It's hard to make a team of dogs look more squee than they already do, but photographer Victor G. Jeffreys II (of Dodge & Burn) and theOlympus OM-D E-M10tried (and succeeded!). Victor visited Eden Mills Dogsledding Adventures in Vermont to capture dogs in action a few weeks ago. Here's what developed.
Welcome to Eden Dogsledding, one of the only free-range dog kennels in North America. Let's sled! [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pin Hole, F 6.3, 1/800, ISO 250.]
For the LOVE OF DOGS. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pin Hole, F 6.3, 1/800, ISO 250.]
The proverbial dog house(s). [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pin Hole, F 6.3, 1/800, ISO 250.]
Jim Blair, international dogsled champion, is building our team. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0. ISO Priority Mode, F2.0, 1/60, ISO 320.]
Macro focusing is great. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pin Hole, F 2.0, 1/15, ISO 250.]
Jim Blair managing the politics of team building. A dog's gait, strength, and temperament are just a few of the factors Jim has to take into consideration when building a championship team for our adventure.
There are lots of moving parts to properly setting up a dogsled. Each dog is harnessed, each harness is attached to individual tug lines that ultimately connect to a central gang line, and each dog has a separate neck line. The pair of dogs in the front are called the "lead dogs," the pair in the back are the "wheel dogs," and the ones in between are the "team dogs."
Resting before a big day of sledding. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pin Hole, F 2.0, 1/60, ISO 1000. Even with the ISO at 700+, the image looks great.]
Leonard has pretty eyes. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Photo Story Mode, F2.0, 1/30, ISO 250.]
I wish I were as comfortable in the cold as this guy is. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Photo Story Mode, F8.0, 1/1250, ISO 250.]
Hooking the team up to their tug lines. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Photo Story Mode, F6.3, 1/800, ISO 250.]
What do you smell? [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Photo Story Mode, F8.0, 1/1250, ISO 250.]
Two of our team dogs, waiting for me to stop taking pictures and get into the sled. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pin hole, F7.1, 1/1000, ISO 250.]
I found myself shooting with the pinhole filter a lot during the sledding trip because the vignetted corners convey the musher's perspective: looking straight ahead, focusing on a line of dogs. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pinhole, F7.1, 1/800, ISO250.]
The day was fairly overcast, but the Pop Art filter saturates colors and brightens it up significantly.
These guys look excited, even mid-stride. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pop Art, F6.3, 1/640, ISO 250.]
Coming around the corner at full speed. [Telescopic: M. Zuiko Digital 75-300mm: Art Mode/Pop Art, F6.3, 1/640, ISO 250.]
My shoulder hit the tree branch as we rounded the corner — I like the movement it creates in the top left quadrant while still maintaing a crisp image on the righthand side of the frame. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pop Art, F4.5, 1/400, ISO 250.]
Dogsledding is a great way to see the backwoods of Vermont. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Photo Story Mode/Pin Hole, F8.0, 1/1250, ISO 250.]
Being able to combine images in-camera using the Photo Story Mode saves a lot of time. You can build collages that are perfectly proportioned and cropped without turning on your computer. It's great.
The team is so fast; I'm always falling behind. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pinhole, F5.6, 1/1000, ISO250.]
Mush! [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pinhole, F4.5, 1/400, ISO250.]
The last straightaway on our way back to basecamp. [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 12mm F2.0: Art Mode/Pinhole, F5.6, 1/640, ISO250.]
Run! [Fixed Focus: M. Zuiko Digital 45mm F1.8: Art Mode/Pinhole, F5.6, 1/640, ISO250.]
Pack the Olympus OM-D E-M10 for your next outdoor adventure. Learn more here.
Victor G. Jeffreys II makes art. His works and films have been exhibited at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Christie's, Phillips de Pury, the Wassaic Project, Movie House, 3rd Ward, New Fest Film Festival, and in his first solo show, STIFF COTTON, in NYC.
All photography by Victor G. Jeffreys II.
This post is a sponsored collaboration between Olympus and Studio@Gawker.