The portfolio of Cochrane photographer, Caroline Connolly, is full of eye candy.
Whether you have a penchant for horses, a prairie landscape or playful portraits, the images created by Connolly do not go unnoticed. At least not by the organizers of Exposure 2013, a photography festival based in Banff, Canmore and Calgary.
This year, Connolly’s Mud River Photography was approached to be part of the month-long celebration, with her collection on display at Wine Ink, a wine store and art venue along Calgary’s red mile.
Her exhibition is called “Sexy Beast, Unplugged.”
“The ‘Sexy Beast’ part of the show are the images of horses,” said the Cochrane-based photographer. “I try to portray them as sensual, tactile creatures.
“The other part of the show is images of a friend of mine who is battling cancer. I wanted to do a photo shoot with her, just being her. It shows her being playful, dressing up in crazy boots and hats, with her body riddled in scars…. My friend goes by the moniker of Jen Unplugged, lending itself to the ‘Unplugged’ part of the exhibition.”
Inspiration for the pieces have come from her love of the prairie and horses, said Connolly. She dubs her equine images as “horsescapes,” because of the way the shape of the horse flows into the landscape surrounding it.
For the Jen Unplugged series, Connolly said she drew upon her friend for inspiration.
“I wanted to portray this incredibly inspiring woman as she is — as someone who is battling cancer and is on top of the world.”
Thrown into the mix will also be a number of images of luchadores — masked Mexican wrestlers.
All in all, Connolly estimated there to be about 35 images on display.
Although she shoots with a digital camera — a Nikon D300 — Connolly said she still stays faithful to the days in the dark room by using little to no photo manipulation. The exception, she said, was the Jen Unplugged series, because she wanted “fantastical colour for a fantastical woman.”
Connolly’s love of photography was kindled early and she said the passion has remained with her for as long as she can remember.
As a child, she couldn’t wait to get her hands on a camera, but she didn’t start learning to shoot until her early-20s.
Now, she’s known mainly as a wedding and portrait photographer, but is hesitant to describe her photographing style.
“I like big emotions, big personalities and big colours,” she said. “I want to make views have a big emotional reaction right way. I always want to give people a little something different, something funny, something dark, something unexpected.”
Initiated nine years ago by Banff’s Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Exposure 2013 aims to encourage the Banff, Calgary and Canmore community to study and appreciate photography.
The festival isn’t limited to image exhibits, but also including lecturers, workshops and discussions.
Anyone who wants to take in Connolly’s exhibition can visit the 17th Avenue wine store, during working hours, until the end of February.
A reception will be hosted at the venue on Feb. 15.
To sneak a peek at the photos, visit the Mud River Photography Facebook page.
For more information on the other exhibits on display during the month-long Exposure 2013, visit exposurephotofestival.com.
Events will take place throughout Banff, Canmore and Calgary.
