“The one absolutely unselfish friend that humans can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts them, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous is their dog.”
George Graham Vest, Senator of Missouri, 1855
I was considered lucky to be able to grow up with a dog. However, my first pet was a hamster named Bernie. He was the greatest little creature but he has never met the love I have for my dog Missy. We first got Missy when I was in 5th grade. She was 5 weeks old when we picked her out from the litter of puppies and took her home with us. Missy is now a little over 13 years old and in my eyes, has been the greatest dog. Growing up she was always by my side. She has always slept at the foot of the bed and kept my feet nice and warm :) As an only child, it was always nice to have someone there. Just to be there, nothing else. I feel like she has always known her purpose as probably most dogs do. Dogs know their owners and feel a sense of loyalty to them. Missy has been nothing short of a faithful companion, and has always been a fun and loving dog. She is currently very sick and will probably not be with us much longer. It is a fact that I’m learning to accept but I know that when the time comes it won’t be easy. She is truly a part of our family.
They say that the history of humans and dogs coexisting goes as far back as 15,000 years. Studies have shown that the co-evolution of dogs with humans created a set of cognitive abilities between the two that makes the bond between humans and dogs unique. Our connection with them is special and that is probably why they are the most common pet in the world. We take them into our homes and they naturally become part of the family. Many clients ask us if we are willing to photograph their dogs. Of course! After all, they are a part of the family! Their lives our much shorter than ours and so capturing them in photos is a great way to remember them. Unfortunately, I just met with a client of ours that recently had to put her beloved pet to sleep. It was completely unexpected. The dog’s health rapidly started to decline right after their photo shoot. But guess what? Both of their dogs were at the shoot that day. Ironically, they had decided to have photos taken just 2 weeks prior. As sad as it was to show her the photos, I was glad that we could capture their four legged best friend with the whole family. This is what makes photographing so rewarding, to help people remember their loved ones, including their dogs.
Today was announced as Spirit Day by GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) and people are encouraged to wear purple in honor of the teenagers who have taken their own lives in recent weeks because of anti-LGBT bullying. Why the color purple? Well…the color purple symbolizes ‘spirit’ on the rainbow flag. We should take a stand against gay bullying and wear purple to remember the those who have taken their lives.
This blog is dedicated to Kimberly Ponsky (Shilo)…
Many of us probably don’t like interacting with our bosses on a daily basis, however today is the day we recognize them for all that they do. Just to give you a quick fact on the day, Boss’s Day was officially announced in 1962 by Otto Kerner, the governor of Illinois. Today is meant for you to show your appreciation for your boss and thank them…so go do it! Ok, it’s Saturday, so maybe give a belated thank you on Monday :)
As I have said before, Kim doesn’t like the word BOSS. That in of itself describes her as my “boss”. She sees us more as friends who have a working relationship with one another. I guess I would say the same thing too. I’m not the type of person of who likes to get all dazzled up for work. I mean, I like to look nice but a suit and a pair of heels are left for interviews in my book. I’m also not the type of employee that likes to sit behind a desk behind a 4 sided, grey cubicle with no windows (who does?) I know that the dress code and environment that I just described does exist for many of you in the working world and I’M SOOO SORRY! Just to rub it in…on an average day at the studio, I get to wear a comfortable pair of jeans, cute top, cool boots or sometimes in the winter, which is just around the corner, I get to pull out my favorite pair of Uggs. I walk into a warm and inviting space, where although I don’t have windows, I do have a big space to work in with a Macbook Pro on a fun IKEA desk and I can listen to Pandora (without headphones!) and have lunch from Presti’s while editing photos :) If I need to take a day or two off last minute, not a problem. Need to come in late, not a problem either. Oh and she also brings me delicious treats, like Prestis’ famous doughnuts…yummm! The only reason I get to do or have those things is because of Kim.
For those of you who don’t know Kim, let me tell you a little about her.
She is:
nice, funny, outgoing, caring, charismatic, smart, personable, considerate, ambitious, flexible, generous, honest, optimistic, patient, kind, loving, encouraging, forgiving, talented, appreciative, energetic, confident, understanding, respectful, fashionable, and beautiful from the inside out.
Thank you Kim for all that you do and for just being you! and for the sake of the holiday, Happy Boss’s Day!
A couple weeks ago, a sweet little girl came into our studio FULL of smiles. She had no fear of being in front of the camera and it was an absolute joy having her here. But the reason we decided to post this blog is to let you see that brides aren’t the only ones that can wear white around here! For many of you who have come in for family portraits, specifically newborn photo sessions, we typically use the black background and recommend that mom and dad wear black. We do this because we want the focus to be on your face and not on the clothes that you are wearing. We’re portrait photographers, not fashion photographers :) We want you to feel your best and we’ll take care of making sure you look your best! So for those of you who sometimes wonder and ask if you can wear white on white, the answer is YES! Even if you use bleach to wash your clothes, I promise that our background will still be whiter and your clothes will show up! But what will show up even more, are the smiles, the laughs, the expressions and beauty of the child or family…our goal is to capture you and only you. White on white is simple but unique and your photos will always be one of a kind.
This past weekend I decided to surprise my best friend in Seattle. Now you might think I’m crazy for booking a ticket all the way across the country to see someone that may or may not be there, BUT my sneaky self contacted her boyfriend on Facebook months in advance. I have never met him but I figured if my friend is dating him he must be trustworthy. For the past 2 months he kept it a secret and informed me of her schedule. And since he works with her, he was able to get me into the building. I was arriving mid day, so the surprise took place right at her office. She was scheduled for a meeting around that time but luckily it was canceled and we found her just sitting at her desk working on her computer. Her glass door was closed and her back was facing me, the only thing left to do as my heart was pounding was to knock on the door. The look on her face was PRICELESS. At first it didn’t seem like she recognized me and then her jaw just dropped. She said “It was a surprise of a lifetime”. I’m so glad I was able to visit with her and explore the magnificent city of Seattle. It was truly breathtaking. It has the busy scenes of a big city and yet if you drive 20 minutes out you are surrounded entirely by nature. My 3 day trip included visiting Pike Place Market, Snoqualmie Falls, riding up to the top of the Space Needle, taking a boat ride around the San Juan Islands and watching Orca whales and of course I got some home brewed Starbucks coffee :)
Oh and for those of you who think Seattle is a rainy city, it very well might be, but it was beautiful while I was there and I only saw rain as my plane was landing in…CLEVELAND. I hope these photos give you a glimpse of how beautiful Seattle is and how great of a time I had. Enjoy!
this was the sunset from my friend's balcony...just breathtaking
yes...the sky was this blue
Snoqualmie Falls
Downtown Seattle
Shamu in his natural habitat
San Juan Islands
Sunset from Deception Way
