Nov 9, 2011
First of all, Posh Pets is happy to report that Rico (yellow lab) from last week has already found his forever home! We are so happy for him!
As always, all of these animals are available from the Toronto Animal Services – North Region and are looking forward to meeting you. You can also check out the Posh Pets’ Facebook Page to find out more information on them.
So, without any further ado, here are this week’s gorgeous and cuddly (these guys and gals climbed all over me!) kitties…
And now, if you are a Chihuahua lover, then this is the post for you! Please meet the cutest Chihuahua family! Hard working mom, Violet, has her paws full with very active 3-month olds, Gustav and Gertrude.
And here is Darla, a 4 year old Chihuahua mix.
That’s it for this week – see you all next week!
Nov 3, 2011
As many know, there are many wonderful pets just waiting for their forever homes across the city. This space will be devoted to those currently available at the Toronto Animal Services – North Region. Please contact TAS directly if you see a family pet in amongst these beautiful faces. (There are more images and information on the Posh Pets Facebook page.)
Here are the awesome doggies for this week!
And now for the fantastic felines! Remember the TAS has a special adoption drive for November.
Oct 28, 2011
Another week of Project 52 has flown by! This week we were given the theme “wide open”, which was open to all types of interpretations – wide angle lenses, large apertures, wide vistas – whatever each photographer wanted to showcase. So, I took the opportunity to go to a place I remember from my childhood. We called them the elephant backs as kids because they looked like rolling reddish-grey hills that had the texture of an elephant’s back. Invariably, we would run up and down them like crazy people, covering our clothes with a fine red soil which we tracked into our parent’s car. We, as kids, had a great time!
When we arrived last Sunday, it was apparent that I was not the only one who had had the idea to enjoy one of our last lovely fall days of 2011 in the wild. The place was covered with people. And, of course, kids running up and down the elephant backs. I saw this tree and was immediately taken with it. I can’t really explain why, but I knew I wanted to photograph it against the blue sky. This image took some patience as I had to wait for a number of variables to come together – the right wide-angle lens, the frame to be free of people and for the glorious late afternoon sun to make its appearance. But, finally, it came all together!
Apparently, this great place has a more grown up name – the Caledon/Cheltenham Badlands. Just north of Toronto, it is a great place to go and visit. And yes, we did track all that red soil in our car. The only difference now is that we have to clean it!
Please check out the next blog in the ring…Stephanie Madeline of Chase and Snap.
Oct 21, 2011
The Project 52 gang is used to photographing their usual suspects – lovely, furry dogs and cats. So this week, we broke out of our usual modus operandi and went for something a little “wild”. As in, we were to photograph animals that you don’t find curled up on your bed or lying on your couch, but rather those that make their home in the great outdoors.
It was a great idea until the weather decided to play havoc with my plans. Unfortunately, the last few days in Toronto have been wet, wet, wet! My hope is that all the little creatures have found themselves a nice, warm, dry spot to curl up in rather than scurrying around as subjects for my camera. (Incidentally, the electronics of my camera doesn’t like this kind of wet either.) So, Posh Pets had to go back in the archives to last fall when we had spectacular colours and I photographed this lovely duck. Look at him, enjoying the day, with his little chest puffed out!
Next up in the blog circle is Scott Robinson of Aussie Dog Photography. (It is no doubt much drier in Texas!). Please check out his work and then make your way all around the circle to you come back to Posh Pets. See you next week!
Oct 14, 2011
The Project 52 theme for this week was chosen as a tribute to Steve Jobs who passed away last week after a long battle with cancer. The group was asked to post an image created with iPhone or iPad and then it was quickly expanded to include any smart phone or device that can take quick “point-and-shoot” photos. It gave everyone a chance to show that it is not the camera you have, but the person behind the camera that makes the image. So, here we go…
Here is Lady Jane hiding her eyes to block out the light as she sleeps. I love it when she does this!
And here is our groggy girl just waking up from a lovely sleep…
Both images were taken with an iPhone and processed using Instagram.
Next up in the blog circle is Photolab! Please check them out!
Oct 7, 2011
Well, the weather lately is definitely telling us that Fall is upon us. Lovely colours, sunny days, crisp temperatures and maybe a little time to recover from all of summer’s adventures. In honour of that, this week’s theme is all about s-l-o-w-ing it down and chillin’. We were asked to capture animals napping, lounging, relaxing…you get the picture. And so, I present Muffy, sleeping peacefully. Look at that face – don’t you feel all relaxed now?
Now, please head over to California and see what Ali Peterson of Skyy Blue Photo has for us this week! And be sure to follow the blog ring around until you come back here (where you will need a nap after all your travels!).
Sep 30, 2011
This week’s theme was to convey the thought of motion through photography. This week Posh Pets did something a little different to showcase that we do not just photograph dogs and cats.
Fortunately for me, this week I met Peck. During his “portrait session” Peck definitely spent some time checking me (and his own reflection!) out in his aquarium. I love how this photo turned out! The colours are fantastic – his orange body fairly jumps out against the blue of the water. You can also see the motion of his delicate fins as they moved in the water – soft and billowy. These subtle movements were further amplified in his reflection. To tell you the truth, I think he liked being the centre of attention!
So, now please click through to Steph Skardal and see her take on motion. You can go all the way around the blog until you end up here with Posh Pets and Peck.
Sep 23, 2011
In our house, mornings definitely have their routine. I think they are a comfortable part of our life because you can go about getting things done without much thought – a great benefit if you are not one of those “morning people”. Living as long as they have with us, our kitties have learned our routine. Although honestly it is hard to say who trained whom – whether they adapted to our way of doing things, or the more likely idea that they trained us! In any case, we get up out of bed each morning (usually because we have been nudged/licked/pawed/meowed-in-the-face by the resident felines) and begin our day with feeding Ripley and Lady Jane. Then, and only then, do we get something to eat.
Amidst all of this activity, Lady Jane has discovered something very important. We humans drink milk! At this point in her life, Lady Jane knows if we are having cereal (which means milk!) or toast (which means no milk…sigh…). If we indulge in the former, she levels a stare at us urging us to please hurry up and finish. She does this only because she knows she will get the little dregs of milk at the bottom of the bowl. Sometimes, when it is particularly urgent in her mind, she will perform a little “prairie dog” pose in order to encourage us to hurry up. The other morning was such a morning, and you can see Lady Jane simply cannot restrain herself from reaching our a paw as the bowl is being lowered. Look at the concentration on that little face!
The other routine we have is “first to the bed”. After all the feeding and necessary morning business has been done, Lady Jane insists on finding herself a spot on the yet-unmade bed (we like to leave it to “air out” before making it each morning). She loves our bed and, once she has found a spot, will do her best to render herself un-moveable. Here is her look of, “You wouldn’t be so heartless as to move cute, loveable me…would you?”
Note: I often get asked about Lady Jane’s left eye. Simply put, half of her left pupil does not contract in bright light and it has been that way since we brought her home from the shelter over 14 years ago. However, Lady Jane is one of the happiest, contented kitties I know, so she doesn’t let this little thing stop her. It does mean that her depth perception is a little off and sometimes she misjudges things. But, that is what makes her our furry, clumsy, little goofball.
And there you have it – our kitty’s morning routine! Now, please check out Amy Riddett of Bark This Way and see what the morning routine looks like in her home.
Sep 16, 2011
The idea behind this week’s theme was to get nice and close to our subject. Really close. So, I took the opportunity to use my macro lens to see what I could see…it is amazing how cool individual things can look when you focus on them completely.
Here are my cat, Ripley’s, ear! The left one to be exact. Ever ready, ever alert! You can even see his little vein running around the perimeter.
Here is his tail. I’ve always love the “ripples” in his tail!
I love this one in black and white! Again, this is the tip of Ripley’s paintbrush tail – just as he leaves because he is tired of having his photo taken, yet again!
And, just to show how a macro lens can be used for more than just close-up photography, here is Ripley enjoying the morning sun. I love the way the light falls on his face and bathes his profile in a soft glow.
Now, check and see what everyone else in the blog circle came up with. Please start with Cynthia Wood of Georgian Bay Studios and then continue all the way around until you end up back here!
Sep 9, 2011
This week, we are at the halfway mark since Project 52 started! In celebration, we were asked to go back and re-do a theme. We were given the choice that it could be one that we missed or one that we just wanted a second try at. Well, Posh Pets did just that!
You may recall that back in May, we had been asked to conduct an impromptu photo shoot with an animal we had never photographed before. I had really enjoyed that the first time around, so I took another stab at it. Meet Lola (who coincidentally as the same name my subject first time around). This time though, Lola is a beautiful siamese-mix. Here she is, looking very elegant.
I love her speckled ears! And you know what? Ears was one of our previous themes. So, I guess we did two!
In her garden, up close, you can see her beautiful blue eyes.
Now follow the blog ring around to see all the different themes for this week. Start with Blue Amrich Studio and take it from there! See you next week!
Sep 2, 2011
For this week’s theme of humour, I thought it might be fun to take you behind the scenes and see some of the “out-takes” of one of my favourite sessions. The in-between shots are sometimes the funniest and there are some “classic” poses that all pet photographers have come to know and love. I warn you: These will not win any awards, and they rarely make it into the Client Gallery. But, they certainly give me a chuckle nonetheless. Here are 3 for you to enjoy!
First up, at some point in every session, the dog or cat will stick its tongue out at you. As a pet photographer, you just have to develop a thick skin and not take this as any indication of what they think of you or your photography. Or the treats you decided to tempt them with. Besides which, they look so cute doing it.
Secondly, there is the gratuitous bum shot. There is always more grass to sniff or interesting things to look at than the photographer. Again, it is good to not take it personally. This particular pug showed me her bum so many times, I just decided to photograph it! Her mom thought it was hilarious.
Lastly, I have named this one “Use the force, Luke”. Somehow, she just looks like Yoda trying to move an x-wing out of a swamp. (I hope I haven’t dated myself with this last description…no one reading this is actually asking, “Mom, what is she talking about?” Please tell me no…)
Hope you have enjoyed these! Please now go and see the work of Liz Stabbert and see what she has posted for this week! And follow the blog circle all the way around until you end up back here! And, as always, please feel free to leave comments 🙂
Aug 26, 2011
“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…”
This week’s image was to be something that reminds us of summer. If you live around here, you know that weather in Toronto this week was crazy! We had a fearsome windstorm and downpour on Sunday, felt the after effects of an earthquake on Tuesday and an amazing “light show” from a thunderstorm with tornado watch on Wednesday evening. What a way to end the summer!
But that is not how I remember summer. Living in Canada where we enjoy a true snowy winter, my memories of summer are simple. And so I present to you my image for this week – sunlight playing on lovely, green grass.
Now, please click through to see the amazing image Dana Cubbage Photography posted this week!
