Archive for the ‘Pets & Animals’ Category

There is no doubt about it that Andy and I are what some would call “cat people”.  It was actually a prerequisite when I was looking for a relationship mannny years ago that the guy most love cats.   Needless to say, when I found out Andy owned 2 of his own, I knew we were made  for each other.  Haha.

We have since added 2 more kitties to our family, both which are rescues.  The latest was Monkey, whom came from a local shelter.   She stole my heart the moment I saw her and soon after stole the heart of Andy and anyone else who ever came to visit us.  She’s very social and will become your best friend from the moment you show her the least bit of attention.   She has her quirks, like being very unbalanced (her hind legs are a little too close together), but she LOVES to play fetch and give kisses!

Isn’t she precious?

Now, I know most cats are super cute when they yawn, but apparently Monkey didn’t get the memo.  It must be true love, though, because I think she’s cute no matter what, but would you look at this yawn face?!

She also appeared in a recent photoshoot between Kari and myself.

Andy’s business partner, Matt, has recently been wanting a cat, and stated that he’d like one that was like Monkey.  I’ve been keeping my eyes open, and this past week, found a little guy (another shelter rescue) that I thought would be perfect.  Since Matt lives 2 hours away in Raleigh, we’ve been fostering him until he comes into town this weekend.

No, we’re not keeping him in a box – he just took up in this one beside my desk.

I’ve never fostered an animal before, and it’s much like I expected.  Very hard.  Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great little kitten.  He’s already been neutered (PLEASE spread the word and insure more animals be spayed or neutered – it’s because of this that many wind up in shelters and don’t even get a second chance at life!), is litter box trained and loooooves attention.  Because of this, I think Andy and I are going to have a bit of a hard time letting him go to his new home.  While we both think he’s perfect for Matt and we have no second thoughts that they’ll be great for each other, we’ve already become quite attached to this little guy.

Needless to say, we can’t have a sweet animal in the house and not call it by a name.  I happened to pick out the name Zorro for him, while Andy thinks he favors a mogwai from the Gremlins, and wants to name him Gizmo.  We may need a little intervention come tomorrow when he meets Matt for the first time.  Matt is the deciding factor in his name, but if we can’t hand him over, I’m thinking Gizmo wins, hands down!

Ever since my vet found out I was a photographer, she has wanted me to photograph her cats. We finally chose a date and did the shoot a couple of weeks ago. I went to her lovely home in Greensboro, NC and felt comfortable about the shoot as soon as her kitty, Ruby, met me in the living area. She was a beautiful Abyssinian, energetic and full of spunk. I looked around and saw nothing but natural light and bright colors and was in Heaven.

Sitting under the kitchen table was Jerome, a big rescue kitty that came from our vets office. He was quiet, strong and confident. I was at first a little worried about the shoot, because I know how some cats just hate new people and humans being in their area. We own one just so. Some get scared, some act up, but these two were amazing. I later learned there was a gray tabby hiding away upstairs, a little more uncomfortable with us being there. I didn’t take him out of his comfort zone, so when I was finished with the other two, we went upstairs, I shot a few photos of him and back down we went.

Many thanks to Janelle, whom went along to do makeup for Dr. East and to Dr. East and her lovely kitties for probably setting the bar wayyyy high for any other cats I may photograph in the future. I really did have a blast shooting these and walked away very happy with the results!

Meet Ruby. She LOVED the camera!

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Jerome did, too. He just didn’t want you to know it.

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Being such a rad model is tiring!

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Just a little R&R.

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I loved her poses!

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I love this portrait of the kitties and their human.

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These next 2 are so telling of the relationship.

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Sun bathing.

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Hi, Robin! I’m sorry I invaded your space. I’ll leave now.

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If you haven’t noticed, I’ve spruced up the design here on my blog and added a few new things here and there. I have added my little logo to the top, which I adore. I have also updated my before and after section with some rad new images and have added my prices to the blog. There are also a few new sample items I have ordered which will be available to those interested in purchasing photos. I’m rather excited about those getting here and photographing them to show you!

I have also had a few shots over the past month that I need to catch up on posting. One of my favorites, and my first ever, was a client shoot with my vet and her kitty cats! I’ll admit, I was a bit anxious going into it, but only because we own 4 cats of our own, so I know they’re not always the most cooperative subjects. I was more than pleased, though, when I showed up and realized they made my job much easier than I had previously expected. One was a bit shy, but I did manage to snap a few shots of him before he scurried off under the bed again.

I also shot an exciting surprise birthday party for a lovely lady who turned 70. Everyone was moved to tears at the party and I was so happy and excited to be there and not only get to photograph the event for her and her family and friends, but to get to meet such an amazing lady that I could learn so much from just by watching her interact with others.

Last but not least, the amazing newborn shoot that I still need to post.  I know, it was promised over a month ago, but things have been busy around here and I wanted to take the time and pick the best photos for the post, since there were so many amazing ones!

Spring is here and new things are happening all around. I am trying new recipes, experimenting photography wise and LOVING the outcome (and you will, too!), gaining new clients, and therefore new friendships and starting a new exercise routine. I feel so motivated and inspired by the warm weather and longer days and cannot wait to see what else will come into bloom for me this year!

Now, because posts are more fun with photos, I leave you this photo of Ruby. The full post with lots more photos will be posted in the next day or two!

We have had amazing weather this past weekend. The trees are finally starting to bloom and it’s almost time to mow the lawn. While I’m only excited about one of these things, I AM excited about all of the colors and chirping birds.

I have a newborn shoot that I’ll be posting in a few days, but I just wanted to share these few photos from this weekend. I was out shooting random photos in the orchard behind the house this weekend and my niece wanted to join in. We also have a new stray rescue pup and she’s beyond friendly and cute and I’ve decided to name her Skittles.

I hope everyone is enjoying this lovely weather and had an amazing weekend!