gallery wrap canvas | ontario pet photographer

In my previous What Got Buried post I shared a quick look at a couple of canvases that I have hanging in the Burlington, Ont., location of the Bark and Fitz pet boutique. The shop owners were kind enough to give me space right behind the cash register, and it is a great opportunity to showcase not only my photography, but one of my favourite products that I offer clients: gallery wrap canvases. I thought I would share a closer look at these canvases because I think they are pretty awesome.

I posted before about going as big as you can when it comes to wall art, and I think 20x30 is the minimum size to get. It's a nice size — it's big enough to be displayed on many different wall shapes and sizes, and can still be used in a grouping if you want. These canvases are both 20x30.

I love canvases because they are really durable and come ready to hang — it's really the easiest way to get art up on your walls. I work with an amazing professional lab that works exclusively with photographers. I am in love with their canvases ... or perhaps more accurately, in lurrrvvee! The colours are always spot on and the finishing is top-notch, right down to the neatly folded corners.

None of the detail is lost — it's amazing. Don't you feel like you could reach out and pet Buckeye?

Although Chloe doesn't get what all the fuss is about — why I would ever order any art that has a dog on it other than her?

Don't worry Chloe, you'll be up on our walls soon enough. My birthday is coming up and as a little gift to myself I ordered a canvas of Chloe and I for our office. I'll share it soon!

On a more personal note, seeing my work on a product like this makes me feel like more than someone who takes photographs — it makes me feel like a bona fide photographer ... even, an artist. Sometimes I get caught up in worry and doubt, and comparing myself to other photographers, and my confidence gets low. Can I really call myself a professional? Why does everyone else seem so successful and have everything together? But then I open up a delivery like this and say in wonder to my husband, "Wow, this looks like real art." His response is a pretty consistent, "Umm, yeah. D'uh." There is nothing more satisfying than seeing my work like this. It just plain makes me happy.

Wags,
Stacey

photoshop tips: make your pet's eys pop!

Okay, so here goes — my first Photoshop tutorial! Now, I should preface this with the following disclaimer: I am by no means a Photoshop expert. At all. There are probably processing gurus out there who would be mortified by my editing techniques and if that's you, then please avert your eyes for a brief moment while I finish this post. There are probably better ways to edit, but this is what works for me.

I'm going to start off with a really easy trick that anyone can do to help make your pet's eyes sparkle a little more. I use this trick on the photos I take for the Burlington Humane Society — since I photograph so many animals there (you can see some of them here and here), I can only afford to spend a minute or two processing each photo. This usually involves brightening them up, adjusting the white balance if necessary, popping the eyes and then optimizing for the web. That's it. I'll usually use more complex techniques on client images.

This tip works best on cats and dogs that have light-coloured eyes. I'm going to use this photo of Scout as my example (she has since been adopted!). This is straight out of camera — no adjustments.

Open up the photo in your editing software. I use Photoshop CS5, but any version or program with dodge and burn tools will work. After opening, go under Layer and click Duplicate Layer. This ensures you aren't working directly on the original photo.

Next, click on the Dodge tool in the toolbar — it's the one that looks like a little paddle.

Then in the top toolbar, in the drop-down menu, click Highlights. In the little box to the right of that, set your exposure. I usually go with around 8-10 per cent. If you choose a number higher than that, the results start to look unnatural. We want to keep the pop subtle.

Next, make sure you choose a soft brush in the Brush drop-down menu at the top left and adjust the size using the slider or the bracket keys on your keyboard.

Dodge the irises of the eyes lightly. A note of caution: if there are whites of the eyes showing, avoid dodging them or do it very sparingly. If you are too heavy handed, the result will not only look unnatural, it will look alien and just plain freaky.

After a few passes, here is my result:

After a quick sharpen and flatten, here is my before and after:

There you go! A super quick and easy way to add a little zing to your pet's eyes. Just remember not to go overboard. What do you think of this tutorial? Was it helpful? Leave a comment and let me know!

Wags,
Stacey

happy holidays! | milton, ontario, pet photographer

Christmas has come and gone, but I wanted to post a quick note to thank all my family, friends, clients and supporters who have encouraged me on this journey of photography. You all keep me motivated to pursue my dream and never give up - here's to a fantastic 2012! Paws up to all of you!

This is what our Christmas morning looked like:

What did your four-leggers get from Santa? I hope your holidays were filled with lots of good cheer!

chloe's favourite things | holiday shopping guide 2011

Hi everyone!

Can you believe there are only 25 days until Christmas? We've already watched our local Santa Claus parade, visited the big man himself at the local nursery to divulge our Christmas lists and started decorating Happy Tails headquarters for the holidays.

If you have a furry friend at home and are trying to think of gift ideas, look no further! Wonder dog Chloe is getting in on the blogging action and sharing a few of her favourite things — all of which are great gift ideas for your four-legger. Since she doesn't have opposable thumbs, I will be typing up her list for her! Please note, these are things that Chloe enjoys and can recommend after using them herself. We can't speak to the quality, durability, etc., aside from our own experience (but we are pretty picky about what comes home with us!).

FOOD

First up, treats of course! Chloe is not a fruit and vegetable kind of gal — she will not eat anything other than straight-up meat treats (just ask our vet, who tries to give her a fruit-laced treat every time we go in but always ends up breaking out the good stuff: freeze-dried liver!). This is just one brand of treat Chloe enjoys. It's wheat, corn and soy free. An added bonus is it's environmentally friendly — the products are made in a facility that is 100 per cent wind powered and the packaging is made out of 100 per cent recycled materials. Plus, Zuke's says it donates a portion of profits to the Dog and Cat Cancer Fund — it's multiple gifts in one!

Chloe also gets a homemade, all-natural treat from the "barkery" at the Bark & Fitz pet store on special occasions like her birthday and Christmas. So festive!

TOYS

Moving on to toys, Chloe loves her Chuckit! balls. They are durable and long-lasting. She also likes their bright colours, which make them easy for her humans to spot in the snow or long grass so they can be thrown again and again ... and again. You get the idea.

Another hit at our house is the popular Loofa dog toy from Pet Smart. Chloe knows it as her "binky" and can often be found sleeping with it. Even though she's a medium-size dog, she prefers the small-size Loofa, and small-size dog toys in general — maybe she's a chihuahua at heart?

TAGS & COLLARS

I've mentioned Lucky Pet tags before on the blog. These tags are made from durable enamel, laser engraved and have a lifetime guarantee. They also come in a wide range of colours, sizes and styles, and are very economical at under $10 (plus a few dollars for shipping). Peace of mind is a great gift to give for the holidays!

Chloe, like any girly dog, loves to be in style. She has a variety of collars, including a "fashion" collar from Fido's Fashion Collars. There are so many styles to choose from — Chloe has the "Artsy Fartsy."

CLOTHES

Okay, Chloe did not contribute to this section because she doesn't wear clothes. I wish she would wear sweaters — I've seen so many cute ones out and about, and at the dog park. I can only share the ones that have caught my eye. If you're looking for a piece of Canadiana, why not opt for this iconic pattern from The Hudson Bay Company?

I've seen lots of dogs wearing handmade sweaters by Chilly Dog Sweaters, too. They have lots of fun designs, such as a sock monkey and a one-eyed monster, plus designs with hoods to keep your pooch's ears warm. So cute! No photo, but check them out!

GIFTS THAT NEVER STOP GIVING

One of the best holiday gifts you can give is a donation to your local shelter or humane society on behalf of your pet. Chloe is adopted herself, so she knows how important it is to help pets in need find a forever home. A small donation can help make a shelter animal's Christmas a little merrier this year! For a list of shelters in Canada, click here.

A donation to your local shelter can help give a deserving animal like Noodle a home.

And of course, there's always the gift of memories, which you can give by gifting a Happy Tails Pet Photography session. Contact me for details!

What are you getting your pet this year? If there are favourite items you'd like to share, please leave a comment and let everyone know! Good luck with your holiday shopping this year!

more adoptables | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

It's been a few months now since I started volunteering at the Burlington Humane Society — I pop in every few weeks and take photos of the animals available for adoption for the shelter's website. The feedback I've received makes my heart warm. I get such a nice welcome every time I show up and it sounds like the photos might be making a difference! I haven't posted photos of adoptables on the blog in a while, so I thought I'd give you a quick sample of the sweet faces I've met over the last few weeks.

 As you can imagine, working with animals can be unpredictable and there are so many funny moments that happen "behind the scenes." I post a lot of these outtakes on my Facebook page, so if you're not already a follower, what are you waiting for?

I'm just going to get up on my soapbox for a quick moment ...  if you have the love and the time, adopting a pet in need can be so fulfilling. Help an animal that can't help itself and check out your local shelter!

Wags!

toby & bear | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

As promised, meet Toby and Bear, the feline brothers of adopted dog Nikki. Both have lovely soft fur and are so friendly. Toby, 5, is the more high-energy boy, but you would hardly know it from these first few photos. Am I keeping you up Toby?

Toby loves to be pet and he's just so handsome, you can't help yourself!

Bear is the younger brother at two years old. His favourite place is flopped over his mom's shoulder.

He also has the cutest paws. That is some toe hair!

Both cats were excited to be let outside. They are allowed to roam the backyard as long as someone is keeping a close eye on them. Of course, both immediately went into "hunt/pounce" mode.

And here are the kiddos all together ... well, as much as I could get them together!

That's one cute family!

nikki | burlington, ontario, pet photographer

I think I left off with my last blog post saying I would write something about sizing your artwork next ... but that will have to wait, since I have something WAY cuter to post. I had the absolute pleasure of meeting up with cairn terrier-schnauzer cross Nikki and her feline brothers Toby and Bear. What can I say except that my camera loved all three of them! I'll focus on sweet Nikki for this post, since I had a hard time narrowing down her images. She's just adorable!

Nikki is a adopted and her history is pretty unpleasant. She came from a puppy mill where she was bred several times. Happily she now has a new home on a beautiful property with a mama she just adores. Because of her previous life, she is quite timid and at the age of three, just starting to learn basic commands. But she is so sweet and calm and affectionate.

Is that a hint of a smile? I think so!

 Whew, modelling can really take it out of you!

Thank you Nikki and Linda for an enjoyable afternoon — I hope you enjoy your photos! Check back soon for Toby and big boy Bear!