MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Hope you all get to spend time and connect with the people who mean the most to you in your lives.

MY TOP 5 BIGGEST HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018!

I would like to put off my final Day 12 of voting (which will contain my final 9 images) for just a day, as I would like to go over:

𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝟱 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴:

(𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻): 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺? 
Two photos from my first visit to a racetrack making publications. One of these two photos is in the running for the Standardbred Canada's "Media of Excellence Award".

𝟱. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿
This was purely for research and what an experience this was! Up until this time, I have never been in a helicopter before and I am terrified of heights. Shooting video inside something with that much turbulence was a new but fresh challenge, especially when there were serious compromises and I had to do it handheld.

𝟰. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝘂𝗺 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
My Poles & Spurs Skijoring album from February was shared on the Western Horse Review Facebook page and not long after I met with the owner of Western Horse Review, Jennifer Webster.
I was so delighted when my album got shared by Western Horse Review because this happened very early in the year and of course at the time I was just starting out in my Equestrian career. Meeting Jennifer Webster was icing on the cake.

𝟯. 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲
Nine photos from my first time photographing Thoroughbred horse racing back in July, made the 2019 Sponsorship Marketing package for the 114th Annual Millarville Races. To top it off, I received a formal request by the committee to return for the 2019 115th Annual races, which I gladly accepted.

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱
This one is pretty self explanatory. I am a big fan of not just Jonathan's philosophy when it comes to horses but who he is as a person. He has earned his reputation as one of the best horseman by respect, hard work and just being Jonathan Field

𝟭. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀' 𝗖𝘂𝗽 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 
Words can't even explain just how much of a beneficial LEARNING experience this was for me moving forward. It was by far the biggest event on a grand scale of things that I have attended. From the start to the very end, it was extremely monumental!

Next week I will have "𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝟱 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗" - this is one that you do NOT want to miss!

THOROUGHBRED CENTER IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY.

So when I was in Kentucky earlier this month, one thing that I REALLY wanted to do and come back with was a video montage from start to finish of my entire trip down there, right from the second I left my house to when I got back.

I did not bring any of my video cameras with me but I did bring my NEW GoPro Hero 7 Black with me, that I had just acquired a couple weeks prior to my trip, after testing out a friend's copy and fell in love with it so much that I ended up buying one for myself. I have never been a GoPro fan (always favored the Sony's) but the new 7 Black is one very impressive piece of gear that I have some great uses for.

Unfortunately, as much as I tried to do a creative and super fun video montage, it just was not possible. My hands were absolutely tied with pictures and capturing all the other moments, so getting video throughout the entire trip would have either required another person to be with me or have completely separate days just to film make. Shooting a video montage from start to finish on a trip requires a lot of time as you are constantly recording and I just could not find the time for it.

However, I did get a very short clip of one very cool building down in Lexington that caught my eye, the Thoroughbred Center! Just the outside, as I was only there for a few minutes and it was raining out but a very nice training center nonetheless. I could only imagine how it looks in the Spring and Summer months. I just love historic buildings with clean lines and strong architectural accents.

IPS IS COMING IN Q1 2019!

IPS!!! It is currently in the works and I am excited to say that it's coming in Q1 of 2019. I am proud to announce that I have just joined forces with Resolve Photographic Services here in Calgary, AB to provide me with their absolutely spectacular, one of a kind print services.

One question that I get asked all the time is "Do I do prints and if not, will I be offering this service in the future?"

Picturing my work on people's walls was always a goal of mine right from the get go but print service was not in my original business plan last year (I had my reasons for not including it and with no regrets), but as time went on and I got more and more requests for offering it, I eventually added this to my list. But I don't see print service as just that, I see it as much more beyond that. As always, I look and go right for the big picture and that is IPS.

I am envisioning exactly how I would like to offer this service but it's still in the early stages as l am currently going over pricing structures, framing and print options at this time. Again, quality over quantity! It's not going to be just any ordinary service, I plan on tailoring it to exactly how horse lovers and people in the equestrian world want it.

I may take lovely photos but by no means do I consider myself a print, framing or home-interior expert. So this is where my Interior Designer and framing expert comes into play and will work closely with me.

I will be making another follow up announcement hopefully some time before the year end as we get a bit closer. Resolve Photo is quite busy at this times of year so there are no guarantees but we are trying our best.

Thank you to Pamela Johnson Converse for giving me a final kick in the butt to finally convince me to get serious and put my game face on in the IPS universe. :)

Even though I am not a landscape photographer, here is one photo of mine from this past summer that has been asked for by many people and since I currently do not have any framed photos of mine (it will come and I promise that it will be well worth your wait!), I figured I would just re-show this image.

Stay tuned for updates. :)

SURPRISE GIFT TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

With winter here, you know which event I am so excited for again, so I thought I would re-visit one of my best photos to date.

To WIN a surprise gift from me: ($130 VALUE)

1) Caption this photo. One caption per person. Be creative!
2) Want a double entry? TAG a friend in this post.
3) Want a third entry? SHARE this post.

I will draw for the WINNER using a random number generator on Saturday December 1st. Good luck to everyone entering. :)

5 WAYS TO TAKE BETTER PICTURES!

We all know that just about every horse lover out there today very much enjoys taking pictures of them with their horse(s). However, just because many do enjoy this activity, doesn't necessarily mean that they are always happy with their results. So here are my 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝟓 tips on how YOU can start taking better pictures of you and your horse(s) TODAY!
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𝟓. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞!
By thinking positive, not only is it extremely beneficial mentally but also physically. When you think positive, it simultaneously drives up your self-confidence, your ambition, your energy and your ability to keep an open mind. Having a positive attitude lays the foundation to success.

𝟒. 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫.
Just because you want to take a picture today doesn't mean you have to. There is always a tomorrow. Instead, why not spend those few minutes reading an article or watching a video on a quick tip on how to improve your photo taking skills? Over time, these little bits and pieces of information add up and you will be a more thorough, wiser and more knowledgeable photographer.

𝟑. 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭.
As we already know, a key component when it comes to working with horses is "Setting yourself up for success." This 100% applies to my #3 tip here. For instance, if it's pouring rain outside causing it to be super dark inside the barn that you are in with your horse(s) and it's creating harsh shadows - don't try to force a good picture if the setting isn't allowing it. Set yourself up for success by putting yourself in the best situation possible and that starts with competent lighting.

𝟐. 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐭.
Take your time, be creative. Taking great pictures isn't a race. It's not about who can hit the shutter button the quickest. Nor is it about who can take the most pictures. It's about understanding light and how to beautifully demonstrate it's majestic characteristics through a camera lens. Envisioning what kind of image you are wanting to portray and knowing how to go about achieving it, even if you have to think outside the box or step outside your comfort zone.

𝟏. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞!
I can't emphasize this enough. Practice makes perfect and because photography is heavily a hands-on craft, the more you get out in the real world and experiment with your camera, the better you will get. Photography has much less of a learning curve compared to say Videography but yet it is outrageously difficult to master. So get out there, make mistakes (and a ton of them), see what works and what doesn't.

2019 STANDARDBRED CANADA CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT

From Thoroughbreds to Standardbreds we go, Standardbred Canada have been very busy finalizing their production of their 2019 Calendar, which will be available for order in the first week of December. If you would like a calendar, please contact Hailey Saunders at hsaunders@standardbredcanada.ca

Back in April of this year, I made my very first trip to a race track, which was at Century Downs in Balzac AB, and saw this moment that I just had to capture in the first hour being there, while the crew were out on the track.

This picture will be displayed in the calendar for the month of February, as well used as Standardbred Canada’s photo of the month for February. A small featured piece will also be written on me to be shared.

A big thank you to Chelsea Chase for having me out that day. If it wasn’t for Chelsea, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to capture this special moment inside the barns that summarizes the Harness Racing world very well showing the passion, dedication and hard work that all the racers put in, day in and day out with their horses.

There will be an official announcement coming in the next week or two from Standardbred Canada. Stay tuned.