Jan 20, 2012
Shooting “from the hip” is a technique pet photographers will use to capture unique angles. It takes a little practice because you are literally holding your camera at about hip level and firing the shutter without looking through the view finder. What you end up with can be great, hilarious or just plain garbage. It all depends on where your camera ends up focusing. And, because you are doing this “blind”, you do not really know what you have captured until you look at the screen on the back of your camera.
To begin with I tried photographing Lady Jane while she was sitting still. These were literally my first two images, which was pretty awesome. But, she was sitting still, so that made it easier.
The next task was to do this while she was in motion. This makes it incredibly more difficult to do. My favourite image is the one below. It gives a sense of motion, which makes sense because, well…she was moving.
In all, I was pretty pleased with the results. I found that the images are very different with a large dog (I have done that before) because you can tend to get “under” their chin. Seeing as Lady Jane stands about 12 inches tall, I would have had to literally drag my camera along the ground in order to get that perspective.
So, let’s see what everyone else in the blog circle came up with this week! To begin with, please check out the super talented Natalia & Bill from Photolab and see what fun shots they captured for the theme! And then continue all the way around until you end up back here. We’ll see you next week!
Jan 13, 2012
The theme we were given to shoot around this week was simply “new”. Given that most people take a moment at the beginning of a new year or a new month to think about some goals they might have, I thought I would share one of mine. This will definitely be new for me.
I want to learn to shoot film…properly.
There was a time that I had a film camera and I happily put rolls of film in it, set it to auto and hoped for the best. At the time, I had no idea of how to compose a photograph, let alone how to determine “correct’ exposure or how to rate film. This time, I am going to learn.
Given my goal, I am so thankful to my mom for lending me her old Minolta x-700. At the time when it was released, this was a state-of-the-art camera system – the flagship of the Minolta line. It is lovely! Completely manual, without the aid of an LCD screen, this camera will force me to slow down and think before I release the shutter. It will also force me to become friends with my light meter again.
Second item on my list was, of course, film! I have chosen to shoot Kodak Portra 400 VC for my first few rolls. And here is the very first one, fresh out of his cannister with its old familiar smell. This will bring its own set of challenges, the most interesting of which will be finding a lab that I like that can process C-41 colour film. I have been given a couple of recommendations which I will try out, but I am excited to discover a part of the Toronto photography scene that I know little about.
So, there you have it – my new (to me!) camera, my new film and my new goal! With a manual focus camera, it might be a little while until you see Posh Pets portraits from me taken on film, but I think working with this new medium will make me a better photographer. It will be just for me. No pressure. No chance of public failure. But, with a lot of time and practice, I hope to bring you images of cats and dogs, shot on film.
As this is a blog circle, please check out Cynthia Wood of Georgian Bay Studios and see what is new in her life this week! Have a happy Friday!
Jan 12, 2012
This week is a little lighter week – just two beautiful kitties! As always, the best way to get more information on these two gentlemen is to contact the Toronto Animal Service – North Region. Their images are also on the Posh Pets Photography Facebook page. So, without any further ado, here are this week’s stars…
Meet Maestro! He is a super-cuddly, 1 year old tabby cat who simply wants to have his belly, his ears, his back rubbed! He insisted on sitting on me for most of our time together (which makes it a little more difficult to get a good image) or rolling around at my feet. Maestro would make an awesome pet!
Now, meet Jupiter! Not only does Jupiter have beautiful eyes, but he loves to be picked up and cuddled. He is also sports an unusual colouring – he is completely black except for the tip of his tail, which is brown! At 3 1/2 years old, he still has many, many good years ahead of him.
Thanks for stopping by to meet the new guys looking for forever homes! We will see you next week!
Dec 31, 2011
- As of December 2011, the Posh Pets Blog is officially one year old! Hard to believe that this was begun on December 19, 2010 with one small post that said we had gone live. At the time, I had no idea what I would find to write about for the whole year, but it really has come together for me. I find that sometimes I simply cannot get all the ideas I have written quickly enough!
- Posh Pets joined the Beautiful Beasties Project 52 in March 2011. That has been an awesome project that allows me to shoot images just for me. For an artist, it is vitally important that we get an opportunity to stretch and push ourselves to try different things and also to explore ideas and concepts that we would not otherwise do. I really have enjoyed seeing how each member interprets one theme – I hope you have too!
- Posh Pets was featured in the Toronto Star on November 12, 2011 alongside one of my mentors, the very talented Teresa Berg. That was something that I could not have even dreamed of at the beginning of 2011. It was a complete surprise to be recognized for my work.
- Posh Pets began photographing the Toronto Animal Services Adoptables on November 2, 2011. I began with Greta, a beautiful brown tabby and ended the year with Pete, a gorgeous husky. In between, there were a total of 76 animals who posed for my lens – that is a lot of furry faces in just 2 months! I am so happy to report that Greta has since found her forever home along with 57 of her fellow adoptables and I hope Pete and his friends are not far behind.
Of course, I know that I could not have done this all by myself. So, I want to take a few lines to thank all of the people who have helped me during 2011.
♥ Thank you to all of my clients who trusted me to capture the beauty and grace of their beloved pets for I could not be working at something I absolutely love without you! I have enjoyed meeting you, snuggling with your furry family members and presenting you with final images you can treasure for years to come.
♥ Thank you to Kathy and her staff at Toronto Animal Services – North Region. Every week I go in to meet the newest group of adoptables, I am amazed by the hard work and dedication they display towards these animals who have no home, no protection and no voice. They really do care!
♥ Thank you to my family who have shown me such support during this last year. My Mom and Dad and sister have always been there, encouraging me to do what they know is a dream for me. I hope you know how much I love you guys!
♥ It would be hard to have missed the many stories on the blog of the kitties my husband and I share our home with. Ripley and Lady Jane are the best models, patiently putting up with my never ending requests for photography time. Ripley is now 17 years old and Lady Jane is 15, so they have many long hours of napping in between, but I would be remiss not to thank them too!
♥ Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my dear husband. Dean has always believed in me, even when I did not believe in myself. He is honest to a fault and I can always count on him to tell me the truth about any of my ideas, business or my photography. At the same time, he knows exactly what to say and do when I am feeling frustrated or down. I truly do love you honey!
I will leave you with an image of one of our success stories from 2011 – this is Hank, who found his forever home last week. I do hope you will all stick around for all the Posh Pets’ excitement in 2012!
Dec 30, 2011
Well, this is it – the last Project 52 theme for 2011! For this week, we were encouraged to incorporate circles in our image as it is a fitting symbol to the end of a year that simply rolls into a new one and the fact that we all participate in a blog circle as part of this group. Sounded like an easy enough theme until I set about to photograph it. To tell you the truth, I was stumped. And I remained that way until I went to the shelter and photographed this little guy sitting all snuggly in his cat house. Wonderfully, the opening was a circle. And so you have it – this week’s image of a circle!
Please follow around the blog circle starting with Dana Cubbage Photography. She’s in the middle of a big move, so she is no doubt running around in circles right now, so I cannot wait to see what she came up with!
And don’t worry – Project 52 continues in 2012. So, we will see you all back here next week!
Dec 23, 2011
It is hard to believe that we have almost reached the end of Project 52 for 2011, but here we are! Given the balmy weather we are enjoying today, no one would think that this is the end of December. But I, for one, will not complain about the lack of icy conditions and awful commutes. I am sure they are coming.
For this week, we were given the theme “silhouette” and the Posh Pets studio decided to do some still life imagery which I actually love. This beautiful guy hails from South Africa and was a gift from a dear friend of mine who had the opportunity to travel there at the beginning of the year. Usually he sits on my dresser where, interestingly, he has never been thrown onto the floor by one of our acrobatic cats. (Not that they ever admit to moving anything.) I guess he has a quiet resolve about him that even they know it would be wrong to mistreat him so horribly. And so, he stands and carefully watches over the comings and goings that is our life.
Today, however, he was the star of his own photo session and provided a striking silhouette as he marches across the African Savanna…
Hope you enjoyed your visit here today. However, this is a blog circle which means more amazing imagery is just a click away. To start with, please check out the talented Dana Cubbage! Her work is always stunning.
Nov 30, 2011
While it was “raining cats and dogs” outside, we were inside photographing the warm and dry kitties! Take a look at this week’s adoptables which feature a number of little kittens. If someone catches your eye, please contact the Toronto Animal Services – North Region to check on them.
And now, please meet Hank! Hank bravely faced the wet elements so we could show you what a beautiful German Sheppard mix he is. He is anxiously awaiting to meet his forever family!
Until next week!
Nov 18, 2011
This week’s theme is exactly what it said – the best image from the week. Sometimes you know you’ve taken it, the second you click the shutter. This was one of those times.
Meet Denny. Denny is 3 months old and currently resides at the Toronto Animal Services where I volunteer once a week. He is a sweetheart of a Rottweiler puppy who is trying very hard to learn his manners. In other words, he LOVES to jump up and give you wet puppy kisses. Afterall, when you are only 3 months old, every day seems like a long time to wait for your forever home. And so you spend your days savouring every new experience as something exciting! Especially new people.
In order to get his image, we brought him into a grassy enclosure to let him off-leash. We really were not sure how this new found freedom would allow us to take a beautiful image and even acknowledged it to each other. As can be imagined, Denny spent the first 5 minutes running around, jumping up on us, giving kisses…we were starting to wonder if we would get an image that was more than a black blur. What to do? Well, I got out my trust squeaker and handed it to my assistant. She let out the *squeak*. And, with that sound, Denny sat down, cocked his head and gave this beautiful pose. You have just got to know – he is going to be a heartbreaker!
Next up on our blog circle is the talented Claire (Bear) Garrett of Australia’s Petography! Make sure you click all the way around the circle until you come back where Denny will be waiting for you…
Nov 11, 2011
This week’s challenge was to have a person in our pet portraits. And so here is this week’s image of the love of a girl for her dog.
As always, this is a blog circle, so please check out Stephanie Madeline of Chase & Snap to see how she person-alized her image this week. We’ll see you all next week!
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.
