Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Today, I need no champagne to feel bubbly. I am so fizzy and filled with giddy goodness that I don't know what to do with myself. I am so tee hee hee and a hoo hoo hoo!
And as an added bonus to an already great day, I improved my photo retouching workflow by a factor of a million. Celebraaaaation. So now instead of spending literally ALL DAY to process a couple hundred photos, I've got it down to about an hour or so. Let's say two. I'd like to get it down to one hour at most, which would include the post-processing of selected raw files, optimizing them for the 1. blog (including watermark) 2. the client proofing section and 3. the portfolio site, all of which need to be re-cropped to different aspect ratios, and resized to different dimensions. This is what's kind of making things clunky for me right now, having to re-crop and resize the same photo 3 different ways.
Today's featured pet is Ms. Kitty, the proud owner of Grumperina and Husband.
One thing that I've found a little challenging when shooting cats is their natural inclination to do absolutely nothing. Veebs is especially great at doing nothing, especially when you want him doing something. One of my favorite poses well-known to all cats is the "loaf" pose, where they tuck all their limbs underneath their bodies, front legs and paws curled over the chest so they look like they're sitting on their own flotation devices, tail wrapped closely around the side. Push them out into open water and they're ready to set sail!
But however much I like it, there is really only so long one can continue taking photos of the loaf pose. All angles can quickly be covered when the cat's not moving. Thus, the cat must be engaged, whether she likes it or not. Usually they don't, but the cat must move. The cat. Must. Play.
Or not.
Pretty please? Pretty please with a mouse on top?
Yessss....yessss! You know what to do, Kitty, you know what to do!
Such a very very VERY BAD MOUSE!
So on any other day it might have been nap time, but today for a little while we were able to make it play time...
And the shoot ended with a pretty pose.
I had a ton of fun on this shoot; there were some bust-out laughing moments as we tried to get a sometimes apathetic Kitty to participate. So thank you Kitty!
Filed Under: Pet Photography
Monday, January 19, 2009
I love ya, tomorrow. You're only a daaaaay aaaaaa-waaaaaaaay....
Filed Under: Life
Friday, January 09, 2009
Dudes. Thank you so much for all the input on the logo. I do love the first, original logo too. I think it's so great that just about everyone picked that one. Not only does it affirm what I already know I like, it also confirms that you CAN tell what's been done by a pro vs one done by a me, even though the logo is so, so simple. It's obvious yet indescribable.
I know I was totally over thinking it. I do a lot of that these days. I don't know up from down, black from white. Everything just rolls under the general category of: Is It Good?! Dunno! The brain is all fog. I got my first paycheck a few months ago, and after the excitement of seeing "FOC Studio" on the check passed, I wanted to tear it to shreds because I was sure the customer actually hated my prints and wished she had never hired me. All of these junior high school emotional theatrics is exhausting and highly annoying, especially to Duck who has to talk me down from a ledge over other day. A very small ledge though, maybe only about yea-high, but a scary ledge nonetheless.
For now I'll cut myself some slack since this is all brand-new to me, and soon enough I'll be able to navigate my way through it. I know I will. Although there are many unseen roadblocks coming, nothing was ever a bigger roadblock than not knowing my true passion in life. So really, I'm already a million steps ahead. It feels SO. GOOD.
Anyway. Here are some photos I took today of Veebs as I was waiting for lunch to heat up. Veebs was hanging out on the butcher block (which I hate but what can you do, cats always get their way), I bent down to scratch my ankle and when I looked up, the sun was in my eyes. I slowly stood up until Veeb's head blocked the sun, and his ears became pointy little silhouettes, outlined in gold. And then I knew what time it was. It was lens flare time!
I call this "VanBuren Cat, Superstar"
This one is "Sunrise Over Ayers Rock"
If God were a cat, this is what we would see if we tried to look Him in the face (apologies for the sacrilege).
Now my eyes really hurt.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Filed Under: Pet Photography
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
In my real job, I'm a web developer/programmer (though very lite on the programming these days. Thank god). When it comes to getting my portfolio site up and running, people assume that I would want - and would like - to build it on my own. And the truth is, Ugh. It takes a lot of time, and time is money which am I more than willing to spend in order to have more time. Also, I kind of dislike my real job. Why would I do it without getting paid?
As it is, I spent months just researching what and which to buy. There is vast array of "website boutiques" that specialize in supplying online galleries for photographers - whether as ready-made templates, customizable templates, or from scratch. The kicker for me is that most of these sites are rendered in Flash. Flash and me go way back. We are arch enemies, for many reasons. Reason #1 is that they usually interfere with usability, because they're too busy being hypersexualized. I don't have a second to waste waiting for your stupid animation to load. Time is money, remember? And why must there always be a jukebox? Why?
Alas, I cannot avoid the flash. But I do find a template that has an html version along with the flash version, so I am appeased. Luckily the flash part is not obnoxious or difficult to navigate. In any case I'm glad there's a choice. Now that that small drama has been settled, I'm coming up against the next point of indecision.
I'm using a version of the logos my graphic artist friend designed for me several months ago. There is no horizontal room to have the cat image and text on one line, given the layout of the site, so I rearranged it some. Here it is as it appears on the temporary About page.
I like having the background of the site all white, and I really like that the cat is in negative space. But is it silly to have a logo that says "fat orange cat" while you have a fat white cat? I really don't want to reverse the colors - have an orange background, orange, cat, white text - as I think it would be too much.
So here's another option:
There's the orange cat.
Or this option maybe. It's more of a call-out, extra emphasis on the orange cat.
I do like the white font.
Opinions?
Decisions, decisions. If I've learned anything so far, it's that this path to business success is totally riddled with potholes of indecisions.
Filed Under: Pet Photography
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Pattern: Trinket scarf by Kim Hargreaves, from the book Amber
Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Hurricane, 2 balls
Needles: US2 and US6
This scarf has been on my radar ever since it first appeared on KH's site as a kit (single pattern and yarn sold together) - ruching I love you!! - but I never went for it because it was so expensive. It has now been published as part of her winter collection in the book Amber. I started immediately as soon as I had the book and the yarn in my little hands.
It's been a long while since I've worked with KSH and I was shocked at how much the price had increased. The pattern calls for 3 skeins and I dunno, maybe I was in a budget-y mood that day in the yarn store, but I really was not about to drop $45 for mohair materials, no matter how badly I loved the scarf. So I bought 2 balls instead, which worked out fine because I didn't want my scarf so long anyways.
It also didn't work out fine because as the sloppiest knitter in the world, I didn't leave enough yardage to complete the frills. They are not at maximum ruffled capacity.
Still looks good though. Thanks Veebs!
Filed Under: Completed Projects
Monday, January 05, 2009
I present to you the Anders0n Co0per of the Kittycat Kingdom:
Your blue eyes kitty, they pierce my soul. It hurts, kitty, it hurts. She's giving Bunny and Veebs a serious run for their photogenic money.
Don't tell them I said that. Thanks.
Filed Under: Pet Photography
Saturday, January 03, 2009
VanBuren's New Year resolution was to play more. Get active, move around some, rediscover his inner kitten. I took him up on it and volunteered to help him train. We started light with a toy his grandmother gave him for Christmas - an uncontroversial plastic ball with a little bell inside.
Veebs stood at the bottom of the stairs while I rolled the ball down. The idea was for him to extend his arm and catch it. Work on his reflexes/hand-eye coordination.
The only part of his body that moved were his eyeballs.
We tried another tactic to see if it would be more enticing - me rolling the ball up to him. Again the idea was for him to catch it.
He did not catch it. He did not catch on.
Perhaps it was just too much stimuli, or he was shy, or he wanted to play on his own terms. So I left the ball in front of him and crept upstairs, leaving him to his own devices.
A few seconds later...
Score!
Filed Under: Cats | Pet Photography
Monday, December 29, 2008
Hope everyone had or is having a restful, peaceful holiday. We spent the last several days binge eating and drinking, and then when we got home we spent 7 hours or so binge TV-watching. 8 episodes of Dexter Season 2, back to back to back to back. To back. I feel utterly gross.
I'm spending some time now trying to cross out items from my mile-long to-do list. There are so many details to take care of that I'm pretty much overwhelmed. I don't know where to start, I can't make up my mind, I want to push off final decisions for another day. I've learned that I'm really good at putting things off. So here I am, painfully oozing towards the finish line like some obese snail that's run out of slime, but I'll get there. It's gonna be ugly, but I'll get there.
So I'm going through all my photos for ones that will go into the portfolio (which will be ready as soon as I decide on a template...), and thought I'd share just some of the many, oh so many photos that don't make the cut. While there are plenty - due to bad lighting, bad composition, blurriness, whatever - these are a few that particularly pain me because I feel the potential for really good photo was there, and I either couldn't get my camera to work for me in time, or my eyes didn't see what was directly in front of me.
Exhibit 1: Energetic dog doing what she loves
I crouched to the ground, threw a stick, Sadie ran for it, and before I could bring the camera up to my face, she was already back. That dog is lightening covered in fur. I couldn't focus in time. You can see the stick is falling out of her mouth and she's ready for more. I probably should have just thrown the stick while holding the camera to my face with the other arm (camera+lens is HEAVY though). Or, I could have thrown the stick farther. Or, I could have gotten her owner to stand behind me and throw the stick. I should have. Whatever method, this blurry shot was the only one I took. I wish I had tried again, but for some reason, I didn't.
Lesson learned: Enlist owner's assistance; See the shot you take.
Exhibit 2: Energetic dog is funny
Bob was chewing his squishy toy, and snorting, looking at me with those eyes. He was clearly very happy with his toy, and I couldn't stop laughing, which is a surefire way to get blurry photos.
Lesson learned: Keep up and don't laugh. Not too hard anyway.
Exhibit 3: Cross-eyed cat cocks head
Looking at this photo I weep at what could've been. This is one of the very first shots I took of Tilly. I was still adjusting my camera and whatnot, and set the little shiny toy just there in preparation. Too soon, too soon! She immediately jumped onto the chair and performed a wonderful impersonation of her own bobblehead doll. All the cute exploded everywhere. And I wasn't ready for it.
Lesson learned: Only entice pet with favorite toy after you're prepared to shoot.
Exhibit 4: Black lab with sailboat
I look at this photo and I'm like, What. Did. I do. I've made a dead bush the main focus of the shot. Unlike the Sadie photo that I didn't retake, I did retake this, 5 times, 5 slightly different angles. And the ridiculous bush was there each time. I was so excited to have a black lab, the water, and a little sailboat in the same frame that my mind just selectively cropped out the bush. That's the only reason I can give. I also wish I had posed the dog some - have her sit on the sand and looking out towards that sailboat in the nearby distance, and shoot from the back.What a serene picture that would have made.
Lesson learned: You want to be a pet photographer, not a dead bush photographer.
Filed Under: Pet Photography
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