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Here’s a quick update on February’s pet portrait project.  I finally got a chance to visit NWVS yesterday and was honestly blown away.  They had 53 of the images I shot enlarged – many of them 24″x 36″ – and mounted on hardboard and they are now hanging all over the hospital.  In fact, when I walked in the door yesterday, the always friendly reception team shouted, “There she is!  Welcome to your gallery!”

It is actually pretty rare that once the images/prints have made it into clients’ hands that I get to see what becomes of them.  And even when I do get to see a print hanging on the wall, it’s typically only one or two images.  So to walk into a public space and be greeted by more than a dozen larger than life images I made was rather arresting.  Although I have had a couple of solo shows, each was only 10-12 pieces and because I did all of the selection, matting and framing, I was kind of “over it” by the time the show opened.  In NWVS’s case, they did the selection (though they did ask me for input and for my favorite images, which was lovely), ordered the enlargements from a local lab and then had the mounting done at another local shop.  It has been nearly 2 months since I’ve worked with the images themselves, so there was enough separation that I actually had to remind myself that I had shot them!

My favorite part about the display itself is that they made a point of hanging the staffers’ pet’s portrait in the area where that person worked most often…  The receptionists’ pets are right behind the reception desk.  The doctors’ images are right outside and/or inside their exam rooms, etc.  What a wonderful thing to do for a wonderful staff!

If you have a pet emergency, need a vet, need a veterinary specialist, or just want to see the images in person, get yourself to NWVS Animal Hospital, 16756 Southeast 82nd Drive, Clackamas, OR 97015  (503) 656-3999.  They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will take great care of you and your beloved pet.

I am close to wrapping up what has got to be the most fun photo project to date. Shooting 33 pets in two days puts it high in the ambition list as well!  A project for Northwest Veterinary Specialists, we set up and shot 11 cats and 22 dogs, all owned by hospital staff for their image library and lobby artwork.  To see the highlights, check out the Dog Galleries and the Cat Galleries.  Many thanks to Crystal for the assist and all the devoted pet lovers who helped make the shoots happen and go smoothly!

As previously promised, here is the presentation for REACH Community Development that we recently finished and showed to packed house last week at the Governor Hotel in downtown Portland.  Enjoy!

REACH CDC – A Healthy Community Begins At Home from H2Meyer Photography on Vimeo.

When I left corporate life in June 2007, I made a proclamation of sorts. In my farewell letter I wrote, “… it’s time to simplify and live my values. Focus on having and sharing experiences rather than making money and buying stuff. Biking instead of driving. Taking pictures. Gardening. Raising chickens. Playing with the dogs. Writing letters. Learning new tricks. Climbing rocks. Volunteering. And yes, smelling the roses.”

By November of that year I had covered the list and then some, with the exception of volunteering… Somehow I hadn’t found (made) the time, and wasn’t quite sure who I wanted to work with. That all changed one night while throwing darts at a pub with my husband. A few folks were playing darts next to us, and before long we were getting schooled by a couple of AmeriCorps Vista volunteers.  Turns out one of them had just moved to Portland to work with REACH Community Development.  REACH is Portland non-profit that provides affordable housing, free home repairs for senior and disabled homeowners, and programs to help residents “stay in their housing, raise their standard of living and connect to local resources and opportunities.”

Before long he learned I was a photographer, and I kid you not, his next words were, “Ever do any pro bono work?”  At this point in my young career as a photographer, it seemed ALL I did was pro bono work. But my own words echoed in my head, reminding me of my values and I agreed to shoot an upcoming Community Builders event.

I have been volunteering for REACH ever since, shooting various events and work days throughout the year and sponsoring the 2008 and 2009 Paint & Repair-a-thon. This year, however, marked my first commissioned projects for REACH, and will culminate next week at the REACH Annual Donor Lunch. Each year they do a slideshow or video presentation, and I am honored they asked me to work on the piece this year. Even more exciting for me is the fact that my husband composed and performed a beautiful piano piece for the soundtrack.

As I don’t want to take away from next week’s event, I will wait to post the presentation.  In the mean time, do check out REACH’s website, and if you’re so inclined, sign up as a volunteer or donor.  It will be time/money well spent.  The best part by far, though, is meeting the people who’s lives are directly impacted by REACH’s programs.  The stories are inspiring, moving, and some are nothing short of astounding.

I am so excited about my latest client testimonial that I want to shout it from the rooftop.  Of course, the neighborhood crows could care less, so I’ll post it here, instead.

Craig Nielsen, owner of Shasta Trout sent this along this morning.  We did a complete redesign of their website porting everything to WordPress, adding a lot of new content, and got Craig up and blogging with a couple hours of training.  We also took a few photos to add to the site (one of which was picked up by Klean Kanteen for their new site thanks to our friends at Stickeen), and have been working on several smaller promo design projects as needed.

“It is impossible to recommend H2Meyer more highly.  Their photography, graphic design work and website development have exceeded all our expectations.  Not only were the final products exceptional but the process at each step was a joy, fostering the creativity of all those involved.  H2Meyer is an exceptional value, there may be no better designer at any price!”

Wow! Now that’s a testimonial!!  Thanks again, Craig.  We love working with you!

If you’re looking for the finest Fly Fishing Guide Service on the West Coast, check out Shasta Trout!