Oct 25, 2012
Here is the roundup for this week’s group of furry adoptable faces! Everyone is cute and cuddly and would love to jump into your heart and home. There is a little more information on the Toronto Animal Services (North) website as well as the Posh Pets’ Facebook page about each of these wonderful boys and girls. If you see someone you would like to get to know better, please contact TAS directly to arrange a meet-and-greet.
Apr 6, 2012
Sometimes an image just speaks to you and you know you “got it”. This week’s theme was to pick a song and illustrate it through an image or a series of images. When I heard the theme, I had a few ideas in mind, but nothing concrete.
As most of you know, I volunteer each week at the Toronto Animal Services, photographing their adoptables. That is when I met Rufus who nailed the images for me.
First of all, Rufus is a beagle and I absolutely adore beagles! I have always said that it must come from being brought up on Snoopy. Rufus is almost 6 years old and is a awesome beagle. He is tri-colour, likes to “speak” and has a tail that doesn’t stop wagging. Even as I photographed him, I could not stop singing,
How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the waggily tail.
Hos much is that doggie in the window? I do hope that doggie’s for sale!
Just look at that tail! The great thing is that Rufus is not for sale – he is available for adoption and would love to find his forever home!
Next in the blog circle is Central Coast Pet Photographer, Sharon Stokes. Please check out what song she is singing this week!
Feb 10, 2012
Dogs follow their noses, especially the “hound” breeds. This week, Posh Pets was fortunate enough to photography a trio of beagles which provided lots and lots of noses to photograph. This image is a little more abstract/fine art than usual, but I really love it. And it showcases Marcy’s little nose.
Here is a top view of that same nose.
And here is the same nose WAY, WAY TOO CLOSE. Love this picture! This happens a lot during photo sessions – probably more than most people realize. And it always results in funny photos like this one. As well as the necessary business of wiping your lens clean of doggy nose schmutz.
But, just to show you what a beautiful girl Marcy really is, here is her adoption photo. Yes, unbelievably, she and her nose (and eyes, ears, paws and heart!) are all patiently waiting at the Toronto Animal Services for her forever home.
That is it for Posh Pets for this week! Now, please check out Kaylee Greer of Dog Breath Photography who is located just a little south of us in beautiful Boston, Massachusetts! We cannot wait to see what noses she photographed this week!
Dec 16, 2011
We are a little late this week, but here the current residents at the Toronto Animal Services (North Region). As always, you can find out a few details about them by visiting the Posh Pets Facebook page or the TAS.
First, we have the graceful felines…
And now, we have our many dogs looking for homes!
See you back here next week!
May 6, 2011
This week’s theme was a real challenge. Our group was instructed to “find a stranger with a pet, introduce yourself and Project 52, and ask if their pet would be willing to model”. Which would give you about 5 minutes. That was no easy task, but it was much harder considering how much it has rained in Toronto this past week. Most days, I did not want to go outside, let alone approach a stranger and ask them to stand in the driving rain while I photographed their pet. I am pretty sure my equipment would not have enjoyed it either.
However, yesterday was a beautiful day with gorgeous sunshine. We determined to get out to High Park in Toronto, in part to see the Cherry Tree Blossoms. We have lived in Toronto a long time, but I do not think it ever registered that we have Sakura Cherry trees in our own backyard. Once I found that out, I was determined to photograph them this spring. It turns out that we were a bit early, as they are not yet in full bloom. But, they are already beautiful. Even better, High Park boasts its own off-leash dog area. What better place to visit and see if I could find a willing, on-the-spur-of-the-moment kind of model to photograph.
Well, when we arrived, there were so many dogs out and about, enjoying the glorious sun with their humans. But the one that caught my eye was the beagle standing on the pathway with her family. Why? Well, I am kind of a nut for beagles. It must be a Snoopy thing. Back when I was in grade school, I would write and illustrate stories about Snoopy on my own time! And when little Uno became the first beagle in history to take “Best in Show” at the prestigious Westminster Dog Show in 2008…well, I have to admit that I had a little tear in my eye. It is that great face, the unassuming personality and the fact that they seem to just be themselves. At this point, I have pretty much decided that one day we will have a beagle in our home. (But please, do not tell the resident kitties about this plan…)
For all those reasons, I was beyond thrilled when her human family stopped me out of the blue and asked me to take a photo of them. At that point, I got introduced to Lola, their (approximately) 6-year-old beagle. Lola’s mom explained that she had been a rescue from a pound. They had gone to visit and realized that no one wanted her, which is horrible to imagine. But, like most beagles, Lola leapt into their hearts and found her forever home.
Lola was a wonderful little model! Even though this was early afternoon and therefore, the worst possible light you can have, she was more than willing to help me out. Of course, it did not hurt that her Dad had treats on hand as rewards. And the fact that she is so well trained. She posed, in between breaks to go and have a grand ole’ sniff of something interesting. It did not take more than a few minutes to find her look.
After everything, I just have to say: Lola, I really enjoyed meeting you, hearing your story and having the privilege of photographing you. We even snuck in a few images of you with your human family so that they did not feel left out. A sincere thanks to you, and the three humans you share your home with who all helped make it happen!
Look at her “big dog” shadow!
And we’ll leave you with one of the best things about Lola – her smile!
Blur – The Answer
For those of you who saw last week’s image and wondered how to achieve that kind of effect in camera, here is the answer. It is nothing more than a zoom lens and slow shutter. I set my shutter for 1.6 seconds and focused using the 70mm end of my zoom lens. When I depressed the shutter, I then proceeded to zoom all the way in to 200mm while the shutter was still open. It is that change in perspective that creates the lines. The trick though is to pause ever so slightly at the 70mm focal length before zooming through. That creates a slightly darker imprint of your initial image. So there you have it – go out and give it a try!
Going Around in Circles
At this point, you all know the drill. Now, we are heading north to Collingwood to see Cynthia Wood of Georgian Bay Pet Photography and see who she met! And then you get to click all the way through until you end up here with Lola’s smiling face.
