2010 February | ESSENTIAL IMAGERY, Philadelphia photographer

Monthly Archives: February 2010

GINGER AT THE LOFT

I’m learning so much about dogs while becoming the latest and greatest Philadelphia pet photographer. Did you know? Corgis are smart, friendly, and people-oriented. They’re also herding dogs — good to know if I’m ever stuck with a few hundred sheep — and have a fierce drive when playing games which mixes well with their energy and intelligence.

Approximately eight ball pit balls in assorted colors were killed during the making of these pet portraits. This Corgi can kill a plastic ball in one fell swoop of her mighty dog teeth!

Meet Miss Ginger. Such an easygoing, happy happy love of a dog.

Also, Corgis have tongues which photograph exceptionally well. Or maybe that’s just Ginger.

For the record, it was 24 degrees outside with winds of over forty-five miles per hour, or we would have been outside. Instead, we used the loft studio to bust out a quick Pets for Haiti shoot with this adorable Corgi! My fab friend Paulette Dixon (singer-songwriter extraordinaire) got this session as a surprise gift for out-of-town friends while she was dog sitting. (Feel free to copy this idea for all your Philadelphia pet lover-friends, people!)

Ginger is also (my) Hermione’s first canine friend! Most dogs freak Hermione out, as they’re huge compared to her, but Ginger is just about her size, so they got along just fine. (Of course, Hermione proceeded to have an accident in Braxton’s Animal Works an hour later…it’s a proud day nonetheless.)

Oh, and there’s also still time to book a Pets for Haiti portrait shoot, just click here for details. Photographing dogs and cats all over the Philadelphia region has been incredibly fun, and meeting all sorts of pet-lovers has been absolutely fantastic, too. I’d love to meet you, lovely person!

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CONKERR CANCER MILLION PILLOWCASE CHALLENGE

ConKerr Cancer is an organization near and dear to my heart. Based in Wayne, PA, the organization has chapters all over the world. Each chapter is dedicated to providing pillowcases to kids with cancer, causing a case for smiles time and again.

Over the past few years, Essential Imagery has donated photography services, Photoshop lessons, tech support, and a few badly-stitched pillowcases to the organization. (Founder Cindy Kerr made me sew a few pillowcases…let’s just say it isn’t my strong point.)

Now, Conkerr Cancer is proud to announce the 1-Million Pillowcase Challenge, which has the goal of donating one million pillowcases to children suffering in hospitals all over the world. The Challenge is featured in American Patchwork & Quilting with a few of my photos (3 of the 4 in the strip shown), and I hope you’ll participate if you’re a crafty person who enjoys sewing. Or a quilter. Or an average joe who has access to a sewing machine.

The organization brings smiles to kids, whether they’re receiving a pillowcase or making one for someone they love. I’ve seen it happen over and over again. To donate to ConKerr Cancer, click here. To pledge pillowcases for the 1-Million Pillowcase Challenge, click here. And thanks for your support of ConKerr!

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Photographers! If you would like to donate your photographic services to ConKerr Cancer, simply contact the chapter coordinator closest to you. The chapter coordinator can fill you in on when the next sewing events will take place, supply you with the appropriate release forms necessary for ConKerr to use your photographs, and generally prepare you for the sewing day’s events. Your donation of your time and talent is tax-deductible, but it’s also a rewarding and fun experience that helps to spread the nonprofit’s mission far and wide.

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DUCK DUCK GOOSE PETS FOR HAITI

It’s another Philadelphia pet photography session! This one is sponsored by childhood games, beige carpet, and tiny mouse toys filled with catnip. Meet Duck Duck and Goose. Yes, they were named after the favorite game of Kindergartners everywhere, and they’re also the pets of my bestest friends Tim and Chelsea. (Yes, I made them pay for the session so Essential Imagery could donate more money to Doctors Without Borders.) Here they are, rockin’ the Pets for Haiti shoot…

Please don’t be deceived by how utterly adorable Goose looks in the following photos. She may lure you in with her pretty eyes and upside-down playful looks, but you will be clawed and bleeding before you know it. (This pet photography gig is just as dangerous as an Indiana Jones adventure! For real!)

Duck Duck had no real interest in me. She couldn’t be bribed, cajoled, heckled, or otherwise made to do anything she didn’t want to. Which makes her a typical cat.

That last one is 100% Goose. Bad to the bone. Only tolerating humanity because a few humans feed her twice a day. (For the photogs among you, this was shot using available light and the backdrop is the refrigerator.)

As previously mentioned, this was a Pets for Haiti portrait shoot. All Pets for Haiti package proceeds are donated to Doctors Without Borders. For just $65 you’ll receive a 30-minute portrait session for your pet in your home, a 5×7″ metallic photograph of your pet, and inclusion in our Pets for Haiti studio event in early April. To purchase your Pets for Haiti package, just click the link below. We will contact you to set up your pet portrait as soon as possible.

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MONDAY LOVE

This Monday, I’m loving…

#1.) Ingrid Michaelson.

I’m a big fan of listening to CDs on repeat until they simply sink into my brain and become a part of my psyche…I never understand people who constantly download new music without letting the old songs sink in. Ingrid is totally soak-in worthy…gorgeous lyrics, a gorgeous voice…just…gorgeous. Below, ‘The Way I Am’ complete with super-sweet animation.

#2.) Zack Arias’ 365 project.

Great mind, great read, great photos. Apparently it’s ‘use the same adjective to describe things I like’ day. Zack’s work is refreshing, always striving to outdo itself, and to have a photo DAILY is so inspirational…

Go see DedPxl!

#3.) Summer.

Rather, the thought of it, not the reality of it, since that’s obviously not happening.

#4.) Ace of Cakes

Somehow, watching peeps roll fondant and otherwise get crazy with baked goods gets my creative juices flowing. Mary Alice is my favorite, but she’s the manager…ah, irony.

#5.) Haiti relief in the form of muffins.

This month, buy the fresh batter for a dozen muffins to bake at home for $15, and you’ll have donated $15 to Haiti whilst, you know, getting to eat Sweet Potato Muffins. Visit Sweet Jazmines Bakery at 15 Bridge Avenue, Berwyn, PA to get the goods…and pick up the new Essential Imagery brochure while you’re there!

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EXPERIMENTING WITH HERMIONE

Check out my mini-review of the Totally Rad Dirty Pictures plugin for Photoshop!

I’ve been experimenting with the multiple exposure setting on my Nikon just to do a little something different. Since Hermione is a handy dog model and hasn’t joined the Union yet, she works for free. Edited using the Totally Rad Dirty Pictures plugin for Photoshop on top of a single frame.

Such a huge part of my journey as an artist has been trying out new techniques and tools. In this case, I don’t particularly love the results, but it was fun to play. And busting out texture files with ‘exotic’ names doesn’t hurt, either.

As for Dirty Pictures, the Totally Rad team has brought to life a Photoshop plugin that makes creating, changing, and playing with texture incredibly simple. Where prior texture methods required endless changes of blending modes, guessing about suitable textures, and otherwise fiddling with the texturizing process, the Dirty Pictures plugin makes previewing, choosing, applying and adjusting textures a breeze. If you have Photoshop CS3 or CS4 you are in like Flynn! Pick up the plugin on the Totally Rad Actions site. (It’s $149. It’s totally worth it if you’re into textures. Promise.)

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