TO MAKE YOU SMILE! | Cave Creek Pet Photographer

Blog posts have been few and far between lately and for that I apologize!  While I continue re-editing everything I lost in my computer crash, hope this makes you smile!

Only a Border Collie...!

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD...

Hollywood DOGS, that is!

Thursday night I had the chance to photograph the latest graduating class of Villa La Paws Hollywood Dogs class!

They all have the sweetest faces and all of them did great!  In fact, Pilar, the Golden you'll see in the video was signed by A-1 Talent today!  Way to go, Pat and Pilar!!

LOVING THE STORM!

Oh, this storm makes me so happy!  It seems like we haven't had rain all season, so I couldn't resist tonight when it started raining to go out and play with lightening shots!

Yes...  I really SHOULD be inside editing!  Since the big computer crash and I have more than enough to do to catch up!  I'm so thankful that I didn't lose any images!  I'm meticulous about backing up photos to two external hard drives and burning them to DVDs BEFORE I erase them off my photo card.  But I did lose lots of the edits that I had already completed!

So, for the people waiting for their images, I'm so sorry, but I had to go out and play in the rain for a little while!



'SECRET' HIT THE LOTTERY!!

Well, at least the Lottery Commercial!

I've written about the "Hollywood Dogs" class that Squirt and I were in at Villa La Paws...  Well, Wendi Faircloth, the Training Director at 'Paws' and her dog, 'Secret', were also in our class. 

Today 'Secret' made her debut in the new AZ Lottery Commercial!  Secret is the little dog standing along side the road and in the Jeep during the flashback sequence.

WAY TO GO!  We're so proud of you, Secret!!  You definitely deserve some extra treats tonight!!

BRUSH-TAILED BETTONG | Arizona Animal Photographer

Rebecca and I had been trying for several weeks to find a time that worked for a photoshoot of her Bettong!  A what???  Yep, that's what I said too!  I had to quick Google it to find out if I was going to be shooting something the size of a Great Dane or a Yorkie!  As it turns out, this is a baby Bettong, so it was pretty close to the size of a Yorkie!  "Mimsy" weighs less than two pounds!

On Saturday afternoon, we quickly decided that early morning on Sunday would work for both of us.  Since Rebecca was coming up from the far East Valley I asked her to bring along any of her other critters that she would like photographed and we'd just make a morning of it!

Well...let me just say I fell in LOVE!  Actually, I fell in love about 11 times!!

A Brush-tailed Bettong is a marsupial that ranges mostly in Australia.  Its a nocturnal mammal which might have been our saving grace in trying to photogragh her during the day!  She was unbelieveably fast!  All Rebecca kept saying was, "you should see her during the night"!!  She hops around like a little kangaroo!  She even has a teeny little pouch!

And this is her Frizzle Chicken!  Yep...that's actually a type of chicken!  First of all, just saying the name makes me smile.  Well, the minute she brought her out of the carrying case all I could do was laugh!  I know these little chickens must have been created in the image of a cartoon character!  And to make it even BETTER...  She had just hatched out seven little 'Frizzle babies'!!  Now, I want chickens in my backyard!!

Then came "Quest", a Rex Rabbit.  Quest was found running in the street 5 years ago and Rebecca rescued the poor guy!  This is the most MELLOW rabbit I've ever seen!  Get a load of those ears!!  I'm sure they must bring in HBO!

And to show you just how mellow Quest is...  we put a couple little chicks with him.  One of them thought her head was just the most comfortable place to relax!!

She also brought along a Cherry-Headed Tortoise.  They're also called Red-Footed Tortoises.  This guy was georgeous!  He was pretty easy!  He made up for trying to focus on the Bettong!!

And just because I couldn't help myself...  I couldn't let her go without getting the proverbial "Tortoise and the Hare" shot!!

Rebecca...thank you so much for letting me photograph your critters!  I had a blast! 

Sorry this blog post went a little long, but they were all so cute!  And, there is a rumor that I just may get a chance to photograph some of her other animals in a couple weeks!

So...yes!  I fell in love 11 times...  A Bettong, A Frizzle Chicken and her 7 little Frizzle Chicks, A Cherry-Headed Tortoise, and "Quest" the Rabbit!

MY FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT... | Cave Creek Dog Photographer

Squirt, my little Rodent-Dog, and I have been taking a REALLY fun class over at Villa La Paws called "Hollywood Dogs"!  It's taught by their new trainer, Celeste Richardson.  Celeste's dog, Singe, has done lots of photo and movie work, so she knows all the ins and outs of what goes into training your dog to work on a set with (and for) the photographers and the client! 

Last night was 'graduation' night and Celeste invited Kathleen, one of the owners of A-1 Animal Talent, to come check out our dogs! 

Everyone did GREAT!  We each had the chance to meet with Kathleen one-on-one afterward and get feedback as to how our dogs did and the little things she thought they would need before being able to work on a set!

We set up a portable "studio" and Elizabeth, from Villa La Paws, took photos that will be sent on to the Talent Agency!  She did a GREAT job! 

Squirt did awesome!  I am so proud of him!!  BUT, here was my feedback (all constructive, I might add, and only after she said lots of nice things about him!)  He's getting gray and starting to show his age!  Well... um....  so am I!!  She thought his opportunities were limited to maybe senior dog food or products geared toward aging dogs unless I touched up his gray!  So...tomorrow involves a trip to Sally's Beauty Supply to pick up something to 'wash away the gray'!

What I realize is, it really doesn't matter whether we ever get print or commercial work (although it would be sooo much fun to see his cute little face in an ad); that little dog gives me 110% of everything I ask him to do!  We have so much fun playing together! 

He is my heart!!  I love you, little man!!

(This is an older photo, so it really doesn't show the gray!!)



MEET MAX! | Phoenix Dog Photographer

This is Max, a sweet little Brussels Griffon I met at the Grand Opening of Villa La Paws.  Max is almost six months old!

His mom just ordered this awsome fine-art canvas of her little boy.  When I went to drop it off Max was sporting his new summer 'do'...  They shaved him down to make the summer heat a little easier to handle!  It will be a few months before he's back to looking this fluffy again!

Thanks, Brooke...  I hope you love your new artwork!