Simone

Back in the day, I learned photography with black-and-white film. I developed my own negatives, printed my own prints, and even made a make-shift darkroom in the laundry room of one of my apartments while in college. Needless to say, black-and-white images hold a near and dear place in my heart. However, typically with pet photography, the gorgeous sunlight and outdoor locations really scream for color. I typically only convert images to black-and-white when people are included in the shots. This allows the emotion and connection between subjects to shine through. Strangely, when I was editing Simone's gallery, something just begged for black-and-white conversions. I don't know if it was the indoor location, the beautiful "eyeliner" around her eyes, or the dynamics of a kitty-cat's life. I grinned from ear to ear when I saw how lovely this feline subject became in a monochromatic image. Therefore, I've dedicated this entire post to Simone in black-and-white. :)

As a side note, I really approached this session as a day-in-the-life of a cat. I, of course, threw in some portraits, etc, but I really wanted to focus on capturing the essence of this little rescue kitty subject. So, naturally, we start off by sunbathing in the warm morning sunlight...

Then it is playtime.A.D.D....is that a bird? or just a leaf falling?Just hanging out on her throne.This has to be one of my favorites. It's so quintessential cat overlooking her kingdom...Nothing like a good chin rub and some exploring.And the most adorable series of a kitty I've seen! ;)After all the adventures, it's time for a nap in the sunroom...I hope you enjoyed this black-and-white day-in-the-life of Simone. :) I can't wait to see this story come together in her Coffee Table Album! Meow!

Home Makeover - Guest Room

I have quite a few hobbies and interests but I'm not necessarily very good at them. For example, I'm very interested in architecture but I would never step foot inside a building I designed. It might collapse. Ha! That being said, this post is based on one of those interests that I'm not especially fantastic at - decorating. As some of you may know, we recently moved into a tiny condo in Uptown Charlotte.  It was previously a rental and wasn't in the best shape ever. It needed paint, added storage, and some kitchen and bathroom updating. We've slowly been working on all of that and we are *this close* to actually completing one room - the Guest Bedroom.

To give you an idea of what the room looked like before, I dug up some photos from when our condo was on the market the past two times. Evidently, in 2010, the room was a baby room with a seriously green wall. When the condo was listed when we purchased, the walls had been painted a neutral color but they still needed freshening up. We liked the concrete floors so we decided to keep them. However, the lighting needed an upgrade and, because there is no closet in this room, we needed some storage.

Before...

As we brainstormed about the bedroom, I began to put a storyboard together. I was really starting to like this makeover! The only thing that varied from the storyboard were the curtains. We already had linen-colored ones on-hand and they ended up looking great too! And here is the *almost* final room. A few caveats first... 1) these are quick snapshots with no added lighting (because I felt lazy today) so sorry if they aren't the best quality; 2) The landscaping in the backyard is an upcoming project and I didn't move our bicycles (see #1) - sorry; 3) I still need to add some cool decorations to the mini nightstands I made. Anyway, you get the idea!I LOVE this light from West Elm! It really makes the room!I got these gorgeous watercolor prints from a fantastic artist on Etsy. I highly recommend checking her work out!A few more shots. And, because this is a pet photography blog, I had to include an animal in a couple of the shots. Here's Teton (who is celebrating his 13th birthday this week) getting ready to decorate the room his own way...with cat hair.

Quite the transformation, huh? If this stuff doesn't bore you guys, I'll try to share more as we move along in our home. If you want to know details about where some items are sourced, I'll list them below. Thanks for reading about my side hobby! ;)

Paint color - Nimbus Cloud by Martha Stewart (color-matched with Behr paint)

Curtains - Ikea

Cabinets - Ikea

Chandelier - West Elm

Grey Quilt - Target

Rug - West Elm

Red/White Duvet Cover and Shams - West Elm

Throw Pillow - West Elm

Watercolors - Etsy

Frames - Michael's

Picture Ledge (also used for "nightstands") - Ikea

Vinyl "wood" tile accent wall - Home Depot

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Noel - Angel Session

Noel was a legend of sorts over at the Humane Society of Charlotte. The story goes that she was adopted three times - each time being returned for one reason or another. Finally, the staff decided to adopt her and make her the official office cat. Since then, she has seen staff, volunteers, and thousands of cats, dogs, puppies and kittens go in and out the door all while she managed to hold down the paperwork, help with typing on the keyboard, and coordinating adoptions. She was even placed at the top of the staff organizational chart. She was a legend.Noel had been sick for quite some time but she was in the best place in the world for extra loving and medical help. Unfortunately, she had to help type her last email, take the last couple licks from her Lickety Stik, and say her final goodbyes on Friday. She will be very missed. I'm starting to cry again as I write this but I want to keep this as positive as possible. I'm sure Noel's spirit will roam the halls and kennels at the HSC and make sure each and every cat and dog have the opportunity to find love like she did.

I only got to spend a short time with Noel but I know she touched lives throughout the Charlotte area. Let us celebrate this little queen...

Rest in peace sweet angel...

Cali - A Puga-what? A Pugapoo.

When I heard that Cali was a Pugapoo, one of the first things that *unfortunately* ran through my mind was the Destiny's Child song, Bugaboo. Yeah, that song is old and definitely not one of my favorites but I just can't get it out of my head when I say the word Pugapoo. I mean, who doesn't want to sing it and substitute in Pugapoo? Anyway, music aside, I was beyond thrilled to photograph my first Pug-Poodle mix! Cali certainly didn't disappoint! She quickly warmed up to me and the camera and I'm pretty sure we bonded over a couple treats and a fluffy dog toy. I think I have a new best friend for life!

We started her session in her back yard where she showed me some of her best modeling looks. Forget Zoolander's Blue Steel. Cali's "La Dent" (a.k.a. "The Tooth") takes the cake!

Cali was born missing a couple toes on her front paw. It doesn't bother her too much but she likes to keep it off the ground from time to time.Despite her minor handicap, she doesn't hesitate to chase her ball!I couldn't resist posting this one. I'm not sure what to call this look...Cali loves to swim so we took a short trip over to the lake access area in her neighborhood. This is one happy dog!And she's off to retrieve her ball!Who needs a hair dryer when you can hang your head out the window?Cali wanted to be sure we showed off her feline sister, Bella. Bella thinks she's a dog but is one of the prettiest cats I've seen!

Thanks so for such a great session, Cali! I can't wait to hang out with you and Bella again!

Blitz and Miss Priss - Kitty Power!

OMG! I love kitties! Unfortunately, I don't get to photograph them as often as I would like. But, when I do, I love going through the images! These two kitties had me laughing the whole time I was editing. Their excitement for catnip bubbles and frilly feathers was totally contagious! Blitz may be a little bit fluffy but he can move with the best of 'em... It's a bird, it's a plane...no...it's a kitty on catnip!!!Blitz smiling like the Cheshire cat...Well, I guess he's over the bubbles.Miss Priss' turn!!!Her eyes are simply gorgeous...Blitz breaks for some lovin.And then he's back!Miss Priss loves the bubbles and she likes to curiously watch them fall from above.This bubble must have been special!Ahhhh...the cat's life...

Sammy and Lilly - Kitty Pics

Cats are like Lays potato chips...you can't have just one. My client was extremely sick when the doctor suggested that she get a pet to keep her spirits up. She heard about a woman who was giving away some kittens so she made the trip to go meet them. She immediately bonded with Lilly as they sat on the couch and cuddled. It was a done deal. Well, that was until Sammy jumped up on the back of the couch and laid down on my client's shoulder. It wasn't just a done deal...it was a package deal.

That was seven years ago and now these cats have the life of a king and queen. They have the biggest toy collection I have ever seen, they have awesome beds next to their favorite windows, and they lounge on their third-floor balcony where they can watch the birds and the neighbor dogs.

Sammy is super outgoing and seriously just wanted to be in front of the camera. Lilly was a little more timid but she is equally as photogenic. I hope this feline family enjoys their sneak peek!

I don't know why but I just want to eat this picture up...I think Sammy got a hold of the "kitty crack"!

Triple Play Farm

I recently had a photo shoot with Lake Norman Currents Magazine for a story on horse therapy. I made the short trip over to Triple Play Farm in Davidson, NC to photograph a couple sessions in action for them to use. Wow! It was so amazing watching those sessions, learning about the different exercises, and understanding how they mentally and physically can help people get over eating disorders, emotional issues, social problems, and much more. Their work is amazing and I can never get over how important the role of animals is in our lives. These horses have now been added to my mental list of selfless animals that live their lives to help people. Included in that list are seeing-eye dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, and dogs that aid the disabled - all amazing animals. After the therapy sessions, I got to spend some private time with the horses as they went to pasture. I was lucky enough to grab a couple pictures for myself and I took advantage of the gorgeous light. I think it is very fitting for how special these horses are.

This is Leo, a one-year-old Ardennes horse.

And Clyde, a Norwegian Fjord with a killer mohawk!And Moose, a mini-horse.I love that Moose is a male but still rocks the braid! Plus his eyes are 2 different colors. Awesome!Of course I had to photograph the barn cat. She was just too pretty not to...

Monark and Kasper (both Norwegian Fjords) aren't seen here but they will be in next month's issue of Currents Magazine. Check it out in November if you want to learn more about the world of horse therapy.

Just Thought I'd Wave Hello

A little sneak peek of Belle...a true Southern Belle...