karen, Author at Indigo Pet Photography

Niagara Pet Photography On-Location: Snow!

Pet photography, on-location, is not for the feint of heart, nor the Winter Wuss.

Who is MacLean’s Magazine calling a Wuss? Well, okay, probably me. I’m not much of a “freeze my butt off” girl at the best of times. Going for a walk and losing all feeling in my thighs isn’t exactly my favourite thing to do. That being said, my specialty is pet photography, on-location, and I will suck it up for the sake of a spectacular session.

Last week we got some snow, so it seemed the ideal time to get out and play. I have coats for my boys but they usually don’t come out until the windchill makes it a less that -10° excursion. For Indy maybe a little sooner. Lucca, my little Texan rescue, has taken to the Canadian Winter like a duck to water.

After the first real snowfall he walked tentatively out the door and took it all in like he was analyzing the situation. His assessment must have been good because in the next moment he was dashing through the snow like the proverbial one horse open sleigh. So, as soon as I could ask Siri what the wind chill was and we both didn’t freak out, I bundled myself up, left the boys’ coats at home and off we went for a snowy photographic romp in the gorgeous setting of Cave Spring Vineyard.

Pet photography: shooting from the hip

Shooting pet photography on-location like this, telling a visual story of four-legged adventures in a natural, whimsical way. I have to work fast and at their level for much of the time. But the proof is in the pudding – it allows me to deliver fun, fresh images that translate to gorgeous wall art or spectacular keepsake albums.

We may not have a lot more snow than Toronto, but here in Niagara, it’s easier to find vast pristine areas of the white stuff … and watching a dog play in fresh snow is way better than anything HBO can throw at you!

If you would like to book a Winter session I promise not to be a wuss, and I will wear my long johns. Please send me an email or give me a call and we’ll set something up with the weather man in mind!

Here are my top 5 from last week!

two terriers running in snow with barn in behind

Toronto & Niagara Pet Photographer: Top 10 images of 2015

News

Happy New Year! Incredible that it’s already the beginning of another year. 2015 went by so quickly, yikes!

I think that 2016 is going to be a big year for Indigo Pet Photography. I’m off to Istanbul in February for 10 days, while there I hope to photograph street dogs and cats. With luck, I’ll also find a rescue that I can help by photographing some of their charges that are available for adoption.

This year, I’ll be adding a calendar of events to my website so that you will have plenty of notice for upcoming mini sessions and special dog events that Indigo will be a part of. I plan to join the Professional Photographers of Canada in 2016 and will aim to achieve my accreditation this year, a lofty goal… but you have to start somewhere! Also, if the dollar would only cooperate, I would like to take my photography to a new level and participate in a pet photography workshop in the States.

So I’ve been through last year’s sessions and I’ve selected 10 of my favourites images! It was tough as there were quite a few I would have liked to include, but I decided to keep it to 10.

If you are interested in booking a pet photography session, please contact me at 905.932.1042 or send me an email and I’ll get in touch with you directly. I’m happy to travel and frequently do! Hope to work with you and your best friend in this shiny, bright new year!

Meet Nuisance, she was found hanging around at Sue Ann Staff Estate Winery in Jordan and basically muscled her way in. It was a lovely warm light that she basked in and from her perch on the stool, she watch me work with the dog… with visible disdain. To me it’s like she’s channeling her inner Jimmy Cagney and her “cat”-itude was off the charts.

Matthew Benjamin stole my heart when I was photographing JRTRO foster dogs at his home north of Toronto. He was 17 at the time and unfortunately he crossed the Rainbow Bridge later last year. He was a great mentor to many foster dogs and is deeply missed by his mom and dad.

Of all the photos that I took in 2015 this one is hands down my favourite. It was a Life Well Lived session with Paikea, a 15 year old rescue. Her early life was an exceptionally sad story but once she met up with Shannon everything turned around. She even travelled across Canada three times.

The love that Shannon and Alex felt for her was palpable and I shed more than a few tears while I edited her session. She was a little fragile on the day of the shoot, but she rallied and seemed to enjoy the attention. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge a couple of months after her session. Paikea will live on in their hearts and the memories created at her session were a fitting tribute that will be cherished forever.

Macy is a Toronto diva. Like most Havanese I’ve met, she has a lovely disposition. I love the colouring on her ears, her pink heart tag and her sweet little face. Makes me want to pinch those cheeks… or ruffle her ears anyway!

Blondes really do have more fun…this session with Lucy, a Golden Doodle, was in Beamer Park, Grimsby in the Fall. The colours were amazing and she was such a poser. The sun burst and gorgeous lighting really set this shot apart for me.

Blonde ambition. Isla was 8-weeks old when I met up with her in Toronto. We ended up in a parkette across the street and when I found the graffiti I knew that a potential great shot was in the cards. I loved the way she just stomped over Hello Kitty’s face on her quest to get to me.

Love this nightfall with moon silhouette shot of Bismark, the German Short-haired Pointer at Hidden Bench Estate Winery. This was shot late afternoon and I love the way the exposure and time of day allowed me to create a mood evocative of nightfall.

Jasmine is one of my favourite girlies. Her dad is the winemaker at Angels Gate Winery so we used that as our backdrop. She became very distracted when a bee appeared to want to steal the limelight. This was my favourite of the bee shots, it makes me smile whenever I see it.

My friend Lucy likes a little R&R and well, you just can’t beat a good bum shot, and helloooo…these paws… ♥️

Last but not least is this photo of the newest member of my pack, Lucca. He was meant to be a foster and ended up as Indy’s permanent wing man. This photo is how I see him everyday. In my face, big clownish mug, Scruffy McMuffy always ready for a game of chase, tug or fetch followed by a bowl of any one’s food that he can lay his paws on. He’s named for a place where I spent many happy years and I know that he’ll bring the same kind of happiness for many more.

So there you have it… my ten favourite portraits from 2015!

Niagara Pet Photography – The many faces of Jasmine

Wine Dogs

One of the best things about living in Niagara’s Wine Country is the abundance of 4-legged beauties that hang out at the local wineries. These images are part of a series of Niagara Wine Dogs that I’m working on, starting with the dogs of Twenty Valley wineries. I want to capture as many of my canine buddies as possible hanging at their favourite wineries. Jasmine comes from a double whammy wine family that is actually a triple-threat! Dad, Philip Dowell, is the winemaker for Angels Gate Winery and Kew Vineyards Estate Winery, and mom, Meg McGrath, runs the show at Hidden Bench Winery.

I dearly love this girlie, she is so full of love and spirit. Jasmine, Jazzy, Jazmerelda, call her by any of her nicknames, as long as you’ve got a treat, she’ll appear like magic! In fact, she has a touch of Disney about her. To me, the shot with the bee captures this perfectly. I love it when the element of surprise sneaks into a frame, it’s like an extra gift. The bee appearing and interacting with Jasmine isn’t necessarily immediately obvious but when you see it… what a fun find!

Jazz was recovering from a yeast infection on her throat, hence the lack of throat hair in most images, I retouched that on a couple of images and will do the balance when her family have made their picks. Thanks especially to Meg and Phil’s daughter Sophia for helping me with Jasmine’s shoot. It’s always a bonus to have an extra pair of helping hands!

Here are a handful of my favourite shots from Jasmine’s Wine Dog session. Enjoy!

Niagara Pet Photographer: The Power of Threes

Dogs

They say that bad things come in threes and this week I have to say, was THAT kind of week. Monday, I had to replace my windshield after a meteorite of some sort smashed a gaping hole in it. On Friday I drove to Toronto for a photo session with a gorgeous Golden Retriever puppy and BAM! A rock and a not-so-hard-place – my brand spanking new windshield – (note to self, call Speedy Glass after this post). Then when I got home after a long drive in traffic, I went to pull my camera bag out of the car and my gear crashed down, damaging my favourite and oh so cher 24-70mm lens. UGH.

What’s the point of my sad sack tale? The fact that GOOD things actually come in threes as well! You see, last Sunday I met a transport at the Tim’s in Niagara-on-the-Lake to pick up my new foster for JRTRO. A comical looking little 6-8 month old (?) pup with a gorgeous disposition. Not exactly sure what his genetic pool consists of but he’s a beauty. His reaction to Indiana Jones’ (at times) somewhat volatile outbursts is “Dude? What the heck did ya do that for, chill out!”. He hasn’t chased the cat and he adores every single human he meets. As of this morning, I have officially declared my intention to the JRTRO to adopt him, thereby qualifying me to enter a wonderful club that many fosters enter: that of the Foster Failures. I never wanted a puppy, I thought maybe some day we’d add a senior, however, sometimes the universe conspires… and I couldn’t be happier.

Which brings me to THREE! I now have three fur kids. Maybe one day we’ll manage to add that senior to our pack, but that’s a few years off, I have puppy 101 to review.

So the fuzzy wuzzy dog, formerly known as Astro (he comes to us from Texas) is now known as Lucca (my favourite place in the world where I had so many wonderful experiences). His nickname is Luke (as in Skywalker, to keep within the Harrison Ford flick theme!). Welcome to the family sweet boy!

If you are thinking about getting a new pet, please consider this:

1. research the breed thoroughly and be sure that the dog breed/mix that you choose works with YOUR lifestyle and activity level

2. adopt don’t shop, so many animals are euthanized simply because they had the misfortune to live in an area of the world where people selfishly don’t believe in spay and neutering

3. consider a senior dog if you don’t have the time for a puppy, seniors have so much love to give and the time you have with them will change you forever (plus there is no puppy training required!)

4. don’t ever, EVER buy from a non accredited breeder, a pet store or on Kijiji-like sites. These places are where the backyard breeders/puppy mills market their dogs. Until we stop paying them money for their dogs, they will go on creating living hell for too many dogs who will never know love, cleanliness, warmth and a full tummy.

Now, on to a couple of pics of my new baby :

two dogs playing in a dog bed in niagara

jack russell smiling at camera in front of another terrier with vineyard in behind

scruffy terrier dog leaping in the air while running

close up of scruffy puppy with fluffy ears looking into camera

Niagara Pet Photography: JRTRO rescue Lilly

Dogs

Loveable Lilly!

Recently I drove to Toronto to meet Lilly and her Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario (JRTRO) Foster family. You see, Lilly’s journey is nearly complete, she is ready for adoption.

When I finally managed to get Siri to cooperate and give me proper directions to Lilly’s Foster home (technology, ugh), I gathered up my gear and rang the door bell. I was greeted at the foot of the stairs by a wiggly ball of Jack Russell. Lilly was so excited to see me that she could hardly contain herself. I had such a nice time with Lilly, Brooke and Tim, they clearly adore her. I can see why Lilly is loving life now that she is in foster care! She is now a princess who is waited on hand and foot, lucky girl!

We had our session before it was actually nice enough to want to venture outside, so we all stayed indoors where it was warm and toasty, except for when I saw the fabulous brick wall that I simply had to incorporate into a shot. She worked her angles and was compensated in treats for her super modelling capabilities.

This little angel is a breathe of fresh air. She’s so eager to please and absolutely adores people. She was pretty stoked to discover that my camera bag was full of treats too. Now, she may look like she could stand to lose an lb or two, but she had been pregnant not long before coming into rescue, so some of it will fall off with time. Plus, Tim and Brooke have her on a wee diet and take her for plenty of walks, which she can’t get enough of, she’s a curious little monkey.

Lilly is only 2-years-old and truly has personality plus, those gorgeous big brown eyes can twist you around her little paw. She’s so charming and has a wonderfully sweet disposition. All I can say is, whoever adopts her will have a very happy companion and will be incredibly lucky to have her in their lives.

~~Please check out her petfinder listing for more information or to apply to adopt Lilly; share her with your friends too! Do you think Lilly could be your forever girl?~~ Lilly was adopted on April 21st! Hooray for Lilly!