This week's blog theme is Gratitude.

I am grateful for many things.  Most of them have to do with my family, home, and waking up every day.  I am grateful for the unseasonable warm weather on any day it happens in November, all of our animals, and parents who placed a premium on education and trying everything at least once.

We have all been going through quite an ordeal in this country, with COVID dominating our news.  My studio was shut down between March and June, and when our state came out of the "yellow" phase and into the "green," I complied with a COVID plan for continuing.

I am so grateful for the clients who called and changed studio appointments to outdoor sessions.  I am thankful for all of my clients in general, but those that went with the flow and still pursued photos of their furkids and families during these difficult times, have a special place in my heart.

I am beyond grateful for the beautiful surroundings we have in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which afford great backdrops for outdoor sessions.

I am grateful for those who know that capturing a memory with their pet, then valuing it enough to place it as artwork on their wall, is a priority--because time marches on.

I am so very thankful to have been graced with the task of capturing those memories.  This weekend, as I finish another batch of holiday cards for a client, I am aware that 2020 is coming to an end.  We are all unsure what 2021 will bring us, and it's been a very long road to get to the end of this year.  But I do know I will be ready, once again, in the New Year, to make sure that beautiful memories of pets and their people are captured by my camera.

Oh, and I am ready for more Border Collies.

To see more things that the blog circle photographers are grateful for, follow the links around the blog until you are once again back here.  Start with Susannah Maynard of Pet Love Photography, serving Greater Cincinnati and the San Francisco Bay Area.  Warmer weather for our weekend here in PA!  Get out there while you can!  Enjoy!

In 2012, when I made a commitment to pursuing photography as my second career, little did I know what an exciting adventure that decision would start.

Recently, my continual hard work, education, and willingness to accept technical criticism in order to improve my craft, culminated in my first-time-ever entering into Professional Photographers of America's International Print Competition (IPC), where one of my images received Merit Collection status, as well as inclusion in the Showcase Book, that is compiled from images that receive a 5-0 merit rating among 5 judges.  Pure Gold did that.

Make no mistake, this type of work and competition is not for the faint of heart.  (Watching print competition, and hearing a discussion over your image is nerve-wracking!) However, it is WELL worth the outcomes--the biggest one being, personal improvement.  Here, you compete against no one but yourself, and I think we know how difficult self-as-competitor can be.  Over 5000 images were submitted this year, with 1706 being selected for the General Merit Collection.

Pure Gold is a simple image, taken of a Golden Retriever named Tioga.  Taken in studio with basic lighting, and processed in PhotoShop Elements, it is an image that needed little post-processing help, because I got it right in camera.  I got it right in camera because I have invested time and money in becoming a professional photographer, understanding my equipment, my lighting, and my subjects (which are primarily pets).  Being able to take a client image and compete with it, then have that image succeed, is a big thumbs up in terms of the quality of work afforded to my clients.

My 8 year journey, to date, has seen personal family setbacks and heartbreaking loss.  Still trying to schedule clients amid that family turmoil and loss, served to hold me back from entering print competitions for a while.  Deciding on what type of certification I would pursue, then finally finding the time to do so, was another huge consideration.  Digging deep for the motivation to continue on some days, when the world was especially gloomy--all played a role in where I find myself today.

This past month I also entered Professional Photographers Association of Pennsylvania's Capture 2020 print competition.  Here I had two images receive merit acceptance, with one receiving the highest print score in the Animal Portrait category, and the other being my first-ever challenge to myself in competing outside my comfort zone in the Illustrative category (hummingbird).

So I have placed my toe in the water in terms of International Print Competition.  My humble goal for next year is to have a few more images merit, and maybe even one Loan, while keeping time devoted to client work still my highest priority.

Yet another adventure!

This is a blog circle, with the theme this week being "adventure."  To see more adventurous photographers, start here with Pawparazzi Pet and Animal Photography presented by Shae Pepper Photography, then look for the link at the end of each blog to move on to the next circle member.  Enjoy!

Tomorrow is Halloween.  Besides the scary weather forecast and werewolf moon (it will be full), getting a photo to put to this blog was far from being a boo-tiful experience.

It involved one puppy, a backdrop from H - E - double hockey sticks, a brain vacation, and LOADS of treats.

For those of you who like to be quick, the resulting photo is below.  You can see it and skip the story of how we got there (just go to the bottom of the blog and find the next link in the circle).  The story is not for the faint of heart, as those who understand 6-month-old puppies will agree.

But, if you really want to read some scary stuff, the rest of the story is below the photo.

So, who likes Oriental Trading Company, raise your hand.

I ordered a spooky 5 foot skeleton from OTC, we named him Mr. Bonejangles, and he welcomes visitors (who during our pandemic social distancing is mostly UPS, FedEx drivers and deer).  A square plastic package came in the skeleton box.  It was this crazy backdrop, featuring a witch's cauldron, raven in a cage, spell book, etc. 

I say crazy because this backdrop is in THREE PIECES.  THREE PIECES.  Who does that? F.R.I.G.H.T.E.N.I.N.G!!

Essentially you have to line it all up, using clips, on a background stand.  Crazy right? 
Wine.  Did I say, you need wine for this?  It's part of the instructions.  Get glass of red wine, try to line up the three piece background on the background stand.  As if that wasn't scary enough, there's more.

TRY TO DO IT WITH A PUPPY IN THE STUDIO!!!!

To be honest this background will only have one usage.  This one.  For this photo.  Because puppies eat stuff.
But I digress.

With backdrop finally in place and camera placed on tripod stand, it's now time to see if the puppy has retained anything she has been taught in the last six months about sitting and staying.  Treats are used.  As is a remote to take the photo.  Except the remote decides it will not cooperate to focus the camera.  Which means "STAY" gets really tested. 

This is the part where one human brain packs its bags and heads to warmer climates, and where I totally forget I have locked in the back button focus, which explains why the remote is not working to focus. (Technical issue, I know, but while trying to figure this out, the backdrop became a "one hit wonder" as you can't figure out technical stuff and keep a good eye on a puppy, whose "STAY" apparently needs more work, at the same time.)

Puppy back on platform, backdrop re-aligned, treat ready, remote now working, back button unlocked and--FINALLY--we have lift off. Talley had not a single care about my off camera flash, but when I put the neck ruff on her, treats went right out the window in favor of chewing that instead--if she could only get to it. 

The hat?  Well, forget that.  I found one in stock photos and added it in post processing.

Yep, a real nightmare.  I survived.  I need the tee shirt.

In the end, I laughed a lot, Talley got her fill of treats, and we both took a nap.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I can't wait to see what's next in the blog circle. How about you?  Start with Pawparazzi Pet and Animal Photography presented by Shae Pepper Photography.  Have fun out there!  And most importantly, stay safe!

When you make an appointment for your first professional photography session, the main thing on your mind is receiving beautiful photographs of your selected subject(s), whether that be you and your family, your pet(s), your graduating senior or whomever the subject might be.

After the session, and some work by your photographer, you will get to review those images.  At that point, you are hopefully thinking "Gosh!  I never knew I looked so good!" or "I never thought my dog could sit still that long to get such a great photo!"

While you also should be thinking about what exactly you are going to do with the images you love, once you decide on which ones you want to pursue, in my experience, most clients really don't think that far ahead.

My job, then, is to not just be your photographer, but to be your tester.  Yes, I am your guinea pig.  I have diligently searched the far corners of the world (well, okay, the print labs) for high quality products that will take those beautiful images and place them artfully on your walls or your desks.

There is A LOT (A LOT!!!!!!!!) of product out there.

I do have my favorites.  F.A.V.O.R.I.T.E.S. <----- (See the plural "s" and know I cannot narrow this down to one product.)  I love ART BLOCKS, and ACRYLICS, and THIN WRAPS.  And, there's more. 

But, I can also look at an image and tell you what it might work best with that fits into your specific budget.

So, this blog was very hard for me to write, with the theme of "FAVORITE PRODUCT." 

BUT

With the holidays fast approaching let me say that I absolutely love, adore, and can't get enough of METAL ORNAMENTS!!!!!!!  I mean, you can seriously festoon your entire tree with memories from your year.

They make WONDERFUL gifts for anyone in the family.  Live far away from the grandparents?  Send them an ornament of the grandkids doing something fun.

The backs of the ornaments are just as festive as the front that frames your photo choice.  And there are a number of different styles to choose from.

I am gearing up right now to do holiday card and Christmas session photos, and there is nothing I love more than to place an ornament order!  I have a number of ornaments in the studio to choose from as well.

My supplier is AWESOME!  I have tested out a number of ornament print labs, and I've found you the best!  You can feel fully confident that your image will look as great in your ornament, as it did when you viewed it in the studio.

I'm excited!  Are you excited?  Contact me for further details.

To read more about favorite products (if you see any you like, ask me if I can get them as well), head to the blog circle, starting with Susannah Maynard of Pet Love Photography, photographing Cincinnati area dogs for “Tails of Cincinnati” a book project for charity.

Have a great weekend!

In a blog somewhere in another time, the topic was "shoot from above," or something very similar.  It is the theme this week, and normally I skip duplication, but having done some Fall sessions the past two weekends, I noticed something about some of the shots I liked best, and why that might be the case.

So I looked back through some of my past photographs and realized a pattern that often led to more successful shots.

The three things I noticed readily were:
(1)  I was standing on a plain above the subject.
(2) Standing on a plain above the subject cause the subject to LOOK UP almost every time.
(3) The "look up" expression was almost always a great one.

If I had to add a fourth item, based on my experience and memory, it would be:
(4) Since I wasn't kneeling or stooping to try to get on the same level as the subject, the subject would often remain where they were (i.e. dog would not try to run to me thinking I was in play mode, etc.).

Taking a "higher road" seems to be something I do often.

Below is a shot of Talley I had added to a recent, previous blog.  I edited it to add the Fall theme of leaves, but I was clearly above her on a different plain, and her expression, and curiosity over my being there, are clear in her expression.

I just added the image below to my Facebook business page.  Keeping a dog that loves water out of the water can be a very trying experience.  I've filed that in my memory banks.  But having the owner hold the dog on a very long lead, and then moving above the scene, kept the dog's interest in me.

And certainly, Cash got to swim after the session.

There are other examples of "shooting from above," that are a little more textbook than simply placing yourself in a spot a few levels up from the subject.

If you have a dog that loves to roll over on his back to show how happy he is, especially when he has a lovely orange ball to play with, then catching a few photos of upside-down-ball-dog should be shot from directly above.

Our Luke is an exuberant ball handler, who can remain upside down indefinitely.

Taking the high road can make for some very fun photos.  Cats are often great subjects to take from above as well.  Our kitty, Luna, is a specialist at laying upside down everywhere in the house...but that's another blog.

To see more photos of things shot from above, the blog circle photographers are waiting.  Start with Susannah Maynard of Pet Love Photography, photographing Cincinnati area dogs for “Tails of Cincinnati,” a coffee table book to benefit SPCA Cincinnati.  Work your way around the circle until you find yourself right back here.

Enjoy your weekend, whatever plain you are on!

Welcome to another Friday blog!  This week's theme is "Style."

Style is something we photographers develop over time.  We evolve into a usual work flow, from start to finish.  From taking the photo and all that is involved in the set up, to processing the photo and the ways we have decided to focus our intentions for the outcome.

In 2012 when I started my photography journey, I took about 40 photos a day.  Mostly to practice.  Most of them were landscapes.

Many were also flowers from my own garden.

This process was helpful in developing my eventual style, because it helped me to not only learn all of my camera functions, but also how to use PhotoShop and other plug ins to edit my photos. 

I took tons of classes--many different subjects--to further help me make a decision on where I might want to land in the photography world. 

If you go back into the menu from this blog, you can head to my home page and you will immediately begin to understand my style of photography and where I chose to specialize.  My slideshow is a key indicator.

Style evolves from experience, and making decisions on the specific aspects of photography that will become a key part of your world.

Today I take photos of pets (whether that be in studio or outdoors), families, children, and I do business head shots.

Oh yes...and my grandchildren!

I can't wait to see what the other blog circle photographers have come up with in answer to the "style" theme this week.  Keep reading, starting with Angela Schneider of Noses & Toes Pet Photography, showcasing dogs in the amazing North Idaho and Spokane landscape.  Have a great October weekend!  Enjoy!

This week's theme is "reflections," and as I took a week away from the blog to prepare for print competition, I realized how much different my work is now, than it was just a few years ago.  I have many things to point to which brought about the "style" of my photography, but the most important thing is my continued commitment to educational opportunities.

Some may have noticed this logo at the bottom of the home page of this website.

While our state of PA was in lockdown due to COVID-19, I took the opportunity to finalize the pursuit of my photography certification through Cornell University's school of Architecture, Art and Planning.  Seven projects and 70 photo submissions later, I am very pleased to be certified by an outstanding academic institution in the Northeast Region.  It proved to solidify some of what I had learned through industry professional organizations, such as Professional Photographers of America, but also added new insights and practices to my portfolio.

I would be happy to discuss this with anyone who might be interested, and to give you my thoughts as to why I chose this route over other types of certification.

Moving on to a different type of "reflection," an early Autumn portrait of a boy and his dog fishing off a dock, is a study in reflections that frame an image.  Already, the brown and gold colors of Fall are seeping into our landscape.  We have had some cooler temps already, and it's time to pull out the parkas, windbreakers, and boots!

I for one, hate to see summer leave us, especially in this 2020 everything-is-upside-down world.  Summer made having to stick close to home bearable, as we got to be outside most of the time.  Even with my photography work, it is easier to schedule outdoor sessions at various locations, than it is in studio, and the weather cooperated throughout the summer months.

I love the colors of the Fall and the falling leaves as they collect in local ponds, but I am not looking forward to the early darkness in November.  I also love puppies who cooperate, love water, don't mind getting wet, and give me the opportunity to capture beautiful wall art for their owners.

Our own puppy is going to be six months old on October 7th!  She has been a joy, albeit, a lot of work, but we are starting to reap the benefits of a great dog.  As with anything, you get back what you invest, and I feel that way about my work today.

Enjoy your weekend.  Find a quiet place to reflect, or a quiet place with plenty of good reflections.

To see more interpretations of this week's theme, visit the blog circle, starting with Linda Perdue of VPShoots Photography, photographing pets and their families in the Tampa Bay area.

This week's blog circle theme is "action."  I have covered this theme in previous blogs, so I decided to take a different slant, based on sets and movies.

I have noticed that "action" does not necessarily mean we see things in motion.  If we did, they would be blurry, so as photographers, we often STOP ACTION, with high camera speed settings.  But the scene depicted in our stop action photograph eludes to action.

For instance, here is a photo that implies action, but the action is stopped.

Yet you still get the idea that the dog is going through the agility poles, very focused on the next place to be.  Many of the photographers I know tend to lean toward stop action, rather than showing motion blur, or marrying them both in an image by perhaps focusing in on the dog's expression and letting other elements blur.  All is dependent upon light, camera settings, and the animal being photographed.

So this week, I decided to become a movie director.  I had an idea, and I needed a few elements:  a nice scene, a star, and some CGI (computer-generated imagery...for me that means "stock" image for composite).

A nice barn and field scene at sunset set the stage for the star, our Lilah, to enter stage right and do her setter thing.  Luckily, Lilah points bugs and butterflies, so the CGI portion came when I needed to go to stock images and find a bird replacement.

The result is below.  Lights...camera...action!  This one is called "The Flush."

To see more lovely imagery and how other photographers handled this week's theme, head to the blog circle, starting with Darlene Woodward of Pant the Town Photography, photographing pets and their families in beautiful New England.  Enjoy your weekend!

It's no secret that I love my job.

I mean, who wouldn't?  I get to work with great people and their pets, be creative, design things, and have some pretty cool equipment.

Plus I get to work in some great spaces...the studio and mother nature.

That's me and Bingo, the studio deck dog above.  He is a very good dog.  Never complains.  Doesn't eat much.

Sometimes my studio is outdoors.  Yes, that's me below as well.  Yes, my hair was a different color and longer.  You have to keep them guessing you know.  My husband snapped this photo with his cell phone.  I don't usually do many behind-the-scenes photos, unless he is with me and remembers to try for one.  This is very rare, and the solar system must be in perfect harmony for it to happen.

Here is one of the resulting photos from above.

Did I mention I get to meet puppies? 

And kittens.

So what's not to like? 

I have been so lucky in my life to have careers that I love, and to work with great, fun people!  Now I work with great, fun people and their kids, pets, and families, and I love every minute of it.

While I don't usually show messy disorder in photos, here is a shot of my studio shooting space.  Right now I'm in clean and store mode.  I have all of my lighting equipment in the studio at the moment, but when I set up for a studio session, I only keep what I need and the rest goes to my studio storage space in our home.

I am prepping to do some outdoor work with a few weeks of Fall Foliage sessions, so some of my traveling lighting will be going with me.

Then once late October rolls around, I will be setting up the studio for holiday card and photo sessions.  Last year the studio shooting space looked like this.

It sure cleans up well, doesn't it?

I love thinking up new ideas for photo sessions!  And I love buying props and even clothing to suit the needs of the session.

I know what you are thinking....who can spill that milk faster?  Kids or pets?  Well, I will let you in on a secret.  There was no milk.  There was only the tray.  I added the milk and cookie plate in at a later time.  I learned about spilled milk long ago.

Yep, I just love everything about my job!

To see what others in the blog circle decided to share in this week's topic of WORK, start here with Susannah Maynard of Pet Love Photography, photographing Cincinnati area pets for Tails of Cincinnati, a coffee table book for charity.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

If I did a chronology of all of our animals to date, how they came to us, and how they left, there would be too many pages of this blog to read.  Suffice it to say, we have loved and lost six cats, eight dogs, four horses and five chickens.  Each came to us in their own way, had their own story, lived what we hope was a happy life, and now live permanently in our hearts.

What I can tell you is this:  YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH PHOTOS OF YOUR PETS!

I realized something a few years ago--we did not have enough photos of several of our cats and dogs.  Back in the days of film camera, getting rolls of film developed may have been put off, followed by misplacing or not storing photos well enough to guard against deterioration.  Change "film camera" to "cell phone" and you have the same problem.  How many of you print out your cell phone photos?

Left to right, top to bottom, the photo montage above shows Sandy, Ollie, best buddies Ollie and Ike, and finally, Ike.  Three out of the four above are photos of film camera photos, and may very well be the best photos we have of these dogs.  Ike passed onward in 2011.  It wasn't until after Ike's passing that I became serious about documenting the lives of pets.  Not part of the montage, but very much a part of our lives, were Chelsea and Phillie, both moving on to spirit in the 1990s.  We have only one or two faded photographs of the two of them together.

In the meantime, we have ONLY our memories to sustain us in terms of our cats Cleo, Muffin and Emma, all passing before 2011. No photos exist today of these three lovely kitties that graced our lives.

I made up my mind in 2011 to be mindful of capturing good images of all our pets from that point on, and began turning my hobby into a profession.

Above, left to right, top to bottom are Daisy, Winston, Burton, and Winston (in front) with our still very much alive dog, Danny.  I credit Winston with bringing Danny out of his very fearful self.  Thankfully, we have MANY photos of this group, some of which now adorn our walls in various forms.  In fact, we have many photos of ALL of our animals, because I don't like to rely on just my memory to bring back the days of when they were with us.  I like to see them.

It's why I offer Loving Memories sessions to pet owners.  Whether they have received news of a pet's health deteriorating, or simply want a good portrait as wall art, these sessions are geared to capturing the relationship between the owner and their pet partner.

Whether in studio:

Or in a place similar to those days of hunting in the woods:

Capturing a lasting visual memory is one of the things I am glad to be able to offer my clients.

There are many times I will travel to a client's location, so that their pet can remain comfortable in their own environment. With cats, especially, it is best for them to be in their own homes, where I can almost always find a spot to capture a memory, and the kitty is happy and cooperative.  Below a simple traveling backdrop and a favorite footrest were all that was needed to settle this beautiful kitty into a nice pose.

Many of my clients know the value of capturing their pets throughout the stages of their lives, including the final stage, where we as their caretakers manage a difficult, but responsible decision to allow them to leave us with dignity.

Today, August 28, is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day.  I hope all of you have a lovely memory not only in your minds and hearts, but on your wall.

The blog circle is ahead.  Start this week with Linda Perdue of VPShoots Photography, remembering all those furry companions.  Stay safe out there!