Tag Archives: Poulsbo

Lucky Number 7!

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My family has had the EXTREME good fortune of living virtually next door to this family of smart, funny, loyal, caring and thoughtful and real people since before I picked up my first DSLR – if ANYONE should be creating the next generation it is these two (and they’ve not let me down, there are now 5 kiddos in the fold). She’s watched my kids, I’ve watched hers, he’s helped us fix and install things that are beyond us, our boys have been friends as long as they can remember, and our 5 years olds have birthdays 5 weeks a apart. If you’ve been following the blog for a while you will recognize the little bean from her 6 month and 1 year photos. This fall, however, I had the opportunity to photograph all seven of them (that’s 14 feet, if anyone is counting!) for the first time, and I think you will agree they are, beyond their many virtues, just flat out good lookin‘.

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It is my fervent wish that with these family photographs I have helped to document their story in a meaningful way. Love you guys!

Squeeeeee!

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Meet Rags, the rescued Bichon/Maltese who is resident happiness and joy for his people. Last week I delivered the album and float wrap from his beautiful Four Foot Photography session, which was a gift from Annmarie to her parents. Rags, although only 7, suffered a devastating back injury earlier this year while on a walk. With a lot of faith and expert veterinary surgery, Rags is now once again the picture of health and the center of the household. Happy Holidays, sweet boy!

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Mike & Duke

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I received a call late this summer (last summer already? Ack!) from Mike, who had seen my display at Woodside Animal Hospital and was interested in getting some photographs of Duke, his black lab and especially an image of the two of them together for a holiday card. I met them out at the public pier on the Port Orchard side of Sinclair Inlet, which was a really fun spot to shoot. There were folks fishing and crabbing and the sun was really sparkling off the water. Poor Duke – sooooo many wonderful, fishy smells! It turns out Duke hails from Kelso, my old stomping grounds! He is one lucky dog – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love love my clients – people who value the companionship their four-footed friends provide. In return, Duke lives the life of Riley! 

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When I first saw Mike’s lovely home (with all that clean, juicy wallspace!), I will admit I was thinking BIG CANVAS! However, I feel the artwork in your home is so personal (and that’s what I do!), it also has to mesh with your individual style. Mike selected a collection of 8 images in varying sizes, mounted on stainless standouts, for a very clean, modern look. It was also easier to choose 8 images than 1! I’m not going to share the Christmas card in case you are on Mike’s  list, but suffice it to say a Santa hat and reindeer antlers are involved…FABULOUS! Oh, and as we drove away after delivering Mike’s order, my 7 year old said, “That guy is AWESOME!” Right you are, buddy. Thanks, Mike and Duke for your business, for being such good sports, for looking after each other and also for sharing your relationship with me. I look forward to our shoot next year, and seeing you out and about on your bike rides/runs!

Heart (and dogs) of gold…

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The winner of this year’s Four Foot Photography PetsWalk contest has become one of my favorite people. Katie, her husband Dave, and baby Casey share their  home and hearts with Mae Mobley and Minnie Mae.  I’ve mentioned before that one of my favorite things about my work is meeting people who care so deeply for the animals that share and enhance their lives. Katie lives that to an extent that puts her in the category of extraordinary.

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Katie works at Kitsap Humane Society in Silverdale several days a week, even though Dave is in the Navy, and she is on her own with the baby and doggehs when he’s deployed. I do love red dogs! Both of these girls are rescues, Mae from KHS, and Minnie came to KHS in Silverdale with a group of little dogs that had run out of time in California shelters – she came home with Katie “for the weekend”, but that was a year ago…Katie is so passionate about her work and rescue that for their anniversary, in lieu of gifts, Dave donates to the shelter. I delivered the products she ordered the other night (all the better to get in one more snuggle with the darling Casey and pet those lovely red-gold girls. Aren’t they just perfectly matched?), and this morning I was preparing to deposit her check – across the top it says, “Adopt your next best friend.” Of COURSE it does.

Mae & Minnie haven’t had an easy go of it – last winter Minnie was attacked by a big dog and nearly killed, and both have been affected by it. So while we were doing our session, things unfolded in such a way that Mae became extremely protective of Minnie when strangers approached, and we shot more than half the session with Katie wrangling the girls and me holding Casey (so good natured!!!) on my hip and shooting one handed, unable to change my settings or zoom the 24-70mm lens I had on the camera, let alone switch lenses! I was not so hopeful about the results, and we made tentative plans to reshoot. I cannot tell you how surprised I was that some of my favorites from the session were shot under those conditions – all that studying and learning, those expensive workshops and training, and these images came out great in spite of many challenges. A great lesson in humility!

You will see Mae and MooMoo again, as we are going to do a “booster” shoot to get some photos of the two girls together, as they are as tight as can be. And also so I can get my hands on that sweet, juicy baby…

I was so excited when I received her float wraps – gorgeous girls!

Kitsap County, consider yourself lucky to count these amazing people among your populace!

I’m IN!

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One of the things at the top of my list when I started my business was to give back in some way. There has been no shortage of opportunity there, but I am very excited that I had my first session photographing adoptable animals at the Kitsap Humane Society today. Most of today’s talent today were of the feline variety, but this little guy caught my eye in the lobby, and I made puppy-dog eyes at the staff until I was allowed to photograph him (also he was due for a potty break, but I suspect they were humoring me). Is he not just the cutest little dude? Most likely 1/2 Corgi and 1/2 Jack Russell Terrier, he was just a big bundle of cute in a tiny little package. Those floppy ears! Seriously. I want the first one I saw…epic fail! Let’s get this little guy adopted, quick! Meet Max:

Second Chance Care Fund Carnival

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This doll baby is Barley. He is a Second Chance dog – arguably the poster boy. Isn’t he gorgeous? I had the good fortune of sharing my awning with him and his folks when it got too sunny for such a well insulated dude. LOVES!

This is the bite prevention talk given by Bethel Animal Hospital’s behaviorist, Jackie Kahler. Good information, people, and she is willing to present it to schools, clubs, etc! So in the top photo, which dog is more likely to bite, the cute little doxie in the man’s arms, or the gorgeously  intimidating Dobie? Yup, the little dog being held is far more likely to bite. In the bottom photos the kids are demonstrating two bite prevention strategies – “Be a tree” and “Be a log”

The pet costume contest entrants, clockwise from the top….Wonder Dog, Double Stuffed Oreo,  Seagull, Rich Lady. Bwahahahaha! So cute! The winner was Double Stuffed Oreo, but they were all worthy.

When was the last time you saw a dunk tank? Too much fun! Dr. Wempe got wet – some of the littler kids had a little help from some of the bigger kids…

More shenanigans from the good natured staff. It’s all to help the animals, right?

So we had to do a little comparison…medium brown in color, long white fluffy tails, four legs…who is bigger?

And my booth for the event. Thanks so much! I had a great time and met so many wonderful animal lovers. *Soon* there will be a colorful photographic display of Second Chance animals in Bethel’s lobby – please check it out! I am donating 10% of proceeds from sessions booked via the Bethel Animal Hospital back to the Second Chance Care Fund, to support their terrific work treating animals whose people can no longer care for them.  You can read more of their stories at http://www.bethelanimalhospital.net/second-chance-care-fund.html

Not furry? No problem!

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 In case you were thinking you were out of luck if you don’t have four feet and a furry face, meet Amy, an aspiring actress who works for Ruth King at Mud Bay (ok, so she does have a pet connection…). I did some work for Ruth last year, and she has been most gracious about passing along my contact information (and the Gig Harbor store has a small display where you can pick up a business card. They have GREAT products if you haven’t been there, GO!). Amy needed head shots for a casting director she is working with. She hopes to work on television, and is about the cutest thing you ever saw. After some dynamic weather, we met in downtown Tacoma and here are a few of the shots she will be sending out for parts she would like, and also a few of my personal favorites. It was super fun, and we were fortunate enough to meet a kind security guard who found us a place with electricity so Amy could straighten her naturally curly hair for a different look. I got back to my car maybe a minute before it started to rain. Perfect!

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A Grand Old Dame with a New Lease on Life?

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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.”

 

Poodle-icious!

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Some of you may be aware of my 4 year old daughter’s intense, year-and-a-half-long obsession with poodles, which was apparently brought about by eating at “The Poodle Dog” restaurant in Fife. She has been on me relentlessly, “When can we get my poodle dog?” – to the point that ALL she wanted for her birthday was a poodle. Nevermind that the family dog is a rescued Bichon Frise, about the poodley-est non-poodle you can find. As an appeasement, for her birthday we gave him a poodle cut (sorry, buddy!), which made her happy. NOW she’s in heaven, as I’ve been editing my session with not one, but TWO poodles!  Ty and Brook are dear souls who reside with Janice in Bremerton. Apricot in color (it’s darker when it’s longer), Ty is a miniature poodle, and Brook is a teacup. They are 5 years old and love playing with their cousin, Oscar Meyer (!), a miniature longhaired dachshund, and gobbling up the delicious treats Janice bakes for them.  The admiration, in this group, is definitely mutual.