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

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

what got buried | southern ontario pet photographer

Welcome to another edition of What Got Buried! I try to post daily over on the Happy Tails Facebook page, so if you want to have your nose to the ground on all the most up to date news and nonsense, high-tail it over there! It's a fun place and I would love it if you joined the pack.

Here's a quick peek at what's been happening at Happy Tails HQ. What you won't see is all the behind the scenes activity I have going on right now. I have a few special shoots coming up that I'm really excited about and I am mulling over putting together my first ever vendor booth for an upcoming event. It is a lot of work, so I haven't committed ... yet.

Let's kick things off with my Chloe, snoozing on the couch the day after Daylight Savings earlier this month. While the rest of us lost an hour, her marathon napping ability helped her make it through the day with no noticeable side effects. The best bonus about moving the clocks ahead is more time to shoot in the afternoons with the soft, glowing light that I just love! Bring on spring!

I also met sweet Sophie in March. Her furrowed brow just kills me. She might look perpetually worried, but she is a happy little thing.

I think pink is definitely Sophie's colour!

I also spent time photographing adoptable cats at the Burlington Humane Society. It breaks my heart when I have to photograph an animal for a second time like seven-month-old Fernando. He was adopted, declawed (I won't get into my thoughts on this except to say that I don't agree with the practice) and then returned shortly after because he was "misbehaving" likely due to sore paws.

Adopting an animal is a huge commitment! If you know anyone thinking about adding to their family, please share this link to this great article about what to consider before adopting.

I also met Cocoa while I was there. She was happy to be out of her crate and took the opportunity to enjoy some fresh tap water — it's better than bowl water don't you know!

And finally, I dug into the archives to share this photo of scruffy Chloe, a wheaten puppy. The lens I used for this shot gives it a fun look — isn't she adorable?

With the longer days and warmer temperatures, now is the time to book a session if you are considering it! Just drop me an email or give me a call — contact info is available on the Contact tab up at the top there. I would love to meet your furry family member!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Wags,
Stacey

what got buried

The winter months are typically the slow ones in terms of photography — nobody really wants to brave the cold and snow when you can wait a few months until spring, even though winter sessions can be gorgeous! Maybe it's because we've had a very warm winter — I'm talking hardly any snow — but I've been pretty busy over the past few weeks.

I've seen other bloggers do weekly or monthly recaps, and I thought it might be a good way to get you up to speed on what's been happening at Happy Tails headquarters. I often post outtakes and sneak peeks over on Facebook, but if you don't follow me there (if you aren't, you should — it's awesome over there!), here's a chance to get caught up on all the tail-wagging shennanigans!

Just a shout-out first: I really got this idea from a little home renovation blog I follow (it's not all paws and wet noses for me — I love home decorating too!) called Little House Blog. The author, Lindsay, occasionally posts What Didn't Get Blogged About ... which is what I turned into What Got Buried. You get the idea.

Up first are a few of the super cute faces I recently photographed at the Burlington Humane Society.  This little guy was one of a litter of puppies, and yes, they all looked this adorable.

And I was totally enamored with little Angus, a nine-year-old Yorkshire Terrier. It was really windy when we went outside for his photos and this updraft shot makes me chuckle every time.

I'm happy to report that both these cuties have been adopted. In fact, since January, more than 60 dogs and cats have found homes through BHS. Paws up to all the awesome volunteers there!

Then there's Charlie, who I met a few weeks ago. You saw his sneak peek earlier  (and be sure to check out the video!). I just love this big lug. Look for a full post about him soon!

I also shared a little before and after over on Facebook to show what my editing process looks like.

We also got into the Valentine's Day spirit. Chloe spent Valentine's with her true love .... her tennis ball!

Next up is Kyra, an energetic husky ... a VERY energetic husky. She did sit still for a few shots though. I love it when I catch dogs with their eyes closed — it's just so cute. You will also see that her leash is still in the photo. I typically take these out during post-processing, unless it lends itself to the overall aesthetic of the photo. Isn't the light just gorgeous?

Kyra's friend Duncan came along for the session, and I got a few shots of them in action. See what I mean by energetic? I think Duncan is part jack-in-the-box and part bulldozer, although his people swear he is a Boxer. Gotta love the jowly running face!

During Kyra's session I met a few other dogs at the park and took random shots (I can't help myself!). Ryder's puppy bum got lots of love over on Facebook.

And we met this guy who was clearly happy to have two sticks ... or logs.

But back to model Kyra. Here's another before and after.

I hope you enjoyed the first instalment of What Got Buried! What it's shown me is that my watermarking and image style are all over the place! I've got logos, text, rounded corners, square corners ... lol. I will have to pick a style and stick with it, but I've never been good with making decisions — what are your thoughts?

That's what's been going on around here! I'm excited to blog about Charlie and Kyra's full sessions, so check back soon.

Wags,

Stacey