Here is my 5' x 10' banner that you can expect to see up at the Millarville Racetrack on July 1st for their 114th Annual races.
I was originally going to have one of my current images plastered on this from edge to edge with my logo in one of the corners, but since this will be placed on the inside rail of the track and with spectators about 200 feet back, the text just wouldn't be visible so I had to go with logo only.
With what looks to be rain season here in Alberta, I am looking forward to taking advantage of it by continuing on with more of this from last December. I can't believe it's already been 6 months since I captured this. This picture was taken on a day of wet snow and rain, it was very windy and cold.
"Bad Weather Makes Wonderful Photographs".
Yes you heard that right. One of the biggest misconceptions is that bad weather makes for terrible pictures. In my opinion, there is no bad or good weather for shooting photographs, as each type of weather has got its own beauty. By working in not so favorable weather, you have the opportunity to tell stories that wouldn't be available to you on bright sunny days. Bring in thunder and lightning and you can reach another level of storytelling.
You can dramatically alter the message and heaviness of your images by simply working in not so enjoyable weather conditions. We shall see what I find.
One of the challenges when choosing a specific time of day to work in is that you won't know how well that sun will set, or if you are working in the morning then how well that sun will rise until it actually happens. There is a reason why landscape photographer's will often have to make numerous trips back to the same location, because some days they just don't get the kind of light that they are looking for.
The sunset in our photo shoot with Brenda Dyck-MacMaster and her boy Fynnigan was just average, it wasn't terrible but it was far from spectacular. Clouds came in just as the sun would start to go down, then minutes later those clouds were gone and all of a sudden our nicely lit location was too bright, so then we would have to move to another location. This just goes to show you just how quickly the sun moves and when on a larger property you have to move quick to get to your new optimal spot.
The lighting was just never, what I would consider to be breathtaking and that was because the peak of this one sunset was actually when we all had gone home for the night and I was driving off the property. But hey, this is just a prime example of how you can't predict how a sun is going to set or rise on any given day.
This is why when I book my sessions, I always show up 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time, so that I can walk the property and find the absolute best spots and angles to work from.
All in all, I felt that it was still a great outcome. I just would have loved if the sun came down a bit sooner, so that we could have worked in that magical light because it sure was stunning, as I watched the rich oranges, reds and yellows softly stream across the pastures when leaving the property.
It was a pleasure working with you and your boy Brenda and I hope you enjoyed your experience!
Click HERE to view all the images.
Even though I had some pretty significant limitations (can't go up and down the hills) because I'm not 100% yet, I was able to recently make my way out to Ryan Fleetwood's place to visit the foals and mares. We didn't quite get the stunning sunrises and sunsets from last July, but as a photographer you always learn to work with what's given to you.
Click HERE to view all of the images.
Dubai World Cup
Meydan RaceCourse - Dubai, UAE.
Last but not least, here is #1 of my Top 10 favorite images so far in 2019.
We've all heard the term that a picture says a thousand words and this specific image most definitely achieves that.
This is currently my #1 of 2019 because ever since I was a little kid, I've always had a place in my heart for individuals with disabilities, whether it's mental or physical. I've also been through the everyday struggles of having had a disability and a disorder myself, and when you spend endless hours and years of your life learning how to cope with what you've been diagnosed with, it hits you on another level in realizing just how much of a burden disabilities can have on anyone.
Unfortunately not everyone is able to beat their disabilities depending on the nature of them but speaking from experience, conquering a disability (or even reaching a new stage of positive progression) is the best feeling in the world. Not only does it lift a huge weight off of your shoulders but you truly do have your life back. So I've always had the natural tendency to reach out and connect with people with disabilities (individuals or groups) on a more personal level to give them my support.
So many of these little kind gestures in life go a long way and I feel that at times in today's busy and social media crazed society that they can often be overlooked.
Millarville Races
Canada Day
For the Millarville Races on Canada Day (July 1st), I will no longer be photographing the event, instead I will be filming it.
And what I mean by filming is not a straight forward video of all the races from start to finish of me just panning the camera back and forth, but rather a short documentary shot in the format of what you would see in a movie trailer, just longer.
Movie trailers are so effective because they suck you in. They keep you on the edge of your seat, they get you excited - they immediately draw emotion. That is exactly what I have planned with this video. I will portray the intensity of horse racing, the emotions that it creates and the energy that an event like this provides. It's going to be moving, it's going to be full of emotion and it's going to draw you in. Even though I have yet to start, I already know how I want the finished product to look.
Why the switch? It's simple. You all have already seen what I am capable of in terms of photographing an event like this both on and off the track (example: Dubai World Cup) but nobody has seen what I can do on the video side at such an event and this is a core component of my business that I've been wanting to exploit. Pictures are great and all but video is something else, as it is far more engaging and more powerful.
I will still have one of my picture cameras with me to take a few pictures here and there, but there won't be many, as my primary focus will be video. I can't wait for this!
Cassidy Meston will be assisting me for the day as the extra set of hands will be much needed.
Dubai, UAE.
Here is #2 of my Top 10 favorite images so far in 2019.
Going back to Equine Portraiture and why I love capturing the connection between horse and human so much is because it allows me to provide a unique and fun experience to my clients.
Having pictures taken of you with your horse is not just about collecting memories to cherish for the rest of your life and share with your friends and family. It's also the experience that comes along with it:
1) The smiles in perhaps discovering another side of your horse that you have never seen before,
2) The goofy moments that may come about.
3) The fun times from just getting a very social, flight first animal to work in front of the camera.
It really is an experience in it's own, especially when I am in unfamiliar territory like in this image here.
