It was so much fun to see Rio & Rags again! Rio (the yellow lab) is an old hat at modeling for me; this was his third time in front of my camera! He knows exactly what he’s doing and works it like a pro :) And Rags did remarkably well for being in a studio and not a large, open outdoor space, since I know that’s where he’s more comfortable. (See their previous session in the great outdoors here.) They both kept us laughing the whole time, but we got them to pose perfectly with the treat their mom brought: pepperoni! Real pepperoni, like, for pizza! Clearly, they were happy to oblige whatever silly poses we put them in.
Rags has such a cute underbite!
I posted this one to my Facebook page yesterday… which you should go check out, if you haven’t already… love the tongue!
Unlike many dogs, laying side-by-side was no problem for these two!
We took a quick trip outside the studio to play with my fisheye lens…
I was so excited when the FedEx man knocked on my door yesterday! He was carrying the first-ever (first-ever!) premium album for one of my clients! I’ve only been carrying these incredible products since April, after I attended a photography convention and couldn’t bear to walk away without sharing such beautiful works of art with my clients. They really are amazing – the craftsmanship, the attention to detail that my printers give – it’s flat-out incredible. And when they’re filled with artfully-arranged images of members of your family, jaw-dropping doesn’t even begin to describe them! (I should know – one of my samples features Bailey!)
So here’s the premium album that Razzie & Cherry’s mom ordered. I took a bunch of photos of it today, and hopefully this post gives you a good idea of the beautiful details it includes! She decided on the silk cover album option. It arrives in a plush, padded leather carrying case…
She opted for a silk brocade cover material in black, which has a beautiful mix of texture and silky smoothness.
She also chose to put her dogs’ names on the cover (instead of a photo). For simplicity’s sake, it’s a great choice! A favorite photo could be placed there just as easily.
The pages are wonderfully thick; you’d never rip or tear them.
One of my favorite features about premium albums? We can work quotes into the design! There are SO many wonderful (and touching) quotes about dogs out there, and I already have a small library-size compilation of them to choose from!
We have a little more creative freedom to mix color and black & white photos in premium albums, than compared to a wall gallery. It can be tricky, but done right, the correct photos really POP.
As you can see, the photo stretches across the entire spread. The line you see down the middle is the glare from my office window, not a seam or gutter.
A close-up of the way the photo encompasses the entire spread. There’s no gutter!
Tomorrow I get to hand off this album to its rightful owner… but it was so fun to see it myself and take a few pictures :) Thanks so much for letting me play with (and design) your pooches, Christel!
Marcel was not always Don & Linda’s dog. He actually used to belong to one of their kids! But every time Don came over, Marcel was at his side. Marcel was sad when Don left, and overjoyed when he returned – to the point that it just made sense for Don & Linda to bring him home with them. And now Don has a permanent shadow! Marcel protects him, loves him, and truly wants nothing more than to be with him all the time.
You hear about soulmates, and maybe you’re one of the lucky people to have found one. Some people believe in them, and others don’t. Watching Marcel & Don interact made me think about that term, though, and how maybe it doesn’t always have to apply to romantic partners. And that it could even surpass species. I haven’t known them very long, but I’m pretty sure Marcel has found his human counterpart – and best friend – in Don. It’s a devotion and a closeness that I don’t see too often. And even if I wasn’t a photographer, I’d describe it as beautiful.
Here are a few photos (an extra-big Sneak Peek!) from our session, during which we visited my studio, the park and the beach – because the sweet little guy loves the beach! I’m pretty sure we tuckered him out :) Enjoy!
“Hi, I’m Marcel, and I’m a serious contender for cutest poodle ever. I’d like to thank my ears.”
Thanks for a wonderful and heart-warming session, Don & Linda! I truly enjoyed it so much.
Photography sessions can be meaningful for many different reasons. Sometimes I photograph older dogs, who don’t have much time left, but their parents request sessions to have those last photos they can treasure for years after they’re gone. Sometimes I photograph dogs together with their human children siblings, and I love seeing the bond between best friends; what’s cuter than a boy and his dog? Sometimes dogs help us through hard times in our lives – deaths of friends and family members, divorce, natural disasters – and I feel so privileged that my clients have shared their stories with me, and I get to play a small part in helping them commemorate how special and important their dogs are in their lives.
My most recent session, however, is special in a different way. The dogs I photographed are young (Sanders is one and Florence is just eight weeks old), but their mom won’t get to see them grow old. And maybe I shouldn’t even call Elisa their mom; she’s training them for a life of service for someone else in need. She is a volunteer with CCI (Canine Companions for Independence), a non-profit organization that prepares dogs to live with and work for people with disabilities. Check out this video (and try not to cry!) to see the story of a wounded soldier named Jeffrey Adams, who is now independent and happy with the companionship of his CCI dog. The work that these trainers like Elisa do is nothing short of staggering; their hearts are so big to live with and train puppies, and eventually give them up to someone who needs them… I can’t hardly imagine doing what they do. Sanders is over one year old, so she’ll be heading into her final evaluation/graduation soon. Florence, on the other hand, still has a lot to learn! But they both have a long road ahead of them.
I’m not through with all the photos of Sanders & Florence yet, but here’s a Sneak Peek of just a few. Remember to like my Facebook page to see more of these two – because these dogs are so gorgeous (Elisa requested the black-on-black look, and I’m loving it!) that I’m sure I won’t be able to resist posting more photos of them soon!
I thought Florence seemed like a pretty calm puppy… then again, I only saw her for an hour! But she’s definitely a sweetheart.
Sanders (left) definitely knows how to pose!
The photo on the right features the dogs in their capes. Sanders knows that when she’s wearing this, she’s working. Florence – well, she’ll know that one day! For now, let’s hope she grows into her too-big cape soon! :) I love their expressions in that photo, though: to me, Sanders looks ready to be off on the next stage of her life, and Florence looks ready to learn and be of service one day.
Oh, and just for fun: this photo made quite a splash on Facebook! My caption: “Under the cover of darkness, puppy Florence plots an attack on older sis Sanders…” hee hee! Can you think of another (better) caption?? Post it here in the comments or on Facebook!
The work these dogs do is just incredible, and I’m honored to have met them and Elisa. I’ll be posting more photos soon; thanks for visiting and stay tuned!
Today is May 2nd. It’s been exactly eight months to the day when we heard the news that would change our lives, but mostly, my husband’s life. When I see people at events and they say “I heard you were leaving town…?”, even today, it breaks my heart a little. We were supposed to leave. We definitely were. I wrote this blog post because I feel like I owe my past and future clients an explanation as to why we’re still here… and to clarify what’s really been going on in this crazy life of ours.
Let’s start with a timeline.
September 2009: we move to Pensacola!
October 2010: at this point, my husband Ken has completed two basic preliminary flight training programs – and maybe during another year, this wouldn’t have been such a big deal. But with an overloaded aviation force, the Navy increased the passing grade to 94% (the passing grade) and gave all sorts of opportunities and packages to those willing to transfer to other communities (such as Intelligence). They even gave a few people free passes out of the Navy. Having graduated from Notre Dame’s ROTC program, Ken knows this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but passes it up on his path to becoming a helicopter pilot. So this month he begins Primary, an intensive fixed-wing training course with the T-34.
Bailey (in his flight suit) is very proud of him!
March 2011: Ken completes Primary and moves on to Advanced, where he can finally fly what he’s been waiting for: helicopters. Both of his brothers work with helicopters (one is a Marine crew chief, and one is an Army pilot) so Ken’s choice wasn’t exactly a huge surprise! :)
Ken's graduating Primary class
July 2011: A routine eye exam (for a new contact lens prescription) causes a doctor to recommend that Ken gets looked at a bit more closely by an ophthalmologist. He’s almost done with Advanced, though, and the briefs and flight schedules are so intense that he schedules the appointment for a few weeks later. (He’s doing 5-6 flights a week at this point; Advanced is a series of over a hundred hours of training flights.)
September 2, 2011: During Ken’s appointment with the ophthalmologist, he’s told that he has optic nerve head drusen and visual field defects. These are words that I’d never heard put together before, but now, they potentially mean the end of my husband’s career in aviation.
September 3, 2011: My 25th birthday. Not the happiest birthday I can remember.
The rest of September 2011: We worry about everything. But with only two flights left to complete (two! after so many!), Ken’s CO goes to bat for him in a big way. He authorizes the flights, and Ken earns his wings of gold.
September 20, 2011: Ken flies to Miami to see a world-renowned specialized ophthalmologist, who does sophisticated tests and tells Ken that his binocular vision is completely fine. We have hope.
September 30, 2011: Winging ceremony at Whiting Field. My husband asks me to pin on his wings, and I’m honored to say yes. He’s officially an aviator! One of the happiest days I can think of… :)
Ken with a TH-57 trainer helicopter.
October 1, 2011: we go shark fishing in Destin with our parents to celebrate the winging! Because we definitely have cause to celebrate! (in the movie below, feel free to fast-forward to 0:35, when the action starts happening!)
October 2011 – January 2012: we wait for Ken’s waiver package to be submitted. There’s a ton of data and reports and charts, and getting it submitted electronically is no quick thing. If Ken is awarded a waiver, he can continue to fly helicopters. (Like in the video below! This was taken by another Navy wife who thought the pilot was her husband, but it was actually Ken completing the landing!)
January – April 2012: We wait to hear what the board of doctors says. Lots of waiting.
At least we can go to the beach to wait!
Friday, April 13: Ken’s squadron doctor calls. The final decision is no. Just no.
Now: Ken is exploring his options. He’s enrolled in an eight-week class for Aviation Maintenance officers, he’s also considering civil engineering (seabees), and there are a couple of other possibilities (military and civilian). His future with the Navy is totally up in the air. That also means that our time left in Pensacola is uncertain, too. Let me tell you: on September 1 of last year, I believed 100% that he’d soon get assigned to a squadron elsewhere in the country, and we’d spend Halloween in a new place. Now I’m wondering if we’ll be here for another Halloween. We’ve learned not to plan things (trips, vacations, etc.) more than a month in advance. Oh, and running a business? That kind of timetable doesn’t make things easy on the pet photography side, either! But we’re making it work.
I hope no one takes this post in the wrong light. I’m not mad at the Navy, I’m not asking for pity – I just want to air what’s been happening, because even just writing this post is a bit therapeutic, and I know some people (all five of you that read my blog, right? haha) are curious. I don’t know the point of a blog, or a business, if you can’t be honest and real with it. So this has been our struggle. What’s kept us functioning is the knowledge that things happen for a reason. God has a plan for us – it’s just hidden from view right now, and for that reason, life hasn’t been easy the last few weeks. But I hope this clears up the reason why we haven’t left town yet, because I know people wonder why that pet photographer lady was going to be gone but she’s still here… To be totally honest, one thought haunts me: that anyone thinks I announced we’d leave falsely, as a publicity/sales stunt. I’ve never even heard a whisper of this idea from anyone outside of my own head, but hey, you don’t get to manage a successful business without imagining a few worst-case scenarios. I hope and pray that no one would believe such a terrible thing. And I wish I could sum up this post with a “lesson learned” or happy ending… but I don’t think we’ll figure out that we’ve learned anything until years from now, looking back on this. And we’re still in the thick of it – Ken doesn’t know what his career will end up being – so the happy ending just hasn’t come yet. But we know it’s on its way.
So I thought the above quote by Mike Tyson was rather fitting for this post, and for our lives: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Plans change. I’m sure that’s been the case in your life at one time or another. So even though my husband was punched pretty damn hard, I’m still so impressed at how he’s handled everything. He’s incredibly strong and brave, and I’m so lucky to be his wife. And we’re happy to stay in Pensacola as long as we can – or at least, as long as we should. Right now it looks like we’ll be here through June. And then? Who knows where? And while the planner and businesswoman inside of me is DYING to know where we’ll go next – and when, and for how long – life is full of surprises, right? I guess if anything good has come out of this, I think it’s that my husband and I have learned pretty well how to roll with the punches.
