Evolution Kitsap County Photographer ~ Four Foot Photography

 

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I really, REALLY hate to say goodbye – but that seems to have been a big theme for 2013. Family, friends, neighbors – it seems like everyone is moving. It is no surprise that April and Markus Franz are moving, as he serves in the US Navy, but I am devastated nonetheless! I first met April and Markus and Dobby in Lisa Ridens’ {Affordable Dog & Puppy Training} puppy class, held at Woodside Animal Hospital, after bringing home a particularly difficult youngish used dog. Dobby was only 4 months old, but ridiculously attentive and obedient, while my wingnut was, well, being himself! I was juuuust starting my business at the time, and got up the nerve to ask Lisa if I could solicit the class for volunteer models to build my portfolio (thank you, Lisa!). It was a class full of beautiful puppies, but April was the only one who took me up on my {free} offer. From that first little puppy shoot, the Franz family grew and evolved along with my fledgling business. It has been fun to go back through the sessions and see their family and my photography evolve and change. We did the last shoot less than two weeks ago. April’s mom was really looking forward to a maternity shoot, but since baby Franz isn’t scheduled to make an appearance for 4 more months, you have to use your imagination a little bit! I have truly appreciated their friendship. So, happy trails Markus, April, Snuggles, Phil, Dobby and Quint!

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Here is a little trip down memory lane – from the first puppy shoot for Dobby, to a Nebraska homecoming, Dobby’s first birthday, Quint’s arrival, promotional shots for April’s business, Shooting Star Services, graduation pictures from her first training class, April’s new truck, Christmas card pictures, real estate shots for renting their Port Orchard home, Halloween, New Years and Baby Shower parties, pregnancy announcement…Thanks for watching my goonies, and loaning me your boys, for long conversations and good meals and …This photographer is going to miss you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Port Orchard Pet Photographer, Mary Eklund, Four Foot Photography, Shooting Star Services, Affordable Dog and Puppy Training, Pet Town, Woodside Animal Hospital, Family Photos, Sheltie, Belgian Malanois, Cat Photos, Kitsap County Photographer

Tumbler-ific! Kitsap County Photographer ~ Four Foot Photography

Last Saturday, I was in Indianola {beaUtiful!} and maybe disturbed Tumbler’s sleep a wee little bit in wanting to capture his portrait. I was rewarded with a giant yawn, and back to sleep he went. The light was so pretty, and he is even softer than he looks! Tumbler was adopted from Kitsap Humane Society and is living the good life with his people in a cottage by the sea. They appreciate and adore him every day. #HappyEnding

 

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Four Foot Photography, Pet Photographer, Kitsap County, 2014, Indianola Beach, Life is Good, Cat Photographer, Gig Harbor Pet Photographer, Bainbridge Island Pet Photographer, Indianola Pet Photographer, Port Orchard Pet Photographer, Kingston Pet Photographer, Poulsbo Pet Photographer, Silverdale Pet Photographer, Bremerton Pet Photographer, Mary Eklund, Kitsap Humane Society

 

Photo Op to Benefit Prison Pet Partnership!

December 7, 12-4pm, Four Foot Photography will be photographing pets and people, with or without Santa, to benefit the Prison Pet Partnership.

PPP Holiday Promo

 

 

 

www.PrisonPetPartnership.org

 

 

 

 

 

Pet Photographer, Mary Eklund, Four Foot Photography, Pictures with Santa, Holiday Photos, Kitsap County Photographer, Gig Harbor Photographer, Prison Pet Partnership, Sehmel Homestead Park, Kitsap County Portrait Photographer

Some Favorites from 2012!

Thanks so much for the great year – I so enjoyed meeting such fantastic people and photographing your gorgeous pets! It has been a truly wonderful year for Four Foot Photography, and I look forward to 2013 being full of growth, learning, challenges and an ever-widening circle of people and pets I am lucky to know. I feel abundantly blessed as Kitsap County’s most passionate pet photographer and am seriously jazzed about capturing memories and creating personalized art for your homes, as well as helping adoptable dogs and cats find their forever homes through pet portraiture and social media. Oh, and I have some crazy-fun ideas and beautiful new products to introduce as well… Happy, Happy New Year!

-Mary Eklund
2012-12-31_0007

Grandma

Meet Grandma! I took some employee photos for the wonderful folks at Woodside Animal Hospital, but was quite distracted by resident feline “Grandma”.

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Here is the post from Woodside’s page September 10:  “In the spirit of Senior Pet Health Month, we would like to introduce the newest addition to Woodside Animal Hospital. This is Grandma. She came to us as a stray with a broken pelvis and severe dental disease. With a lot of TLC, she is doing well and gets to spend her days with our practice manager in her office.” She is hilarious. As you can see, Grandma has adjusted nicely to her new digs, and appears to be fitting in just fine!

A Grand Old Dame with a New Lease on Life?

So a couple of weeks ago I was grabbing my gear, preparing for a shoot with a dog who is deaf (pictures coming soon!). In a moment of insight, I picked up a toy I sometimes use when photographing cats – and it caught the attention of my 19 year old Jasmine, whose kidneys are failing and most strenuous activity for the last year has been ambling to her dish, jumping into the window sill for a little snooze, or complaining loudly if her dinner is a little later than expected (she’d fit right in with the Senior Early Bird Special – get it?).

If you have, or have had an old cat, you might be able to fathom how I stopped everything I was doing, picked up the toy in one hand and my camera in the other and played with her for the next half hour, until my wrist was burning and she looked a little winded. I was more than a little kerflempt, thinking about how she’s lived with me longer than anyone, and how much I count on her being there.

It’s been a complicated relationship, but I adore that little furry body sleeping on my feet at night, even though she’s shedding like nobody’s business, and hacks up a hairball more often than I like to think about. I love you, Missy. 

“The bird is mine.”

 

Hunter becomes the Hunted…

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Poor Hunter is quite used to having his photo taken (I mean, really, just look at him, isn’t he fabulous?), but he was not prepared for the industrial click of “Big Momma,” my Canon. Hunter, who is one year old, lives with Tobey (see the previous post), Ally and Mr. Sprinkles (although he is not granted unsupervised visitation with Mr. Sprinkles, a Betta fish) . Sometimes Tobey is a little much for Hunter, and I added “stranger danger” and The Click. He was on High Alert, but was coolly professional, nonetheless. I think you’ll agree that Hunter’s markings make him one Super Model!

Walking the walk…

In case you’ve wondered if I practice what I preach, I took a few snapshots around my house today..

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All except the metal in the dining room are traditional canvas, stretched on 1  1/2″  wooden frames, 16 x 16″ to 24 x 36″ – go big or go home, in this case, both! Just two are my own pets. I’m a firm believer in only having things on your walls that you love, things that bring you joy. In my house it is mostly photos of my kids and clients, with a few other pieces that I just love. Oh, and also a canvas I brought home from a garage sale that my husband says looks like the Apocolypse…Oops! Not to push the minimalist over the edge, but our homes often have wall space we don’t see – think over doorways and bookcases, between windows – in addition to the traditional space over the sofa. Often the size people are most familiar with (8 x10″) is what they think of first. Here’s a visual aid from Erica Clark Photography that demonstrates different sizes: http://tinyurl.com/6wcuxfr

I’m a lucky dog…and cat…and dog…and cat, cat, cat

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These fortunate felines and catered-to canines are so lucky to live with Ms. Sherry and her family! A more genuine, kind, animal loving person you will not find.