On to week 2 for Posh Pets! For a bunch of pet photographers, this week’s theme was a bit of a scary thought – to come out from behind the camera and turn it on oneself. But I think it allowed for a pretty liberal interpretation. Us photographers are always “in the shadows” so to speak, so please enjoy this week’s image:
Want to see more? Please check out Ann Kearns entry here!
So, we’ve started a fun, new project at Posh Pets. The idea is that a group of pet photographers will come up with a different theme each week and it is our challenge to interpret that theme and post one or two images. The twist is that each photographer will link to one other photographer’s blog, forming a circle. That way our readers can take a look at all the different variations on the same theme.
This week our challenge was simply: Ears!
As any pet owner will tell you, you can tell a lot about the mood of your animal by their ears. They can be happy ears, scared ears, let’s play ears, oh-boy-am-I-going-to-get-a-treat ears. In the absence of actual conversation, ears are a form of communication.
So, without any further ado, here is our interpretation of this week’s theme: Ears!
First up, here is Ripley, our 16 year old. He is happily basking in the rays of the morning sun. Quite oblivious to the fact that he is having his portrait taken. Or, at least, he is not allowing that fact deprive him from the joy of sunshine on his back.
This is Lady Jane and this photo makes me laugh. Only because it is obvious that my sweet kitty is desperately trying to ignore me. But her ears give her away – she knows exactly where I am!
So there you go – two sets of ears for a Friday morning. For another take on this theme, please visit an awesome image by Dallas Photographer, Claire Baxter. See her work at Studio Fetch
As families in Ontario and Alberta celebrate Family Day today, some are celebrating with their pets. Ripley is our beautiful orange tabby and the original Posh Pet. While he is also known as “Ripley Cat”, “Purr Face”, “Baby”, make no mistake…he is definitely one cool and classy kitty! I think he considers the other names we call him as his “aliases” that he uses when he goes on his secret missions. He’s a debonaire, James Bond type of a cat. However, February 13 marked a milestone in Ripley’s life, for he has been an important part of ours for 15 years.
Ripley was a rescue from the Toronto Humane Society all those years ago. My husband, Dean, and I had decided that we wanted a kitty in our lives. Okay, truth be told, I had decided that I wanted a pet in the home and my dear husband probably thought that there could be worse things I could want. He was rather ambivalent, having grown up in a decidedly pet-free home. However, in deciding to get a pet, I had also made another important decision – ours would come from a shelter. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for “unwanted” animals and yes, I am one of those who, on the rare times that I watch tv, can be turned into a puddle of tears should the donation appeal ads come on. All of this led us to set out on a cold February evening in 1996 in search of a new member of the family.
When we arrived at the THS, there were so many to choose from. Dean and I drifted away from each other as we read the notes posted outside their cages. Such a huge decision and big responsibility. After a period of time which left me feeling rather overwhelmed – I wanted to take them all – my husband came over quietly and said, “I think I have found him”. I was so surprised. Dean hadn’t been the impetus behind us getting a cat. But, he had found him. He took me over to Ripley who was sitting his cage looking up at us. I asked my husband why he thought he was the one. He simply said, “He reached out to me”. And so he had. Apparently, as my husband had been peering into each cage, Ripley took his front paw, put it through the cage and touched Dean on the hand. That connection was all it took.
After about half an hour in which we were interviewed to determine if we would be good adoptive parents (we were so nervous that they would reject us), we were handed a cardboard “crate” with Ripley inside and directed to the in-house pet store to pick up things like litter, food etc. We drove home and brought Ripley inside. I still vividly remember how, when we opened his crate, he very cautiously poked his head up like an antennae, looked around and then lithely jumped out to explore his new surroundings.
Today, Ripley is a contented 16-year old who has brought us so much joy. His initial abandonment issues – his former family simply moved on him and left him on the street – have all but disappeared. He is strictly an indoor cat and seems to be happy to spend his days and nights in the warmth of a home, lying on the softness of a bed or couch with a full tummy. He has since also acquired a sister (also from a shelter) and, while she can be a source of aggravation at times (aren’t all sisters?), he likes the fact that she is around. And we’re so happy that he is with us. As he enters his golden years, he has slowed down a little bit, but that has made him all the more cuddly and affectionate.
Happy Anniversary Ripley! We love you…you have truly found your forever home.
More often than not, people will tell me that the one thing they treasure most about their pets is that their animals seem to know how they are feeling. That innate sense of when something is wrong, and the ability to respond in their own small way to provide comfort, is what forges the bond between many humans and their animals. How do they “know”? There are many theories on the subject, but sometimes it is just a beauty to watch it happen. I was able to do that yesterday.
Police Sergeant Ryan Russell was killed in the line of duty on January 12, 2011, when he was hit by a stolen snowplow. Last Tuesday, amidst a reprieve from the cold temperatures, the City of Toronto came out to pay their respects. It was quite a sight to see as thousands of officers in dress uniform, as well as civilians associated with the Service, march as one group down University Avenue. They came from all over Canada and the US and filled the street with a sea of blue and red (I personally have never seen so many RCMP in one place) in advance of Sergeant Russell’s casket.
Included in this number were the members of the Mounted and Police Dog Services. Watching them, it seemed that these animal officers understood what they were there to do – to pay their respects to their fallen comrade. They too, marched – their paws and hoofs in line with the others. They looked ahead and and, in the case of the Mounted unit, set the pace for the rest. Dignified mourning in the face of tragedy.
Toronto is fortunate, for the city of 2.5 million (5.5 million if you count the GTA) has not had a police officer killed in the line of duty since 2002. It says a lot about the city I call my home. But for those that knew him, that statistic must seem rather insignificant now. My condolences to Sergeant Ryan Russell’s family, friends and colleagues.
I absolutely love what I do! If you were to ask me what “it” is, I would tell you that “I am a fine art pet photographer”. When I say that, I get some quizzical looks as a lot of people are not used to hearing “fine art” and “pet photography” in the same sentence. But it is a good description of the products and services I provide. So, what does it mean? Let’s see if I can explain…
I seek to create images that you will want to display in your home – on the wall, in your entrance, up the stairs as part of a grouping – it doesn’t matter where, just as long as you are proud for others to see it! As such, the products Posh Pets Photography offers are items like Canvas Gallery Wraps, Framed Prints on fine art papers, Gallery Mounts…even our individual prints are professionally prepared, printed, mounted and coated to ensure that they are perfect for display. The idea is to create something that will be treasured not only today, but on into the future.
That being said, any images with Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Toothfairy or any other “holiday-themed” images do not fit the essence of fine art. So, I don’t shoot them. Those images have their place and I think a lot of pet owners enjoy having their animals celebrate the holidays along with them. But fine art evokes the idea of timelessness and classic, and photos of fido with reindeer ears does not seem to do the term justice. Plus, I am pretty sure that not many can envision a 30×30 Gallery Wrapped Canvas “reindeer ears” on their wall.
We start with a pre-consultation – just as professional photographers have been having with people since…well…forever. If you are one of those people who thinks that their pets are important members of the family, then the idea of a pre-consultation won’t come as a surprise to you. After all, the goals of each are pretty similar. It gives me a chance to get to know your beloved pet and for them to have at least met me before the big day. Of course, we don’t have to spend too much time on what to wear, but we’ll talk about the things that make your pet special, how they react to noise, to food, to the sound of your voice. Do they have health issues and how will that impact our session? My goal is simple – I want to be able to coax and capture beautiful images of your pet, and this pre-consult assists me. But it is also equally important for us to discuss your goals – what it is you would like to have out of the portrait session, any preferences you may have as to final product and answer any questions you have about the process. Together, we’ll come up with a plan (and yes, you’ll have a little homework to do). And the final reason we have a pre-consultation? Well, as you can expect from a pet photographer, I just love spending time with animals. So, humour me, please!
Once the amazing portrait session is over (and it will be great!), I will professionally finish your final images before they are printed. That includes minor touch-ups such as removing leashes. Unless we are inside, safety is of prime importance, so pets are on leashes. But that doesn’t mean that the leash has to be in the final images, does it? Unless, of course your pet sports the coolest leash ever and it is integral to who they are or the situation we’ve captured. Then we will just have to show it off!
So, that’s it! I hope you’ll agree – the words “fine art” and “pet photography” DO go together.
Puppies are like children. Alright, I know, not exactly like children. But at least in one respect, it is true. They both grow up so quickly. And once they are out of their puppy stage, you can never get that back. That is why her human thought it so important to document little Jamie’s puppy-ness (is that a word?) before it disappeared. Now, once outside, Jamie had better things in mind than fine art portraiture. Digging in the dirt, the grass, smelling the air…all of this was infinitely more exciting than looking at me with my camera. Who could blame her? This was an adventure OUTSIDE! But we sure had fun – and now, little puppy Jamie is forever captured on canvas and in fine-art framed prints.
