Exciting Personal and Business Update

It's been a little quiet over here for a couple reasons and I wanted to explain why and what's going on. Great things are in the works both personally and professionally and I figured I should share. :) I don't know if I've even ever written a personal post but here it goes! For those that don't know, we sold our house in Cornelius a little over a month ago. Not sure of our next step (and because we sold it faster than expected), we moved into an apartment close by. We had been searching for a new home in Uptown Charlotte but most places were out of our price range, in a condo or high-rise building (wouldn't work with our pups), or were not the style we desired for our new urban digs. Well, lo and behold, about four weeks after signing our year lease at our apartment, we found a cute little townhouse in the First Ward district. We jumped on it!

Although very small square footage wise, our new home will be filled with cool windows, natural light, high ceilings, modern edginess, and is in the center of it all. It even has a private, fenced-in backyard area for the dogs. We had to give up space and a garage (sorry Brian!) but I think we will love it!

That being said, the last few months have been filled with going through stuff, garage sales, piles of paperwork, moving, etc. And now we get to do it all over. Fingers crossed we get settled and get some renovating done before the huge Fall rush (we close September 27th).

So what does that mean for the future of McGraw Photography? Well, hopefully some super exciting stuff!!! Eventually, I plan on moving my office from Cornelius to probably the NoDa area. It will be a few minutes from our new place and more central to all of my clients. Also, because NoDa is the arts district, there are more opportunities to find a space that I could set up a studio. Yep, studio work!!! Not sure when it will all happen but it will be in the works over the next few months. :)

Shew! I told you I have a lot going on! So thank you for your patience if my Facebook page or blog go quiet for a while or if I'm a little slow replying to emails.

Thank you all for your support!!!

Here's the entrance to our soon-to-be home and the view from our neighborhood. :)

5 Tips for Better Pet Pictures

I was recently asked to do a live segment on the Charlotte Today show to share some tips and tricks for taking better pictures of your pet. I was super excited because it is so important to have great images of your pet even if hiring a professional isn't in the budget. If this is something that interests you, check out the segment for more info...

First of all, I want to thank Charlotte Today for having me on the show. I did a pre-taped segment last year (the one they used to introduce me) and I was unbelievably nervous (as you could tell by my tied tongue). So of course I was even more nervous to find out I would be on live television!!! What!?! Freak Out! As I walked into the studio, I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. I thought I might have a heart attack. Then things quickly got better.

The staff at the show were seriously amazing. They were warm and welcoming, so sweet, and more than attentive - even with being short-staffed by 3 people. They made me feel right at home with their help, direction, compliments, and so on and so on. My nerves seemed to melt away! I had to take a minute to myself and take it all in. I'm so grateful that I was allowed to be on the show and I really appreciate everyone (and of course all of the pets) that have helped me get to where I am in my business. It has been a very long and hard road but I keep walking it everyday. Thank you! <3

Now back to business! :)

Just to recap the show, here are the 5 tips that will hopefully help you take better pictures of your pet... :)

1. Use Natural Light/Turn off Your Flash

Natural light is your best friend when it comes to pet photography. Flash can scare your pet or, even worse, give your pup or kitty those freaky glowing eyes. Try placing your pet near a window or go outdoors during the golden hours - the hour right around sunrise or sunset. Golden hour light is nice and low in the sky with a warm, even tone.

2. Get Down on Their Level

Be prepared to get a little dirty. Lol! Try something different and lay down, squat, or sit in front of your pet. It will give a whole new look to the image!

3. Shoot Tight/Middle/Wide

You can get three different shots without needing your pet to move! Sweet! Shoot tight - a headshot - then either move back or widen your lens. Then shoot a mid shot - include the body and some of the background. Then move back or widen your lens again. Now you can include quite a bit of the background for a nice artistic image.

4. Use Treats, Toys, or People to get Your Pup's Attention

Hold a treat or toy right above your lens to get your pet to look right at the camera. You can also hold it out to the side or have someone walk over to where you want your dog's gaze to go. Funny noises work great too! Don't forget to reward your pet if he/she does what you want!

5. Know Your Camera!

Try reading the manual and play around with those weird looking settings. Try using AV, TV, and M modes. AV mode means aperture-priority. Aperture controls the depth-of-field so you can get the eyes in focus while blurring the background. TV mode is shutter-priority mode which is great for controlling action. M is manual which means you control it all! Experiment and see what changing the numbers does!

The Bonus tip is to be patient and have fun!!!! Learning photography can be tough and frustrating but it is sooooo worth it in the end! I hope these tips help!

And many, many thanks again to Charlotte Today for inviting me to the show. You guys rock! I also want to thank my family, friends, and Facebook fans for all of the sweet messages, emails, and texts that I got after the show. You made me feel like I should be on TV! Haha! ;)

Koda and Laska

Koda and Laska's session is the new record holder for "Session that got Rained Out the Most". I think we actually lost count of how many times we had to reschedule. In fact, Koda and Laska's mom is pregnant and we were worried she would have her baby before we could get a dry day in! Fortunately, it has been a little drier lately and we got lucky with a beautiful, sunshiny evening! We started off the session photographing Laska. Laska is an adopted pup believed to be an Alaskan Malamute mix. He's as sweet as can be and sports a super-adorable underbite. Seriously. Check out his two smiles below...

Laska is a little of an adventurer. Lol! He likes to wonder a bit but he always comes running back to mom and dad. :)Koda, also a very handsome rescue, is a Flat Coat Retriever mix. He has so much soul in his eyes. I can see why his parents couldn't pass him by.Koda has a secret grin that his mom told me about. I don't think I got to see it during our session but I don't mind his normal smile. I think the edges of his mouth turn up when he's super excited!Koda really is a stunner...Of the two brothers, Laska is the more cuddly of the pair. I'd sure like to curl up with him on a cold evening!Did I say something funny, Koda???Oh, he was just waiting for a treat!Koda gets spooked easily by loud noises. We wanted to be sure his session happened on a day without any chance of thunder occurring. I'm so glad we waited because he sure looks comfortable and happy!!!My dog LOVES to go between our legs. We call it the "carwash". Do your pups do the same thing?And one last shot of Laska's grin. What a happy face!!!

I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Koda and Laska's parents. They were so understanding and patient when it came to the weather. I'm so glad we finally got a reprieve from the storms and were able to spend an evening together. I hope they enjoy the sneak peek!

Toby - Angel Session

Sometimes things aren't all rainbows and sunshine. Things that happen can be unfair and don't make any sense...almost to the point of provoking anger. I really think that's how I would have felt if my dog had the same diagnosis that Toby recently got. There is only at 0.2% chance that it would happen. Unfortunately, Toby was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. As a neutered pup, there is such a small chance of that even happening. How can it even be? The vets were shocked and had to contact other specialist just to confirm and figure out the next steps to take. I would have been so mad.

And I'm sure Toby's mom was/is/will be. That's so personal. However, when I showed up for Toby's Angel Session, there was nothing but love, tears, and smiles. We talked about his cuddly self and checked out puppy pics. Toby won't leave this earth without feeling a lifetime of love - that is a guarantee.

Toby had his prostate drained a couple days before our session. That provided some much needed relief for both him and his mom. Not to mention, he was full of smiles for the session!Without previously knowing about the illness contained within, I wouldn't have any idea he was sick. He was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! We were all so thrilled!!!I love this shot of Toby looking at his mom. That's a connection only a dog and human can have.The grass was wet with dew the morning we met. Instead of allowing us to dry off his wet little legs, Toby decided to use the towel as a nice picnic blanket. :)This final picture pretty much sums up Toby. He's a happy, smiley, sweet and silly man. I wish him nothing but luck in the road ahead. Huge hugs to his furry family. xx!!!!

Jenna and Gunnar

Whew!!!! I'm about out of breath just looking at the images of these two playful pups! Seriously! Jenna and Gunnar's mom warned me that this pair was full of energy and that they LOVED to play and chase each other. Right away I could see that she was spot on. These 2, 6-month-old Tibetan Terriers made me work for every shot I got. They were a crack up with tons of energy to spare!!!

Now don't let this first image fool you! No! This was after about an hour-and-a-half of playtime. I'll first introduce you to the calm side of Jenna (the white and sable lady) and Gunnar (the black and white boy)... :)

And it's on!!!Is Gunnar still back there chasing me? He better be!!!Melt my heart!!! Oh My Dog! These puppies are sooooo cute!!!!After quite a bit of playtime, the pups "settled down" long enough to do some posing. Tibetan Terriers are known to be a little stubborn so I had to be quick before I lost their attention!  Finally break time!!Gunnar certainly seemed to be the most adventurous and bold of the pair. He was the first to make a getaway out of the yard and down toward the lakefront.Of course Jenna had to follow!The grass was way more interesting than me! Hahaha! Fuzzy cuteness overload!!!I hope you enjoyed this pair's sneak peek! I'm off to go steal them now... ;)

Lou and Kirra - Angel Session

Wow! It has been a couple weeks since my last blog post and I apologize. For those that don't know, I sold my house and have temporarily moved into an apartment. It has been a super-busy few weeks filled with inspections, contracts, negotiations, closings, moving, boxes, tons of clutter, and the worst part, no internet/computer. Now that I'm mostly unpacked and back up and running, it's time to play catch-up and get some new furry faces out there to warm your hearts. And I can't think of a better way to do that than to introduce you to Lou and Kirra. Lou and Kirra's mom contacted me just after finding out that Taloulah, or Lou for short, was diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma. It was a heartbreaking diagnosis as the tumor is causing Miss Lou to lose the ability to open and close her mouth. Unfortunately, it's not operable and, since the photo shoot, they have made the very hard decision to begin radiation.

I was honored to meet Lou and her sister, Kirra, the day after their mom contacted me. After days and days and days of rain, we lucked out and had dry skies and even a peek of sunshine. I believe the doggy angels in the sky were on our side.

We decided to photograph these pretty ladies around their house. They love to lounge around so we decided to keep them comfortable and let them do their thing. What a special evening filled with stories, laughter, tears, and much, much love...

This is sweet Lou. She was a wonderful lady for our session and she really worked the head tilts and smiles for me. She got to chill out on the front porch - one of her favorite places to hang out. Despite being under the weather, she kept her ears perky and heart open. Love!!!Lou loves the extra attention... Her little, furry paws make me smile. :)After spending some time with Lou, I got to hang out with Kirra. Beautiful Kirra was a crack up! Because of all of the rain, the grass was a little long in the backyard. She refused to walk on it! She did NOT want her precious paws to get wet. Once or twice, with a stern voice and tons of treats, we coaxed her into the yard. Silly girl!!And that was that! Back to the safety of the deck!Curious George-ette. Lol!Such a beauty!I quickly discovered the many faces of Kirra. Like I said, she was a crack up! I'm almost positive she was trying to smile in the next few images...These ladies stole my heart!Unconditional love. That. Is. All. The pups began to get tired so we moved inside for dinnertime. This is always a nervous time for Lou's parents. They must closely watch Lou to make sure she is remaining pain-free when opening her mouth to eat. Her appetite is still strong and that is always a good sign!And of course Kirra can't miss a trick!Something as simple as watching your dog eat can easily be taken for granted. For Lou's parents, they enjoy every minute of it.After the photo shoot and with full bellies, the ladies were ready to settle down for their evening nap. Lou, I hope with all of my heart that the radiation is going well. Much love to you and your family. xx!

Massimo

Massimo is the first dog ever adopted by my client. She wasn't really sure what to expect but she knew she wanted him to be well trained. Fortunately for her, Massimo caught on quick and is one of the most well-trained dogs I've worked with! Massimo is a playful and friendly pooch with an affinity for cat food and toys that make real animal noises. He's not a big fan of children but will make a day out of chasing squirrels, rabbit, and even deer. Actually, as you'll see, he must like to chase ducks too. ;)

This handsome Golden/Boxer mix started the photo shoot off in style by showing off his undeniable smile...

We had Massimo's session at a beautiful little park in Ballentyne Corporate Park. The setting was spectacular and the sunlight - oh the sunlight!!!Total adorableness!Massimo's mom loves his profile so I'm glad he showed it off a bit while overlooking the pond...Toward the end of the shoot, Massimo was allowed to get in the water. Oh yeah! That looks refreshing!Working on the retriever in him... Oh yeah...and what did I say about the chasing duck thing? ;)

And what's some swimming without a goofy shake shot?Careful!!!! Wet dog approaching quickly!!!Now that's the life...Props to Massimo's mom for the great training she provided for him. He was so easy to work with and, wow, what a sweetie! I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek! :)

Bonnie

Last year, I had the privilege of photographing an adorable pair of pups, Dave and Lucy. After I worked with their mom, she knew Dave and Lucy's 2-legged grandmother needed a session for her own pup, Bonnie. Bonnie, or Princess Pooper Pants, is BFF's with Dave and Lucy and has been instrumental in Lucy's successful new life as a "real" dog. (BTW, if you haven't read Lucy's story, go check it out. She is doing amazing!!!) Bonnie's mom ended up getting a session for Mother's Day. How thoughtful!!! After having to reschedule Bonnie's session due to rain, we finally ended up with a simply amazing evening with sparkly sunlight and gorgeous locations. Bonnie had no fear of the camera and was a good sport as long as she got her boiled chicken. :) That's not too demanding of a request for such a supermodel!

We started off in the quaint downtown area of Davidson where Bonnie quickly figured out what we were doing and immediately started showing off her good looks...

It's not too often that the term "cankles" is used as a compliment. However, when I saw just how nicely Bonnie had been groomed and how perfectly her legs fluffed into her feet, I had to say that she had the cutest cankles ever! Don't you agree?Bonnie is well known for her howl. She was shy about doing it in public but with the right amount of chicken, she caved in and let one roll...I think we had Bonnie sit on every table and chair in Davidson. If you ate in Davidson that night, I apologize for the white hairs left behind. ;)Bonnie proves that she's urban chic...And what's a McGraw Photography photo shoot without some flowers, sunlight, and pretty grasses? We quickly grabbed some images by these lilies before heading out to Fisher Farm.Bonnie was super excited to go out into the "wilderness". Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can tell by the big smile on her face. :)Bonnie's senses were on overload! So many things to smell, bugs to catch, stumps to climb on, etc! Through all that, she was an angel and she posed away for me! I hope you enjoyed Bonnie's sneak peek. May everyone's cankles be as cute as hers!