For years before my daughter came along, hubby & I were pet parents to our wonderful two cats. I have had cats all my life, and just love animals. In past years, I’ve noticed the signs at pet supply stores for Santa photos, and never really thought much about it.

A few weeks ago I got an email from the Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood, looking for volunteers. They have teamed up with local Oregon Petsmart stores for the annual Santa photos in December. The photo costs under $10 and $5 of that goes to charity. When a volunteer from the Cat Adoption Team is working, their shelter gets the donation directly.

On Saturday December 6th, I will be volunteering as a C.A.T. photographer at the Tanasbourne Petsmart on 185th. Stop by with your dog, cat, or other pet, between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, to have his or her photo taken with Santa.

I thought I’d share a couple photos of my little sweeties. On top is Bincy, who I met at a garage sale in Seattle over ten years ago, and instantly adopted. The second is Gracie Joy. She was born at a small shelter in Accord, New York. We adopted her at four months old. She is now eight.

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As I mentioned last week, I’m in the process of going through photos and adding them to my new portfolio website. After a wedding I tend to have a selection of photos that I consider the best. When I go back through the entire set later I sometimes find what I call sleepers. Somehow these photos didn’t really catch my eye earlier and suddenly I love them.

Here is a photo of one of the wedding guests holding the bride and groom’s baby daughter. The contrast of this substantial man with the delicate precious little one is what I adore here.

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In an earlier post I said that who I am is very much a part of my business. This got me to thinking that maybe I should share a little bit more of me with my readers, and clients. I think ten years ago, people wanted to know that the photographer they were hiring would take excellent photos, and that’s it. I may be wrong since I have not been in this business ten years but it seems to me that our culture has shifted a bit, and one of the main reasons we go to a small business is the person behind it.

A while back, after a haircut, I told my hubby that I needed to find a new hair stylist. He looked a bit confused since I seemed happy enough with the haircut. I explained that I did not enjoy the experience. The cut could be the best ever but if sitting in the chair and chatting with my stylist is not enjoyable then I am not happy. It’s not just about the product, but the experience, and the relationship.

I want my clients to be excited about their photos and have enjoyed all their interactions with me. I get to be a part of very intimate and cherished moments so a connection is important. I think a little personal series of posts is a good way to give clients and potential ones a way to get to know me. Check back soon for the start of my Behind the Photographer series, with a personal post each week.

I’ll start with a personal photo. This was taken along a coastal trail in Yachats, Oregon, just a few minutes walk away from Overleaf Lodge, an incredible hotel.

Being November, peak wedding season is officially over. I got asked by a groom a few weeks ago, at a wedding photography consultation, what my favorite photos were. Interesting, I never really thought about brides and grooms caring about which ones I liked best. Now that I think about it, my favorites influence my style and my albums.

Often I like the off moments, something that many may consider insignificant. It’s rare that I decide the wedding kiss is a favorite image. It’s of course super important and I won’t miss it, but it’s the groom being dragged onto the dance floor by his little cousin, or the way the wedding couple is tightly holding hands, that often strikes me.

It’s hard for me to narrow it down because there are lots but here’s a sampling from this past summer.

These portraits of Laura were taken late in the afternoon, just before dusk. Laura is a photographer too. It’s always a bit different working with someone else who is used to being behind the camera. Sessions become kind of an exchange of ideas, which is neat. These were taken in Portland’s SE Industrial neighborhood.