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Monthly Archives: September 2009

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Three Dog Day

September 21, 2009 – 9:41 am

I LOVE multiple dog shoots. I mean, the more the merrier!

I think the reason I love them is that it’s so much fun to observe how different three dogs in the same household can be.

In this case, the three dogs are hunting breeds but that’s about all they have in common. So getting them together for a shoot was a challenge… but I love challenges:)

We’ll start with Winston.

Winston is a gorgeous dog. And even though he is not used for hunting, he has the pointing down! Winston is very obedient and attentive. He is easy to photograph because he will listen and respond well to commands. And, I mean, what photographer wouldn’t love to photograph that face?! He’s such a neat dog!

Libby is just hilarious! She’s a wild woman and had no time to stop and pose for pictures. She is VERY busy, this one! She’s a tiny dog for her breed and she loves, loves her mother. She also is most happy to be into everyone else’s business. She’s the annoying little sister who steals the attention because she’s always right there, you know? But how adorable is this face? LOVE IT! Libby is a doll.

OK… now Archie was a challenge. He is VERY camera shy. He spent much of the photo shoot under the porch steps!

But…  it’s all about patience. And after a while he did warm up to me, but mostly he just enjoyed being the center of attention with his Dad. He is all about pleasing him, and you can just see his intelligence in his facial expressions.

So three dogs- three experiences. A fun morning peeking into the lives of these awesome dogs!

By Beth | Posted in Dogs {and their people} | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

So lucky…..

September 13, 2009 – 3:32 pm

….to have a wonderful farm home. These two beautiful horses were taken off the racetrack after their racing careers and given a lovely home together in LaGrange, Kentucky.

I had a fantastic time photographing these two. They spent most of the session just doing what they do best- running!

Mucho is the most outgoing of the two. He is behind Barney in the photo above, but most of the time he was in the lead.

He is fantastic at the gallop- so full of himself!

Here’s another shot of Mucho. He’s just so gorgeous. He was really ripping it in this one!!

Barney is more of a follower- a tad more laid back.  Really beautiful black gelding- he liked to pose. Even though we never haltered either horse, I got plenty of portrait shots because they liked to take breaks from their running to give me some nice still images.

Barney and Mucho did not race together. But they have been stabled together since they came off the track and they hate to be apart. There wasn’t a single time they weren’t together- the only way I got the portrait above ( or any of my other portrait shots) was to crop the other horse out- because he’s right there next to him. I like this shot because it shows them nose and nose. So cute!

These guys are really lucky to be off the track and into a nice home. That isn’t always the case for retired race horses- and it’s wonderful to see these two so happy.

I also photographed three adorable dogs at this farm. But I have yet to edit those pictures. I am off tomorrow to go to Learnfest. It’s going to be an incredible learning experience with four fabulous photographers!

I can’t wait and will fill you in on the details when I return.

By Beth | Posted in Horses {Equine} | Comments (2)

May the force be with you!

September 9, 2009 – 1:40 pm

Have you ever met a dog that looks exactly like a canine film star? Like Lassie, or Benji, or Kujo? Well… Max looks exactly like an Ewok. (I mean, a really small version of an Ewok.) He could also totally pass for a Gremlin. The minute I saw his little face, I knew photographing him would be BIG fun.

Max is a HILARIOUS dog!  When I first saw him waiting in the yard in the arms of his Mom, he was actually running in the air……. full speed in the air. Kind of like a top that has been wound up but not put on the ground yet. Then, of course, when the feet hit the ground…. he was off!

Max provided countless hysterical expressions. The above picture is his “I’m only standing here until I get that treat” look. Below is his “I’m really sorry for all of the thing I have done, but I’m so sweet can I please have the treat?” look.

Wild Max lives with his lovely and charming sister, Bebe. She is pretty much the opposite of Max, and she just barely tolerates him. In fact, it was pretty hard to get them in the same picture because she really just doesn’t want him near her. Truthfully. at times she actually cringed! (OK- he totally looks like a crazy gremlin in this shot- right?)

Check out sweet Bebe. She’s a DOLL! I mean, that face is just so adorable! And her eyes are twinkling. Love it!

And, fortunately, we did get some photos of the two dogs together. Bebe was very kind to allow Max to touch her for a few moments so we could get some nice portrait shots of them both. I love the Koi pond. I stood up on a table for this shot and the fish even swam over for us! Yea!

This was a really fun shoot. The dogs were both fantastic, and the backdrops were really lovely. I know life is never lonely with sweet Bebe and never boring with little Max! :)

By Beth | Posted in Dogs {and their people} | Comments (1)

Kid’s Close-up

September 9, 2009 – 8:30 am

So… I photographed a horse for a client a few weeks ago and she requested some eye shots. I have done that quite a bit- I think it’s a really cool angle, and if you’re a horse person, you know how amazing those eyes are! But a lot of time, the client doesn’t really pay much attention to this angle and prefers a full head-shot or a full body-shot.

Anyway… to make a long story short… this one client ordered the “eye shot” in sepia, in a canvas. It came back last week and it was SO fabulous I couldn’t stand it. MAJOR perk of being a photographer is the ability to go out and get shots or my animals whenever I want:)

So I totally copied her idea and shot some eye shots of my own horse, Kid, and ordered a great big canvas in sepia for myself!!

Here’s the shot.

Kid is 23 years old, and I’ve been with him since he was 2. So he is totally my baby. He has “doe eyes”- large, expressive and kind.

And I loved this angle because it shows only his expression. I can’t wait until the canvas comes. He’s so gorgeous- my home will be all the more beautiful with him in it. :)

By Beth | Posted in Horses {Equine}, My Menagerie | Comments (1)

Please replace that photo!

September 3, 2009 – 10:14 am

You know how when you live in Florida you never go to the beach? Well, that’s sort of the same as when your close friend is a pet photographer and you have an embarrassingly bad pet portrait on display in your home.

I’ve been “meaning” to photograph adorable Lucy for about a year. But… I never seem to get to it. I always forget my camera, or I wait for a better day….. you know… something comes up.

So my dear friend, Michelle, took matters into her own hands and prominently displayed a really, seriously, truly pitiful picture of her dog. And she hands out my business cards and talks me up all the time…. so…… I can’t have such a picture in her home where people might actually think I took it!! I mean it’s in the guest bathroom for pete’s sake- who doesn’t see that?? ( We’re talking dog in a dark room cowering on the floor with her ears back, head down and not even looking at the camera).

So Michelle and her should-be-chef- husband Frank fed me and my family the other night and I swore to bring my camera- which I did. And I snapped a few backyard shots of this lovely dog I have admired for so long. She is a doll.

Lucy is a GRRAND rescue dog and is probably part golden and part lab. She has the sweetest personality. I mean, truly, she’s just so stinkin’ sweet!

And she’s a really lovely dog, too.

This is actually Michelle’s first dog- so there have been some trying times of adjustment. Like the time she spilled butter on her good rug and “sham-wowed” it up then couldn’t understand why Lucy chewed a circular hole in the middle of the rug. ( Yum, right?) But Lucy is definitely a beloved member of the family and is lucky to have such a loving home!

In my haste to eat appetizers, I forgot to take off Lucy’s electric fence collar. Thank goodness for photoshop!

Isn’t her face just so cute? Love that dog! And I’m so glad I finally got some good photos of her!!  Must go print a 5×7″ immediately so I won’t be embarrassed anymore:)

By Beth | Posted in Dogs {and their people} | Comments (2)