Cannington Dog Sled Races

   

 

 

While much of my experience at the Cannington Dog Sled Races were positive, there were a few certain aspects of the event that I didn't enjoy.

A few people explained the red snow was bait water and a dog marking over top of it is what I saw, so I apologize for thinking it was a urinary tract infection. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit my first clue should have been the large volume of red snow there was. I was in good company though, as other spectators were just as confused and making comments such as, “eww blood” and “did a dog get hurt”. Perhaps the dog owners should clean up a bit or failing that, have a sign explaining as this would be helpful to avoid misinterpretation for those of us that are not familiar with these kind of things. 

I did hear a few yelps as twice dogs were caught up in the lines briefly. They continued to run once free  and appeared just fine with no problems. However I found it very unsettling to watch and hear them yelp. We all have our own tolerance for what we enjoy or not. If you read some of the comments, a few dog sled owners explain why that can happen and what is done to ensure safety.

What started out to be a fun day for me doing what I love doing most; photographing dogs, did not end that way (or even that day). In the end, my experience at the Cannington Dog Sled Race as well as the aftermath that unfolded surrounding this post, has been enough of a disappointment for me personally, that I won't be back. 

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Adding this "Husky Puppy" to my

100 Dog Strangers Series

The Canine version of "100 Strangers".

A photographic record of all the wonderful dogs I meet in my travels.

 Began in 2012 and ending... TBD.

Daydreaming About Spring

After the cold hike on Saturday to capture my sunset I was not in a hurry to head back out into the cold. I decided it was time for Spring (in my mind at least). I decided to go buy a huge bouquet of flowers and spent the better part of the day photographing and sipping Chocolate Chia Tea. To round out my lazy Sunday, I also got to play with my new softbox and exercise my creative side while editing with Kim Klassen's textures.

Fact 24 About Me

[Part of the "30 Things About Me" Series]

I dream about one day owning a 100mm lens so I can do super close up macro photography. I love closeups of textures, flowers but not so much bugs!

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Participating in: Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday, 

Four Seasons One Location ~ Winter

The Visual Toolbox ~ Metering

This year I joined forces with a few photographers from Click In Moms to form a study group for the ebook "The Visual Toolbox - 50 Lessons For Stronger Photographs" by fellow Canadian, David DuChemin. Each week we read a new chapter, discuss our findings, ask questions, and inspire each other by sharing our progress in our photography. I'm finding the support and inspiration derived from our discussions is the real force behind the success I feel I have already gained.

Week 2 Assignment: Metering To the Right (ETTR). I learned this week I am a chronic underexposurer. So I practiced pushing my histogram to the right and studying the results. It was a real eye-opener to see how much detail you can retain and how noise is not increased in post processing. These photos are not the best examples but my indoor shots were oh so boring! I was able to bring back detail in the sky and snow nicely.

Four Seasons One Location ~ Winter

We are still braving a fierce winter here -  lots of ice, snow and high winds. Really the coldest winter in a long time. With grey skies I am not feeling too inspired to get out there and photograph. We were driving back from a hike at the conservation park and suddenly saw the sun setting over the snow covered field. These photos also mark the start of my series "Four Seasons ~ One Location". Come back to see what this view looks like in spring.

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Participating in: Nature Notes,  Sunlit Sunday

100 Dog Strangers - Snowball Fight!

Participating in: Wordless Wednesday
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Adding to my

100 Dog Strangers Series

The Canine version of "100 Strangers".

A photographic record of all the wonderful dogs I meet in my travels.

 Began in 2012 and ending... TBD.

Ice On the Rocks

Winter Wonderland fun is still carrying on here with flash freezing, loud booming ice quakes and high snow banks. 

Trying to stand was a bit tricky due to sheet ice and gusting winds down at the lake. I had to push my back up against a tree to steady myself. That didn't really help my lens though - it was swaying wildly and making it really difficult to focus.

I am participating in a study group for "See the Light 2014. January is all about "directional light". Here I love how the strong sunlight is breaking through the clouds to highlight the water splash and backlight the sign.

Fact 23 About Me

[Part of the "30 Things About Me" Series]

I hate the cold with a passion and this has been the coldest winter I can ever remember. Still though, the scenery has been breathtaking these last few weeks so I am not complaining too much. This past week I have enjoyed seeing others people's storm photographs. Take a look at the ice storm lighthouses I found on FlickR. There are some amazing photographs from this past week.

Today it is -27C with the wind chill. I got a call and was told that fog/steam was rising up from the lake like columns and to head down as it would make an unusual photograph. So I let the dogs out with full intentions of going... till that cold air hit my face! Seriously - what was I thinking! If it was that cold in the backyard the lake would be frostbite for sure! Suddenly the idea of sipping on chocolate chai tea while typing this post was a lot more appealing. I'm a little sad I missed the moment but happy I stayed home and was able to grab a few shots of Becky and Kodee hightailing it back to house after a quick trip outside.

"Negative Space"

For my Photo Bucket List

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Participating in P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday and Nature Notes