pooch plunge louisa
Well the Pooch Plunge was interesting.
There was a photographer (not me) covering the event and selling their products so I went for a swim with my own dogs.
Yes, I took a few pictures but mostly just had fun swimming with Hope and Bambina 
Sometimes it’s just best to stop and smell the roses and make the best of a great opportunity!
To see more photos from the Pooch Plunge check out the album on Facebook.
logo (update)
Yes, I’ve updated my logo again. Partly to stop my images being used all over the internet without my permission and to help raise awareness for what I do.
It’s simple and straightforward.
pet photo give away (for charity auction)
I was asked to put up a photoshoot up for auction at a SNAP event. An organization that helps spay and neuter animals at a great cost but has unfortunately run out of money.
The good news is that the photoshoot and the framed picture went to a great home (and helped raise a great sum of $$$) and I’m super excited to get out to the owners house and take pictures of their loved four legged friends in the near future.
It’s so nice to be able to give back.
kittens and cats cuteness
What a great day. I decided to get an early start on the day as the temperature has hit the high 90s for the last week by lunchtime. By 9:30 I was into it. Several hours later I was sitting down with Meg (the foster mom) having a sandwich and a cold beer. I love my job.
The mission over the next couple of days is to edit and post the photos of all the cats and kittens….. I love my job.
And if you were wondering working with cats/kittens is nothing like working with dogs….. nothing at all. Try telling a cat to sit, there’s a lot of following the little ones around, switching of lenses and in many cases having one attack your feet while trying to take pictures of another one…… I love my job.
Make sure you check out my Facebook page to see all the cats and kittens looking for great homes, or just to check out the cuteness.
america (oh yeah)
Okay so after a little bit of stress and a lot more turbulence all four of us made it to America safely.
I’m taking some time to get up and running and getting to a slower pace of life (which can’t be a bad thing).
I’m updating Facebook as much as possible so that’s probably the best way to keep up-to-date with the ongoing situation for the next week or so. I’ve already got 4 dogs to take photos of and 6 photoshoots in April.
And for those of you that have followed Bambina and Hope in South Korea and now America, they are doing great.
Let the madness begin.
my last CARE shelter trip
Yesterday was my last CARE shelter trip, in total I was away from home for over 12 hours and it was worth every moment!
Part of me was really sad that I wont get to interact with the dogs and cats there again but I tried my hardest to capture as many of them as possible so I could help get them into fuever homes.
As a photographer I know my part is only a small one and I’m very thankful for all the wonderful people that I’ve worked along side and will continue to work finding these dogs and cats homes.
I’ve learned a lot from working at different shelters in South Korea; like what it’s like to try and take photos of a single dog when there are 5 or 6 others trying to lick and sit on you, what it’s like to take photos in all sorts of weather (wet, snow, wind, dust… you name it, I’ve done it), and how to interact with dogs and cats that have no idea why they’ve ended up in front of a Kiwi taking photos of them.
Go and check out the newest photos on Facebook at Aroha Photos.
From here my next photo sessions will be in America and in less than a month I’ll be there.
no one gets left behind
The dogs reservations have been made, their flights to America confirmed (not without some drama though) and now it’s time to start packing some boxes to send back.
Don’t worry Bambina, no one is being left behind!
capturing movement
Capturing dog on the fly depends on some on luck, some of getting in the right position and some of getting the camera set up right, together they come together for some great shots.
this past weekend I took both dogs for a walk so my wife could get some extra sleep, all I took was my point and shoot. I let the dogs off for a run around and caught Bambina running towards me. It was a great moment but I wanted more.
Yesterday I took Bambina to the park and let her off again, this time with my DSLR, a quick lens (f2.8) and captured the moment again but with better results.
I can’t wait to get back to America and have open spaces to take pictures in.
For anyone trying to take pictures of animals the best advice is to practice and practice and don’t give up.
imagination and the moment (friday)
Sorry for the late post, we are trying to get our dogs confirmed onto a Korean Air plane that leaves in about 50 days! You’d think we were trying to get someone to hand over their new born baby!
So while Mandy is on the phone, AGAIN, here’s a couple of shots of Bambina in my great hat from Peru.
imagination and the moment (thursday)
I actually shot these the other night after walking home in the freezing cold without my earmuffs but I didn’t post them because, well I didn’t.
Bambina has long ears at the moment but she’s a great sport when it comes down to it. Even so she really wasn’t keen on this.
I’ve got a great scarf and hat I’d like to try on her too, but that will have to wait! I’ll need a few more treats I think.
Remember keep your dog warm boys and girls, it’s COLD out there….. that is unless you live somewhere warm, then I just envy you!
imagination and the moment (wednesday)
Not trying anything new tonight, feeling really under the weather. I blame the kids who all seem to be coming to school with something horrid.
So instead I’ll leave you with a picture of my dog, Bmabina, enjoying some time with her favorite toy a Kong. This one has a little peanut butter and a piece of cooked pasta in it.
On the upside I’m going shopping on Saturday for some new camera gear, I mean taking my wife out to lunch. It’s going to be EPIC!
I’ve already decided on tomorrows experimentation; should dogs wear earmuffs?
imagination and the moment (tuesday)
I think I lost the plot tonight. It was a super long day at work and I’ve been spending too much time on the internet looking at the American candidates in the next election.
I stumbled across a few websites that change photos, basically changing a plain one into something better, or so I’m led to believe. After tonight’s experimentation I think it’s a ruse for sure.
I like the natural feel of a photo and the style of my photos and what I’m trying to achieve as a photographer makes this a somewhat painful entry.
So here’s what I did. I took a standard photo of my wife’s dog Hope and used an online tool called obamiconme. It’s pretty easy to use and as long as you elect to sign up you can save the image. I’m still waiting on my password so these are just screenshots. I sort of hope they wont come now as I’m not a fan!
All the directions are easy to follow and there are plenty of images already online to inspire you or just plain annoy you, depending on where you stand on politics!
On the next screen you can adjust the size, orientation, rotation,the amount of the four basic colors used and even the iconic words you’ll use. From here save and submit your masterpiece for others to view.
P.S. Without saying who I hope to win the next American election, let’s just say I think Hope would have a great chance against some of those already in the race!
Sorry Hope and Mandy. How about I take you out to lunch and shopping on Saturday?
imagination and the moment (monday)
Okay here’s the first experimentation for the week. Don’t ask me what the heck I was thinking I have no idea!
Personally I think I’ve transformed my cute little Bambina into a librarian and added 10 years to her life (just in looks). Maybe one reason why I don’t wear them myself! Now if only I had a cape and given her hair a little curl in the front, I might have been onto something!
imagination and the moment
Sometimes the right moment comes along and sometimes I’m lucky enough to have a camera (in this case a point and shoot) very near by.
I remember when I was doing my Media Arts Degree, taking a photography paper and I was using my dad’s old film camera to take pictures around the the town and I used a similar idea to this. I painted the inside of about half a dozen toilet rolls (each one a different color, I think I even put tinfoil in one) and took a series of pictures of mostly landscapes, buildings and anything else I could find just for a laugh, back then it seemed like a good idea and presented together they worked. Sort of wish I hadn’t lost all those old photos.
I think this week I’ll focus on trying a few new things, I’m sure some will work and some will fail (that’s part of the ongoing learning game) and well I have two very able subjects just waiting to have their photos taken.
So look out each day this week (Mon-Fri) and I’ll post a new photo of something I’ve tried.
2012 it’s here so what now?
I’m so tired you wouldn’t believe it, I’ve had my final Greencard interview, got back my passport and a stack of paperwork and now I’m looking at touching down in America in 2012 (around the 2nd of March).
My work as a teacher is really starting to drain me, no matter how hard I try or how much I put in this whole Korean way of doing things is sucking the life out of me. I have a couple of projects I want to get done before I leave and before the bad weather sets in but I can’t seem to drag myself off the floor most nights. Mandy is in the same position, she fell asleep with her dog lying on the floor.
So what’s my plan for 2012? It goes a little something like this;
1. Get another couple (hopefully) photoshoots completed here in South Korea, I’m following up leads and contacting people back from my comfortable floor tonight.
2. Plan to get our dogs back and book tickets for ourselves as well. It sounds like an easy thing but after Mandy spent about an hour on the phone with Delta last night and the way our boss is playing things it’s anything but.
3. Start making connections in America ASAP. I’ll be moving to Louisa, VA. It’s small town living for me but it has a shelter and there are plenty of other shelters and private rescue groups around. If you know anyone looking for photos in that area, (Richmond or the surrounding areas are also good) let me know please.
4. Get business cards printed and take ads out in the local papers there. It’s all good and well to give back but I’ve got to have some income to make it happen. We already own two cars (already in America) so transport to and from people’s places will be an easy deal, that and I’ll be driving on an International License for the first time in almost 4 years.
5. I also want to branch out and photograph some different animals this year, horses, small rodents, other pets people have, not just the standard dog and cats (although I love them to pieces).
6. I’ll also be investing in some new equipment. A new computer, lens and lighting options are top of the list at this stage and even though I’m against the whole backdrop idea for shelter animals, I can see it being used for certain projects elsewhere.
7. Make another portfolio book of my work. I have a couple of my earlier work, but things have changed a lot since those were put together, it’s also a nice keepsake if nothing else and I’ve been honored to work with some amazing animals.
So that’s my plan for 2012. As far as New Year’s Resolutions are concerned…… I’d like another dog (and maybe cat) to be added to our household. If our house is built by the end of 2012 it might just happen, or that whole ‘the world is going to end thing’ might just come true and I’ll be bitterly disappointed!
Happy 2012 everyone, I’m sure it’s going to be an epic one!
Sorry there are no photos with this post.
Nope I lie, here’s a few cute ones of Hope, sporting her new Angry Birds shirt Mandy bought in Seoul, South Korea. That dog has more new clothes than me!
