The last few weeks has seen me at two different events featuring the skills and techniques of two world class blacksmiths.

John Monteath and wife, Brenda Field of Manuka Forge were recently at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon conducting an advanced blacksmith course. Over the weekend gathering of devoted smiths they created “The Blue Muse,” a beautiful sculpture of a Heron taking flight.

Chris Gregory is a reknowned farrier, but watching him make a horseshoe from scratch is also seeing a master blacksmith. Man could he make that anvil sing. The AFA Clinician of the year, Gregory is also one of 35 in the Worshipful Company of Farriers, founded 1605 in London.

During a cold and long winter, a warm sunny day puts a spring in the step.

Photojournalistic portraiture is characterized by its candid and natural results spanning serious to the humorous. While traditional portrait photography dictates the setting, a portrait photojournalist documents the moment as it naturally happens.

It was a “spooktacular” Friday evening at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon, Oct. 29th.

The very young, the very old and all ages in between took part in an evening of games and crafts and exploration of a haunted house. The museum’s Boomtown main street served as a backdrop for an old-fashioned murder mystery.

Saskatchewan boomed with economic activity from the turn of the century to 1914. Land-seekers flooded the west and towns grew almost overnight. 1910 Boomtown, the WDM’s representation of a typical Saskatchewan town, captures the atmosphere and style of this bustling period. Over 30 buildings portray community life, from the general store overflowing with everything from nails to gingham, to the blacksmith shop ringing with the sound of the hammer striking the anvil.

For several photos, I zoomed in my flash to concentrate the light, which helps to isolate the main subject and create a hot spot. This is a similar effect as a snout placed on a light source. Handheld camera movement during long exposures can also add drama to an otherwise ordinary shot.

When farmers parked their swathers, combines, trucks and tractors because of rain in September, we at the Western Producer postponed our annual harvest feature. How can you do a feature on harvest when no harvest has taken place?

October arrived and with it came glorious warm days. What a blessing for all whose livelihoods depend on the weather.

I could write a book about the times I’ve seen a photographic moment unfold and I’m not in the right position to get the shot I want. On some days the rhythm is there and good photos are made, while on others, it’s close, but no cigar.

The photo shown here is a case in point. As I was walking to this area, I saw a good moment happen. I got into what I call the emotional zone, and within a second, some women walked through my frame. I was also watching the men on the ladders within my frame.
Maybe I should have waited a little longer for something better. Was I missing good material elsewhere? It’s a dilemma photographers understand when they are working under time constraints. When is the right time to move on?
In retrospect, this shot’s not half bad. But we’re visually greedy creatures, we photographers. We always want “just one more.”

What good’s a blog if I don’t occasionally toot my own horn. This summer, I picked up a few awards in St. Paul, Minn., at the American Agricultural Editor’s Association’s annual convention: Photographer of the Year to be specific.

Photography contests.

Now I’ve entered and won, and not won, my share of them over the years. It’s good to win. Winning is good.

It’s no different than winning supreme champion bull at Agribition. As many a producer knows, it all comes down to the judge’s preferences, knowledge and biases.

I thank the WP for sending me to the event – my first time. It was great making some new acquaintances in both the photography and agriculture worlds. I particularly liked author Jeffrey Zaslow’s presentation. His journalistic style books are straight from the heart. I picked up two of his recent publications: The Girls from Ames and The Last Lecture.

Forester, Bruce Vincent is someone to watch. He said with vision there is hope. I’m going to devote a blog especially to his talk, which was rich with passion and wisdom for rural America and deserves a separate space.

Eric Grant, director of public relations from the American Angus Association has got a good thing going producing short video stories on North American producers. He had some great one-liners for photographers. “It’s not the equipment you use, it’s how you use it….Dump the lens that everyone is using. Zooms are for the less ambitious…..Your feet are your best friends…Stop posing. Moments of transition hold the truth…..It’s about capturing what you see.” I couldn’t agree more with Eric.

The standing ovation as I accepted the award was a great feeling and a real privilege.

Here’s some photos made around the hotel in St. Paul. I call the series, Fish Outa Water.

I can now add being spit on by a fully-grown South American Alpaca to my growing list of indignities.

I was out yesterday at Rob and Sandra Blom’s farm near Vanscoy, Sask. They were busy shearing the fibre from their small herd of 22 alpacas. Once a year the family gathers to cut, sort and bag the high-end fibre. They send it to a fibre mill for cleaning and processing into yarn. It comes back ready for resale, or for homemade projects that include knitting and weaving scarves, toques and sweaters.

I didn’t see the insult coming, nor did I expect it. Obviously, my nemesis, “Hercules,” didn’t like being photographed. Maybe it was the flash.

I saw him hiss and pucker up into a smile as I photographed him. Then I felt something wet hit my hand. A foul odor filled the air and was now emanating from hands and camera. Regurgitated cud doesn’t smell too good. Fortunately my camera lens took the brunt of the assault.

WP editor Barb Glen was quick with a rumination of her own after hearing of my dishonour from the three-stomached ungulate. “They’re vegetarians. What’s the problem?”

The decisive moment!