So I brought them both home.  They really love each other most of the time and you often find them napping together - especially in the winter.  This is their favourite spot in the house.  This window gets sun almost all day and they like watching for the rabbit in the backyard.

I love how their tails are curling in this photo.  Funny how much longer Daisy's tail is!