Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Click to enlarge)
For those anxious to view the snap shots we took at the Fest, they’re up! Visit our Proofs page to view them. You’ll see a link to Pet Fest 2009 to see the collections.
I mentioned the challenges I confronted in the post Over Stimulation Is Not Just For Children Any More. You may think that bright light is easy…but it’s not. I much prefer an overcast day for events when things are happening at break neck speed, as they were at Pet Fest 2009. No sooner had I been speaking with Angela Hill of WWL-TV (she was just wonderful!) than a wagon-load of Chihuahuas and Papillons would stroll by. Some subjects were in the blinding light, some in deep dark shadows, but all of them just needed to have their picture taken.
It was a journalistic photographer’s dream. Stories all over the place. For the studio portrait artist…a challenge. I changed my settings so many times my fingers hurt. I worried constantly about whether I was capturing the story in front of me…they were certainly bringing it. Although I was supposed to be promoting our studio and our new location, I forgot about that most of the time, and just tried to record what was in front of me. And it occurred to me; this was the best exercise for any aspiring photographer. Whether you wanted to be a pet photographer or a journalist on the war front, this would have been a good start.
There was so much to photograph one didn’t have to walk about to find it. I never found the time to check out the rest of the Fest as I had wanted to. As far as I was concerned it was happening right in front of — or in — our tent. This engaging little girl on the right was one of the souls I met that day. I worried aloud about her to her dad. My concern was about walking around with her unrestrained in such a madhouse. I shared with him that I live with two cherished large parrots I would never expose to the dangers of all the people and animals at an event like this. He assured me he does this all the time. “What fun is it to have one of these guys if you can’t take them everywhere.” I’m not passing judgment, I’m only voicing my concern for unconfined, unprotected animals. It wouldn’t take but one strong breeze for even a clipped-winged bird to catch it and be off.
Nevertheless, I talked with and photographed this wonderful little creature. I wish her and her dad long-lived safety, health and happiness as I do all the great new friends I met that day. Enjoy the Proofs !
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