First-time calendar photographer Melanie Weisenberg of Guelph, Ont., captured this adorable fall photo of her roommate and friend Erin McCardle at Overseas Farms in Puslinch.

Melanie is a student at the University of Guelph, studying Environmental Engineering. She and Erin were roommates and Melanie managed to snap the photo of Erin, broodmare Vuokatti and her foal at Overseas Farms where Erin is a caretaker.

“My roommate, at the time, was caring for horses at Overseas Farms and wanted me to come and take a couple pictures of her, the new foals and the rest of the horses,” Melanie explained. “Erin really appreciates having nice pictures that she can look back on of all the horses she looked after! And for me it’s something different to take pictures of and get outside of my comfort zone!”

Melanie is a self-taught photographer, learning about the tricks of the trade through online tutorials and videos.

“I started photography during my last year of high school, taking pictures for the sports teams and some friends. And then in second year of university I started having photoshoots every weekend with my friends. My business really took off just after COVID, taking kindergarten graduation photos, families, and university graduation photos. I am mostly self-taught, with the help of YouTube of course!”

Melanie at Overseas Farms after she finished her photoshoot with Erin.

After she and Erin finished the photoshoot, they returned to the original location to catch the sunset.

“After taking a bunch of photos, Erin suggested we return to the first location where we already took pictures because golden hour would be hitting the location perfectly... and it sure was!”

You can also check out more of Melanie’s work on her Facebook page.