Oct 16, 2012
The 13 Project is a the mastermind project of Serena Faber Nelson of the blog Pretty Fluffy. A huge animal welfare advocate, Serena encouraged everyone to make a list of 13 acts of kindness that each of us can perform in behalf of shelter/rescue animals – one for each of the (almost) 13 weeks left in 2012 . These acts do not have to be huge goals, but should be reasonable and achievable…and your list does not even have to have 13 items. The idea is to show that even small acts of kindness can add up to big help for those animals in need.
Developing the Posh Pets’ list involved a lot of brainstorming! But, I think that the our list is totally do-able and will keep me focussed for the rest of the year. So, here is our list..
- Volunteer weekly at Toronto Animal Services (North) to take flattering images of their current adoptables. I have been doing this for almost a year now, and I can honestly say that this is one of the highlights of my week. I love meeting the new furry faces, spending some time with them and then watching as they find their forever homes!
- Blog and post the adoptables’ images on the Posh Pets’ Facebook page on a weekly basis. There are many wonderful fellow volunteers at TAS and together we work to share the stories and images of these lovely adoptables to a wide audience and help these animals in need. One volunteer has a very active page that shares these furry faces far and wide!
- Pin the adoptables on Pinterest to reach a wider/different audience. I have not done this regularly in the past, but now it will be done each week.
- Donate my extra towels, bedding and sheets. Over the years, we have gathered quite a collection…most of which are not regularly used. These are going to be given to our local shelter.
- Research a Canadian rescue/animal welfare group and commit to a small monthly donation. I, like a lot of others, fall into the trap of thinking that if we do not have much to give, then it is hardly worth it to make the donation. But, many small amounts can go a long way to helping animals in need.
- Network with other local photographers to find a photographer for Toronto Animal Service’s other location. This has already been done!
- Offer to donate photography and adoption story to a not-for-profit organization’s calendar which will be sold to help shelter animals. This means reaching out to those who have adopted from a shelter.
- Posh Pets is a member of a wonderful organization called HeARTs Speak who unite animal artists in helping animals in need. There is strength in numbers, so I will introduce HeARTs Speak to 3 other pet photographers/artists in the hopes that it will encourage them to join and volunteer their time helping shelter animals.
- Write a Posh Pets blog post about the joys of adopting. Our cat, Lady Jane, is proof-positive of that fact.
- Educate others on the responsibility to spay and neuter their pets. We simply would not have an over-population problem if responsible pet ownership existed.
- Seriously consider adopting or fostering a shelter animal. This is a hard one for me as we lost our dear Ripley (who came from the Toronto Humane Society some 16+ years ago) last June. It has been hard for me to even think of another family member as it seemed like a “replacement” for our Ripley. I’ve come to realize that Ripley will never be replaced and that we, and our 15.5 year old kitty Lady Jane, just needed time to grieve. Of course, we will need to be thoughtful about introducing a new family member to Lady Jane, but I think that maybe, just maybe, we are ready to welcome a new furry face into our lives.
- Share the idea the 13 Project with other like-minded people and businesses.
So, that is our list…what is on yours?
Oct 11, 2012
After a bit of a vacation, I went back to TAS this morning. Boy, did that feel good! Lots of tail-waggers to meet and photograph, and some really gorgeous pets just awaiting their forever homes. If you see a guy or gal that you like, please contact Toronto Animal Services (North Region) directly. They can arrange a meeting with your prospective new family member.
You can also find out a little bit more about each of these furry faces on the Posh Pets’ Facebook page. Please check it out and share their images!
First, are the graceful felines…
And now the tail-wagging canines…
Thanks for joining us – we’ll see you again next week!
Sep 28, 2012
Posh Pets is back with another instalment of Project 52 with Beautiful Beasties! This week, our challenge was to do a little “street photography” by producing an image that showed a little more of its surroundings and was more documentary in nature.
We met this little guy on the street, gamely sitting on his balcony. He lives on one of the prettiest streets in Haifa, Israel, in the German Colony and seemed to be enjoying the peace and quiet of this particular morning. I loved how the morning light hit him just so…and so I snuck an image (or two or three or more).
If you haven’t followed us before, here is the deal…this is a blog circle of pet photographers who each interpret the theme in their own way. So, please go and check out our newest member StinkDog Photos in Denver, CO and see what she found on the ‘street’ this week! And then continue all the way around until you end up with Posh Pets!
Sep 27, 2012
A few days ago we spent some time in Caesarea, specifically amongst the ancient ruins that date from King Herod’s time. The views of the Mediterranean Sea were stunning and it was somewhat overwhelming to stand on the remains of what was, at one time, the busiest port and to imagine what life was like. Today, Caesarea has been revitalized with art and jewellery stores together with some amazing restaurants where you can sit and enjoy the view.
One thing we did notice as soon as we got there was that there seemed to be a lot of cats enjoying the view (and the friendly pats from the tourists!) as well. The first one we met was Tommy, as the staff told us. A seemingly homeless cat who had a name and looked as good as he did…well, we knew that there had to be someone caring for him. A little while later, we noticed a sign with an arrow saying, “Cat’s Corner”. We couldn’t resist and so off we went to explore a bit. We came upon a little shop named Cat’s Corner just as it was evidently supper time. For there was the shop keeper banging a spoon on a table and feeding a group of cats.
In speaking with her, she told me the story. She currently cares for approximately 30 cats who have all come from abusive environments. Caesarea has become somewhat of a refuge for these homeless kitties. Sometimes people just abandon them on the property for her to care for. Which is a better option than what others do. She has an arrangement with a kindly veterinarian who comes once a week, on a volunteer basis, to check up on them and to ensure that everyone is happy and healthy. And she tries to educate people that cats are loving creatures who should be treated kindly. Unfortunately, she explained, Israeli children seem to “come out from the womb kicking cats” and thus, most cats are scared of people.
Her store has all kinds of cat-related items and she uses 10% of her profits toward the upkeep of her growing brood. She also gladly takes donations which one can place in a little basket. Although, for a time, they thought someone was stealing the money as some would go missing every day. It wasn’t until they made a point of watching very carefully that they found out who the thief was…the very same Tommy that we met!
So, should you ever be in Israel, be sure to take in the views of Caesarea and visit Cat’s Corner…there will probably be more than 30 cats by then!
Here is the famous Tommy…
This beautiful boy has a bit of a bald line on his flank. The reason? Someone wanted him away from their restaurant and so threw hot oil on him! He was in agony, but has been nursed back to health in Caesarea and continues to seek out cuddles and gentle pets from people.
This is Tiger who is still a bit shy of people but will watch you with great interest from afar.
Sep 24, 2012
Continuing with our trip through Israel, it is obvious that Tel Aviv-ians (I just made that word up) love their dogs! It seems that every second person on the street is sharing the sunshine with a canine companion. They come in all shapes and sizes, often greeting each other freely, running and playing and having a ball just being a dog.
Today, we met Maxwell who is a 6 year old Boston. Originally from the United States, he now makes his home in Tel Aviv where he is a rare breed – we certainly have not seen another Boston other than gentlemanly Maxwell. To see what I mean, look how well he coordinates his harness with his human’s shoes. And the fact that he was so gracious to stop for a few minutes to provide us with his portrait, even though there were so many other things for a well-bred dog to see and do.
He finally gave us his best head tilt, before going on his way toward the beach. Maxwell is a dog about town and such a wonderful furry face!
Sep 22, 2012
Unlike the Netherlands, where we saw very few stray animals, there seems to be quite a number in Israel. Especially Jerusalem. One of the locals told us that 8 cats were originally brought in to combat the rats and now they estimate that there are 40,000 cats in Jerusalem. We have seen quite a number of them, and unfortunately, a lot of them do not look particularly healthy. It cannot be easy to be a cat on the streets in Israel.
This little girl was in within the walls of Jerusalem, looking for table scraps from the tourists. Such a polite girl too – once she had her fill, she lay down and relaxed while sharing her remaining food with another kitty. She was quiet and gentle, although a little wary of strangers.
This little guy was at Hezekiah’s Tunnel, greeting the tourists. Seemed to be quite at home as if he owned the place! Would come over and rub against you, all the while purring. And when I called to him, he posed as if he knew this was part of the job.
We found this little guy, deep in thought, in the ancient port village of Joppa. A small, but beautiful city with cobbled streets, it is now home to art galleries, artisan shops and fantastic restaurants. All of which seem to go by unnoticed by this thoughtful feline.
Sep 19, 2012
Look at this little furry face I met yesterday! Soya is 2 years old and comes to work with her Dad. Her job is to greet the visitors as they go through the booth at Ein Gedi, Israel. (Which, by the way, is gorgeous and a fabulous opportunity to view some waterfalls, swim in the pools and generally enjoy an oasis in the barren desert!) On this particular day, it was HOT. Not a cloud in the sky and 42 degree weather…perfect weather for a swim. But not so perfect if you are a dog with hair. And, so we met Soya, resting in the shade of the booth and ready for her close-up!
Sep 15, 2012
Even though we are continuing our trip through Holland, I have to get my puppy fix every day. Today, we found ourselves wandering the streets of Den Haag (The Hague, Holland) and, in particular, the Palace Gardens right beside the Royal Stables. It is there that we met this lovely furry face, named Fleur. She is an 11 year old dachshund who certainly knows how to make friends! She came up to greet us and then promptly lay on her back to allow me give her a belly rub…and then when I stopped, she begged with her two front paws for me to continue, all the while looking up at me expectantly.
Now, it was time for a real portrait. Look at the intensity on that little face, and the raised right paw, as she discusses things with her Dad.
And then what we were all waiting for…the pose and the head-tilt!
Such a darling to work with, Fleur obviously lives a good life. I hope her golden years are full of happiness and a full-time staff to dole out the belly rubs!
Sep 14, 2012
Another Friday, another Project 52 post…but this time it is brought to you from Rotterdam, Holland! The Posh Pets’ challenge for this week was to incorporate a person (or part of a person) in our image. As we are currently travelling, I was on the lookout for new canines and their humans to photograph. Surprisingly, there are not a lot of dogs in Rotterdam – at least not out on the street taking walks – and so I had almost despaired of finding the proper subject. However, just as we were about to enter our hotel at the end of the day, I noticed a young woman with her very cute puppy frolicking in the grass.
We learned that the puppy’s name is Diesel and she is a 9 week year old English Cocker Spaniel. She was currently outside in an attempt to “tire her out” as she needed to go to work with her human and could not possibly be as active as she currently was. Even though she is only 9 weeks old, Diesel has quite obviously bonded with her human and, while she loved the attention and belly rubs, she quickly returned to where her person was standing and peeked out over the grass at me…
A reassuring pat on the back yielded this image…
Which led to this gorgeous portrait!
Thank you so much for letting me photograph little Diesel…may your lives together be full of fun, laughter and belly rubs. And some occasional naps. 🙂
Next in the blog circle is NSC Pet Photography, The Windsor-Essex Furtographer. Please check out Nicole’s work and then follow the circle around until you end up back with Diesel. And feel free to leave comments – we all love it so! Happy Friday!
Sep 7, 2012
It is Friday again…the “short” week has just flown by! This week we were to show off some of the tools that we use behind the scenes to create beautiful Posh Pets’ imagery!
As you know, we only photograph pets. So, our tools are pretty simple. We simply need things that will get the attention of our furry subjects. Whenever you book a session with Posh Pets Photography, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire telling us all about your loveable furry face. And you will be asked if your friend is food-motivated or sound-motivated. Depending on what you tell us, we’ll bring all kinds of things to help us get their attention.
So, here you have a selection of our the tricks in our arsenal…treats for both felines and canines, noisemakers and the ever-ready poo-bag for life’s little messes. I cannot count the times when that has come in very handy – it even doubles as a colourful ribbon!
Next in the blog ring is Central Coast Photographer, Sharon Stokes. Please check out her awesome work and the rest of the Beautiful Beasties blog circle.
Sep 2, 2012
Today, I am very happy to spotlight one of our recent sessions – the lovely Abbey! Last time we featured her gorgeous brother, Chester, but Abbey is so beautiful she deserves her own Posh Pets’ post.
When I first heard that I would be photographing Abbey, I nearly squealed with delight – I absolutely love orange tabbies! It goes without saying that they tend to be very good-looking creatures with lovely personalities, but, I think the reason I am so drawn to them is because of our own orange tabby Ripley, who we lost a few months ago. In any case, any time I see an orange tabby, I just know that it will be wonderful!
Abbey patrols her territory like any respectable kitty, and she soon came by to determine what we were doing with her brother, Chester. When she saw that nothing was amiss, she went her way to explore a little more. However, when we returned from our park session with Chester, there she was, waiting in the driveway for her turn in the spotlight. On that beautiful evening, we got some lovely images of her which will forever grace the rooms of the home she shares with her humans. (I believe that some images are heading off to university this fall…) Just look at those eyes!
Aug 31, 2012
It is Friday, which means it must be Project 52 day! This week, we were invited to showcase some “personal work”. In other words, to photograph something just for ourselves without the motivation of a paying client. Two things that I love are travel and photography and this week I got to do both! Instead of my usual DSLR when I am working, I grabbed my Fuji x100 with its set focal length and got to play tourist for a day…
If I had to choose a city to live in the United States, it would be New York. (Although my husband loving reminds me that one only loves to live in New York if one is also wealthy…which we are not. He might have a point.) I love the hustle and bustle, the noise, the fact that the city truly “never sleeps”, and the people who I have always found to be loud, but friendly. Photographically, I love the skyline. Especially when the sun goes down.
Fortunately, I was in New York this past weekend. So, here is shot of that famous Manhattan skyline, taken at about 10:00 p.m. on a rooftop across the East River in Brooklyn. The very prominent lighted building is the tower that has been built on the site of Ground Zero. It is not quite finished, but it is definitely getting there.
Playing a little with my settings and I was able to create an abstract version. I find the bokeh of the lights very pretty.
Some day time shots of…
…Wall Street
… as well as the grand lady herself.
And, because when I travel, I always take note of how a city treats its animals, here are a few I captured this weekend…
A mobile spay/neuter clinic that also offer on-site vaccinations. How cool!
Dogs can do banking in New York City! Interestingly enough, the bank that offers this is TD Bank. For those who do not know, the TD stands for “Toronto-Dominion”. which was its name before all of the Canadian banks rebranded to acronyms (BMO was “Bank of Montreal”, RBC was “Royal Bank of Canada” etc.). So, it is a little “home away from home” and they treat dogs special to boot!
Thanks for following along! Next, is Ann Kearns, Hamilton Ontario Pet Photographer. Please check out her personal work this week and go all the way around until you end up back here with Posh Pets!
