Feb 1, 2013
I love action shots, so this week was fun! Sometimes at the shelter, we just let the dogs loose and they run themselves tired. The great thing about photographing running/action sequences are all of the great expressions that appear.
First of all, there is the “take off”. The eagerness and expectation of it all…
Then comes the “flat out run” face. Such concentration!
Sooner or later, the “crazy” face will appear …
And my personal favourite, the “Oof” face…the sound I believe they make when they land.
This is a blog circle, so please follow it around if you would like to see how all of the other photographers interpreted this week’s theme, starting with Connecticut Pet Photographer, Kathryn Schauer. See you next week!
Jan 25, 2013
This week’s challenge was chosen by Posh Pets Photography (me!). I love black and white imagery – there is something so classic about it – and I love to see how a photo changes just by removing the colour. So, this week everyone was to produce a black and white image or an image that featured the colour black and/or white. I cannot wait to see what everyone came up with.
So…if you live in Toronto, you know how cold it has been this past week. I did not want to be outside and when I looked at Baxter, he gave me no indication of him wanting to step foot outside either (Baxter has gotten quite accustomed to the cushy life of an indoor cat in the 10 weeks he has been with us). So, I thought it would be a good week to practice my studio photography skills as well as introduce little Baxter to real studio lights. Which is exactly what we did…hope you enjoy the result!
We have a lot of participants this week’s Project 52, so please follow the blog circle around to see them all. To begin with, take this link to Eastern Iowa Pet Photographer, Mary Beth Arnold and see what beautiful image she came up with this week!
Jan 11, 2013
Here is Posh Pets’ first edition of Project 52 for 2013, named Seasonal Fun!
Depending on where you live, you are in the throws of Winter or Summer. Or, maybe you enjoy something more temperate all year round. But, for those of us who enjoy seasons, I find that each one has its own, unique beauty. In Toronto, we have finally received a respectable amount of snow and I was determined to get out there and photograph it for this week’s theme!
While Posh Pets‘ has its wonderful private and commercial clients, I like to “give back” by volunteering to photograph adoptable dogs and cats at the local shelter each week. This is a work that I enjoy immensely! When it comes to the dogs at the shelter, I photograph them almost exclusively outside, no matter the weather! This is because, not only is natural light beautiful, but it gives the dogs an opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and feel the snow or grass between their paws. Those few minutes of attention, treats and the great outdoors often translate into moments of unbridled joy. And, there is always one dog who seems to love it more than any other.
This week, that dog was Rocky. He is a lovely 6 year old german shepherd who is available for adoption from Toronto Animal Services – North. The pent up energy created in the shelter environment means that walking him initially can be a bit of a challenge. He likes to pull a bit in anticipation of getting somewhere awesome. But, after a few minutes of exercise and love, he is a different dog – our return walk to the shelter had Rocky walking beautifully like a proper gentleman. If you are looking for a loyal companion, then please consider an older boy like Rocky – there are many ‘Rockies’ just waiting in shelters around the country, the continent and the world.
But, for now, please enjoy Rocky’s ‘mini-session’ highlighting all of fun of winter!
Here is Rocky when we first made it outside. At the sight of the snow, Rocky began to rub and roll in the snow in sheer delight! This was such a joy to watch!
Then, the running began. Dogs love to feel the wind in their fur and I love the look of the snow flying behind him and the look of happiness on Rocky’s face!
A little tired from his romp, Rocky stopped to listen and enjoy the world around him. Isn’t he gorgeous? This boy should be in pictures!
And, after some more rolling in the snow, a graceful portrait. I love his snow-covered muzzle in this one!
And finally, Rocky’s adoption photo which will help him find his forever home!
And there you have it – the beauty of winter through the eyes of a dog! Now, please continue through the blog circle to see what the other photographers in the group came up with. To start with, please check out Melbourne Dog Photographer, Ragamuffin Pet Photography and see what Caitlin has for seasonal fun in Australia!
Dec 21, 2012
This week’s theme was chosen by none other than Posh Pets! Each week, we see lovely images of faces and paws and such, but I thought it would be fun if we got to be creative with the other end of these furry faces.
I knew the type of image I wanted to create this week – simply the back half of one of our cats with some movement. And that is what I got! Here is Baxter, walking past a window, which backlights him beautifully. Enjoy!
This is a blog circle so there are many other images to come! Please start with For the Love Pet Photography in Portland, Oregon and feel free to leave a comment or two!
Dec 14, 2012
This week we were to try and perfect a new technique that would help ourselves and others in their photography. I decided to look at flash photography and to make it simple, I had two requirements: my source of light could only be a speedlight (no studio lights) and the flash had to remain on the camera. There are tons of other techniques using (multiple) studio light and beautiful images are achieved with off-camera flash, but I wanted to see how pleasing a light I could get with just one speedlight on my camera. In other words, something anyone could do!
Truthfully, I have never been a fan of flash photography for pets. Like a lot of people, they don’t enjoy being hit with a bright light and for some, it can really scare them. However, there are times when there simply is not enough quality ambient light and the photographer must supplement it.
For this exercise, I used my favourite boy, Baxter. Given that I was going to use quite a lot of flash I waited until he was napping (you will see in this series that he did not hardly stir during the whole process) and I tried to remain relatively in the same place.
So, here is the first attempt with the flash pointed directly at Baxter. Predictably, using a flash in this manner produces a rather harsh light. Fortunately, Baxter’s eyes are closed, otherwise, I surely would have blinded him. The flash lit up his face and everything else faded to black, creating an almost ‘natural vignette’. I was actually surprised at how much I did not hate this image, but as you can imagine, it would only work in very limited circumstances where you were after a certain ‘look’.
Here, the flash is pointed towards the ceiling. We often hear that we are to bounce the flash from the ceiling as ceilings are often light coloured and it spreads out the light a little more. I actually really did not like this look at all. The light is ‘ugly’ and is coming down on poor Baxter (who is still asleep).
And here is the technique I use the most when I have to employ a flash on camera. It is pointed neither up or down, but is firing directly over my head towards the wall behind me. Granted, if you try this technique in a room with richly coloured walls, you will introduce a colour cast from the light bouncing back onto your subject. But in this case, it lit up the still sleeping Baxter and gave the illusion of the room lights providing the light in the image.
And then I took one more image, just because I love his little black paws. And yes, he is still sleeping. It must be the reason why he is so gorgeous – he certainly gets his beauty sleep!
So, that’s it! As I said, so simple that anyone can do it…
Next in the blog circle is Victoria BC Pet Photographer Melissa McCabe of Unleashed! pet portraits. Please check out what new technique she tried this week and follow the circle all the way around until you come back to Baxter (who undoubtedly will still be asleep).
Nov 30, 2012
Play is a wonderful way to spend some time with your pet – it is part of the bonding experience and can be a great de-stresser for you as well. However, it is important to remember that each animal is an individual with differing likes and preferences. But finding out what they enjoy to do is all part of the fun.
Since welcoming Baxter into our home, we have had to make adjustments to accommodate his energy! We had forgotten what it was like to have a 2 year old around and Baxter simply loves to interact and play. We have, however, found his most favourite toy in the whole wide world. As in, please play with me all of the time. Want to know what it is? Well, enjoy this 15 second clip (turn the sound up for full effect 🙂 ) …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4N5xarQAOA&feature=plcp
Yes, the classic game of chase the red dot…Baxter thinks that this is what he was born on earth to chase!
He is a smart little furry face – he has figured out that he needs us to ‘engage’ the little red light. He is lightening fast and would make an excellent hockey player (good little Canadian cat!) because he anticipates where the red light will be, as opposed to where it currently is. What he hasn’t figured out is that he will never, ever catch it.
And, of course, once all of the play is over, it is time for naps…what a life!
If you are planning for a Posh Pets‘ session and your furry face has a favourite toy, bring it! Not only will it help us keep his or her attention, but by incorporating their favourite toy in the images, their personality can shine through!
This is a blog circle, so there are many more images (and toys) to look at! Let’s start with the wonderful Charleston SC dog photographer Dana Cubbage and see what her guys’ favourite toys are!
Nov 9, 2012
This week’s theme was to show all about sleeping and how our pets’ have their spots and routines. Well, Lady Jane LOVES our bed and she spends a great deal of time on it. This week, I wasn’t feeling that well and so I spent a morning resting in bed (Lady Jane thought that that was the best thing in the world…a bed buddy) and I thought that I would document how she sleeps. After all, it is the same routine at night and the light was so much better in the morning!
First of all, when it is time to go to bed, Lady Jane will call us. She comes into whatever room we are in and meows plaintively. If we get up, she will run to the bedroom, hoping we will follow. If we don’t seem to ‘get it’, she will stand in the doorway of the bedroom and let out these long mews until we show up.
When we finally come and get on the bed (she waits and watches to make sure we are really getting into bed), she will hop up and settle down.
Now, bear in mind that these images were taken with one hand at fairly close range. Why? Well, Lady Jane not only sleeps on the bed, she sleeps on…me. Yes, that fuzzy flesh-coloured thing at the bottom of the image is my left hand and arm and you can just about see how she has her arm curled around mine. The lovely pillow she is leaning on? Yes, that’s me too. My legs, to be exact. She will stay in this position for hours, changing only to lay her head down and go to sleep in earnest.
Now, what if I move my arm? Well then, I get this wistful look, as in, “momma…why can’t we just hold hands…?”
So, that is little Lady Jane’s nighttime routine. She doesn’t sleep there all night. She will eventually make it to her stool which is beside the bed – but she is certainly has more of a need to be close to us since her brother, Ripley, passed away.
Now, let’s see what other bedtime routines are like. To begin with, please head on over to the super-talented San Diego Pet Photographer, Westway Studio…let’s see what Terran came up with this week!
Oct 26, 2012
This week we were given the task of showing motivation. Specifically, the instructions were “…whatever (it) means to you…have fun with it!” If you spend enough time with animals, you will quickly realize that they can communicate all kinds of things just by a look – the desire to play, the necessity of treats, the guilt of “your leaving me…again.” Given that our cat, Lady Jane, has any number of these looks, I spent some time brainstorming what I could do for this week’s image. I turned around to see where Lady Jane was (since Ripley’s passing, she spends many hours laying under my office chair and I have to always check before I move it lest I roll over her precious paws) and this is what I saw. Possibly the most un-motivated pose ever. The irony of the moment made me laugh out loud (and grab my iPhone for a quick picture)!
The truth is though, Lady Jane is definitely one of my motivators for my business and my life. She is truly a cuddly cat who began life in a shelter, but now loves to be with us. She is also already 15.5 years old and, as much as I hate to think about it, she will not live forever. We lost Ripley earlier this year and the time will come when I will no longer have a furry grey Lady Jane sleeping on the bed beside me. What I do have are the glorious pictures of the two of them that I have taken during the years – memories captured forever. That is why I am a pet photographer. And why I volunteer each week to help shelter animals.
So, please enjoy this week’s image of Lady Jane who is my picture of motivation.
PS: After this picture and my laugh, I was truly motivated to crawl back into bed and take a nap…so you see motivation can mean just so many things!
Next in our blog circle is talented Quad-Cities Pet Photographer, Mary Beth Arnold. Let’s see where she and the rest of the blog circle got their motivation from this week!
Oct 19, 2012
Of all the seasons, I love Autumn. The golden light. The leaves. The colours. And what a spectacular Autumn we have had in Southern Ontario – the trees look as if they are on fire! So, I was very excited to hear that our theme for this week was “Fall”.
Last weekend, I was priviledged to spend time with the gorgeous Ryder during his custom photography session. Ryder is a golden retriever and was therefore absolutely at home amongst all the colour around him. This is definitely one of my favourite images of his session and one that I think that not only shows off Ryder’s beauty, but also the beauty of the season!
And, who can resist the smile of a dog? Even a simple headshot looks amazing in the Fall!
So, that’s the Posh Pets images for this week! Next in the blog circle is California dog photographer, Lisa Van Dyke. Please follow the link to see her image for this week and keep going around the ring to see the images from the rest of the Beautiful Beasties gang!
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 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.
