what got buried | ontario pet photographer

Wow, where did the summer go? I swear it was just June and now it's almost September! As sad as I am to see the summer fade away, I'm looking forward to the next few months — September and October are my absolute favourite months for photography. The light is warm and golden, the colours are amazing and with the heat no longer a factor, Fido can run to his heart's content and I don't have so many "tongue on the ground" shots from my sessions! I'm currently booking into October (I still have a few spaces available in September, too), so if you're thinking of a fall session, don't hesitate to contact me.

As always, head on over to the official Happy Tails Pet Photography Facebook page for the most up-to-date news, contests and photos. But for those of you who have been off enjoying the summer (I don't blame you!), here's a quick recap of what's been happening in this edition of What Got Buried.

Behind the scenes I've been a busy bee. I'm working on a new blog/website, which is lots of work for a technophobe like me. I sent out my first ever Happy Tails newsletter (just click here to subscribe) and I hit a major personal milestone: my one-year anniversary of volunteering at the Burlington Humane Society, where I have photographed close to 500 shelter pets! I love visiting all the residents at the shelter — it brings me so much fulfillment helping them find a family with professional "glamour shots." They all deserve loving forever homes! Here are just a few of the furry faces I've had in front of my camera.

And here's a shot of Svobi the kitten (sibling Piglet is in the background), who is still looking for a home. Isn't he sweet?

I'm also excited to have my photography displayed in the Burlington Ont., location of the Bark and Fitz, a boutique pet store. I ordered two 20x30 canvases to fill the space right behind the cash. You can't buy anything without catching sight of Happy Tails art!

On the home front, we are currently in the middle of an office "facelift." Up until now, the room has been a catch-all for odds and ends. Our desk was too small and positioned over a vent, which made my feet cold. It just wasn't an inspiring place to work. So, first we purged and reorganized. For a few days the space looked like this. It was scary, although Kitty didn't seem to mind.

Now it looks like this, which is progress, but not yet complete. I'm hoping to blog about the final transformation when it's finally done!

While the office chaos has been happening, I've been busy with client sessions. Here's dark and mysterious Dobby from a recent home visit.

And a behind-the-scenes shot of me working with little doll Beatrice.

And my own two monkeys have had a bit of camera time. Bossypants Kitty has been brave lately, making her way into the backyard a few times while we are watering the plants with the door ajar. Only Kitty would wear a tuxedo in the garden.

Here's Chloe looking happy and satisfied after playing ball in the park. She turned seven in August!

And a rare shot of the two of them together ... kind of.

 

I hope everyone had a fantastic summer! Here's to an amazing fall!

Wags,

Stacey

bloggers unite for dog rescue | ontario pet photographer

Today is Bloggers Unite for Dog Rescue, an online event to stress the importance of dog rescue. Millions of dogs are euthanized each year  — MILLIONS. One of the main reasons is because not enough people are adopting dogs through local rescue groups and shelters. Also, many people underestimate the the time and dedication it takes to become a responsible pet owner, and surrender their dogs, or worse.

Local rescue organizations consist of volunteers who help by fostering dogs in their own homes while they search for permanent placement, taking dogs to adoption events, fundraising to cover medical and boarding costs, to name a few.  Most rescue groups do not have the luxury of people dedicated to promoting their efforts on a large scale.

To help raise awareness, today's post is a peak into what goes on behind the scenes at the shelter I volunteer at — the Burlington Humane Society. Although most of the pets that pass through here are cats, there are many dogs that have been cared for here and have gone on to find forever homes. There are so many tasks that must take place for BHS to run smoothly — things like laundry (those cat and dog beds need to be washed!), doing the dishes (those bowls need to be cleaned!), bathing the animals, administering medication, hand-feeding kittens if necessary, and lots and lots of paperwork.

All of the hard work and dedication of the staff and MANY volunteers is all for one purpose: so animals — dogs and cats alike — such as Duncan here find forever homes.

Duncan is on his way to his new home!

Also a paws up to the ordinary people who give what they can and donate to the shelter. These donations help provide daily necessities for all the residents — this place runs because of you!

Right now BHS is caring for Weego — a fantastic friendly fellow. If you know someone looking to add to their family with a four-legger, please spread the word and help him find a home! 

BHS is one of many local organizations making a difference in animal lives. A few others I have dontated my time to include the Milton Animal Sanctuary and The Dog Rescuers Inc. If you are looking for a way to help dogs who can't help themselves, please look into all of these groups — they are doing great work and saving one dog's life at a time. Here are a few other things you can do TODAY to help:

• Adopt a four-legged companion from a local shelter or rescue organization
• Donate to a local shelter
• Foster a dog or cat
• Volunteer at a local shelter or rescue organization
• Share this post and encourage others to participate!

Wags,

Stacey

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

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

"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