More Pets!

Because, you know, we thought you were dying for more cuddly animal photos. But really, I'm not sure why Jen thought this was a good topic for the week:  I only have hundreds of photos of my furry friends, and that's hardly enough to base a blog post on. Seriously.

Louis, Sleeping

One of my favorite parts of photographing animals is catching them in a moment that's completely unplanned.  Those moments where I have gone out with the express purpose of taking a photo of a pet, but instead happened to have a camera in my hand or nearby when the pet in question did something unbearably cute.

Of course, for the chihuahua featured in our first photograph, unbearably cute is his natural state.  My father's chihuahua was cuddled up next to my leg when I noticed how adorable his little paws were stretched out in front of him.  It was a difficult shot to get really, since I had to lean around and engage in some acrobatics to get it (I'm actually facing the same direction as the dog in the chair). But, yeah, it was worth it, and I really like the composition that feels like you can reach out and squeeze a paw yourself.

Avi Roar!

This second picture was taken shortly after I discovered my cat Avi (who has since moved on, sadly) playing in the monkey grass.  Technically, I think he was yawning in this photo, but it's all about timing.  You'd never know without being told (oops) that he was fearsomely roaring.

I also really like the vivid colors of this photo, with the green standing out so nicely against Avi's black, silver and cream colored fur.  The clarity of the photo, with each of his hairs distinguishable was also a pleasant surprise, since I was shooting on a camera prone to blur at the time.

Thelma in the Snow

In this next photograph, I was actually romping in the snow myself, when I notice our family dog, Thelma doing the same.  Then, she paused at the top of our deck and surveyed her kingdom.  Click.  It was just too perfect to pass up really. I love this shot, particularly for how poised and elegant Thelma looks.  For anyone who knows my dog could tell you that she's anything but. However, for this photo she sets aside her rather comic perpetual puppy nature and decides to be a model. I also enjoy the composition of the photo, the direction of Thelma's gaze drawing our eye to the line of snow covered railing, and the wintery landscape adds a certain softness to the photograph.

And, we have time for one last photo before our weekend break.  This last photograph really illustrates my point about how fun it is to catch a pet just being himself.  I give you.... Sebastian!

~FIN~