Project 52-13: Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

I am a member of a network of professional pet photographers from around the world. We have a challenge project: a blog roll (Project 52) where once a week we take a photo to fit the week's theme, and then link to the next participating photographer. This week's theme is "Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery". I hope you enjoy this blog post with photos and feel like leaving a comment at the end. I love visitors! After you are finished reading, please do take a moment to click the link at the bottom and see what the photographer after me came up with for the theme. In fact, sit back and take five minutes, and keep clicking thru until you come back here - I think you'll enjoy yourself!

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What a great topic for me this week! While there are many pet photographers that I admire, I have been attracted to a style utilized by many photographers lately (not just in pet photography) - so I chose to imitate the style in general, rather than a particular photo. The photos I am talking about have a contemporary feel to them: a bit contrasty in the exposure, with colors that seem to just POP off the screen and scream "look at me! look at me!". Last weekend I photographed the anniversary "pawty" for Camp Bow Wow El Cajon at Woodglen Vista Park in Santee, California and it felt like the time to jump in and give the style a tryout. Here is an example of one of the adoptable Chihuahua's from San Diego Chihuahua Rescue that day to show you my usual final result and how it looks with the new styling borrowed from some other photographers:

I had fun learning some new techniques! While the full-on extreme look is a little more than I like for my own personal style, I love having the new tools in my bag o' tricks and a slightly less "in your face" working of the photos is likely to show up more in my portfolio this year. I hope you enjoy the rest of the photos from this event, also worked with my new "look at me!" imitated style. (click on any blog photo to see it in a larger size)

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Thanks for visiting the Project 52 Blog Roll for Week #13. Now, please do take a moment and click thru to the blog of Nashville Pet Photographer Kelly Coyle of Sweet Silver Photography. If you keep clicking through to the next photographer, you'll end up right back here. Enjoy the photos and give YOUR pets a hug from me. Remember: Every Moment Matters!^TM

Project 52-12: Vintage

I am a member of a network of professional pet photographers from around the world. We have a challenge project: a blog roll (Project 52) where once a week we take a photo to fit the week's theme, and then link to the next participating photographer. This week's theme is RETRO/VINTAGE. I hope you enjoy this blog post with photos and feel like leaving a comment at the end. I love visitors! After you are finished reading, please do take a moment to click the link at the bottom and see what the photographer after me came up with for the theme. In fact, sit back and take five minutes, and keep clicking thru until you come back here - I think you'll enjoy yourself!

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Well, it's been a busy month behind the camera ... busy enough that I've had to let my blog lag and now it's time to start making up for that! I've been playing with some layers, textures and overlays for retro effects and when this challenge theme came up, it seemed a perfect match for getting back in the game. With Easter right around the corner, Indie gave me a great idea for my photo to match the theme of the week. Here's a scrapbook page, starring Kodak's Canyonview Little Miss Independent herself, replicating what we think an Easter photo from years gone past would look like. Complete with antique lace and pearls!

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Thanks for visiting the Project 52 Blog Roll for Week #12. Now, please do take a moment and click thru to the blog of Nashville Pet Photographer, Kelly Coyle of Sweet Silver Photography. If you keep clicking through to the next photographer, you'll end up right back here. Enjoy the photos and give YOUR pets a hug from me. Remember: Every Moment Matters!^TM

Project 52-7: Mood

I am a member of a network of professional pet photographers from around the world. We have a challenge project: a blog roll (Project 52) where once a week we take a photo to fit the week's theme, and then link to the next participating photographer. This week's theme is MOOD. I hope you enjoy this blog post with photos and feel like leaving a comment at the end. I love visitors! After you are finished reading, please do take a moment to click the link at the bottom and see what the photographer after me came up with for the theme. In fact, sit back and take five minutes, and keep clicking thru until you come back here - I think you'll enjoy yourself!

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You'd think that with a topic as wide-ranging as "mood" it would be easy to come up with some images to fit. I can easily look thru galleries of past photo sessions and find finished images that would be perfect. But that would be cheating - besides sharing great images with you, my Blog Followers, the goal of this project is to take NEW pictures to fit a pre-chosen theme and to grow as a photographer. But ... looking thru those galleries gave me just the inspiration I needed to get me going. The dogs and I went off to play at the local dog park and the mood was:

... PLAYFUL!

... and FRIENDLY!

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Thanks for visiting the Project 52 Blog Roll for Week #7. Now, please do take a moment and click thru to the blog of Karen Weiler of Posh Pets Photography, located in Toronto. If you keep clicking through to the next photographer, you'll end up right back here. Enjoy the photos and give YOUR pets a hug from me. Remember: Every Moment Matters!^TM

Project 52-5: Bridges

I am a member of a network of professional pet photographers from around the world. We have a challenge project: a blog roll (Project 52) where once a week we take a photo to fit the week's theme, and then link to the next participating photographer. This week's theme is BRIDGES. I hope you enjoy this blog post with photos and feel like leaving a comment at the end. I love visitors! After you are finished reading, please take a moment to click the link at the bottom and see what the photographer after me came up with for the theme. In fact, sit back and take five minutes, and keep clicking thru until you come around full circle back to here - I think you'll enjoy yourself!
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I wasn't sure I'd be able to participate this week ... I had a couple of ideas up my sleeve about where I'd be able to locate a bridge to use as a shoot location but nothing was really standing out. Last weekend I was up in San Bernardino doing ring side candid photography for some dog show clients and as soon as I entered the event venue I saw it: a serene lagoon with a charming wood and stone bridge at one end - perfect! Now, who was I going to use for my model? When Demi the Dandie Dinmont Terrier's owners and breeder offered her services to me, I knew the pairing couldn't have been better scripted!

Thanks for visiting my part of the Project 52 Blog Roll for Week #5. Now, remember to take a moment and click thru to the blog of Stephanie Madeline (of Chase and Snap Pet Photography - located in New Jersey). Enjoy the photos and give YOUR pets a hug from me!

Project 52-3: From The Hip

I am a member of a network of professional pet photographers from around the world. We have a challenge project: a blog roll (Project 52) where once a week we take a photo to fit the week's theme, and then link to the next participating photographer. This week's theme is FROM THE HIP. I hope you enjoy this blog post with photos and feel like leaving a comment at the end. I love visitors! After you are finished reading, please do take a moment to click the link at the bottom and see what the photographer after me came up with for the theme. In fact, sit back and take five minutes, and keep clicking thru until you come around full circle back to here - I think you'll enjoy yourself!

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"From the Hip" ... one of the photographers in this Project 52 group termed it "shooting blind". No matter what it's called by anyone else, I call it a definite challenge and something that is currently well outside of my comfort zone in photography! But then again - that is one of the reasons I'm doing this project ... to stretch my wings and try new things. And hopefully to grow as a photographer as a result and offer an even better product to my clients. So off I went - camera in one hand and Indie the Cocker Spaniel in the other (okay, so it was her leash that was in the other, but you get the idea).

The outing started predictably enough - with a LOT of images that looked like the one to the right --->> Could I get any worse at this?! Well, the answer was "of COURSE" but needless to say, I won't be showing any of those images in this post. The answer expanded with "and I can get better too!" As with anything in life, practice is the key. I had always admired the photographers who were able to get those off-the-cuff shots (Suzy Mast Lee - you are one of my idols with your journalistic pet photos! Come to think of it, you are the one who introduced me to this group, too!). Lower to the ground gives a different perspective regarding the pets in our lives, but it takes some getting used to. As I got more comfortable shooting blind at the park ("Honest Ma'am, I'm NOT stalking your kid - please don't call the cops!) my resulting photos started turning out better.

Now this image may not seem like the ideal shot, at first look. But in reality, it actually is the perfect image to illustrate something that I've noticed, and just last week was telling a friend about. If you've ever walked a dog on a leash (and really, let's face it, who among my target audience here hasn't done just that?!) you have probably experienced this too. It especially happens when all you really want to do is to take the dog out on leash for a quick (and I stress QUICK) potty. Maybe it's raining, or your dinner is hot out of the oven and waiting (and cooling), maybe YOU have to potty as well. Or even a trifecta! But have you noticed ... the MOST desirable spot to sniff, the MOST "I have have have to check it out, Mom!" spot .... it is *always* just 5 inches past the end of the leash's length! And, if you give in and let your precious princess have that sniff ... suddenly THE spot has just moved ... another five inches past the end of the leash. You know I never would have been able to illustrate this concept had I been trying to get the photo. And shooting blind, from the hip got it for me.

Along with the dog park and the kids' park, there is a skate park, too - it's really a great area here in Santee! The bikes off to the side were just too tempting to ignore, and I especially like how this one turned out.

Thanks for visiting the Project 52 Blog Roll for Week #3. Now, please do take a moment and click thru to the blog of Terran Bayer (of Westway Studio - also located right here in San Diego County). Enjoy the photos and give YOUR pets a hug from me!

Project 52-2: Newness

I am a member of a network of professional pet photographers from around the world. We have a challenge project: a blog roll (Project 52) where once a week we take a photo to fit the week's theme, and then link to the next participating photographer. This week's theme is NEWNESS. I hope you enjoy this blog post with photos and feel like leaving a comment at the end. I love visitors! After you are finished reading, please do take a moment to click the link at the bottom and see what the photographer after me came up with for the theme. In fact, sit back and take five minutes, and keep clicking thru until you come back here - I think you'll enjoy yourself!

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It was l-o-n-g overdue. Bennett had been patient far too long. To his credit, he was happily patient, and would have gone on being so (he is SUCH a good boy). But let's be honest ... his Busy Buddy Bouncy Bone from the wonderful company Premier had seen better days! As you can see from the photo above, he sure is proud to model off his brand new replacement. It's a new year, and for Bennett and his BBBB, it was time to say "out with the old, in with the new"!

Now the back story - I founded San Diego Spaniel Rescue back in September 2002 and ran it until 2009 when I stepped down to concentrate on my pet photography. During my time with the Rescue, I fostered many wonderful Cocker Spaniels. Whether they were fosters learning their house manners or youngsters learning everything in life, quite a few of those Cockers were Power Chewers. My all time favorite go-to chew toy for these PCs was the Busy Buddy Bouncy Bone. It saved many a sofa cushion (and cell phones, shoes, and furniture, too) in my foster life-time.

As you can see from the photo at the left - it is well-chewed! This is about a year and a half of Power Chewing by Bennett, and it stood the test of time, as it always does. The BBBB isn't really bouncy (Bennie's favorite thing to do in our last home was to sit on the sofa and drop it onto the ceramic tile floor - thunk! Then he'd pick it up, get back on the sofa, and drop it THUNK! again. It was a little annoying, but not as annoying as heading out for more sofa cushions). It comes with a few pressed rawhide rings that you can insert on either side of the center ball, to encourage chewing (and you can inexpensively purchase replacement rings, too, if you'd like). I never bothered with the replacements - the bone-shaped insert and the ball were all that Bennett (and many others) needed to stay interested in the toy.

Out with the old: saying goodbye!

And in with the NEW!

Thanks for visiting the Project 52 Blog Roll for Week #2. Now, please do take a moment and click thru to the blog of Ali Peterson (of Skyy Blue Photography - also located right here in beautiful Southern California). Enjoy the photos and give YOUR pet a hug from me!