Through my Lens

Sled Dog Races - Bancroft, ON

2011-02-20T15:15:00.002-08:00

A few shots from the Sled Dog Races

Saturday Feb, 19, 2011
Bancroft, ON

I'm back!

2011-02-20T15:15:00.001-08:00

Time to start sharing photos again!

Candy From Strangers

2010-01-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

The competition this month has begun over at Zuda and Jim's comic with Byron Jackson is one of the featured. So please check out "Candy From Strangers" and the other competitors and don't forget to vote for your favourite.

And if you've got the time please drop Jim a note letting him know what you think!

2009-11-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

Our 2010 Newf Friends Calendars are ready to go!

These oversized 12x18 calendars are printed on the same high quality, heavy weight, high gloss paper we have used in previous years, have metal spiral binding across the top, and feature loads of full colour images of gorgeous Newfs. These beautiful calendars are the perfect gift for all of the Newf lovers on your shopping list.

All of the dogs featured in our calendar have either gone through our foster program, or belong to friends and supporters of our rescue. 100 % of the proceeds from the sale of our calendar go directly to HART's Newf Friends Fund to help Newfoundland Dogs in need.

Calendars can be picked up in person in Bancroft at West Wind Gallery & Gifts, or ordered online through the HART website www.hartanimalrelief.ca

Also available on the HART site is their All Breed calendar, featuring images of some of the gorgeous dogs who have gone through the HART foster program. 100 % of the proceeds of the sale of that calendar go into HART's general fund to assist all breeds of dogs. What a great gift idea for dog lovers!

Basset Hound Rescue of Ontario Calendar

2009-11-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Basset Hound Rescue of Ontario calendar is ready to go! Orders can be placed online at the BHRO Site with 100% of the proceeds going to the BHRO!

Great Blue Heron

2009-08-25T05:32:00.001-07:00

We have a 10 acre or so marsh on the front of our property. This protected wetland is home to many varieties of wildlife -- from moose to frogs and everything in between. Yesterday I spent some time paddling around the marsh photographing a great Blue Heron that lives there.

Over the course of an hour I inched my way closer and closer to it trying not to disturb it as it went about it's routine of searching for food.

A remarkable hunter, the heron would sneak up on it's prey and strike with great precision, catching a fish or frog with little effort.

Basset Hound Rescue of Ontario Basset Bustle

2009-06-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Basset Hound Rescue of Ontario's big Basset extravaganza, the Basset Bustle!

Click any picture to see it in larger size.

Well over 120 hounds came out to romp and play at the off leash park at the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA. Many other dogs joined in on the activities and a great time was had by everyone!

I volunteered my time photographing loads of gorgeous hounds for the 2010 BHRO calendar which will be available for purchase later this year through the BHRO website.

Hounds of all shapes and sizes came out and posed beauitfully for their calendar photos. From 12 week old puppies to 12 year old beauties...each of them were lovely and charming and a pleasure to photograph.

The 12 large feature images for the 2010 calendar have not yet been selected, but rest assured, every Basset that was photographed will be included in the calendar either in a large or small photo. Stay tuned for more info about the selection of the 12 large images for the calendar!

All images will be available for purchase as prints in a variety of sizes with 100% of the proceeds going back to the BHRO. These will be made available through the BHRO website in the coming months.

Please be sure to visit the BHRO website to order your calendar, prints, and to purchase some of the other great merchandise they have available. All proceeds go to this worthy cause!

Two paws up to all of the BHRO volunteers who worked tirelessly to put this event together. All of their hard work really paid off and a great time was had by all!

Loads more pictures can be seen by clicking here

NDCC National Specialty

2009-05-26T13:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada's National Specialty in Gananoque, ON. What better place to catch up with friends, and snap some pictures of some gorgeous Newfs.

Sled Dog Races

2009-02-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 14th 2009 Bancroft hosted their annual Sled Dog Races...here are a few shots from the day.....

Click any image to see the larger file

Waiting for the race to start

Hurry Up! I want to RUN!

And they're off......

After the race......

There were more than just dogs pulling sleds at this event....horse drawn sleigh rides were a huge hit with kids of all ages!

Thumbs up to this year's event organizers -- it was a fun filled day all around. The shops in downtown were bustling with activity as local artisans set up demonstrations in some of the area stores. Our own shop was lucky enough to have volunteers from the Quilt Club out who chatted with customers and had displays of their beautiful work in our store. The whole event was a huge success.

Dogs

2009-02-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

Some recent dog photos....click any image to see the larger sized version....

Floyd, of course....

The "please, may I have a cookie now?" face

Neptune and Zoë

Beautiful Zoë taking a breather out on the trails

Gentle Marin

One of the dogs from the sled dog races seen here waiting to head out on the trail

Adorable Baron

Marty and Floyd

Schindler -- rescued from an abusive owner to beat him, then tied him to the back of his pick-up truck and dragged him down the road. His abuser was recently found guilty of animal cruelty.

Marty -- our current foster pup

Floyd interrupts Marty's photo session

Marty

Amber

Sweet Clarice - Mom to Marty and several of the other pups we have fostered. She was tossed over the fence at the pound, pregnant and in dreadful condition. All 9 of her puppies have been adopted (Marty is the last of them, and is scheduled to be picked up next week) and Clarice was just adopted into her forever home yesterday.

Herd of Wild Elk

2009-01-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I again had a chance to go out and photograph the herd of wild elk that live outside of Bancroft, Ontario.
Click any image to see the larger version

This little one is the youngest of the herd--a late arrival who still has her spots!

This cow is seen enjoying some of the hay that Joe provides for the herd. He gives them enough to help sustain them, which is what encourages them to return to this same acreage daily around feeding time.

Ahem.......there was a little hankie-pankie going on too....

Pictures from the last shoot I did there can be seen here.

Rescue Shots

2008-11-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

One of the ways I volunteer my time with the local all breed rescue is photographing rescued dogs for them. Here are some of the dogs I snapped some shots of recently.

Above is Molly, below is Kenny.

Cher

Cash

Fossey

George

Brooke

3 Socks

Schindler

Brie

Sonny

Brandy

Mika

Foster Pups

2008-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

The pups in my previous post are growing rapidly and are now dispersed into 3 foster homes, one of which is ours. We are caring for 3 of the little monsters - teaching them the basics of good doggy behaviour, in preparation for their adoption to their forever homes.

One of the many lessons they are learning is how to pose for pictures - this is a work in progress. Here are some shots of the little stinkers so far....click any image to see the larger size.

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Rescue Pups

2008-11-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

Pictured above is Obi (meaning heart), one of the 9 pups born into HART's (Highland Animal Relief Team) care last month.

Obi's mom (Clarice) and 3 others were dumped over the fence at the local pound. Malnourished, filthy, and pregnant she was in very poor shape. She and her siblings were brought into the care of HART and placed into loving foster homes. They all received treatment for parasites, fleas, and were shaved down and cleaned up, given proper nutrition and all except Clarice have now been adopted into loving forever homes.

Clarice whelped 9 pups on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and will be staying with her foster mom a little while longer. The pups will be posted up for adoption soon, and avaialble in mid December once they are old enough to be placed into their forever homes.

HART's website can be viewed at www.hartanimalrelief.ca Donations for the care of dogs such as Obi and her siblings can be made through that site. Pictured below are the 8 other pups from that litter....click any picture to see the larger size image.

Frosty Fall Morning

2008-11-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

The arrival of fall and the cold weather means frost covered plants in the morning - perfect for heading out and snapping a few pictures.
Click the image to view the larger sized picture

Newf Rescue Calendars!

2008-10-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

Finally, the 2009 Newf Friends Newf Rescue calendars are ready to go!

The calendars are the same style as we used last year for the Canadian Newf Rescue calendars - extra large 12 x 18, high quality, high gloss paper, metal spiral binding across the top and over 50 full colour images!

Most of you will recognize at least some of this year's gorgeous models who include Matilda, Marin, Darcy, Volare, Murphy, Mary, Neptune, Ozzy, Bower, Zoë, Caera, and of course, no Newf rescue calendar would be complete without everyone's favourite Basset hound, Floyd.

Calendars can be picked up in Bancroft, ON at West Wind or purchased Online

All proceeds go directly to Newf Friends in Ontario, Canada to assist Newfoundland Dogs and Newf mixes in need. Newf Friends is a foster based Newfoundland Dog Rescue group working in partnership with the wonderful team of volunteers at HART

Thanks for your support!

Fall Days on the Farm

2008-10-02T05:08:00.001-07:00

It was a gray and cool fall day - perfect for heading out and snapping some pictures at my friend's farm.
Click the image to see the larger size.

Meet the gang - Bella the cow and her new calf, and Chloe in the background

Here's Bella - the friendliest cow I know.
Granted, I don't actually know many cows, but she is really very friendly. Bella comes when she's called, she loves to be petted and hugged and is generally just a big sweety.

Her new baby was a little shy when I arrived and was checking me out from a safe distance

She and Chloe have become fast friends, hanging out together in the fields

Everyone say awwwww

This is what it looks like when an enormous cow sees from across the field that you have a bag of apples for her. I've never seen a cow move so fast

Give me some apples!

And no visit to the farm is complete without saying hello to Duke the pig. He was being utterly stubborn and uncooperative and didn't make for a very good subject. He did however manage to stick his little pig snout right on my camera lens.
My strategy for next time is to go over before he has had his breakfast in the hopes of finding him a little more animated and eager to move around.....and to put a filter on my lens.

And finally, one very cool barn.

The New Arrival

2008-10-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

Meet Bella's new calf. Isn't she beautiful?
Click the images to see the larger size.

Chloe

2008-10-02T04:44:00.000-07:00

Meet Chloe. This silly little girl lives on a friend's farm and hangs out with Bella the cow and Bella's new baby. She makes me smile.
Click the images to see the larger size.

Anatomy of the Shake

2008-09-09T04:42:00.001-07:00

Really, is there anything cuter than a Basset Hound captured mid shake? Here's Floyd, caked in mud, turning up the cute meter......watch out for flying floogers!

Click the picture to see the larger sized image!

The pre-shake raspberry

The wind-up

And here we go!

Flinging the mud

Ears complete several full circles

The finale, his face keeps shaking for several seconds after the rest of him stops moving

Daisy

2008-09-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

Up close and personal with a giant daisy

Now that summer is over.....

2008-09-09T04:03:00.001-07:00

I have a little more free time to get out and start shooting again. We had a very busy tourist season up here in paradise and it's been nearly 3 months since I've made a post.

I didn't have time to shoot very much, but here are a few images from throughout the summer...

Sumac

The Moon Rising over Lavallee Lake

Turtles

2008-06-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Each spring around this time a large snapping turtle lays her eggs in our driveway. This year I was lucky enough to see the pair mating just off shore and I braved the bugs to snap a few pictures. Be sure to click the image to see the larger picture.

This is what I came upon - it took me a minute to realize there was another turtle underneath her!

And 6 days later, here she is laying her eggs in my driveway.

Yes, I believe that is Newf fur stuck to her face, since she had to travel through our yard to get to her nesting spot. Ha, ha. Darn dog hair really does get everywhere!

Flowers

2008-06-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few new floral shots.....

Woofstock

2008-06-10T07:34:00.001-07:00

Got Dog?

We headed down to Woofstock in Toronto this past weekend - a huge festival for dogs and dog lovers attracting over a hundred thousand visitors over the weekend. Front street was closed from Jarvis to Yonge for the festivities which included vendors, fashion shows, and the rescue-me walk on Sunday morning.

The Basset Hound Rescue of Ontario was there in full force with an information booth, participating in the rescue me walk, and having their annual picnic at St. Jame's Park.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes were in attendance, and there were lots of activities from dock diving to agility.

For more information on this annual event visit the Woofstock website.

Newfoundland Dog Club of Canada National Specialty 2008

2008-05-26T11:33:00.001-07:00

Some candid shots of some of the dogs at the specialty this past weekend - both show dogs and pet dogs

Jeanne Hitching Up Jake during the Draft Dog Test

Bower Backing Up during the draft dog test

Field Work

Angel

Belle taking a break following the Parade of Veterans

Caera

Ozzy

Volla

Volla In the Ring

And the winner is....MBIS BISS Can/BIS Am Ch Summerford's Ever Vigilant..

Spring

2008-05-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Finally....Spring has arrived in cottage country....the plants and trees are slowly blooming......

Lilacs
Forsythia

Pretty Blooms

Ferns

Violet blooms

Maple Bud

Narcissus

Tiger Lily

Lupin

Ice Storm

2008-04-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

A few shots taken during today's ice storm....

Infant Portraits

2008-04-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

Some recent portraits I took......click the image to see larger size

Tulips Revisited

2008-03-20T06:47:00.001-07:00

Those same tulips from previous posts have reached their end....

Tulips

2008-03-15T10:43:00.001-07:00

Pretty red tulips......click any image to see larger size picture

Hyacinth

2008-03-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite spring blooms......sweet scented hyacinth

Maya

2008-03-15T10:34:00.001-07:00

Today Maya turns 16 years old. I took a few snapshots of her this morning, despite her being a rather uncooperative model refusing to look at the camera......possibly because there were 2 giant Newfs hovering around showing far too much interest in Maya's photo session.

Happy 16th little one....

Sled Dog Races

2008-02-17T05:07:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the annual Frosty Frolics event in Bancroft, ON which starts with a Sled Dog race in the morning. I headed over and took some candid shots of the dogs and mushers prepping for the race, then snapped some pictures of the competitors as they each started out on the course.

Click on any picture to see the larger size.

One of my favourite pictures of the day - capturing the special bond between dog and handler

Getting the gear on the dogs

Lots of anxious howling as the excitement of the race starts to build - these dogs are ready to go!

These two sweeties were in one of the trucks waiting for their turn to run

Ready to go.....just a few minutes to race time...these dogs are all watching their handlers hurry about getting the sleds ready

And they're off!

There's something so special about the look of pure bliss when dogs are doing what they were meant to do......these dogs are born to run, and their joy as they race along the course is evident in every shot

I left early to do a rescue transport for the
Basset Hound Rescue of Ontario
so wasn't able to stick around to photograph the end of the race but am sure that no matter who won, all of the dogs and mushers had a great day.

Elk Restoration Project

2008-02-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I spent the afternoon photographing Elk in the small community of McArthurs Mills, just outside of Bancroft, Ontario. This wild herd of Elk spend most of their time on the property of Joe Neuhold, known in these parts as "The Elk Man". Joe feeds the Elk in his yard, and they come from far and wide to live on his property. They are free to come and go as they please, but with an abundance of fresh hay and grains provided twice daily, a quiet wooded retreat to safely relax in, a pond to swim in, and one very caring man to greet them each day, it's no wonder they choose to set up residence at Joe's.

I got chatting with Joe about the Elk Restoration Project that reintroduced wild Elk to this area in 2000 and the successes of that project. We talked about the pros and cons of feeding the Elk, the risks of deadly brain worm, and the ethics of treating them for such ailments.

I was invited into Joe's home to watch videos of the male Elk during rutting season, to view news clips that have aired about "The Elk Man" and to enjoy Joe's collection of Elk memorabilia. Over a few shots of Jagermeister Joe shared stories about his remarkable experiences with these majestic animals, the successes and the heartbreaks, the ethical challenges, the frustration of dealing with careless hunters, and the incredible sense of satisfaction he receives from spending time with a herd of wild Elk.

Click on any photo to see larger size image

The following image will be featured in the Bancroft and District Chamber of Commerce Destination Guide for 2008

Visitors are welcome to visit Joe's property to view the elk, and bus tours and school groups are encouraged to call him to discuss the best times to view the herd. Joe can be reached at 613-332-2867
Be sure to bring your camera.....and a bottle of Jagermeister for Joe.

UPDATE: March 24, 2008
Joe is closed to visitors right now as the Elk have moved into the bush for the time being

Metro Toronto Zoo

2008-02-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Jim and I spent the day at the Toronto Zoo and I captured some images of a few of the animals on exhibit there. All shots were taken using available light.

Here's Charles - a magnificent Gorilla who was very cooperative letting me photograph him today, unlike my last visit to the zoo. These shots were all taken through glass.

Click any image to see the larger size.

One of the younger Gorillas in the enclosure.

Another adult gorilla. I believe this is the same one who did some great poses for me last year.

Couldn't resist snapping a shot of this gal lounging around.

How cute is this little guy?

A young couple viewing the large aquarium made for an interesting shot I thought.

This little gal looked so very sad and bored.

Mom and baby.

Boredom.

Some more flowers

2008-01-20T05:48:00.001-08:00

This time shot in natural light rather than artificial

Just some Flowers

2008-01-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

Working on some new conversions - click on the image to see larger sizes.

Experiments in Time Lapse

2008-01-17T14:32:00.001-08:00

Inspired by a recent challenge on DPC I decided to try my hand at some digital editing of some of my shots of loons from the summer

Right click the image to open it in a new window to view in full size

And some pics of Floyd

Zoe

Neptune on the Beach

Marin

This one of Matilda was more difficult, and I ran into some problems with it. Looks like I should have quit while I was ahead.

And finally, this one turned out really weird, but I figured I'd post it anyway just as an example of how wrong these things can go. I had visions of a cool time lapse of a retrieve and turning back to shore, but instead I ended up with a three headed Newf monster. Back to the drawing board I guess......

Floyd the Basset

2008-01-09T06:39:00.000-08:00

A few new shots of Floyd that I created using a wide angle lens and some distortion techniques in PS

2008-01-08T05:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was unusually mild for this part of the province in January. It was raining most of the day, with heavy fog, so I wrapped my gear in plastic and headed out to capture a few shots

My beach

Raindrop on branch

The hiking trails - that's Zoe and Floyd running towards me

Raindrops on pine

Newf Rescue

2008-01-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have spent time with us know that our passion for Newfoundland Dogs has lead to our involvement in Newf Rescue in a variety of capacities, ranging from doing the photography for and creating the Canadian Newf Rescue Inc.Calendar to adopting Newfoundland Dogs in need. We currently have 4 Newfs living with us, and a Basset Hound, just to keep us on our toes.

As I visit Newf Rescue sites I take pictures of some of the dogs that are waiting for homes.

To learn more about Newfoundland Dog Rescue across Canada visit ourNewf Rescue Resource Site

Andrea & Joel

2007-11-27T05:43:00.001-08:00

Here's a sample of some of the shots from Andrea and Joel's beautiful winter wedding at Eaton Hall in King City.

A few shots of the gorgeous bride before the ceremony

And the groom shares a quiet moment with his mother

Her mother walks Andrea down the aisle

Exchanging vows

Newly wed!

The wedding party

Bouquet and cake

The happy couple

One of many candid shots....here Joel's father is caught laughing out loud....thought you'd get a kick out of that shot, Joel.

Congratulations you two!

The First Snow

2007-11-09T13:22:00.001-08:00

I awoke this morning to discover that we had received the first snowfall of the season, so I grabbed my camera and headed out to snap a few pictures. The flowers and leaves lingering from autumn are now snow capped and frozen.....

Above, berries on Burning Bush

Below, Hydrangea

Nature's Snowcone

Fern

A dusting of snow on the beach............

Frozen Flowers

Snow capped Blue Spruce

Very early this morning

2007-10-26T06:15:00.001-07:00

The full moon was dropping below the horizon, the lake was covered in mist, and the reflection of the moon on the calm waters lit up the whole beach

A few shots with my new lenses

2007-10-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

After a year of lusting after them, I finally ordered a wide angle lens and a macro. They arrived yesterday and I got out this morning to take a few shots (click on the image to see a larger version)

Lucerne Lake

Morning Dew

Fern

My backyard

Reworking some old shots

2007-10-24T11:12:00.001-07:00

I've been reworking the processing on some old photos.....

Here's an old truck rusting away on the hiking trails in Bancroft

Barn at my friend's farm

Full Moon

Canoes at the end of the season last year

Kamea - a few days old

Worth getting up early for

2007-10-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning was one of those times when it was worth getting out of bed before the sun came up to paddle around the lake and get some shots of the sun rise.

As the sun came up over the lake, I captured the reflection of the clouds

And once the sun was over the tree line, all of the mist burned off the lake and the sky turned a brilliant blue

Once I returned to shore I found more brilliant colours

All images shot with a Canon 5D and a Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 in manual mode. Images converted from RAW and saturation adjusted in PS

Newfs

2007-10-19T08:03:00.001-07:00

My favourite subject to photograph.....my dogs.....

Pictured here is one of my Newfoundland Dogs, Neptune, swimming out to rescue me. I captured this shot while hanging over the side of my boat with my 5D precariously dangling inches above the water.

Posing for me outside under natural light, with a snowy backdrop

My rescue, Marin, shows us what rescue is all about

Below are a few shots of my girl Zoe

Floyd

2007-10-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

Pictured here is Floyd my Basset Hound.

I captured this goofy shot of him when he was about 7 weeks old, rolling around on my lawn being a character, as usual. This picture really captures the essence of who he is - my little clown.

We adopted Floyd from a rescue group who saved him from being euthanized - his "breeder" (a back yard breeder) figured she'd kill him because he had an umbilical hernia. Here we are, a year and a half later and Floyd's hernia has gone away on it's own with a few months of us pushing the hernia back in each day. Certainly not anything to destroy a dog over.

Now Floyd spends his days hanging out with our Newfoundland Dogs, trying to figure out why he's so much shorter than everyone else. These are some shots of him....