what got buried | burlington pet photographer

Despite my intentions of having this feature be monthly, I only just realized that I totally missed posting for April and May ... oops. But I have been posting regular updates over on the Happy Tails Facebook page, so if you really want to be in the loop when it comes to all the latest news and nonsense, head over there! The good news is I have lots of cute faces to share in this edition of What Got Buried.

Let's pick things up way back on Mother's Day. I spent part of my weekend at the Burlington Humane Society and met this brand new mama and her litter of day-old kittens. They were in very capable and caring hands — the volunteers at BHS are awesome.

Speaking of BHS, over the past few months I have met some of the most adorable, playful and sweet adoptables. Here are just a few of the faces that I've photographed, and I'm happy to report that most of them have found homes!

Gizmo and his ears weren't waiting for long ... how could you resist this face?

Sid chose the upside-down route when it came to his glamour photo — it must have worked because he was adopted a short time later!

 And look at Sunshine's perfect pink nose!

And how could you resist not taking this pair home? Especially with names like this!

And then there's Ben. Gosh he just won my heart over the minute I met him. I wanted to take this boy home with me — I would take all the animals home, but this guy just had me at hello. Who knows what will happen if he's still there when I go back ...

And finally Marilyn, who has been waiting patiently at the shelter for a year. I'm not sure why this beauty hasn't been taken home yet. She would do well in a home with adults and no other cats. She is a lovely little diva just like her namesake — she even has a Marilyn Monroe mole!

On the home front, Chloe went to the groomer's for her annual spring clean-up. Here's a before and after. I love how she comes home all fuzzy and smelling good! It lasts about a day.

And here she is just looking cute. Aw, Chloe.

I also had the chance to meet Scruffy the cat. At 20 years old, he was the oldest cat I've ever met and a really lovely old soul. Sadly, his mom Amanda called me to book a Celebration Session — these are special sessions I offer for elderly or terminally ill pets. He was suffering from cancer and was on some heavy medication. I ended up photographing him a week early — Amanda called to tell me he had taken a turn for the worse and I went to her house that day. Two days later Scruffy passed away peacefully with Amanda by his side. I'll be blogging this session soon — after two decades together, this relationship was really touching. And it speaks so much to the importance of pet photography and documenting such an important bond.

Other recent happenings include my first ever vendor booth, memorable pet photography sessions with blind golden retriever Smiley and two awesome weims, and a blog feature on Hair of the Dog. I think that sums it up for now! 

Wags,

Stacey

yorkie on the trails | burlington pet photographer

I met up with three-year-old Aston and his people on the first really warm day of the year. Luckily there are some amazing trails and woods just steps from their house in Burlington, Ontario, so we headed there to find some shade and some water. Aston is not like most Yorkies ... he likes to swim!

I like to call Yorkies "little big" dogs. They are small in stature, but they have the hutzpah, and the vocal chords, of a much bigger dog! Aston is very loved by his people — lots of snuggles for this guy.

Aston likes to go swimming, but on this day he really only wanted to wade at the water's edge. It was a nice break to cool off. Wet dog coming through!

 

We ended off our session back at the house, where this tuckered out Yorkie was happy to see the couch. I will always shoot outside when I can, but I love indoor shots too when there is nice, natural window light. And there's something about the home environment that adds a level of comfort to indoor images.

Thanks for showing me your neck of the woods Aston! Hope you slept well.

Wags,
Stacey

And the winner is ...

You know those photos of cute, cheerful dogs that you've seen drawing a name out of a hat to announce the winner of a contest ... well, that isn't Chloe! I wanted some cute photos of her choosing the winner of the ARFmazing Race $50 Happy Tails Pet Photography gift certificate. Instead I got this:

Sometimes I swear she must be part basset hound with those droopy eyes! She seemed mildly interested when I mentioned there might be a cookie involved. Ultimately I picked the entry with the most Chloe drool on it as the winner — very scientific.

Deep down I am sure Chloe is over the moon that Sarah Lynn Saari is the winner! Woot!

I will be in touch with you soon about your prize — congratulations!

Wags,
Stacey

Blind golden retriever with a big smile | burlington, ontario pet photographer

Smiley. Saying this golden retriever's name just makes you grin - it's impossible not to.

Every dog I meet is special. Whether it's their personality, history or relationship with their family, I am inspired by each four-legger I photograph. Smiley is all of that and so much more. I call him a "heart dog" — when you meet him, even if it's just for a moment or two, he changes you. Maybe this sounds hokey to some, but Smiley's presence is one of peace and unfettered joy. He is happy in a simple, straightforward way that we can all learn from. And his name is truly fitting — he smiles ALL the time. Which makes everyone around him smile. It's totally contagious and it just makes you feel good.

Smiley was born without eyes and spent his first few years in a puppy mill. His condition also gave him a few other quirks: he is smaller than your average golden, but he has really big teeth. His back legs are a little bowed. And he looks like a puppy — from his size, to his soft, fuzzy coat, you would never guess this boy is nine years old.

Despite his difficult beginnings, Smiley now has an amazing family, and is also a certified therapy dog who gives comfort to mentally ill and disabled patients every week. He loves to be in contact with people.

Now, onto the photos. Smiley is the easiest dog I've ever photographed — he is so well behaved and low-key.

In fact, a few times he would settle right in like he was going to take a nap. Of course it's hard to tell if he's actually sleeping ... I think he enjoyed playing this game with me!

Shortly after rescuing him, at the age of two, mom Joanne had Smiley's eyes sewn shut. He looks like he's smiling so much that he's squinting. So. Darn. Cute.

 

I think this next shot is an all-time favourite of mine. The light was amazing and Smiley was so content.

Smiley is completely in tune with Joanne. From the sound of her footsteps to the tone in her voice — her cues let him know if he is safe or if there is an obstacle in his way. He relies on her and trusts her completely. It is an amazing bond that they share.

Smiley likes to introduce himself to everyone. How could you not fall in love with this face?

You might be wondering how Smiley gets around. Well, he bumps into things a lot. And as I quickly learned, when he's running towards you, he doesn't know when to stop! But otherwise he gets along just fine. In fact, as he's going about his doggy business — sniffing, listening, frolicking, nuzzling — you forget that he has a disability. Joanne doesn't want people to treat him differently or think "poor Smiley." She says it's important that he explores his surroundings on his own, using his own instincts, without people hovering over him or cringing every time he bumps into something. She is always close by, and she's a dog trainer herself, so Smiley is always safe and very well loved.

I'm not the only one who thinks Smiley is special. He has been in the media and has been on stage with Cesar Millan as an "inspirational dog." You can read more about Smiley in this newspaper article and in this article Joanne wrote for Cottage Dog magazine in which she recounts his first time swimming.

Thank you so much for introducing me to your "heart dog" Joanne. And to Smiley, who made me smile so much my face hurt! I hope we meet again soon.

Wags,

Stacey

"arf"mazing race fundraiser | burlington pet photographer

After many days of preparation, and weather watching, the day finally came for the Burlington Humane Society's "ARF"mazing Race fundraiser at Spencer Smith Park on Lake Ontario. The skies started out gray, but the rain held off and the sun even made an appearance. This was my first time attending an event as a vendor, and it was a great experience. I was the only pet photographer in attendance and I met tons of dogs — breeds I had never seen before! — and their people. Being a little on the shy side, it was an opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone, and I quickly realized it's pretty easy talking to so many dog lovers, being one myself.

A huge thank you to my supportive hubby, who not only constructed a screen to display my photography and was on hand to help set up my tent, but also had the very busy job of entertaining our 18-month-old son that morning. And to my awesome friend Jane who made me blush all day with the kind words and amazing promotion she did for my business.

Here are a few of the furry faces that popped by the Happy Tails Pet Photography booth to say hello. I'll be posting an album of these photos on Facebook, so if you see your four-legger here, hop over to the Happy Tails Facebook page and tag yourself so all your friends can see how awesome you are for supporting such a great cause!

Needless to say, there were A LOT of smiles.

I also met some breeds for the first time like a Peruvian hairless, below centre, and a Chinese crested hairless, below right. There was also the biggest doberman I have ever seen!

My favourite part of the day was the alumni parade. All the dogs who had been adopted went up to the front of the stage and had their names announced. I loved it because I saw lots of faces that I've photographed as a volunteer, and almost all of the new owners said they adopted because of the photo they saw on the website. One example is Dot — there is her adoption photo below as a puppy, and to the right is Dot at the ARFmazing Race. What a difference! I especially like how her ears grew in — one up, one down.

This tiny Teddy bear pomeranian named Stitch was a huge hit — yes, that is a real dog and not a stuffed animal. That is some cute!

This little monkey was my last visitor of the day and one of my favourites. Every booth had treats, but even with what I'm sure was a full belly, the temptation was still there!

This was my first ever vendor booth and I put a lot of heart and soul into it. I had these 5x5 cards printed to accompany my business cards. I wanted them to be totally unique and have the same playful vibe that Happy Tails is all about. There were four different sayings on the front — each a different reason, from the dog, for why they deserve a photography session. On the back of each was a different photo and my info. My super talented hubby, an amazing graphic designer, designed them for me and I wrote the copy. Totally different, and I think, kind of cute!

Here's my booth - there's lots of pink!

My hubby also constructed this screen to display my photographs, which were 12x18 in size and mounted on eco-board. He made the frames with 1x2 pieces of wood, added hinges painted them white and then stapled chicken wire to the back of them. It actually worked out really well because it was a windy day and this allowed the wind to blow through. My high-tech way of hanging the images — paper clips.  In the future I might add some pretty fabric behind the panels.

 

I tried to research vendor booths to see how other people put them together, but I really couldn't find anything related to pets and photography, so I came up with all of this on my own. And because I was on a tight budget, most of my booth was borrowed or DIY'd. I'm pretty proud of the way it came out. Of course I forgot to get a photo of me in my booth ... next time I guess!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support the shelter and for taking the time to stop by my booth!

Wags,

Stacey