It’s time again for the Beautiful Beasties international pet photographer blog circle.  ”Something New” is our theme this week.

I drove up to the Cowichan Valley to visit the beautiful SPCA facility near Duncan to take some photographs of their adoptable dogs and cats. As a member of HeARTs Speak I proudly donate my services to helping animals attract their new person or family.  Some lucky people are going to enjoy the future company of these beautiful beasties!  Some of the cats come with over 8 years of experience being cute and cuddly, and these dogs will melt your heart. If you’re in the market for a new fur baby contact them directly at the Cowichan and District Branch.

Next up is the very talented Sue Collura Studio, Massachusetts.

… bring May flowers.  That’s the theme this week on the Beautiful Beasties international pet photographer blog circle and it’s starring me, Maddie!  Here’s me under the Quince bush where the petals are already starting to drop. Aren’t I pretty?

Now I’m supposed to remind you to check out Dog Photographer in Westchase, FL – Emma Grace Pet Photography and to follow all the links until you find your way back to where you started.

Until next time

Our Beautiful Beasties blog circle theme this week is Spotlight. I took my model of the month, Buddy (who also celebrates his Gotcha day today!!), and my small reflector on location to one of Victoria’s national historic sites, Fort Rodd Hill. We only got as far as the parking lot because it’s not pet friendly but you get a hint of what’s there in the background. The effect of the small reflector bouncing the sun onto his face looks a bit like off camera fill flash, but really it’s low-tech. This image was in my blooper pile but it makes me laugh so I decided to share with you.  I hope you enjoy it too.

And because this is a special day, here is his formal Gotcha Day portrait that we took the week before.

Next up let’s visit the very talented Sharon Stokes Photography, Central Coast, Australia to see her interpretation of the theme.

Our international pet photographer blog circle is full of threes this week.  Triptychs are a traditional display of three separate images that flow together to make one larger image, or related images that together tell a story. When I hear the word triptych I immediately think of medieval artworks usually depicting religious subjects. That’s just art history class lingering after all these years! That’s not what was intended, but I took my own personal “god of frolic” Buddy to one park on one evening where he pulls off three distinct looks. Had to take advantage of the old prayer flags for this assignment even if it was his least favourite part of the session.

Note his various ways of expressing “I can’t believe you’re making me stand here when I have so much sniffing to do!”

By the way April is Buddy month! He’s Mr April in the Dog Bless Rescue Partners 2013 calendar and his Gotcha Day is coming up soon. Check this blog and my Facebook page for more Buddy this month.

Now travel back to San Francisco Pet Photographer- Share The Joy Photography to see what Barbara has in store for us.

Anna is a super soft, sweet, seven year old rabbit similar to a Jersey Wooly. A Jersey Wooly is a cross between a Netherland Dwarf rabbit, the smallest rabbit breed, and an Agora, the furriest. The combination makes for a small rabbit with the Angora hair without the need for maintenance because it doesn’t continue to grow out like a regular Angora rabbit.  Kind of like a Labradoodle.  She loves dandelions and getting lots of attention from her human.

We’re back with the Beautiful Beasties international pet photographer blog circle and our theme this week is Lines. For your consideration, the curvy lines of a kitty’s whiskers.

Be sure to visit the talented Barbara Brady-Smith of Share the Joy Photography to see her take on the Lines theme, and follow all the links until you’re back where you started.

Our theme this week is Run on the international pet photographer blog circle.  It was a running dog that inspired the Unleashed! name, and action shots are some of my favourite pet portraits.  I always try to incorporate some of these images whenever a session allows for it.  The resulting funny faces and fancy footwork capture a part of a canine personality that isn’t always obvious from a static posed photography.

Here’s Buddy running toward me, taking a giant leap up onto the deck with only one paw on the ground:

Let’s head down the west coast to Share The Joy Photography in the San Francisco East Bay and see Barbara’s interpretation of this theme. Be sure to follow all the links until you end up back where you started.

This week on the international pet photographer blog circle our theme is Man’s Best Friend and our mission is to show the bond between a grown man and his dog. For this theme I issued my first ever model call and got some amazing responses from guys who love their canine companions and weren’t shy to show the world!  I really only had time to do one session and had a tough time choosing just one man/dog couple.  All the applicants were worthy and you might be seeing them in the future.

There were two things that made The Chosen One stand out amongst the rest.  One was a photo of him on the floor snuggling with his sleeping dog under a blanket. Didn’t look entirely comfortable but adorable!  The other was a snippet of the email he sent:

Our strategy is to win based on the strength of “Mutual Adoration” between said man and dog, a love affair at times perceived by outsiders as worthy of hurling one’s lunch all over the carpet.

Sounded perfect!

Short of making you losing your lunch, I hope I have captured even a hint of the bond these two share. They absolutely adore each other.

Next along the blog circle, visit Maryland Pet Photographer, KRS Images – I bet Kathy has a great post for this theme! Be sure to follow all the links until you get back to your starting blog.

International pet photographer blog circle time!  This week our theme is Shoes. Beckham and his lady friend were happy to oblige. Becks provides a bit of colour in our monochromatic setup.

Next up visit Barking Lab Studio, Princeton New Jersey dog photography.  Remember to follow all the links until you get back to where you started.

If you’re also a pet photographer, or even if you aspire to be one, you’ve probably heard of the Beautiful Beasties resource website which launched last summer.

I did a few guest posts on the Beautiful Beasties blog. Each is a tutorial walking through easy digital editing techniques and it’s time I shared them here.  Click on the image or the link below to read up about easy textures, simple vintage, and ear surgery!

Textures

Vintage

Body Parts