Photo project gives viewers seat for uniquely prairie experience

By Nichole Huck, CBC News, April 26, 2016 

Facebook photo project lets folks live vicariously through old farm chair

Photographer Brenda Cardiff gives a unique twist to the typical Saskatchewan scenery shots.

Cardiff farms near Strasbourg and when she’s not busy on the farm, she spends her free time taking pictures and posting them to Facebook for her followers.

The Prairie Chair is not afraid of heights. (Courtesy of  Brenda Cardiff)
The Prairie Chair is not afraid of heights. (Courtesy of Brenda Cardiff)
The Prairie Chair in a canola field (Courtesy of  Brenda Cardiff)
The Prairie Chair in a canola field (Courtesy of Brenda Cardiff)

One fall day in 2014 when the light was casting long shadows, Cardiff decided to take an old farm chair from her house out onto a grid road and experiment. She posted the photo to Facebook and had a great response and from there the “Prairie Chair” project was born.

The Prairie Chair enjoying some spectacular Northern lights. (Courtesy of  Brenda Cardiff)
The Prairie Chair enjoying some spectacular Northern lights. (Courtesy of Brenda Cardiff)

Every week Cardiff and the dilapidated chair hit the road in search of beautiful scenery and uniquely Saskatchewan situations. She then posts the picture on Saturday.

The Prairie Chair provides a front row seat for stubble burning. (Courtesy of Brenda Cardiff)
The Prairie Chair provides a front row seat for stubble burning. (Courtesy of Brenda Cardiff)

“The chair has become the viewers seat,” Cardiff explained. “You look at that photo and can maybe see yourself sitting there checking out that scene.”

Miniature Mondays features ‘Unlikely Duo’

The Prairie Chair project isn’t the only quirky photo project Cardiff has on the go. She’s also created a Facebook page where she posts the antics of a very unlikely duo.

"Not to worry Batman. I'm a Cowboy, and I KNOW all about this stuff! Those horses aren't going to bother us!" (Courtesy of  Brenda Cardiff )
“Not to worry Batman. I’m a Cowboy, and I KNOW all about this stuff! Those horses aren’t going to bother us!” (Courtesy of Brenda Cardiff )

Cardiff has three grown children and a little more than a year ago she went digging around in her son’s old toy box.

She unearthed a Batman and Woody Doll and captures their antics in a new photo series that she posts on Mondays.

“It’s just fun and whimsical and gets my creativity going,” Cardiff said.

The photographer said in April of 2015 she lost someone very near and dear to her and the photo projects have provided her a much needed distraction for a grieving heart and mind.

Find full story and more pictures here