Plenty of Halloween Love Here! (Click to enlarge)

Although props may be used to enhance a theme, the best shots are those captured while your subjects are relaxed.

Retro photo technique - Rachel & Sister (Click to enlarge)

Oh yes, you’ve seen one of our favorite visitors, Sister, several times before (just type her name in the handy-dandy search feature on the upper right), but you’ve never seen her with her mom.  Aren’t they just stunning!

When trying to give a photo that retro or vintage feel, there is a range of digital techniques you can use which will accomplish this.  If you are processing your black and white photography in a darkroom, you will be seeking a sepia tone to your image.  This will be accomplished by giving it a warmer tone and converting from a metallic silver to a sulphide compound.  Not doing that?  Most of us are using digital cameras now and our post processing techniques are accomplished in a computer program.

If you use a processing program other than Photoshop, you probably have a button you can select that will single-filter the photo with a sepia tone.  I’ve used Photoshop to adjust the tone by converting to black and white, then using the Photo Filter adjustment to lay a sepia tone on it as I’ve done in How To Convert Your Color Image To Black & White or Sepia.

There’s another way to play with tones in Photoshop.  Find Image/Adjustments/Black & White.  There’s so much you can do with tinting using Hue and Saturation.  Sliding the Hue slider to the left about 16° or so with not too much saturation, about 12%, will result in an image like Rachel and Sister.  This gives the portrait an ageless and vintage feel that I quite like.  Try it.

Budweiser Dalmatian (Click to enlarge)

Budweiser Clydesdales (Click to enlarge)

Our New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV.  To those of us in southern Louisiana it didn’t seem like winning a game.  It seemed like something more.  A symbol of hope or even a reminder that anything is possible.

The city of New Orleans put on the biggest parade anyone has ever seen here.  Some estimates had the crowds at 800,000.  I was one of those.  It was a sight to behold.  My experience can be viewed at Sisters Pet Pics Goes to the Saints Victory Parade.

One thing about having a good camera with a good telephoto lens is that you are privy to visual information that the casual observer may not notice.  Any photograph gives you one opportunity to capture more information than the naked eye; a telephoto lens gives you another.  Both give you needed time to process what you’ve seen.

After the beads have been thrown, after the stars have passed, I get to process again what I saw.  Yes, I saw talented athletes, brilliant coaches, and even kind and generous citizens.  Do you sense a ‘but’ coming?  There is.

If you view the slide show you will probably see the photos quickly.  It will give you the feeling of having the floats pass before you.  You will also see the images not cropped.  You will see happy people riding behind the animals celebrating as we do in New Orleans – by throwing trinkets to the masses.  But at my computer I saw something else that disturbed me.  The men in green are not smiling in any of the shots I saw of them that entire day by many other photographers.  The Dalmatian is doing her/his job but somehow s/he doesn’t seem too happy about it either.

Come on, you may say.  Get a grip.  Perhaps.  But Dalmatians are horse dogs.  They like to hang with them.  It has been written that they prefer the company of horses.  They feel the horses.  Then I looked at all the photos I had of the Clydesdales, and I cropped them close.  This is what I saw.  The bridles are too tight.  Even with loose reins the bits are digging into their mouths.  I also noticed that the harnesses are so tight across their backs that they appear to lift their tails even at rest.

At one point I saw one of the middle horses throwing his head with his mouth open and his tongue out.  The insiders – the men in green, the Dalmatian, the Clydesdales – are not happy for good reason.  This was not a celebration for them.  They are being unduly and unfairly burdened.

I had always wanted to see the famous Budweiser Clydesdales.  This was my first opportunity.  I will be watching for them again.  And I won’t let my emotion cloud my judgment.

Christmas Family With Rainbow & Bella The Yellow Labs (Click to enlarge)

No, nothing has happened to these two wonderful Labs, Rainbow and Bella.  They are fine.  They were hearty, rambunctious, inquisitive and playful when we last saw them.  That’s the job description of Labrador Retrievers.  It’s also what gets many of them in a lot of trouble.

I post these girls today because I’ve just received word that a friend of ours is waiting to find out if her two beloved Labs will live after eating part of a Sago Palm.  She asked me to post something to warn others of this deadly plant.  The ingestion of very minute amounts of this plant can cause irreparable damage.

Recently I had a conversation with someone concerning the danger of dogs having access to chocolate.  She said she gives her dog chocolate because he likes it.  I said she is lucky because it’s poison to some dogs.  I’m afraid many might think the same of a Sago Palm.  Unlike chocolate, however, Sagos can kill ANY dog, any cat and any horse.  My friend’s two Labs are both in a coma as we speak.

Don’t believe me?  Check out HappyDogsPlay.com’s post on March 20th last year.  Sisters Pet Pics has a Toxicity page with three great sites listing all dangerous and poisonous plants to animals.  Top on the list?  SAGO PALMS!  Still not convinced?  Go to Snopes.com’s entry about Sago Palms.  They researched it and deemed this warning TRUE (!).

Some people might have a potted Sago in their home.  If you live with cats PLEASE, PLEASE get rid of the Sago.  It’s deadly.

I hope my readers heed this warning.  If you have a plant and nothing has happened yet (as occurred with my friend’s Labs) you have a ticking time bomb in your yard.  It’s only a matter of time until a seed is next to some other tasty morsel and it’s ingested by your beloved pet.  Don’t let this happen to you dear reader.

Dozer The Gentle Giant Mastiff (Click to enlarge)

This big guy is about a year old and very gentle, but you can see his nobility as he poses with his friend.  One gets the feeling that Dozer regards this little girl as his charge…and so she is.

Mastiffs are bred to protect their families but their dominance varies.  They’re highly intelligent and rarely bark.  They prefer to hold an intruder at bay either by cornering them or lying on top of them than an all out attack.  These characteristics seemed to be internalized in Dozer as he was easily moved about by the very small mother of this little girl.

To photograph a huge indoor animal like this you need to know a little about their nature.  His youth and size would prevent him from presenting a tight sit.  My preference for the 45° angle wouldn’t have improved the shot because of his right rear leg.  The interest in this shot isn’t so much about Dozer as it is about the extreme size difference between him and a six year old girl.  His head is about the size as her torso as you can see, and though he is not looking at the camera he seems to be scoping the territory to protect her, doesn’t he?

Santa & Allie The Shih Tzu (Click to enlarge)

Spoiler alert!  Get the kids out of the room.  That’s Terry as Santa .  This was Sisters Pet Pics’ 5th winter holiday.  We’ve offered Santa as an option before, but this year we had the three dimensional French Quarter scene as an option too.  We just thought some of those shots were just as cute as can be.

Allie is one of the sweetest Shih Tzus ever.  Sweet and inquisitive, she always brings it when she comes into our studio.  Oh yes, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen her.  Just type her name in the search feature (upper right on this page) to see other shots of her.  She loves the attention she gets when she’s dressed up, but her dad still prefers her naked self.  I’ll be posting more of Allie soon.

In my opinion, when a small dog or animal is posed with a person it’s best to get the heads close or you’ll lose the dog.  You will have to be aware that at the moment when the ears go up or the head tilts, part of the human face will be obstructed, which may impact negatively on the composition.  So set the animal up to allow for this, because when you make your noise and you get the animal look you want, you may not get another chance.

Yorkie With Family (Click to enlarge)

I hope you made many captures over your holiday season.  They will allow you to have those feelings as often as you desire.  It is the only sure way to capture a moment, yet it still amazes me that families get together once or twice a year or less and neglect to record the experience.  Life is short…memories are frail.

Meet Sweety and her family.  You could call any one of the three sweetie and you’d be right.  I loved these folks and though the humans aren’t wearing the same color on top as I’ve recommended in past posts, you can see that it works nevertheless.

I want you to notice the triangle the three faces make in this photo.  When you’re composing your shot look for the lines and shapes your composition makes.  This shot would be a lot less interesting if the heads were in a straight line.

I’d love to see your holiday shots.  Post them here!

Terry Scheller & Frida, two reasons to be grateful (Click to enlarge)

When my daughter was living at home, just after she was foster-placed as an 11 year old, fresh from her removal from her neglectful and abusive birth family and two subsequent broken fostering situations, I was all gung-ho to impart values to this child who couldn’t speak a discernible language and certainly had no experience with a value system which didn’t have to do with stealing or hoarding or manipulating to seek basic needs.  It was the end of October, and I was already planning a grateful Thanksgiving complete with volunteering at a church to deliver Thanksgiving meals to shut-ins around St. Tammany parish.  I printed the words to every song from the Wizard of Oz, as well as many old time standards designed to make every pre-teen lament, “Oh, mom” and insisted everyone in the house participate.  We loaded the food, grabbed the maps and we were off.

It took a while, and I wouldn’t exactly say that the values-sharing with my daughter was lovingly embraced, but we did sing and we did laugh, and the two participating adults experienced the gratitude from those meal recipients.  I felt so good I insisted upon this being our family tradition…until the program was dropped.  Though I believe programs like this are the best reasons for gathering to raise voices and feelings in the name of a power greater than oneself, and I was sorry to find that after a couple of years the Thanksgiving meals-on-wheels, for whatever reason, would not be continued at the church, I was ever so grateful for the opportunity to experience joy…yes joy…for the hours we spent singing and delivering sustenance on those days during those early years of my daughter’s life with me.

My daughter is on her own now, living a life that I hope is touched with gratitude and joy.  But I miss that tangible, in-your-face giving with my family, on a day which symbolizes gratitude.  Perhaps I was cheating, though.  I certainly got so much from it I might have been guilty of  giving-cheating.  On the other hand, is that such a bad thing?

“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” The countless times I’ve been reminded of this  has made me grateful for being exposed to John Lennon’s genius over and over again. And again Mr. Lennon reminds me the journey is the destination.

I meant to make daily posts leading up to Thanksgiving showing all the sweet and beautiful pets with their families that I have had the privilege to meet.  Alas, I got sick.  Yep, I’m not invincible.  Oh, you knew that?  Well, I’m just learning it…I’m a late bloomer.  It started three weeks ago with a cold.  I was so grateful for not being contagious and still being able to continue to work. A sore throat that I thought was the result of an exuberant New Orleans Saints win lingered.  I was grateful that the sore throat didn’t keep me from more games, though not always live (I’m ever so grateful for my DVR!).

I was grateful that I did not have a fever, though one might have blown the little virus-y thingie out of me. Tired and head and joint achy but still not noticing I may have needed to rest more, I was grateful for all the opportunities to go on location to photograph all manner of dogs and people having fun.  From the smallest adult dog I have ever petted – I was afraid to use all my fingers to touch what looked like a fragile head – to a year old Doberman Pinscher puppy in his dog-wheeled cart who had been shot, but who found his way to a most heroic and giving group (Dax’s House) who is rehabilitating him — my gratitude for all of these people and animals crowds the boundaries of any of my selfish angst.

More tired.  A cough develops.  Uh oh.  I was the first of four biological daughters in a matriarchal family.  Though my mother didn’t know it at the time, she would be very challenged by her children – especially her eldest- it would fill her with fear and anguish at one moment and relief and liberation at the next.  I provided her with what I liked to tell her were learning opportunities.  From Ukrainian descent, my family was a hardy people…not so I.  If my friends had colds, I had tonsillitis.  If my sisters had the flu my tonsillitis would hospitalize me.  I am so grateful for a mother who loved me and cared for me regardless of my rebellious nature, regardless of the frivolous and dangerous decisions I made as a youngster and nevertheless survived due in part to her own indomitable spirit.

Now I’m so tired, the cough has escalated to brain-rattling, body-wracking, heart-stopping spasms.  No fever.  I’m thinking I can get a hold of this thing.  If I had a fever I’d seek medical attention.  I’m grateful that I have health insurance.  I complain about the premiums and the skimpy therapeutic and dental care, but I have it.  Not everyone does, though I hope this changes.  I can see most doctors and get most pharmaceuticals for a nominal co-pay.  I am ever so grateful for this.  But I’m still thinking…why waste the co-pay when I can cure myself with a little rest.  After all, I don’t have a fever.  I re-schedule appointments.  I am so grateful for those wonderful people who wished me well.

During this time I received news that a sweet and gentle man we knew first as a client then as a friend had given up his daily struggle with life near his friends and family.  The taking of his life has filled me with such sorrow for the pain I didn’t know he had and for the inconsolable family he left to continue the journey without him.  It made me wonder what I could have done…or what I could do for another who may be suffering a pain so deep and abiding that options seem non-existent.  I wish I could have said that the first 50 years are the hardest.  I wish I could have imparted the knowledge that all the prom kings and queens, all the seemingly successful business people, all the movie stars, all the people you admire for traits you think you don’t have suffer the same sorrow.  I wish we could heal each other.

It’s the day before Thanksgiving.  I’m planning to cook a big bountiful meal to share with whoever shows up.  I begin to understand that I cannot cough my way through my kitchen duties and not contaminate the food.  I cancel Thanksgiving.  I am grateful no one was hanging their plans on my ability to cook.  I’m grateful for their concern and their healing advice and energy.  I love my friends like family and my family like friends and am grateful for them.  I’m grateful for those I loved and have passed; I’m grateful for those I lost and now I’ve found; I’m grateful for those I never lost and still have; I love them all so.

I stay in bed on Thanksgiving and make plans to call my doctor on Friday.  I’ve had the same doctor for thirty years.  I don’t know what I’ll do when she retires.  I love her.  She’s seen me through my youth, adulthood, parenting and two careers.  I’m grateful for her.  But she’s not taking appointments on Friday.

Nurses are a special kind of person.  I don’t know exactly what makes them tick, but I know they are every bit as skilled as physicians and have abilities quite different and in some ways more important than the medical doctor.  The job description includes a certain attached compassion.  Unlike a physician who may have been trained to detach in order to make decisions, a nurse’s job is to stay attached, to stay compassionate, to stay…  I have had occasions to meet, to know, to love and experience the skills of nurses in my life.  I have a sister-in-law who is one of these people.  She’s even extra special as she knows homeopathic and naturopathic remedies to use with her registered nursing training.  Oh, dear readers, she is very special.

We called her for advice.  Though she is not geographically close enough to use all her healing skills, she asked questions and with their answers headed me off to an urgent care clinic which is open every day.  I met more of those special people at the clinic.  The feeling that my two hour wait would not have been so if I presented with a more serious malady oddly made me feel more comfortable.  They were kind to me as I waited.  I was grateful for that.  These people give up their holiday weekends to care for folks like me who waited too long to seek care, and never once told me how stupid it was not to seek care sooner.

Which brings me to this 4AM-written-mega-post.  Though the pharmaceuticals prescribed have unpleasant side effects, I’m grateful for the knowledge that I can take and do things to counter them.  Pneumonia can be cured with a drug now.  Who knew?  When I had it as a child there was no drug for it.  Hospitalization and fluids were the preferred cure.  That time it must have been viral; this one was bacterial.  There’s drugs for that.  I’m grateful that I have averted an immediate diagnosis of Tuberculosis or cancer again.  Yay!

I feel good enough to sit up and think.  Oh my!  Am I ever grateful for that!  The cough is present but subsided so I can sleep, but have been weepy about my experiences of late so when I awakened with this feeling of belated Thanksgiving gratitude I wanted to let ‘er rip.  You can get it too.  Here’s what you do.  The next time you awaken in the night, get up.  Notice your surroundings.  Do you live with a bird or two or more?  Do they say, “Hi” when you stir?  It fills me with a love that is indescribable.  Walk through your house.  Smile as you watch your dogs open lazy eyes and wag a sleepy tail in response to your night-time ramblings.  Perhaps a younger dog will walk quietly with you in your meanderings.  If you’re lucky it will be too late for your nocturnal cats’ wild partying and too early for their slow and lazy awakenings, but you’ll catch them cuddled with one another and you’ll know you’re not the only one grateful that moment.

And if you haven’t awakened all your friends and family yet, embrace them with your love.  Visualize them in your tapestry surrounded by a loving protective light which is the embodiment of your life, for you are the product of their love and experiences.  And if they are awake, hold them, love them, tell them.  Try to have an It’s a Wonderful Life experince as often as you can.  I’m grateful for mine.

Chaos Ensues (Click to enlarge)

It Ain't Easy (Click to enlarge)

My post today is meant to give y’all confidence.

This was a family shoot…sort of.  Here’s the story.  These dogs are litter mates.  Yeah, I know.  They don’t look alike, but litter mates they are.  Greyhound folks are a close knit group.  They all work very hard to make the remaining years of their charges be the very best.  As all these dogs are purebred and records are kept online, a little Google search will find litter mates  Such was the case here.

One of the humans found the others and organized this “family” portraiture session.  They’re all members of the Greyhound Pets of America (GPA) and arrived from all over.  This week I’m finalizing the 2010 GPA calendar layout and I came across the image in the left.  I couldn’t exactly put it in the calendar, but it’s a perfect example of the organized chaos that is sometimes witnessed in the studio.

I had to laugh out loud when I saw this image again and wanted to share it with you.  You see, it doesn’t always go smoothly.

Robbie The Black Lab (Click to enlarge)

Robbie is gorgeous.  Let’s not quibble.  There’s not a photog alive who could not make a stunning portrait of him.  This is the thing to remember: light the coat from all angles so the sheen is evident.  If you’re looking at the small thumbnail, click the image again.  Regardless of your backdrop, if you light the coat you’ll get the shot you’re expecting.  Use a hair light.  That will help.  Refer to How To Set Up Your Pet Photography Studio for an explanation.

Although it may seem to some that it’s too early to be thinking about the holidays, I would say, au contraire, mon ami.  As a photographer you are not only recording the moment you’re in, you’re recording the moments to come.  Sound crazy?  Not so much.  Consider the bride.  She’s photographed before the wedding…sometimes well before the wedding.  She wants to be sure to get those all important studio shots.

My point is that in our controlled studio environment we often shoot out of season shots, because it’s about the mood the client is (or you are) in.  After Katrina we had requests to shoot themes people had taken elsewhere, but lost the pictures.  They wanted to duplicate them with us.  Remember, your studio is your set, and your set is wherever you’re controlling the environment.