4:00 In The Morning

My Father is a real nature lover and he enjoys taking pictures just as much as I do. He keeps telliing me that sunrise is the best time of day for taking nature pictures. Personally, I prefer to sleep through sunrises. I am not a morning person so he really had to twist my arm to convince me to get up at 4:00AM and take a scenic drive into the country with him. Well Dad was right (as usual). It was worth it!

The Wild!

I love going for a drive into the country without a particular destination. For some strange reason, going down a road I have never been down before, excites me. Last weekend, I had the opportunity for such an adventure... and WOW, it sure paid off! My first great find was on a grid that had a small bridge with a large slough on both sides of the road. I spotted something swimming in the water so I got my Husband to stop the truck and let me out on the bridge. When he pulled ahead to park, the critter swam closer and closer. I got my camera ready and snapped some shots as it approached and continued shooting until the critter swam under the bridge. It was a mink!!! My Father is what I would call a "nature nut" and he said that in all his years, he has NEVER seen a mink swim. I was so excited! Our road trip in the boonies was coming to an end. The sun was getting low in the sky and my five year old Son was getting tired of touring and hungry. We started making our way back to the city when out of the corner of my eye, I saw what I thought was a bird's nest move. I have heard stories of porcupines climbing trees, but in all my years, I have never been in the right place at the right time. It was not a bird's nest... IT WAS A PORCUPINE IN A TREE! It was time for some off-roading! As we approached the trees, I could see the porcupine in a panic trying to make his way out of the tree, but we got to him before he got down to the ground. He froze... quills flared. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins! I was close enough to reach out and touch him. He wasn't moving a muscle, so I got several pictures before stepping back and letting him go back to doing his own thing. This road trip made my day!! I was smiling ear to ear and couldn't wait to get home and download the images! Here are a few of my photos from the day!

Land of the Living Skies

I am most productive and do most of my creative thinking between midnight and 2AM (I think I was a nocturnal creature in a former life!). I was born and raised a Saskatchewan girl, and I appreciate the beauty of this province's Living Sky... especially at night! When the Aurora Borealis start to dance, a thunderstorm rolls in or the meteor showers start in August, I run for my camera and order my Husband to get me as far away from the city lights as he can! Sometimes the camera doesn't capture what the eye can see, and other times, the camera sees so much more that is seen by the eye. The photograph here was taken on an evening when the Northern Lights were faintly dancing in the sky. I wasn't sure how vivid the colours would show up, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and downloaded the images. Enjoy!

Good things come in "Two(s)"!

Here they are! Two wonderful two year old children. They are the first set of twins that I have had the opportunity to work with... and luckily for me, on more than one occasion. The first time their Mother brought the twins to the studio, she wasn't feeling overly optimistic that the two would sit still long enough to get a picture that wasn't just a blur. She had been turned away from a big chain studio because the children were "too active". Her story touched me and I was determined to make this work for her. I have raised a family, so I know how challenging it can be to keep the attention of two year olds! Everything was great! Patience is a virtue and having a helpful Mom, Dad and Grandma on the sidelines being actively involved made the job so much easier... Thank-You guys!

Trying something new and exciting!

This is the first time I have ever tried a blog. I thought it would be a fun way to communicate with friends and families who have opened their hearts and homes to give me the opportunity to capture their lives through my lens. I am looking forward to getting more familiar with "blog life" so I can share my comments and the photographs of people who have given me a quick glimpse into how they live and love.