Blog Review: Musician on Skis

Photo by Jo-Ann Holden (copyright)

Ottawa is full of talented photographers.  Since starting to chronicle the local blogosphere earlier this year, I have viewed more than 50 photo-blogs from the National Capital Region, as well as being aware of several others that I plan to visit in the near future.  In the coming weeks and months, I will highlight some of the sites that have really impressed me to help showcase the great talent in the city.

Musician on Skis

The first photo-blog that I would like to talk about is Musician on Skis, which was created by Jo-Ann Holden, a classical pianist.  In an email she tells me that she teaches piano, as well as performing with singers and instrumentalists for recitals, auditions and competitions.  While I have not seen her perform (perhaps that will be the subject of a future music-related post!) I have spent time on her blog,  which contains many gorgeous photographs, taken primarily in Gatineau Park.

Her photos can be classified into three categories: outdoor activities, wildlife and landscapes.  Her sports-related shots capture the movement of athletes in a very natural way, which is not easy to do, as the quick movement of a sporting event is a challenging thing to photograph.

"Years ago I did buy a better camera for the race photos as I was getting mostly shots of air and boots," Jo-Ann writes in an email. "I detest start and finish lines ... and try to find exciting vantage points on the race course.  I take far too many photos and throw out most of them.  It's a labour of love!"

Photo by Jo-Ann Holden
(copyright)

The other category of photographs that she takes is of wildlife, such as the great shot of the owl to your left. (You can see the original shot here). While I highly encourage you to visit her site in order to see the full range of her skill, here are some links to a few photos that I find particularly beautiful: cardinal, squirrel, goldfinch and a deer.

"I wish I were better at it," writes Jo-Ann in her email. "It's a really lucky day to see wildlife. I'm always on the lookout, though, and it does help to go out without without a gaggle of noisy friends."  From my perspective, I think she is being very modest, as I consider her wildlife photos to be excellent.

Photo by Jo-Ann holden (copyright)

The finally category of photographs deal with landscapes.  I particularly loved the photograph on the right, which to me looks like a painting.  I had to shrink this photo in order to make it fit in this review, so its full impact cannot be seen here.  That is why I recommend that you link to the original shot in order to see the photo in its proper splendour.

"Scenery?" writes Jo-Ann in her email, as she contemplates what attracts her to a particular landscape. "I also tend to stick close to home, rarely travel, and visit my favorite haunts over and over, in all types of weather.  I hate midday and often prefer 'bad' weather to perfect sunny days."

What intrigues me about her scenery shots is how they look like works of art.  This shot, for instance, has the feeling of an impressionist painting, while photographs like this are just stunning.  In short, this is an excellent photo-blog that is well worth the visit.