coming soon! a new look for happy tails pet photography

Yes, it's actually happening! I'm not the best at making design decisions, so this has been a long project in the making, but Happy Tails is getting a fresh new look! I actually like to think of it as a "make-under." It's softer, more subtle and a little more grown-up, but still in keeping with the fun, friendly and playful vibe that Happy Tails is all about.

I'll write a more in-depth blog post about all the thought that went into this change, and why I decided on certain elements, when I officially launch the new website. In the meantime, here's a sneek peek.

Have you ever gone through this process? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Wags,
Stacey

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

"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