The rain clouds cleared for a couple minutes this morning so I used that opportunity to snap a quick image of Sadie. She is growing so fast and I love her dearly!
Happy Easter! - Pet Photography
Happy Easter weekend!
From the outtakes: Attempting the impossible when a photographer works alone with props and dogs...
Sky - Dog Photography
When Sky's mom called me to book a session, I got super excited. I'm always happy to meet a new doggy client but this one was a little different. She had a small dog...a Wire-Haired Dachshund to be exact. I don't get the opportunity to photograph many small dogs as most of my clients have had larger pups. Plus, how often do you see a Wired-Haired Dachshund? Sky's mom warned me that she is pretty shy around new people and was worried we wouldn't get too many pictures. When I saw how nervous she really was, I had to come up with a new game plan. Fortunately, at just 1 year of age, Sky already has some show experience. We used that to our advantage and took the photo shoot to a location unfamiliar to Sky. Once she had on her show lead and was out of her home turf, she turned it on! It's like she had been modeling her whole life.
I had to sneak one in with her mom...
This is Sky's preferred method of travel. She is just adorable!
Once we got back home, Sky was much more relaxed and exhausted. Those eyes make me want to smother her in kisses!
Thank you, Sky, for turning out to be a great model. You rocked it and will do awesome in the ring!
Ruby - Dog Photography
Last week, my friend Nicole (from Blue Ruby Photography) and I got together and had an impromptu photo day. Our photo days are great because we get to practice new techniques and talk shop about the photography business. We talk about our goals, our equipment wish list (see next paragraph), our wonderful pets and more. This particular day, I spent the morning photographing her Boxer, Ruby. We started the morning at the Waxhaw skate park - a cool little park right in the heart of downtown Waxhaw. The ramps, ledges and bumps (can't you tell I'm not a skater) made for a cool background. I definitely want to go back here when I get my 24mm f/1.4! Ruby was a trooper and modeled like a pro.
After the skate park, we wondered around Waxhaw looking for some good lighting opportunities. It was a little later in the morning than I like to shoot but I think we made it work.
I loved these red doors in front of an old fire department...
Back at home, Ruby was ready for a nap. Thanks, Ruby and Nicole, for a fun photo day!
Little Kitty - Cat Photography
A couple weeks ago, I showed off a few images from a rare kitty session (for the original post, click HERE). Since then, I've had a few requests to feature more cats on the blog. Unfortunately, not many kitties get the chance to have a photo shoot so I figured I would take pictures of my own! I was setting up my studio for a magazine shoot when Little Kitty (yes, that's her name!) decided to step in and be a model for a few minutes...
This is Little Kitty's "Wasp"/"Mad Hooty Owl" look. She looks like she's ready to swoop in for the sting...
Mountain Weekend
The weekend after my beach trip, I headed up in elevation and spent a couple days in the mountains of West Jefferson, NC. I was lucky enough to hang out with a couple other NC pet photographers...Mary Curry (www.marycurryphotography.com), Amy Choate (www.amychoate.com), and Nunthany Johnson (www.nunthanyjohnson.com). We rented a cute little cabin named the Rustic Retreat. The name is misleading, however, as this cabin was perfect for our little get-together!
What are a group of pet photographers going to do when they get together. Yep! Photograph pets. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring our own furbabies. Cabin rules. So went went on a hunt for some cute pups to be our stand-in models.
Luckily, we ran into some neighbors that happened to be out walking their dogs while we were driving down off the mountain. They were more than accommodating and let us have an impromptu session right there in the street (no worries...it was just a neighborhood gravel drive). Not only did these neighbors own two dogs, they also had 4 cats - one of which took it upon herself to be included in the nightly walk. She was more than curious when it came to the camera and quickly warmed up to the idea of a photo shoot. While the other girls photographed the dogs, I made the kitty my model. Meet my new friend, Rosie...
Rosie was so curious about the camera...
So, so curious...
The wind was really blowing this evening and leaves were flying everywhere. One caught Rosie's eye...
Score!
Of course I had to get a shot of her sisters. This is Trixie...
And Sable...
And one last one of my sweet Rosie. I really feel in love with this cat. Just look at her cute little smile and those gorgeous eyes. I heart you.
Emerald Isle Trip
A few weekends ago, I took a much needed break and headed over to Emerald Isle, NC for a few days. On our first full day at the beach, we decided to take a short ferry ride over to Shakleford Banks - a 9-mile long island known for its shelling and wild horses. I wasn't sure what to expect. Were we even going to see the horses? Nine miles is a lot of territory to cover in just a couple hours. Maybe we would just have a picnic on the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather. Either way, it was going to be awesome!
As soon as we arrived, we climbed over the first dune in front of us. Sure enough, off in the distance, a couple wild horses were grazing on the grass. This was already exceeding my expectations!
As we explored the island, we discovered more and more horses. We got as close as we *respectfully* felt comfortable and quickly realized the horses were barely taller than me - they looked more like ponies. They had gorgeous wispy hair and beautiful coloring. I especially liked these two...
Not only did we start the day off with seeing the wild horses, we also got to enjoy a little picnic on the beach. During the off-season, not many people were visiting and it felt like we had the entire island to ourselves.
We were graced with the presence of a wild horse taking a stroll along the beach. He walked right past us. How cool is that?!?
Back at the house, we gave the dogs a chance to explore the beach. This was Sadie's first visit so she had to stay pretty close to us...
The cooler temps didn't stop Eva from going for a dip in the water.
The next couple pics were taken with my iPhone. We had a wicked storm come through on the second day but the clouds parted just before sundown. Foam lined the beach and a gorgeous double rainbow filled the sky.
Next time I go back to Emerald Isle, I am definitely returning to Shakleford Banks. They allow camping and DOGS on the island! Looks like I'll be packing my tent!
From the Sea to the Mountains
I know, I know. I have my blog title backward. But that's the direction I traveled the last few weeks! Last week I spent several days relaxing on the beaches of Emerald Isle, NC and this weekend, I hung out in a cabin in the mountains of West Jefferson, NC. Here is a little sneak peek of the blog posts from each of my adventures. Stay tuned...
