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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!

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.

A quick thought just popped into my head about how much I enjoy proving to people that they are photogenic… not models, of course, but every day people… I started with friends and family and quickly learned that with the right lighting and angles, people truly are transformed. But the real fun comes with showing them the shot, right on the camera and seeing their faces light up. That is some powerful stuff, seeing someone change the way they see themselves right before your eyes. They also know that since they’re seeing it right after it was shot that no manipulation has taken place…

The other real joy comes with “seeing” the minutiae and finding beauty in the mundane, both of which have been greatly enhanced by my beloved macro lens, the AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED. The katydid shots below are a prime example.

Drumming Katydid (Meconema Thalassinum)

Well, once again I’ve let being busy get in the way of my blogging.  This has to be a quickie, as I have an appointment to get to…  Short version:  I found a drumming katydid (Meconema Thalassinum) on the ceiling of our front porch the other day.  I brought her in and made a cozy mason jar condo for her and went to plotting how best to capture her likeness.

The next day I let her out and she immediately took to the gorgeous bouquet of flowers my husband had brought home.  Wind and lack of colorful flowers marred our outdoor shoot, but the images in the kitchen window light turned out great.  More to come – I’ll post a link when I get the gallery up on PhotoShelter.

In the mean time, there are lots of other new galleries posted!

EXIF:  Nikon D700 | 1/250 s | f/9.0 | ISO 320 | Nikon AF-S Micro VR 105mm f/2.8