The looks that melt your heart… the big brown eyes that plead with you to give them a bite of cheese… the precious tilt of the head in response to your questions, how can we not be but putty in their paws? This week, the theme for our 52 week project is Head Tilt. It is such a fun theme, don’t you think?
Alas, with Mr. Harvey, there is simply no head tilt. None! Not even a little bit. So, it would seem that I’m stuck between a theme and a dog who refuses to tilt his head. What’s a girl to do?
How do you feel about camera tilt? 🙂 Haha! Seriously, it really is my only option. So hopefully you will enjoy an off-kilter picture of my very serious doggie!
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Over the long weekend we took a trip to Antietam National Battlefield. Not only is it an incredible history lesson, but it’s really dog friendly. A perfect location for Harvey to try his paw at taking selfies. Prepare yourself for a lot of fun, because this week, selfies are going to the dogs for our 52 week project!
Dog Selfies!
Dogs, travel, history, and of course, photography are some of my most favorite things in life. So it is always fantastic when we have the opportunity to combine all of these things into one fun filled weekend. Living in Maryland, we are surrounded by all kinds of amazing history, from pre Revolutionaty times. to the war of 1812, to the Civil War and more, we have it all here! And the best part – many of these amazing sites are dog friendly!
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What’s better than a beautiful blue sky on a breezy summer day in Maryland? Being able to spend the entire afternoon puttering around with Harvey, Australian Cattle Dog extraordinaire! 🙂 Have camera, have dog, let’s go!
The theme for our 52 week project this week is Beautiful Sky. It has been an interesting week weather wise – unseasonably cool and lots of rain. But in between all that rain were bright blue beautiful skies. The cooler temperatures were an added bonus! So we jumped in the car and headed out of Annapolis, in search of where the sky meets the land.
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First off, thanks to all of my regular readers who have been clamoring for more on WCC’s Honor Litter – I appreciate all the comments and encourage them. Keep them coming! In the meantime, are you ready for another feature of Warrior Canine Connection’s Honor Litter? Today, we shine the spotlight on WCC’s Nick and his Puppy Parents (family).
As many of you know, Nick is named for Nick Null, a proud member of a Navy Seal team who was killed when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan. So, it is fitting that Nick (WCC’s Nick) was placed in the loving care of a family with a rich connection to the military. It always amazes me to see the connections, the links, the small ways in which a larger circle forms. It is indeed, in many ways, a very small world. More about this connection later.
When I first started this project, one of my questions was “are the dogs allowed to be, well, dogs? Do they have ‘off duty’ hours in which they can just play and be goofy, or are they always working?” The answer is yes! When their vest is on, they are working dogs, when the vest is off, they are dogs. They still have to mind and follow the rules, but they are allowed to let their ears down, if you will, and have fun!! So in this feature, I hope to do two things – introduce you to the amazing people who are raising Nick, and share with you some photos of Nick playing and being his puppy self. This is a little bit of a blast from the past, as most of the pictures you will see here were taken a few months ago, when we had blankets of snow on the ground. So pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate and settle in 🙂
Meet Nick’s Puppy Parents, Monnica and Dick.
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Happy Friday! It’s time for another installment in our 52 week project. The theme for this week – Fairytale! While I’m all about great Halloween costumes and glittery fun with dogs, Harvey isn’t all that enamored with it…unless, of course, you count his rescue from the streets to his happy, comfortable life now…he’s living the dream 🙂
But I digress. Fairytales, fantasy, magical, I had a million visions for a female dog, but let’s face it, Harvey isn’t exactly Prince Charming. But there is one thing that he and I can agree on, we can’t wait for fall! So I decided to focus my camera on the magical colors that I long to see!
I thought about the darker side of fairytales, there is always a sinister character, which conjured up all sorts of fun dark and moody scenes…but Harvey was in such a silly mood and just looked so sweet and cute. He wasn’t playing the bad guy role very well. I love this image, but his expression doesn’t exactly lend itself to a ark and moody scene. No big bad wolf here 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! Please continue on and see what magical memories Amyranth Pet Photography, San Francisco Bay Area has captured!
Until next time, have joy in your heart, a smile on your face, and a dog by your side!
Bonnie
When was the last time you thought about your pets and fire safety? I know it isn’t something that I have given a whole lot of thought to, but it is time to change that. Today is National Pet Fire Safety Day, so let’s all take a few minutes and think about how we can keep, not only our 2 legged family members safe, but also how to keep our dogs, cats, and other pets safe as well!
Why have I been thinking about pet fire safety? Recently, a fellow pet photographer friend had a tragic loss – her home caught on fire and 6 of her 7 pets were lost within 30 minutes. I was so shaken by her experience that it has really made me think, so I decided to do a little research. According to the United States Fire Administration, an estimated 500,000 pets are affected annually by fires, and 40,000 pets die each year in house fires. Shocking numbers, right?! And guess what – the National Fire Protection Association estimates that nearly 1,000 home fires each year are accidentally started by the homeowners’ pets.
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This week, it is all about the details! Does your heart melt when you look into your dog’s eyes? Or is it the paws that leave an impression on your heart? Maybe it is the big wet nose that brings a smile to your face? Whatever feature enchants you the most is the one you will want to capture forever, as it will fill you with joy every time you see it!
For me personally, I can’t really think of a detail about Harvey that I don’t like, so I tried to concentrate on my favorite parts 🙂
One of my most favorite features about Harvey are his oh so expressive eyes! I just love the how the reflection in his eye almost looks like a painting.
Next I focused on his mouth…
And the licker! 😉
And if you know me at all, you know how much dog drool makes me laugh, so I couldn’t leave that out! In all seriousness, we all know that dogs drool, but did you know it can actually be a sign of an infection or health concern? If you’d like to learn all about drool, click here!
And we can’t forget about wet noses!
Oh heck, I just love everything about a dog’s head!
Australian Cattle Dog’s are kind of like snowflakes, not two are exactly alike. But one thing that most have is a “Bentley mark” – a white blaze on the forehead, and Harvey is no exception. At night, his Bentley is they only part of him that I can actually see – it’s kind of funny looking at his bed and seeing nothing but this white blaze!
And then of course there are those pitter pattering paws…
Well, it looks like we have work our way to the end!
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the details I captured this week, please comment below! And make sure you checkout what details my friend from Khanya Photography, Hudson Valley NY Pet Photography captured this week 🙂
Until next time, have joy in your heart, a smile on your face, and a dog by your side!
Bonnie
Happy Independence Day – let’s hear it for the Red, White and Blue!! Before you go out to celebrate our great Nation’s birthday, please check out our 52 on Friday Beautiful Beasties Network blog ring… the place where professional pet photographers around the world gather together for support, friendships, and yes, challenges. The challenge this week was: Reflections!
This theme conjures up all sorts of amazing possibilities. My brain raced around all of our town’s wonderful reflective options – water, windows, metallic walls, lacquer, mirrors, etc., etc. But then reality set in, and I realized that I needed to search for the best option that my dog will agree with :/ Immediately I ruled out the cool metallic wall, as it is way to close to a busy road, not safe. Idea scrapped. Water, Harvey likes water. Camera in hand, off we go to swim. Sadly, the water in the Severn River and Chesapeake is a bit on the nasty side. Murky reflections are NOT what I had in mind, and worse, a bath was now in order from this failed attempt! Whoa is me! What else can I do with water? I filled a large galvanized steel tub up with sparkling clear water, having visions of a beautiful reflection of Harvey’s handsome face in the water just before he takes a drink of it. Harvey thinks not! He won’t even look at the water and acts offended that I would ask him to do such a thing. Thinking… thinking…I’ve got it. Chicken broth! I’ll pour a little chicken broth into the water. Well, my brilliant plan worked perfectly, except now it looks like Harvey is gazing longingly at a tub full of pee. 🙁 Scrap water.
Fun with mirrors is next, do you notice a sarcastic tone? Haha! Have I mentioned that I have a very opinionated dog? While I feel very strongly about having a well trained, socially acceptable canine family member, I feel equally as strong about letting Harvey have the space to develop his personality, and yes, have an opinion. But there are days when he is just downright ridiculous! Guess which day we were having? Yep, that’s right, Mum had this vision of a perfectly posed portrait using the reflective properties of a mirror and Harvey, well he flat out refused to sit or lay down in the grass. His fury bottom was not touching grass and that was all there was to it. UGH! Lately he has decided that grass is evil and it has been a challenge to get him to walk on it, so I guess I should feel lucky that my weirdo dog (which I say most affectionately) even agreed to go for a walk in the grass with me 🙂
In the end, we did a lot of fun, reflective experiments, and have some great photos to show for our work, but ultimately, I decided to share only one with you. I am so in love with this image!
Well, what do you think? Hope you like it as much as I do and that you had fun reading about our trials and tribulations 🙂 Please continue on with our blog ring by visiting Greater Cincinnati photographer, Carol Locey Photography and see what amazing reflections she and her furry friend came up with. Then continue through the ring until you come back back to Bonnie Grower Pet Photography. Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, have joy in your heart, a smile on your face, and a dog by your side!
Bonnie
This week we tackled Black and White photography for our 52 week project. On occasion, I will shoot senior or infirm pets in black and white, but I much prefer to photograph in color. With that being said, black and white photography can really have a strong impact and is wonderful for simplifying compositions and allowing one to really focus on the subject and the story.
With Harvey, I have to say that I found the theme to be a bit of a challenge, because I don’t care for how his fur looks in black and white. I think it makes my 3 year old dog, with the layers of color in his fur, look well beyond his years. So he and I did several mini sessions throughout the week to give me a chance to find the best way to capture his personality and many moods, and hopefully to be able to give you a glimpse into who he is.
Much to my delight, Harvey is not, in any way, shape, or form, a morning dog. So early mornings are the ONLY time of day that he lets his guard down and I can capture his sweet, quite moments.
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As professional pet photographers, we can’t control the sun and the clouds, but we can control how the light hits our subjects. The theme this week for our 52 project is a great reminder of that – Reflectors!
I only had a small window in which to take Harvey out this week, and unfortunately, it was pretty overcast and dull outside. But the one thing I did have working in my favor was the fact that it was reasonably bright out. So, armed with my camera. some treats, and a reflector, Harvey and I set out to find few spots along the Severn. I just love how using a reflector adds such a lovely, warm light!
And now for a couple of outtakes! Harvey took one look at this big round thing, grabbed it and ran! BEST.FRISBEE.EVER!
He’s pretty good at holding the reflector…I may have to hire him to be my assistant 😉
Hope you enjoyed my post this week! I’d love to hear your thoughts! Next up, check out how Field and Ranch Photography, of Dallas, Texas used her reflector!
Until next time, have joy in your heart, a smile on your face, and a dog by your side!
Bonnie
