I'm an enthusiast.....a hobbyist......I am simply someone who enjoys photography.  I actually like all the various aspects, also known as learning curves, associated with photography.  I think my favourite thing of all though is simply getting in the car and beginning the 'Treasure Hunt'.  That's when I wander around and really keep my eyes open as I look for the photographic treasure-of-the-day.  While many times it can be a subject of interest, most often it's actually finding the treasure of special light.  Whether it's a particular time of day or the way the light is playing on the subject it's usually the special quality of light that, for me, makes a treasured photograph.

Light Meets The Dark Over Kilcurry Farm

One of the most significant moments for me in photography was the morning I got this photograph (right).  It was sunrise on an extremely dark morning with a winter storm coming.  For a very brief moment, the sun came through a break in the clouds and I stopped the car right where I was to capture the way the light made this farm so red and golden and the sky such a rich, dark blue.  Because it was just the earliest part of sunrise there was still a great deal of red in the spectrum of light and the effect was dramatic. 

It was at this moment, when I saw how the farm appeared on the camera monitor, that I began to remind myself repeatedly to 'Watch The Light.'  




Forest Ferns

This is another type of light I just love.  The sun was filtering through the forest on these ferns and creating a spotlight effect.

It meant the ferns appeared to be the 'stars' of the forest that day 

Everything Old Is New Again In The Digital World

If you spend any time looking on this website, you'll notice that I'm especially fond of all things traditional and old-fashioned.  It's been a lifelong love I've had with antiques and stories of the past and my photography reflects that to a very great degree I think.  I just love the work of other photographers who display a wonderful contemporary aesthetic and while I enjoy their work immensely I've never found myself working in that genre.  However, the moment I step into a place like Black Creek Pioneer Village or set up a still life that echoes memories of the past, I find that I've come to 'my happy place' photographically speaking.  The wonder today is that we can bring the most modern of digital technology to visual interpretations of antiques and things of the past.  How great is that?!  :-)

This image to the right is the office in Roblin's Mill at Black Creek Pioneer Village.  A larger version is on the Pioneer Village page on this website (see Menu above).

Nature's Treasures

I mentioned above that I love the 'treasure hunt' aspect of photography.  One of the most delightful ways to discover treasure is a walk in the woods.  Sometimes I find wildflowers......other times dragonflies or fungus........and then many times there are berries.

I think berries are one of the most under-photographed subjects in nature.  There are a number of different colours and often they sparkle like jewels in the light of the forest.  When I find clusters of them it really is like finding treasure.

Two more treasures to photograph.  My granddaughters, Shiloh (left) and Adora are wonderfully co-operative models and we plan photo shoots for their visits.  Their creativity makes photographing them not only easy but an enormous amount of fun.  There are lots of photographs of them on the 'Sisters' page of this site.

Equipment

I'm often asked what equipment I use.  Presently, I own a Canon 60D as well as a few reasonable quality lenses.  My favourite lens for stilllife and flowers is the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM.  I use the Canon EF 28-300 f/3.5-5.6L IS USM lens as my best telephoto as well as the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, which gets surprisingly decent shots for a relatively inexpensive lens and weighs a lot less to carry around.

For wide angle shots I like the results I get from the Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM although I have to be careful not to get my feet in the shot!

Although not as convenient as a zoom and, therefore, not one I use as often, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM prime  is a terrific little lens, especially when coupled with a polarizing filter.

For general purposes I have two walk-around lenses.  I'm quite happy to use the kit lens Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II  since I seem to have a pretty good quality copy but I also use the Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro (OS) HSM.

One of the most important acquisitions has been the Dell Ultrasharp monitor.  It doesn't require constant calibration and I'm confident with the accuracy of colours.  I can't imagine photography without it. 

I usually edit my photographs in Adobe Photoshop Elements along with other software like the Topaz Products, Photo Effects, Photomatix, etc.  I also use a large variety of textures to create the vintage look that appeals to me.

I hope you enjoy the images on this site.  Please feel free to get in touch or comment using the Contact page and do stop by again.

Holly Cawfield    :-)


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