Happy Birthday Moose

Happy Birthday Moose!! His actual birthday was yesterday so I took a few pics of him then but the weather is so beautiful again today, I grabbed my camera and took Moose outside for another photo session today too. Days like today make me long for a nice fenced yard. I'd love to let him roam around so I could really get some decent shots of him. As you can tell from his expression most of the time, he becomes bored very easily when I'm trying to do his portrait. I would like to get some full body shots of him but the leash I have is only so long (about 25 feet maybe) and him being out of reach is not a good thing so I learned today. Our neighbors behind us were out with their dog and their yard isn't fenced either. Moose saw the dog and wanted to go say hi so he took off. I got a hold of the end of the leash with one hand (my camera was in the other hand.) He was dragging me through the yard so I had to put the camera down and grab the leash with 2 hands. I finally got him to stop after he'd made it all the way to their driveway. Crazy dog!! My lower back will be feeling this little escapade of his for a few days I'm sure!

These are the shots I got of him today. I really want to improve my photography skills so I am trying to practice a lot!

Pet sitting in great Charlotte NC weather

I've been doing a lot of pet sitting lately and the weather has been so great, I've had my camera along. I really wish I could work one on one with another photographer familiar with pet photography (hint hint Deb if you ever read this!! :) ) I also could stand to take a class on Photoshop. My Photoshop skills are very limited although youtube is a great resource for helping me figure it out. I've been pet sitting with Fozzy lately and I've struggled to get a decent picture of her. Her canine brothers Ollie and Sunny provide ample opportunities for photos (see previous posts) but for some reason I've not been able to get a good one of her. She prefers to be inside vs outside so I guess that is the main reason. When I've been taking pics of the dogs, we've been outside mostly. Below is one of the better (perhaps the best) photos of her I've taken.

A couple of weekends ago, I was pet sitting for Rollo. I thought I'd posted this picture before but apparently I hadn't. One of my photography goals is to try and capture clear (non-blurry) action shots. When I look at this picture, immediately Taylor Shift's song "shake it off, shake it off" starts going through my head!

Very recently I was pet sitting for Lola, Howie and Otis. Otis is the old guy of the group and while he was still somewhat spry, his family wanted to bring in a companion for Lola. Enter Howie. He is all puppy. Here are a few things Howie did that made me laugh: practically tipping over when he hikes his leg to pee and racing around the den chasing a cat toy. The way he runs through the grass is pretty funny too. He hops. He was very entertaining!

Spring is in the air

Spring is in the air and it's just around the corner. I've had the camera with me over the past several days. I've been trying to capture action photos. Sunny and Ollie are great test subjects for this and their backyard is great for them to run around in too. My best shot so far is the one of Sunny below. I got one of Ollie that would be perfect if it wasn't blurry.

Spring is almost here

Spring is almost here and that means I'm bringing the camera out every chance I get. Here is a sample:

Elliott's Birthday Party

Yesterday afternoon I went to Elliott's birthday party. I had the pleasure of celebrating with one of my clients Laurie, and her dogs Elliott and Topsy. Elliott turns 14 tomorrow so Laurie hosted a birthday party at TCBY. Laurie and Elliott hold a special place in my heart. Buddy my black lab pictured at the top of this page was fostered by Laurie so he lived with Laurie and Elliott before I adopted him (this was pre-Topsy.) I am forever grateful to them for opening up their hearts to this sweet boy. I love you Ellie! Happy Burfday!!

Snow Day

We are having a snow day here and based upon Moose's behavior, I don't think he really likes the snow. I don't think he likes the way it feels on his feet. He seems a little unsure as he walks across it and he is hesitant to go outside. He is snoring behind me right now and sounds very content! He has short fur, I think he prefers being warm and cozy inside. He might be hoping this is our last snow day of the year! Willow on the other hand loves it when we have a snow day. She wants to play in it. We only have about an inch of snow so there isn't a lot of snow outside for taking pictures and it's really slushy so I've pulled out the camera inside.