Things I See- Pooch Panache! (Warsaw IN Pet Photography)

While I believe every dog gives you the "sad face" look in the tub, I don't think anyone can say these dogs aren't enjoying themselves while they get the royal grooming treatment from Lori of Pooch Panache Mobile Dog Grooming! I got the opportunity to ride along for a day and photograph Lori work her magic on dogs who needed everything from just a bath to the complete overhaul! Not only is it fascinating work, but it is quite physical! Her clients' owners clearly appreciate her talent, and as you can see from Teddy giving her a kiss, her clients do too!

To see more from my day with Pooch Panache, visit our proofing gallery here!

Django

Love this face. We didn't think we wanted him, but he has wormed his way into our hearts.

Farewell to Lizy

Lizy was Sam's dog, and I had never seen a pet quite so attached to a human before. We decided to do some personal photos with her before we said goodbye forever. We miss you every day, Lizy. We know Duke was waiting for you. ~Naomi

Things I See- Why film? (Warsaw, IN Film Photographer)

To say I'm passionate about film is an understatement right now... I'm practically living and breathing it, and loving every minute of it!! About every other person I talk to asks me the "Why film?" question, and I'm pretty certain I give a different rambling answer each time- I love the look. It's required me to learn to be a better photographer. I just feel different when shooting film. I love the minimal process. I've always shot film, I'm just finally seeing why I loved it all these years.

I finally realized the real reason I am doing it, even though it is expensive, frustrating, exhilarating, etc, etc, ETC, is because I finally truly feel like an artist. I'm doing something that is almost elemental, and it has caused me to pause, and to truly consider everything. And I couldn't be more in love!!

 
This is my "newest" film camera. I actually bought it via FaceBook (not for the faint of heart) and it was a real steal!! From the moment I shot my first frame I KNEW this was MY camera!! It's manual, which means I have to do everything myself, and I love the connection I have to making it all work. I had gone through some frustrating moments earlier this year with various issues in different cameras- and so I shot 2 rolls of personal work, and 1 roll of professional work, and mailed them off to the FIND Lab with my heart in my throat!

I cried when I got these scans back... and not because they were that bad, but because they were that good! I could hardly believe this was my film work! (I didn't even know for sure if the camera worked! And I shot it without a light meter even!)

You can see the link above for the pro work, and here below is some of my personal rolls. I was made to shoot this camera...

Things I See- Our doggies (Warsaw, IN Pet Photographer)

Some of my personal posts are way more personal than others. This would be one of them. Our dogs are our "kids". We don't have kids yet, but we sure do use our dogs as practice! When we lost Duke over a month ago, we decided to dedicate more time to photographing our dogs. It felt like we just didn't have enough moments of them. So here's a compilation of several outing where we grabbed the film camera and took them for some fun. ~Naomi

 They love splashing around in the creek, so we had to include that in our day trips!

Things I See- Django Karth! (Warsaw IN Pet Photographer)

I'll admit- it's been a rough 7 months. Sam's Grandpa, an amazing and irreplaceable force in our lives, passed away. Then we lost our precious senior cat, Quarter, to cancer. Then just a month ago our beloved Duke, a pitbull you couldn't help adore, was also lost to cancer.

We had talked about getting another dog, and decided to wait. Quarter's vacant place was filled because a friend messaged me on Facebook, having a homeless senior cat who needed a place to go- and that was how we ended up with Jedi. But we thought we'd try to live with just the two dogs...

Until Saturday, when some friends called us because they couldn't keep a stray terrier they had found. When we arrived to pick him up, we discovered he was a puppy! (I'm not a big fan of house training, etc and had vowed no more puppies- there are plenty of adult dogs who need adopted!) Well, it did not take long for this little guy to worm his way into our hearts- like 10, 15 seconds, tops!

And so, we now have Lizy, Miles, and Django Karth, in our troop of fuzzy "kids".

The thing is... he needed us... But we needed him too.

Welcome, Django! Thanks for helping us laugh! ~Naomi

Duke- Pet Photos (Warsaw, IN Pet Photographer)

Duke was the winner of our Doggie Photo Contest! We had a lot of fun taking his photos, because he is definitely cute, and has a ton of personality!

 I love this one where he is sneaking Mommy a kiss!

 And because Melissa & Zech are expecting, we took a few snaps of just them! Congratulations, you guys! We are so excited to meet Sadie in a couple months!!

Congratulations, Dukie! We had a blast meeting you and hope your "parents" love your photos! ~Naomi

Love is...

having a home that loves you...

Despite your faults...

Hot Dogs Contest Winners! (Indiana Pet Photographer)

Drumroll please, for the winners of our dog photography contest!!!

First Place- Duke!

 

2nd place- Remy!

 

The Cutest Award goes to Cash!

Thanks to everyone who voted & especially those who entered! Winners will be contacted shortly!

Samuel & Quarter (Indiana Pet Photographer)

This is a bittersweet post. My husband and I have a lot of cats. In some ways, as Sam describes it, it is like two "cat ladies" married each other! Yes, it is weird, but we cannot seem to say "NO!" to a needy cat. We have two gangs in our household- the Oldies, and the Kittens. Four in each group. One of our oldest is Quarter. Quarter is fourteen this year, and I have had her in my life since she was less than a week old.

I can still remember it like yesterday- the neighbor boy knocked on our door, and asked if we had kittens. In the chill of October he had found 4 baby cats, crawling across our lawn! So we didn't have kittens, and then we did! I took all four in, and bottle fed them. Unfortunately, kittens can be incredibly fragile, and being left outside in the cold for who knows how long took its toll. Quarter was the only one to survive, and that was how she earned her name!

Fast forward ten years, and a man enters my life too. A man I can't live without. A man that Quarter has attached herself to, in a way I'd not seen before. She will sit on his chest if he is sitting down. If he stands up, she wraps arms around his neck, and just goes where he goes. A friend introduced us to the possibility of her having Burmese in her, and after reading about the breed, we have no doubt! They are known as the "monkeys" of the cat world, and since then Sam has called her "His Monkey".

Fourteen alone is a decent life for a cat, but about two years ago another complication was added to Quarter's life. She was diagnosed with gingivastomatitis (which is not like gingivastomatitis in humans). In cats, it is not cureable, and treatments are often short-lived options. Basically, it is like her gums are allergic to the tartar on her teeth. We've got her on steriods to help with the inflammation and pain, but it often feels like we're just slapping a band-aid on it. Her latest flare-up was bad. She developed an ulcer in her mouth & we didn't know it until she yawned one day while sitting on Sam's lap! Her vet recommended a steriod injection, which has helped, but we worry about how long this can continue. So at my suggestion, Sam let me do a little photo session with him & His Monkey. Here are some of the results. ~Naomi

Dog Days of Summer Contest! (Warsaw, IN Pet Photographer)

Running a little contest to keep the summer momentum going! Rules are simple- prizes are awesome!

How to enter: Either email your dog's photo to me or post it on our Facebook wall. Include dog's name, age, breed, and why he/she is the coolest dog ever! (Please note, if you post to our FB page I will remove the photo & be putting it in our Contest album. So be sure everyone "likes" the one in the album!)

How to win: Get your friends, parents, relatives, enemies, coworkers to "like" your photo! We'll be counting up all the likes on Sun Aug 21 at noon, then announcing the winners! Two prizes will be awarded to the photos with the most "likes", then we will also be having a prize for the "Cutest Dog Award" which will be selected by two judges (not me)!

What you could win:

Grand Prize:

Doggie & Me Photography Session from Double K!

1 hour session, just you & your canine friend, 

All photos released to you on disc!

Valued at $75, must be scheduled within 2011, and take place in Kosc Co.

2nd Prize:

 Puppy Prize Package from Pooch Panache Mobile Grooming!

Contains 1 dog collar cover, 3 treat samples, 

3 poop bag capsules, a pair of "petal" bows, and a dog "sucker" treat!

Valued at $10, donated by Pooch Panache!

Cutest Dog Award:

Customized Organic Bloom Photo Frame,

Olive in color, 5x7 sized!

Valued at $25!

Winner will be selected by two judges!

So upload that photo & get going on those "LIKES"!!