Photography on the Farm

 I get a lot of feedback on the pictures I take on the farm and I thought I'd share a little bit about my process. 

Over the last 9 years I've taken lots of pictures but the last few years it's gotten better for, what I think, are a few reasons. 

• The main one is phone camera technology. When I first started taking pictures it was with my Blackberry. Although there are cameras out there, phone cameras work the best cause they are usually the main thing I have on me. My current Samsung S10 has an amazing camera with different lens options and functions that really allow me to get great shots. 
• Photo apps. The main one for me is Snapseed. This app really allows me to upgrade my pictures and pull out the colors for a better shot. I also have really enjoyed Prisma which I now pay for, since it is amazing at making pictures look like paintings. 
• Knowing where and when to have my camera. Most of the pictures I have taken have almost always been random shots I just happen to catch because I have my phone on me. Having a good camera on my phone means I get a good picture but having the camera in general makes the shot happen.

So much of the time I find I come across the shot by accident like the one above. I was raking hay and happened to look up to see a cool sunset. Taking these shots also gives me a moment of reflection to appreciate the moment and also the scenery. So often we are rushed but when I snap a picture like this, but once I do it's a great moment to pause and enjoy it. 

I have also been finding the best pictures in the morning and evening when the sun is at the horizon and seems to give me some cool shots. For the random animal shots, I find just being around the animals a lot is important. You can't plan when they do something funny or scenic so the more time you are around them.

These moments are starting to become easier to spot and when they are, I usually know the app that will help pull the colors and angles to take. It's also one of the brief moments of pause in a usually busy day where I get to appreciate the farm scenery! 

Caught up (pretty much) - Thanks COVID

 With the end of haying season in record time, considering the wet conditions in July, I've had a weekend to reflect on where I am at with farm/forestry work. For the first time in 9 years (since moving here) I feel pretty well caught up on all the work that needs to be done here. Could I do lots more? Of course! The house has always been second place and we need to do a ton of work like renovate my office space for the winter, paint inside trim and finish the front entrance, not to mention figure out a new roof before winter. All the buildings need something like paint or repair and the barn project is still on the go but the major milestones of the year like having hay done, winter firewood ready, fencing done and manure/fertilizer spread, is all done. Those time-sensitive and required tasks always add pressure and being caught up on them is now going to hopefully give time to do things like work on the house and have some social time with friends. 

This all happened this year because of the time I gained back from not commuting to my office job 5 days a week. I've said in past posts how huge this impact has been on everything. Just gaining back 3 hours a day from commuting has allowed me to start work in the evenings earlier and put in roughly an extra 8 hours a week. During haying season, I've been able to run out at lunch time and fluff up the hay to speed up drying time and even rake since those are jobs that can be done in less than an hour but can't be done when in the office. I've also been around when calving season was happening and even now when the cattle get into trouble like knock over their waterer. 

I've said this in past posts, how COVID has made such a positive impact in my life by allowing me to have more time to catch up on things and after haying season this year, I've had time to reflect on how much it has helped in these types of tasks.