Lazy Sunday for a Cat Nap



I stopped by a friend's home yesterday after volunteering at the JCA Shelter. It was a rainy gray day, perfect for a cat nap. Several of her cats were indeed napping but decided to come out to play and pose for me.

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter 4-4

This week when I arrived at the Jefferson Animal Shelter to photography animals available for adoption I found we had had 7 animals adopted. I'm always amazed at the number of adoptions we have considering Port Townsend is such a small community. Thanks to all the wonderful families that adopted from the shelter this week and gave one of our animals a new home.

New Website with Zenfolio

I launched my new website just before I left for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International workshop last month. The website is a constant work in progress however you will see new information about my business and a lot of updated images from recent portrait sessions. The site offers both a slide show of my favorite images along with a variety of expanding galleries. I'm really pleased with the new features and capabilities this web hosting company provides. As a client or a visitor to my website you now have the ability to pick certain images as your favorites and make comments as well as view your images in password protected folders. I'm working on adding updated folders to show off new products I offer and specifics on pricing for my different sessions. So check out my new website Deja View Photography and let me know what you think.

Amy's Portrait Session

Last spring I photographed Amy's sister's Senior Portrait and a session with her entire family in the fall. This was my first time to work with Amy by herself and she was a natural at modeling for me. I used available window light in my viewing studio for part of the session and the rest was photographed in my studio using my constant lights called Wescott TD-5 Spiderlights. Amy is a lovely young girl and we are planning an additional session outside either in downtown Port Townsend or out at Fort Worden.

Animals Available for Adoption at the Jefferson County Animal Shelter

What a handsome group of dogs and cats just waiting for you at the Jefferson County Animal Shelter. Today was my day to volunteer by photographing all our animals that are currently available for adoption. I was on the floor in the cat room today when Ben leaped up on my one knee to check out my camera, I actually think he was fascinated by the noise my flash made as it recharged. Anyone of our dogs would make a wonderful addition to your family. I could easily take anyone of them home but my dogs Ruby and Max might not want to share their fenced yard. Last Sunday it was raining so this week all the dogs came out for new updated photos. They all did a great job posing as they lifted their noses to smell something unique in the air around the Shelter this morning. Cash did the cutest thing with her ears almost creating a Yoda look. Please call the JCAShelter. 385-3292, for updates on who is available for adoption or visit Petfinder, type in our zip code of 98368 and get more details on each of our animals.

Poisonious Plants in Washington State

The other day my lovely boxer mix "devil dog" Ruby decided to eat the berries off a snow berry bush in my back yard. I panicked and call the Washington State Poison Control only to find they no longer give free advice on animals only people. Since my call to them I have heard there is a chance the regular Poison Control Hotline may have be losing some of its funding due to budget cuts here in Washington. Aleta at Oak Bay Hospital was very helpful with giving me advice on what to do with Ruby. I also did a quick Google search and found a very specific pdf document on Poison Plants of Washington State and have added that link here for anyone to look at. This list is just a reference, for both humans and animals but should never replace calling a physician or veterinary office for specific information.

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter 3-21

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter 3-7

2-28 Animals Available for Adoption at the Jefferson County Animal Shelter

Please call the Jefferson County Animal Shelter at 385-3292 for updates on which animals are still available for adoption. Zadie was adopted this week.

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter

Please consider adopting anyone of these deserving animals. We have had some recent adoptions including Sadie Rose, Bailey, Cinder, Eloise and Tucker. Call the shelter at (360) 385-3292, to check on availability of the other animals on this poster.

New Year, New Look

I have had long hair most of my adult life. Fortunately I have healthy hair so I have donated it in the past and did so again last week. I'm often amazed when I hear about a group of high school students donating their hair since most organizations require atleast 10-12 inches. That's a lot of hair! In the last year I often looked in the mirror and said time for a cut but after getting out the ruler I found I still didn't have the length required.

Last time I donated my hair it went to the American Cancer Society however they no longer accept hair donations. Pantene does not accept hair that is more than 5% gray so that wasn't a resource for me to use. WigsforKids does accept my color hair and requires 12 inches and goes into great detail about how the hair should be prepared for having it cut.

The final cut took off about 14 inches. Thanks to Annette Chaffee at Cuts & Curls here in Port Townsend for doing such a wonderful job helping to create my new look.

Mother & Daughter Portrait

Kam cane to my Port Townsend studio for her Senior Portrait. Her Mother also came along for the session so I took several images of them together.

Love Is In The Air. Seattle Wedding Expo Wedding & Seattle Specialist Websites

I’m planning to attend the Seattle Wedding Expo this weekend January 22 & 23. The show runs from 10-5 pm Saturday and 11-4 pm on Sunday and tickets are $15.00. I'm excited about a meeting I have set up this week to sit down with potential clients to discuss perhaps booking their wedding in May.

I just read on Nordstrom Weddings Facebook page that they are offering FB fans a chance to win a $20,000 head-to-toe wedding style-courtesy of the Wedding Suite at Nordstrom. They are also giving away a $200 gift card ever day until the end of January. The deadline for the contest is also the end of January. If you haven’t visited their website you should Nordstrom Weddings Shop as it is loaded with information for the bride to be along with information on setting up an appointment with one of their Wedding Stylists.

I recently heard that J.Crew  also offers Wedding Specialist services and their website is a wealth of information for the bride to be. Right now they had a 3-day dress sale with some incredible savings on some lovely dresses.

Another great resourse is The Knot which covers everything from planning to wedding attire.

Port Townsend Senior Portraits

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter 01-17

Today was my day to volunteer at the Jefferson County Animal Shelter. We had lots of new animals to photograph this week. Several new dogs including two beagles, Jake the father of young Deacon. Vanessa is a beautiful Calico Tortoiseshell cat and young Cocoa is a sweet puppy. Visit Petfinder.com and type in our zip code 98368 to see all the details on all our animals available for adoption at the shelter (360) 385-3292.

Young Sailor Shipwrecked on Beach in Port Townsend

Young Vance and his brother Bo braved the cool temperatures and winds to have their photography session out at Fort Worden this week.

Deja View-One More Time for the Port Townsend Farmer's Market

Come on by the Farmer's Market one more time to see my gift ideas like the Port Townsend calendars and mini-books on Port Townsend. I still have lots of framed and matted prints, cards and Christmas cards available too. It isn't too late to consider buying a gift certificate to give a portrait session as a holiday present. Giving a gift certificate would make a lovely gift to give to a family member or friend and they can set up a session in the upcoming year.

This will probably be my last market this season however the Farmer's Market does continue for two more weeks. If I miss visiting with you at the market this week I want to thank all my clients for making this year another great year to be a vendor at the Port Townsend Farmers Market. Of course I love to sell my products and introduce prospective clients to my work but I also love visiting with all my regular customers that I become friends with. The whole Market community is a great group of people and vendors that I really find I miss during the months the market is closed. I'm always amazed each week that at 7:30 am on a Saturday morning the street is bare and by 9:30 the whole street is filled with perhaps 65 vendors and as many as 1500 could be walking through the market before it closes that day.

I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season with your family and friends. Best wishes for the New Year and thank you again for your business during the year.

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter 11-22

I'm so glad I went to the JCA Shelter yesterday to volunteer by photographing this weeks animals available for adoption. I couldn't have gone out there this morning since it is snowing here and I'm already stuck in my driveway.

We currently have more adult cats than we have had for a long time at that shelter. This week we have three dogs including Willis, a young Pit Terrier mix puppy. A litter of kittens that had been in foster care was brought in this week. I photographed our three kittens as they were held by Pam, one of our volunteers.
Please give the Jefferson County Animal Shelter at (360) 385-3292 for updates on any of the animals on the adoption poster.

3rd Annual Hair Rock on Catwalk-Sponsored by Posh Hair Salon & Day Spa

This lovely young women, Janell, was one of the models I photographed last Saturday at the Hair Rock on Catwalk held at the Port Townsend American Legion. Posh Hair Salon & Day Salon organized this fund raiser for the Legion's Homeless Shelter. The staff from Posh donated their time and talent to get over perhaps 75 models get ready to walk on the Catwalk. The models were clients of the Port Townsend salon.

I was photographing models in the basement of the Legion and missed the show upstairs. I was having so much fun downstairs photographing some of the large groups and taking candid individual shots. The whole energy level was amazing.  Everyone was having such a great time preparing and practicing for their time on the catwalk. I think I heard that there were over 300 people in attendance and there was a dance held after the fashion show. What a wonderful event, Posh Salon and everyone who helped with the show deserves a great deal of praise for raising money for such a worthy cause. I can't wait to be there again next year.

Please contact me if were one of the models and would like to see of the images I captured. I have them on my website in a password protected folder.

Children Photography in Port Townsend

Bo and his Mom came to the studio last week for Bo's 18 month session.  Bo's Grandma wanted a photograph of Bo similar to the one fellow photographer Frank Ross had taken of his older brother Vance. Frank has relocated to Santa Fe so I was thrilled to be asked to work with Bo to record this special time in his life. I did a series of images with a black backdrop but found the ones with the white background, and more light, gave him more freedom to wonder around the set more and play with his toys and stuffed animal friends.

Mom was very helpful in the studio getting Bo's attention during the session including singing several songs which he loved and reading to him. I'm really looking forward to meeting Vance in a couple weeks for a session with both the boys.

Kodak Moment-Kodak Gallery Commercial (Live Forever)

I'm listening to photographer Dane Sanders from AskDane.com. Tonight he is giving a live presentation podcast from Knoxville. I'm thrilled to be able to watch this as I sit here editing photos for clients and new images to update my website. Tonight's topic is "Finding Your Way" in the photography world.

During his presentation he showed a YouTube Video from Kodak. It was released several years ago and is just as relevant today on why photographs are part of our lives, our whole lives, no matter who we are or what we do. I'm adding the link to the clip, one Kodak Gallery Commercial (Live Forever) long version or the Kodak Gallery Commercial (Live Forever) short version .

If you haven't seen this before it is a really touching video especially for any of us who have lost a loved one and despite their death their memory still survives through photographs. I feel so blessed that I'm a Photographer, I would like to think I do more than just take photos but rather I create memories. Many of my recent family images have reminded me how I have captured a certain time in their lives that they will never have again. It can be a couple celebrating a special anniversary, a family reunion in Port Townsend, pictures of a family gathering where they have came from all the over country to PT  to spread their parents ashes or the joy of an 80th birthday party.  I love what I do and feel I bring something special to my photography business because I understand and value the importance of a photograph.

Wedding Anniversary Portrait Session

It was a joy to have Bob and Phyllis come to my studio on Friday.  They are a lovely couple and Bob brought a whole folder of family photographs to show me including a collection of his favorites of his wife Phyllis smiling. Everyone should be lucky enough to have such an adoring partner. To see two people so much in love with each other after nearly 50 years of marriage brought tears to my eyes. I look forward to photographing them again when we do a more casual pose at their home.

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter 11-8

These are the cats and dogs currently available out at the Jefferson County Animal Shelter. I only had one dog to photograph this week and poor Baby Foxy was shivering this morning being out in the cold rain. Baby Lola, Chester and Amelia are all new residents. Lots of adoptions this last week inclduing someone coming all the way from Seattle to adopt Dixie.

Thanks BuzzWorthySuccess for Signed Copy of Mark Robert Halper's book, Sunlight & Water

Last week I call into BuzzWorthySuccess to listen to a free teleseminar on A Year in Photography-The Trends & What They Mean For Next Year. Their free teleseminar lets you dial in and listen on your phone while typing questions in and sending by email.

I asked a question about all the sales marketing being done by so many different photographers, it turned out that was exactly the next point Jerry was going to make in the seminar. I sent an email asking if I won anything for such a good question and the lead into the next point. To my surprise they actually said yes, proving that it doesn't hurt to ask. The prize was a gift of the new photography book by Mark Robert Halper called Sunlight and Water. The book is of images of Winemakers of Santa Barbara County. It is a lovely coffee table size book with over 100 black and white images. Thank you Jerry and Sondra for having Mark send me a copy of his book. Thank you Mark for this lovely signed copy of your book

Family Portrait Session

The other night the Hemsley family came to my Port Townsend studio to look over family photographs I had taken before their daughter, Breanna left for West Point. It was fun to see which images they decided to pick from each of the different family poses. I photographed Breanna's Senior portrait last year and really enjoyed working with the entire family in the studio this fall.

Pre-Session Consultation with Bo

What a great visit I had meeting Bo and his Mom, Nicki. Bo is 18 months old and right now loves the word ball, we found balls everywhere in the studio. They came to my Port Townsend studio on Friday. First we checked out the studio and Bo had a chance to sit in front of the constant lights while he played with a set of blocks. I took a couple candid images while he was playing and have posted one of those here. I also sat down with Nicki in the viewing studio to go over pricing, we discussed some of the products I offer in my group packages and talked about Bo's upcoming session.

Bo and I had a great time together reading some of the children's books I have in the studio. Sitting down with him on the floor reminded me how much I enjoyed reading to my students when I was an Elementary Teacher while living in Maine. As they left the studio Bo blew me kisses. I can't wait for Bo's portrait session next week.

Senior Portrait Session with Cali at Fort Worden

Despite gray skies and cool temperatures Cali braved the elements to be photographed out at the Fort for her Senior session last Monday. Cali shared with me she actually loves the kind of weather we had that day. I actually wished I had remembered my hat and gloves. The bunker walls at the Fort offer a great variety of backgrounds from pale limestone to moss covered walls and cool old rusty doors.

Working with Mira to Create Seams to Last Holiday Ad

Michelle Grupe, the owner of Seams To Last hired me to photograph one of her clients modeling two cute outfits she sells in her store. The store is on Water Street in Port Townsend and offers a great selection of unique children's clothing.

Mira and her Mom came to the studio and we photographed Mira in several different outfits from Seams to Last. My favorite was the purple outfit with the leggings. I love the cute purses that complimented each outfit. Mira brought along one of her favorite dresses to model and a favorite friend to pose with.  Mira was a natural at posing and we did a lot of laughing and being silly during the session.

11-1 Animals Avaliable for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter

We have several new dogs at the JCAnimal Shelter this week. I went to the shelter yesterday to photograph the new dogs and the couple new cats this week. All the kittens we had were adopted in just a couple days. For updates on availability on all these animals call the JCAS directly at (360) 385-3292.

10-25 Animals Available for Adoption at JC Animal Shelter

Visiting Family in Port Townsend

These two handsome brothers, Jake and Nick were here in Port Townsend to help celebrate their Grandmother's birthday.  I photographed the entire family at Fort Worden State Park on Friday and the boys came to the studio for their portraits the next day. I was struck by what a nice relationship they have with each other and I hope I captured that in this image. Everyone should have a big brother like Jake.

Family Portrait at Fort Worden State Park

Last month I had the opportunity to photograph Jennifer and her family when they visited her sister here in Port Townsend. I wasn't sure if the weather would cooperate, it rained twice before we met to walk the beach and take photos. The sun finally came out for a couple shots and then we walk down towards North Beach and found lovely shade underneath the bluffs.

Every time I get out to Fort Worden I'm reminded what a beautiful spot it is and how lucky we are to have this gem of a park here in Port Townsend. It is a destination for many people to meet and hold their yearly family get-together. Often the rentals at the Fort are booked a year in advance. Thanksgiving is a very busy time at the park with families coming to Port Townsend to celebrate the holidays.

If you and your family are coming to Port Townsend and would like to have a family portrait done to celebrate the occasion please give me a call to set up a portrait session.

Cory Available for Adoption at JC Animal Shelter 385-3292

I'm really excited about this new little video camera I bought called the Ultra Flip Video. I took it to the Animal Shelter on Sunday and video taped a couple of the animals, including Cory the cat. I don't have the editing tools down yet but I wanted to post this one of Cory, one of our many cats available for adoption.

Picking Out Favorite Baby Photos

Yesterday I met with baby Isabella's Mom to go over the photos I had taken during the two session she came to the studio. While this wasn't one of the ones Mom picked it is one of my favorites with her new dress and matching hat crawling amongst the colorful blocks. I had just bought several new rolls of brightly colored paper for either photographing children or high school seniors. I also just purchased the new blocks from Abracadabra. I tried to get the I and B for Bella to face forward but wasn't always successful.

Great Time to Schedule Senior Portrait Session

The weather is great and a perfect time to book your Senior High School Portrait Session. Last year several of my Seniors waited until after Christmas to book their session, booking now makes for the best options for an outdoor session before the weather changes.

Give me a call today to set up an appointment. Call Deja at (360) 385-2662.

 

Sunday Morning in Port Townsend

After taking photos at the Animal Shelter on Sunday I went down to Lehani's for a hot mocha and a ginger raspberry scone. I sat there and enoyed watching people walking by and listening to 103.7 on the cafe's radio. The Seattle station plays the best music on Sunday mornings.  After finishing my coffee I walked around with my new Nikon D700 and my 50 mm lens and snapped some fun photos.

This note was posted on plywood that was put in to replace the broken glass windows on one of the businesses in downtown Port Townsend.

The Summer House is this neat shop downtown with a great assortment of unique gifts. They always have the nicest window displays and this week it appears to be built around the theme of the upcoming Wooden Boat Festival.

These shoes where for sale as part of Labor Day sidewalk sales.  As I looked more closely at the inside of these shoes I wondered what story they might tell us of the life of the women who once owned them.

Great view from one of the restrooms in the Mount Baker Building.  Didn't have my telephoto lens with me. Taken through old window pane. The large building is our Post Office or the old Custom House.

Updated Bio Image. Being on the Other End of the Camera.

My friend and fellow photographer Kay Harper came by my studio last week and photographed me for an updated image for on my Blog profile and website. Posing for this photo reminded me what it feels like to be the subject photographed and not the photographer. So not being behind the camera was a good experience for me.

I think all of us, especially women, are critical of our features when we see our photo. Kay and I have taken taken lots of photos of each other as we worked on learning to use the Westcott Spiders lights in my studio. In reviewing lots of images of myself on my large monitor I have become more aware of specific features of my face. The bump on my nose, those darn smile lines, the shape of my eyes and knowing which is my smaller eye and how important it is to place that eye closer to the camera in a portrait. Almost 15 years ago my ophthalmologist, Doctor O'Morchoe found a tumor on my lower eye. After having the tumor successfully removed it altered the shape of my left eye.

I'm also very aware that as my hair has turned from brown with white streaks to all gray I find colors I once could wear no longer look good on me. Now wearing colors like purple and red really make me feel better about myself and the way I look. I like to remind my clients when coming for a session to wear something they feel comfortable in and to bring a couple different outfits for their session. I also need to remember to ask my clients what they think are their best features.

I try to put all my clients at ease when photographing them. I love it when a client who was hesitant to have a portrait taken finds after their session they ended up having a great time and are thrilled with their final images.

Deja View Image on Display at Port Townsend Northwest Maritime Center

Update 9-13 I received a lovely email from the couple that bought my print at the Northwest Maritime Show. It read:
Greetings from your fans in California! We purchased that lovely and beautifully framed photo at the reception. It was nice to see it on your blog. Since we did not want to cram it into a suitcase, we left it at my sister's in Port Angeles until our next visit. Have enjoyed your website and blog with so many great photos--feels like you are right there with the subject. As dog and cat lovers, we also appreciate your warm reflections of those adorable dogs and cats waiting for a home. Your work has heart and makes a special connection with the viewer. ( We wanted to post these comments on your blog, but did not want to set up an account to do so. Wishing you continued success, Becky

One of my images from a past Wooden Boat Festival is part of the On the Water Exhibit now on display at the Port Townsend Northwest Maritime Center. The exhibit is located on the 2nd floor of the NWMC's  Resource Building which is the yellow building located on Water Street just before you enter the Point Hudson Marina. During Wooden Boat Festival the display will be open on Friday from 9-7 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9-5 p.m. It is a wonderful show and if  you are in town for the PTWB festival you should check it out. The exhibit will be up until September 22nd.

An artist's reception was held last month for those of us that are part of the show. I was so excited when a couple visiting from California approached me about buying my framed photograph of Katie right off the wall.  I sold that copy to them that night and last week returned to the Maritime Center with another copy to be on display and available for purchase during the Wooden Boat Festival.

Animals Available for Adoption at Jefferson County Animal Shelter 9-6

Here is this week's poster of animals I photographed at the Jefferson County Aninmal Shelter on Sunday. I had accidently forgot to post a photo last week of the lovely cat named Sasha so here she is this week.  We are fortunate to have only a couple dogs this weeks and both are young. Jasper is a 5 month old rat terrier and Shiloh is a 10 month old Lab/Retriever/Hound mix. He has the biggest hound dog eyes and seems to be all legs with lots of energy.

Please give the shelter a call for more information on any of these lovely cats and dogs. (360) 385-3292.

Rambo Family Portrait at Point Hudson Beach in Port Townsend

These photos are from a recent photography session on the beach near Point Hudson here in Port Townsend. I met Forrest, Kate, Bosun and Ninja, the cat, at their favorite spot on the beach for a late afternoon session. The beach has been a special spot for Bosun to play on since he was a puppy and the whole family lived on their boat at Point Hudson.

I loved the clothes Kate and Forrest wore to the session and the way the setting sun added back lighting to this image. This was my first time to photograph a cat outdoors and Ninja and Bosun were both great to work with. Forrest always brings Bosun by my vendor's booth whenever they are at the Saturday Port Townsend Market. Forrest owns Stuff Away , a Port Townsend business that offers mini moves, hauling and organizing plus home and office rearranging.

After Kate and Forrest had picked their favorite images from this session I delivered the printed images to them one evening at their lovely home here in Port Townsend. It was fun to visit with them over a glass of wine and get a chance to play with Ninja and Bosun.