SteemitPhotoChallenge #60 Animal Portrait: The Renegades Meet Nature

Hi everyone, Mrs. Canadian Renegade here again.

Firstly, thank you @jamtaylor for the contest opportunity.

Since Mr. Canadian Renegade has gently been encouraging me to explore the Steemit community you may have noticed me popping up in your comments sections a little more frequently as of late. Well, I must admit, I am officially hooked on this community. The wealth of knowledge, insight, support, and creativity has lured me down the rabbit hole.

While poking my nose around the many different facets of Steemit, I stumbled onto a photo challenge that piqued my interest. This particular photo challenge was themed "Animal Portrait" which marries well with our love of homesteading and permaculture.

I have been working in the field of graphic design and photography for nearly 10 years now and love having a camera at my finger tips. I also love animals so when the opportunity arises to take a photo, I am more than happy to oblige.

Entry No. 1: Staring Steer
Camera: Canon 5D Mark I; 1/250, f 9.0, ISO 100; Lens: Canon 50mm

Matthew first dipped his toes into permaculture when he decided to raise some steer for profit. He also experimented with paddock shifting (rotational grazing) for land management in the process and witnessed a dried eroded field begin to heal. His gentle approach with managing the steer is one of the reasons why I was able to get so close with a 50mm lens. These beautiful animals were calm in our presence. You may also notice a tiny little snout poking out from the three large steer on the right. That's Herman. I wasn't allowed to name any of the steer but Matthew ended up naming this little guy because he was always accidentally escaping and refused to grow. In the end, and after a lot of chasing, Herman had definitely won a piece of Matthew's heart... and stomach.

Entry No. 2: Baby Robin
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III; 1/500, f 3.5; IS0 320; Lens: Canon 24 - 70mm

A few years ago, I picked up a local greenhouse as a client. Could there be a better place for a nature enthusiast to work? Maybe, but a greenhouse is definitely in the top three. This particular greenhouse is on the edge of town so it's not unusual to see animal activity throughout the year. Every year, geese nest in the perennial yard and when their goslings are ready to roam the staff always escort them to the pond across the road to ensure everyone makes it safe and sound. Moose even get the right-of-way, meaning if someone decides to snack on a tree, the owners let nature take place. One year, a robin decided to build her nest in a hanging basket of fuchsia. These baby robins caught our attention when they started calling out for food. I felt so honoured to see such fresh baby birds emerging into the world.

Entry No. 3: A Poky Visitor
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III; 1/50, f 3.5; ISO 1000; Lens: Canon 70 - 200mm

Several years ago, Matthew happened upon a hidden gem. A beautiful acreage for rent just outside the city. Truthfully, we miss this beautiful property with it's gorgeous garden, abundance of animals, and close proximity to a bird sanctuary. Seeing deer, moose, squirrels and a plethora of birds was a daily occurrence. Our landlords, whom we enjoyed the company of, lived right next door. One day our landlord wandered over and invited us to see her latest visitor. A sweet porcupine had wandered onto her porch and was blocking her entrance way. This little critter became startled and decided to take cover under their rocking chair. Eventually, he gained enough confidence to waddle away but we enjoyed his company until then.

I know this post is a little different than our tiny house installments but we hope you enjoyed the photographs and a tiny peek into who we are and what our lifestyle is like!