Waterlily #7

Most of my photographic life I have been told, “if you want to be shown choose any subject other than pets and flowers.” It seems that you are not taken seriously as an artist if you create images of flowers or pets. I don’t believe that to be true for the most part. Take, for instance, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Bouquet of Sunflowers by Claude Monet or Tuft of Cowslips by Albrecht Durer. A small portion of larger number of artist that at one time or another had flowers as a subject in their portfolio. “That’s paintings, what about photographs by famous photographers?” you might say. That one was a little tougher but here is what I found. Ansel Adams Rose on Driftwood, Imogen Cunningham Callla Lilly and Edward Weston Succulent. Three of the many photographers who had flowers as a subject matter. Some of these prints are still sought after by collectors today. So why are flowers as subjects of images so frowned upon? I think it is because it is so hard to create an image that, done well, is art whereas it’s very easy to create an image that can be labeled as trite.

If you look at what someone like Edward, or Imogen did you would see it, the flower, is a study of form and shape as well as how light defines that image. The drama of the greyscale and details the or comparison to a relating subject. It is study, an investigation of the subject to get a better understanding of how we feel or how it relates to us and our world. Now most of what I had seen for these three artists have been in black and white, not color. Color, for me, of a flower is a given is part of the subject that we all see form the start. Viewing the subject in black and white forces you to deal with the subject on a light and dark, shape and texture without the bias of the emotion of color. Take color out of the equation of any photograph and if you still have an image that grabs you then you a sound photograph.

Where flowers become trite is when the subject is treated as a sunset, all color with no real thought about form, shape, light or composition. A snapshot an afterthought that caught the photographers eye so they decided to take it. Then after a quick post processing show around to friends and say “ Look how pretty the colors are.”  This, I believe, is why the flower as a subject gets such a bad rap. The total disregard of the subject by so many people that the subject of a flower is tarnished for many people.

With that said I have a study of my waterlilies that I created over a summer season. These were in my pod that received shading from a large tree which created interesting patterns of light. I studied the light and how the shadows would fall on the flowers and when I found an interesting pattern I began to shoot. As spectacular as the color of the flower is, I found the images worked so well in black and white because of how the light played on the flower, leaves and pond.

I will be working on the rest of the photos taking them form color to black and white. I will have a set or a subset of color images only. I will also add more to this group as the season begins.

If you like these my images feel free to explore the rest of my webpage or check out my blog post on the side. Feel free to send me any comment or question you have or share my work with a friend that you’d believe would enjoy it. Thanks.

Door #72

Doors as a subject matter doesn’t sound like much of an interesting subject matter but for me the old building doors around town fascinate me. Old as in the buildings of the 20’s and 30’s because the designer of the building incorporated the door to the design, unlike today. Today’s buildings seem to treat the door as an afterthought or something to hide. Today’s doors are just a pane of glass with a handle and words painted on it, or it is glass framed in a metal sleeve. A cold barrier that is relative unimpressive and uninviting.  

Looking at the buildings of the era you can see that the door is something that was thoughtfully designed to accent the building. A door way is a place that greets visitors, to prepare them for the wonders of the design of the inside and the object that announces you to the outside. A door is functional keeping the weather out but a door should incorporate the design of the whole building. A door is more that its name implies.

The Matyk Building Door is set in, giving you the feel of being in the space without being truly in. The welcoming being closer to the inside, the shelter of the space from the weather gives the space warmth.  This accented by the plants, which are dead, and the glow of the gas light above and the wood. The wood that gives life and character of the door. Wood is warm, life and a welcoming feeling to the space to the house. I believe no matter what the rest of the building is made from, a wooden door will always warm you before you go into the house and that is how it should be.

The exit door from the TCR Building has that quality as well. The doors have that feeling of the warmth of the inside sheltering us announcing us to the world. What this space says to me, “Thanks for coming, we have enjoyed you but now the story is over and it’s time for a new story somewhere else.” That sounds funny but to me that is what a good exit door should be.

Doors, there is a lot of them around town that I will be photographing because I believe in some way they are a part of our town visually and metaphorically.    

The Matyk Building Door. The plants are long past dead but still gives life to the space. 

The Matyk Building Door. The plants are long past dead but still gives life to the space. 

The TCR Exit Doors. This space is a warm thoughtful exit out to the world that says to "thanks and comeback again." 

The TCR Exit Doors. This space is a warm thoughtful exit out to the world that says to "thanks and comeback again." 

Bill #1

You ever have an encounter with someone that leaves you thinking to yourself “There was a reason for that, just what it is?” I had such an encounter while walking with my tripod over the shoulder, down 3rd avenue. I turned to my right and saw someone waving me down then crossing the street. For a moment, it looked like a friend of mine but just a little ragged, it wasn’t.  Once I recognized that it wasn’t it was too late. I was committed to the engagement of conversation with whoever this person was.

“How was the fishing? I see you have a pole “then he stopped, “Oh sorry I thought that was a pole.” I said no “it was a tripod for the camera.” “Taking pictures of what?”  I explained that I was photographing around the down town are and I was about to head out. He asked for what and if I worked for a newspaper or something? I replied that no I was just doing it for myself. That is when he said I should photograph him that he would be a good subject. At first I was a little reluctant but what the hell, I could do it.

I had him sit on the bench and asked him what he was up to? He said his name was Bill and that he was walking around. He explained he was a Navy Vet and that he was trying to work the lawyers for a shoe shine. “Most of the don’t because they carry plastic.”  I told him I thought that sucked on the lawyer’s part. He talked about a few other things but I couldn’t quite follow and after the session I gave him a few bucks. And before we parted he told a blond joke about two blonds on the opposite sides of the river. I can’t remember it but it is the equivalating of a blond being behind a steering wheel being called an airbag.  The whole encounter took all of 5 minutes and I came away with an image I did not ever think I would get and he with a few bucks.

I felt and still feel I am missing the point of that encounter. That there was some reason for it and maybe I missed something. Maybe the reason for it has not yet played out and that it will hit me someday when I least expect it. Either way I hope that he did get something to eat with what I gave him. If you see Bill ask him to tell you his blond jokes and maybe give a few bucks for a meal. Bright his day and the other people like Bill in the world. We all have something that we can share with others just to make our lives a little bit better.

Lamp #1

Despite the gloomy skies, I made my way downtown and began my photographic journey creating images of Cedar Rapids.  Because the grey flatness of the sky I looked for subjects that did not depend on it to be enhanced. I headed to the Iowa Bank Building to see if I could create an image using the street lamps and building. As I passed this building I have often felt the arches are something you see in a bigger metropolitan city in the financial district. The street lamps seem to compliment that feeling when you see them next to or visually placed on the building. That is what I am after.

The one side, 3rd Street sidewalk, has construction going making it impossible to create an image without a lot of clutter. So, I opted for the 2nd avenue sidewalk and created this image. I had shot many angles but felt that I created close to what I wanted to create on the other sidewalk.

What draws me to this building and why I created this image is the fact it looks like a building for a bigger town. It was built in the 20’s when the money was flowing and big and important was the design of the financial institutions. There are a few buildings in town that were built at the same time but do not have the arches and windows this does. The arches give it that step up. I have often wanted to photograph just the arches but at this point I can’t get at the same level as they are to create the image.

The other part of this building I find fascinating is the columns that are currently being covered up by the construction work. They too have that big city look to them and I have often wanted to photograph them as people walk by them. And being in a small town the foot traffic is not that heavy. I think I would have a harder time finding to one or three people walking by them at the right time than having too many people in the shot.

I plan to make more images of this building and the street lamps through this project. I believe I have a taste of what I am looking for but not it entirely. Once the construction clears away I will create images of both the street lamps and arches along with the columns.   

Frost #4-7-9

Last Fall I was fortunate enough to have an hour to create these frost images. I enjoy getting down on the ground and photographing the plants and things that often get over looked. Being fall it seems that the only time we do look down is when the frost has built up on the plants.

I think the fascination with the frost on the plants is how the crystals grow and reach out from the plant. It epitomizes the fact that death is happening or will happen to all things summer as fall turns into winter. It is sad if you think about it but when the frost comes it creates a beautiful coating that makes the passing magical.

I chose a duotone look to give a little color in a rather colorless time. The first image is a cone flower just before it goes to seed. The Goldfinches love to feed on these throughout the winter.  The second is some ground cover that tends to stay green well into winter and the last is an annoying plant that grows berries.

Landscape #3

Tuesday was one of those days where the light and weather was not what I was looking for to make images of downtown so I opted instead to head out to the country side to create photographs. Being spring the weather tends to be turbulent for most the days. In the latter half of spring into early summer the number of storms that produce tornados grow substantially. As Iowans, we tend to live by the weather. The farmer’s success is tied to the favor of the weather so it is common place that we keep one eye on the sky while going about our daily lives. And in the spring when the weather turns bad and storms roll across our plains we don’t always head for shelter. Instead sit out on our front porch and watch the violence of the wind, rain wrapped in thunder and lighting and the few tornados carve paths of destruction in our fields.  Only when the danger is truly baring down upon us do we seek shelter only to step out and face the destruction head on.

As bad as the clouds look it was one of those spring days where it could not make up its mind wither to rain and be nasty or just look that way. Many of times on days like these I couldn’t help be drawn to stand out in a field and watch the clouds race by. It’s the drama of the sky and the energy that swirls and builds in the atmosphere. It’s watching the clouds move one way or another and as they did the light change giving them and the landscape character rather than flat grey like winter.  

For me Spring is change, the energy that is building to push the life from the ground. I could feel it standing there as the clouds passed overhead creating a friction between land and sky, anticipating a spark, a bolt of lightning discharging the color of the planet breaking the monochromatic spell of winter. Just stand there and you will feel it.

Side Track

Got a little side tracked in the photos I wanted to create. I was going to start working on my city project but an opportunity came up and I took it. The thing about photography is that you have to jump to get the images you want when they present themselves. Too many photographs missed when you think " I'll get it next time." Well too many times I thought that and next time never presented itself. So instead of going downtown, which given that it was St Patrick's Day I headed to the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area and took photos. 

The Iowa River is low and large tree stumps were visible and I felt that my opportunity was now or never.  So an hour before sun set I arrived and headed to a spot I had seen from the road on my way to work. It was either going to be as good as it looked form the road or it wasn't. I had to risk it. 

So with the wind blowing hard and no real clouds for reflected color of the sun set, I thought it best to do long exposures of the water against the tree stumps or rocks of the shore. I arrived at a group of stumps that look more like pier columns then tree stumps and got started. I knew that the motion of the water would make interesting shadows on the surface of water and give it an strange glassy smoke look to it. I wanted to create strong contrast without losing detail of some of the mind tones. Create a strong emotion through the line, grey scale, and motion of the water despite the subject matter.   

After setting up I moved around the subject and picked a few angles to try. I kept  the horizon out because it was too busy, too distracting for the image. After a few shots I arrived at this final image. 

As I look at this image I see three lines; the first is the shore line, rough but distinct. Running parallel is the two columns of wood sticking out and tying them together are the two rocks between the two. The water came out great between the strange appearance the reflection and shadowed areas I couldn't have created this any better. My final processing really gave this image the weight it needed to convey the emotion I wanted from it. 

The second image of the shore line isn't as strong as the first but I believe that there is a lot going on. I processed this image in much the same way but I tried to give it layers of detail that the first image did not have. 

Now that St Patrick weekend is over it should be safe to go downtown and explore for the images I want to create. Until then I would like to hear from you. What impressions does these images give you? Comment below and stay tuned for more. 

 

New Project

Decided to start a new project. I am going to create a Photographic Essay of Cedar Rapids. It's not going to be some history piece but it will be the way or vision I have of my home town. I will be creating video blog post of each shoot so you can see my creative process I go through creating my images. The post, however are not going to cover the photographic technical guru stuff so if you are looking for that, then ask but don’t expect it in the video. Here is a link to my first video I did. Don’t be harsh. All I have to create the videos is a Hero GoPro and a stick. Not to mention I am not a Ryan Reynolds. So enjoy and stick around for more I am sure things will get better. 

Hardest thing to do...

I think the hardest thing is to be honest with yourself. This is something I struggle with every day because I am something of a dreamer. I have dreams of owning my own business and being the boss instead of answering to a boss. I get tired of taking jobs that people tend to look down at you for doing. I shouldn’t let that bother me but it does. And being a boss or owner is not the easiest thing to do because the how well the business preforms is related to the person who is in charge.

So recently I turned 50 and started to think about what I wanted to do with my second half, the better half of life. I set out to see what I could do with my photography and more to the point what I was willing to do with my photography. Much to how this site is set up for now I just don’t see doing portraits anymore. I enjoyed it for the most part but I just can’t give it the attention it deserves and as the market stands, my style is not “in.”

I started to seriously consider doing product and food. I had even tried some lighting techniques and food styling and felt I had a good start. I then explored what I need to learn and how to go about it, the business side of it is my downfall. I come to find there is a lot that I am sure if I was younger, I would jump right in and tackle. But now that I am older and the risks that I need to take are just out of my comfort zone

A few weeks ago, I got excepted to sell my work at the Cedar Rapids Art Museum which is a big honor for me. I feel with the help of my friend Lori I got this opportunity but I must say, as hard as it is, I do feel my work is worthy. But again, it was who I know and that she was my champion for the cause. Trying not to sound conceded. The point is that with this event and the fact now and commercial work is not in my future, it would be best for me to work a fulltime job and create art. Who knows maybe I will create a body of work that people are drawn to and will be willing to purchase so much that I can make a living with it.  

So, over the next few weeks I will be rebuilding this site to highlight my artwork and not my portraits. My goal is to highlight my photography to the regular non-photography people looking for art to hang on the walls of their home and workplaces. As far as other photographers, I hope to inspire them but now this site may not have the details of how I created an image or what I use for gear.

I am going to embrace it. As much as my ego wants to do it all, I can’t, my life is complex and time isn’t completely on my side so do what I can and create images for me. Create for all that find them wonderful, and for those who don’t.

Welcome to my next 50 year journey, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Triskaideka's Bithday Session

It will be two years since Triskaideka came into our lives as a rough and sick kitten. With a little nursing and a lot of great food this stray cat turned into the best and sweetest Cat that my wife and I have ever seen. To commemorate this occasion and celebrate his “adoption” day we did a photo session.

 

Because the July 4th holiday is coming we went with a patriotic theme. The banner we got at Target and the hat and collar  from Pampered Whiskers. As far as animal costumes, Pampered Whiskers made the best hat and collar that I have ever seen. The hat fits perfectly and held the position where ever we put it and molding it to the shape took little to no effort. The collar was just as easy to stylize. Both the hat and collar came in a hard cased hat box so it would be safe both in shipping and storage.

 

With everything set we placed the hat and collar on Triskaideka and had a thirty minute session with at least 70 plus photo shot, with at least 20 or so photographs to choose from. Once we got things cleaned up my wife began to pick and choose the ones she loved and started to clean them up. She likes to post Triskaideka’s photos on her Instagram and Facebook pages. I downloaded the session on the computer and cleaned up the same ones she had chosen.

 

Overall we were able to capture so many expressions from Triskaideka there is no way I could choose one as my favorite. So instead the two I love the most are the one where he is crouched down looking up and is deadpan look into the camera . The crouched down one seems so comical because you never really see the whites of cat’s eyes unless it was done in an illustration and here it is captured in a photo. The second one is the one where his head is tilted and looking straight into the camera with a deadpan look. This photo looks like he is saying “Ok, this is getting a little silly.”

 

Triskaideka is a great cat and would never trade him for the world. He was a stray that was just in the right place and time, not to mention loud enough to be found and loved very much. Our pets are more than just a cuddly friend but they become a member of our family. So don’t forget to include them when it comes to family portraits. Most photographers will be happy to fulfill your request. If not call me I would be happy to take them.

Last Portrait

It's the last portrait I will take with you. The last time I get to rub your velvety ears or scratch your chin. The last time I will tell you that you are my good dog like I have for the past seventeen years. You have been my frisbee dog, the one I trip over or chase out of the kitchen, the one who caught the goose but did not know what to do with it. You have been there when the day is long ready to play. And although I know it is time to say goodbye I can’t, so I will say, until I see you again old friend.

Matt and Holly

At one point of my younger photographic career I had spent a many weekends creating wedding portraits. As I grew older I started to curb the number of weddings I did until I stopped doing them altogether until earlier this year. A friend of mine recommended me to Holly to photograph her wedding. The timing seemed to be serendipitous due to my efforts to restart my portrait business so when Holly asked me I jumped at the chance and said yes.

 

The wedding happened on April 2nd and like the engagement session we did about a month earlier, it was cool and windy. Despite that we still created beautiful portraits that will last through the generations. With my second shooter, the talented Sarah O’Toole, we started with the bride getting ready soon after she arrived. As much time as you set aside for the portraits there seems to never be enough.

 

I am starting to really enjoy the natural light portraits when I can do them. There are four I did that I am proud of. The first is the window portraits that I created with both of them. There is nothing that gives the mood of anticipation like the look of a window portrait. We had both by a window that was getting reflected light into it. The softness of the light that bathed the face and dress makes for a great black and white portrait. With Matt the light gave great lines that gives him the cool factor that I believe all grooms should get.

 

The wedding invitation and vail were created in the sanctuary. The light coming through the stained glass and the warmth of the wood of the piano made a perfect ambiance to create this photograph. I can see this being used on a wedding book cover or a thank you letter. Soon after I created it the light was gone.


Sarah and I really enjoyed the wedding and were grateful that Holly and Matt let us create the memories that they will share with family and friend and generations to come. I enjoyed meeting Matt and reconnecting  with Holly and hope to get the chance to create new portraits of them as years pass.Congratulations Matt and Holly on tying the knot and a wish of many many years of happiness together.

Colin

My son Colin has just started a new job with Davey Resource Group and last weekend he was home from a the week long training session. Now Colin chose, like a lot of his generation, to forgo school and jump into a career. Now understand my wife and I, who both have degrees from Mt Mercy College, thought this was not a wise choice not to at least learn a trade at a trade school. We both believe that continuing your education beyond high school will put you into a place of a richer and more fulfilled life. By richer I mean a more well rounded view of the world and not necessarily rich in the monetary way. We want him to be the best we know that he can be and what parent wouldn’t want that?

 

Well like any kid fresh out of high school he took a few jobs that were not in his best interest. The vacuum job was the worst. When he talked about the job it sounded too good to be true, and it was. All he had to do is make presentations of the products and the environmental benefits they have for you. He had to complete sixty showings in a month and he would get three thousand plus commission on sales. The twist is the products are expensive and whether you had taken every show you could, the company did not always have enough shows to give you to make your quota. RIP OFF. He learned quickly and quit in the first month.

 

He got this job and for the most part he likes it. He gets to be outside which he likes and it is physical, which he also likes. Colin’s job is to mark and report on conditions of poles and lines that energy companies own. Simple true but he can move up in the company or branch out to the tree part of the company. The great thing is that Davey Resource Group is a branch of the Davey Tree Company that has been around for years. In fact my father remembers their ads in the National Geographic when he was a kid, and he is almost ninety.


Before he went back to his training I created this portrait of him. Despite his choice in not continuing his education in college or a trade school, I am proud of his choice in this job with Davy. Who knows maybe it will be the career that leads him to big things?

                                             My Son looking cool in front of his new mobile office. 

                                             My Son looking cool in front of his new mobile office. 

60 billion spent on Pets

Did you know last year Americans spent  $60 billion dollars on their pet to keep them happy, healthy, trained and well groomed. These loveable kids with 4 legs had us spending more money in 2015 than 2014. The two groups, according to Bob Vetere the CEO of American Pet Product Association, are the Millennials because of lifestyle  and Baby Boomers because of their age. Not sure what that says about my generation, Gen X, other than we are frugal with our money?

 

Tops on the list for most spent out of the 60 billion was food at a whopping $23.04 billion with Vet Care at $15.73 billion and third is Supplies/OTC Meds at $14.39 billion.$5.4 billion dollars of the 60 billion were spent on pet services such as pet sitters and exercise to keep our pet looking good. That was a jump of 12 percent from the previous year, 2014 and all indications is that spending will only continue to grow in 2016.

 

I know as a pet owner I had spent more this year than the previous years especially in the cat food category, no pun intended. For many years my cats enjoyed a brand of indoor cat food but that all changed one day. From time to time we get one cat that pukes on the floor but for two days we had all the cats barfing after a meal. So we switched several times until we landed on a non grain blend that cost an arm and leg. The barfing stopped and they seemed happy but now the store where we get it is not carrying it. I guess I have to look else where to find the food.

 

As I have grown over the years I have seen pets become more and more apart of the family rather than the lump on the lawn or the bearer of dead mice at the front door. For my wife there is one cat that is and will always be her’s and will always spoil. Triskaideka is the latest cat to be on the receiving end of much love and affection in our little family. In fact he is the most photographed of all the cats. Not that I haven’t tried to take their portraits, but Triskaideka kind of likes the attention were the others run from the camera.

 

So when it comes time to have family portraits taken make sure you include your pets for a complete family portrait that can go up on the wall. And don’t feel bad when you spend a little more on your pets, by the looks of things you are not alone.

Meet Holly and Matt

A few years back wedding photography was one of my subjects that I photographed but as demands of home life and job changes made it difficult to keep taking them. But opportunities in my life now  have made it so that I can start back into the portrait business once again. That is when Holly asked me, through a suggestion by Lane a mutual friend, if I could photograph her and Matt’s wedding. The date is set and the shot list is complete and the only thing left is the engagement session.

 

 

Now the situation is they are getting married the first Saturday in April and that did not leave us much time for the engagement session. We had to wait until it was at least warm enough to melt the snow as well as not freeze like a popsicle. So to leave us enough room for the session and the wedding we decided to shoot on the first weekend of March and make the best of it as we could.

 

 

The thing about pre-spring days are that you can get a great warm couple of days and then the temperature  just drops and it snows. Yeah this time of year is unpredictable and you make the best of the day’s, warm or cold.  For Matt and Holly the day was cold but they were up for the task and a mid-shoot stop at Brewhemia to warm up. A warm cup of java always goes good with cold weather.

 

We went down to my favorite photo spot and started with the old shop that is in rather rough shape. I really like the texture of the peeling paint and the bear wood it really worked well not only in color but black and white. With an overcast sky and cold temperatures we headed out to the second location of or session. Moving through the various poses we joked around and did what we could to keep warm. Funny it did not seem to be cold when I walked out the door but out in the wind is when it really hit me and made it hard to work the camera. We completed a few more poses along the brick walls and track when it was time to head to Brewhemia where they were kind enough to reserve a table for us.

 

 

After grabbing a hot cup of magnificent java, we started taking photos again. Just some interaction shots and closeups of the ring, coffee and the two of them. After the coffee had warmed Matt, Holly and I, we moved to the last location, an old corrugated steel structure with just the right amount of rust. A few poses later and the filling of my memory card we called it a day.


Despite every attempt of the cold to spoil the shoot we manage to come out with a great set of photographs. I also got to catch up with Holly who I knew from McLeod Publishing as well as meeting a great guy Matt. With the fun we had I believe the wedding day will be great and I am excited I get to create a great set of portraits to commemorate their day.

 

Wilson

Last weekend I got to create portraits of Kylie and her cat Wilson. As Kylie puts it, “Wilson was the first adult purchase.” Kylie turned 18 recently and headed up to ISU for college. Sometime between college and birthday, not sure when, she picked up this cute cat and made it a part of her new life.

 

 

After they arrived we started out the portrait session with the two of them so that Wilson could get at ease with me and the set up. The things with cats is that most of the time they feel their best at home and not in strange places. By having Kylie and Wilson together I had hope to make him feel safe and for the most part it did. Once we got a few portraits of them together we set up a comfy chair and tried some on his own.

 

 

Wilson has a ribbon that is an equivalent of a wooby, his toy that makes him feel safe. If any other cat has it he has been known to take it away. I brought out a cat toy that most of my cats go nuts over but being in a strange place he just looked at it. We got out his ribbon and that perked him up a little but only when we wrapped him up in Kylie’s sweater he relaxed.


Wilson is a great cat and I had a great time getting to know him. As short as the session was I feel I came out with some great shots for Kylie. Kylie has a great cat and I think the will bring a lot of happiness to each others lives. 

 

Triskaideka's Spring Portraits

Today is the first day of spring and what better way to celebrate the season but to take spring photos, Triskaideka’s Spring Portraits. We had an idea of what we wanted but not entirely sure or set on a specific props. Buffey and I felt that the props should be spring like in nature but not Easter specific. We wanted to be able to put the portrait up for longer than a few weeks and if we shot it with Easter baskets or with cute bunny ears then the portraits display life would be short.

 

 

So after a cup of coffee we were off to a local craft store. We started off by just walking around to see what was available. We knew that if we started to pick up the first thing we saw then the chance of the portrait being hokey was very likely. Once we took in all the possibilities we started to weed out the trite and home in on the white washed box, plants in the pots and tin vase, and finally the pussy willows.

 

The setup was simple. We set the box and plants up on a card table that we covered with a piece of white background paper. We set the pussy willows in a five gallon jug setting behind the table. I placed my lights in their spots and after a few test shots we were ready. My wife, Buffey, place Triskaideka in the box and used a feathered toy to get his attention while I took the portraits. It did not take long before we knew that we had a handful of shots that will work.

 

We placed them into Lightroom and started the process of elimination and soon we narrowed it down to two portraits. I sent one photo to Buffey and the other I worked on. After a few minutes I created this portrait in which I am very happy with.

 

Triskaideka is so easy to work with because he is our cat and he is in his home. I know that is key to the success of this and other portraits we have done of him and our other cats. Think of how many times you take your dog or cat to the vets or any other place and suddenly they become shy or totally unsociable. Triskaideka becomes withdrawn at the vets believe it or not. This is why I believe it is necessary to have me go to the pet rather than the pet come to me.


Now that we have Triskaideka’s Spring Portraits done we will have to generate ideas for his Summer Portrait Session. Have you had your Pet Portrait Session done? Or having a portrait session of your family being done? Don’t forget to include your pet they are family too.