Holly Nicoll Photography

Holly Nicoll Photography My name is Holly Nicoll. I enjoy capturing authentic moments that define western lifestyle and agriculture with my camera. It probably started there.

Canvas prints, cards, calendars are available for purchase. Contact me for your next photo session. I'm not sure how I got into photography. But, growing up, I rode and showed Quarter Horses. I would spend hours looking at the photos and ads in the American Quarter Horse Journal. I loved the horses, the riders, the visual creativity. I was called a tom boy, growing up on a cattle ranch west of Calgary, AB. Mom couldn't get me in a dress, but I loved my cowboy boots and baseball caps. Not much has changed. Horses, cowboys, farming, beautiful skies and country landscapes make me happy. My career continues to thrive in agriculture with a focus in marketing. In my spare time I like to capture real moments of the people in the industry that work hard to feed the world. Because of my agriculture roots, I won't need a tutorial on the differences between wheat and barley crops, cattle breeds or a horse with good confirmation. For commercial clients, I'm easy to work with. If you have a goal in mind, I will strive for the results that you’re looking for. If you are looking for a portrait or family session or someone to photograph and event, let me capture it with my camera. Thanks for following along on my journey of photography. Check out my website to see more of my work.

I call this one, ‘The Ride Back’.After the dust, the noise and the work of branding, there’s this part. The quiet after ...
09/14/2026

I call this one, ‘The Ride Back’.

After the dust, the noise and the work of branding, there’s this part.

The quiet after the cows and calves have been turned out to pasture and the ride back knowing the work is done.

Jack Regehr | Gemstone Cattle Co. branding | June 2026

I call this one, ‘Knife Man’.One of my favourite things about photographing ranch work is watching for the moments happe...
09/10/2026

I call this one, ‘Knife Man’.

One of my favourite things about photographing ranch work is watching for the moments happening just outside the obvious photograph.

The cattle, horses and action are part of the story, but so are the hands, expressions, clothing, tools and little details that tell you something about the people doing the work.

No posing. No styling. Just a moment that looked exactly like it felt.

Kevin Blust Kevin Blust | Lazy J Cattle Co. branding | July, 2026

Sometimes you just have to create for yourself.I’ve been working through a challenging studio project for an agriculture...
09/02/2026

Sometimes you just have to create for yourself.

I’ve been working through a challenging studio project for an agriculture client, trying to bring a very specific vision to life. I think I’ve found the solution, but getting there has taken plenty of experimenting and problem-solving.

So last night, with the studio already set up, I decided to forget the brief for a while and just play.

Some rye, a bottle of Canadian Eau Claire Distillery wh**ky and a little smoke.

There was no shot list and no expectations. Just creating.

Funny how sometimes the best way to work through a creative problem is to go make something completely different.

When you find this tag in a pen of feedlot steers, it means you’re gonna have a good day.   #6666
08/31/2026

When you find this tag in a pen of feedlot steers, it means you’re gonna have a good day.

#6666

There are worse ways to spend a Friday night than chasing combines at Simber Farms.The yellow peas were coming off fast,...
08/29/2026

There are worse ways to spend a Friday night than chasing combines at Simber Farms.

The yellow peas were coming off fast, moving from the combine to the grain cart and eventually into the bins. It’s one of those times of year when there’s a flow to everything. Machinery moving, dust hanging in the air, radios going and everyone focused on keeping harvest rolling.

What I like about photographing agriculture is seeing the bigger story behind what’s happening in the field. These peas won’t stay here. They’ll move through the value chain and become part of food and feed markets well beyond this farm, providing a valuable source of plant protein.

The story comes out in the details.I captured all three of these images from almost the same spot changing my focal leng...
08/26/2026

The story comes out in the details.

I captured all three of these images from almost the same spot changing my focal length, shifting my focus point and looking for something different each time.

And at one point, I remember thinking, there it is. The story of the branding pen.

It’s in the worn leather of a roper’s chaps, marked by hours in the saddle. The hands that show the work without needing an explanation. And it’s in the eye of the horse, watching, listening, and reading the signals from his rider as they prepare to catch the next calf.

Individually, they’re small details. Together, they tell a much bigger story.

Sometimes storytelling with a camera isn’t about moving to find another scene. It’s about staying where you are long enough to notice everything that’s already there.

A little behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming for 2027.The images for the 2027 Cowboys, Horses and Farmscapes Calenda...
08/19/2026

A little behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming for 2027.

The images for the 2027 Cowboys, Horses and Farmscapes Calendar have officially been selected and are now off to the designer for layout.

From cowboys and horses to cattle, crops and wide-open Western landscapes, I’m excited to see this year’s collection come together.

Next stop…..printing Continuum Teldon

The 2027 calendar will be available in early October. Stay tuned. I’ll share more as we get closer.

There’s value in knowing where you’ve been, and your possibility lives in what lies ahead. Keep moving forward even thro...
08/18/2026

There’s value in knowing where you’ve been, and your possibility lives in what lies ahead.

Keep moving forward even through life’s ‘valleys’. The climb is worth it.

Harvest has began in southern Alberta as fall rye is getting taken off. Here’s a few images just before the sun dropped ...
08/09/2026

Harvest has began in southern Alberta as fall rye is getting taken off. Here’s a few images just before the sun dropped for the day Serfas Farms

Address

Cochrane, AB

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Holly Nicoll Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Holly Nicoll Photography:

Shortcuts

Share

Category