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Monthly Archives: June 2009

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Ladies + Gentlemen… Roxie Heart

June 24, 2009 – 9:45 pm

Well this Roxie may not have Renee Zellweger’s long, long legs and she may not have ever been to Chicago [ the town OR the musical]  but she’s sure got spunk with a capitol FRENCHIE!

By now, most of you know what a Frenchie fanatic I am – but there really is nothing better than having an on-location shoot in sunny Los Angeles with a beautiful family and their BEAUTIFUL baby [ dog baby that is, the human baby won't be born until September. Move over Roxie you've got competition coming!]

From the moment I laid eyes on this spotted bundle of Frenchie-love I could barely keep my hands off her long enough to photograph her!  She was all kisses and tugs and grumbles and barks. She showed how good she is at “bang, bang dead dog” and how well she can drink out of my water glass *note to self I should probably hydrate, I gave all my agua to the perro*

Roxie lives in a beautiful spot in LA with her mom and dad – but soon she will be a Lone Star pup – they are off to Houston, Texas in just a matter of weeks. I, of course, am very sad about this turn of events – I have only just met Roxie and I will be losing her just as quickly.  I mean, I can barely imagine anything more photogenic than this family of three -  but a baby makes four and what’s more awwwww-worthy than babies and puppies?  Seriously.

So, for now, we will just have to swoon over these shots of our LA Roxie girl. Ooh la la she’s got star power!

P.S. Roxie’s parents informed me of the most AWESOME pet boutique in Beverly Hills: Doggie Styles. They have a Frenchie Soiree on Bastille day – how cool is that?? We give them two Dane paws up!

By admin | Posted in French Bulldogs, LA Pet Photography, dane + dane travel | Tagged , , , | Comments (5)

J.Nichole on KOMOam 1000

June 24, 2009 – 7:49 am

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Hey all – I was just interviewed about the Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart show on KOMO radio. The spot will be chopped up and air as “news” at the top and bottom of the hour all day.

So, if you happen to be in the car (or bored at your desk) tune-in to hear me gush about being a pet photographer, my great beast Olivia and a bit about the TV show which will air in November.

To listen to the live, streaming show online visit the KOMO web site

Did you know you can also find us on:  Facebook +  Twitter ?

Follow us, friend us and generally keep an eye on us for more behind the scenes photos + info.

By admin | Posted in Tales for the Pet Lover's Heart, press | Comments (0)

Surfing goes to the dogs (and their photographers)

June 20, 2009 – 11:03 pm

Needless to say, when you combine two pet photographers who are “on vacation” while also being total workaholics… things don’t always go as planned.

After crazy a week of travel and chaos for both Jamie and I, we found ourselves far too tired to drive to San Diego last night, so we planned for departure in the reasonably early morning.

Somewhat predictably, “reasonably early” transitioned into “almost on time,” which quickly became “pretty darn late.” We had a relaxing morning of fetch with the dogs, last minute photo-assignment tweeking and billions of emails between the two of us. But, after a requisite stop at Starbucks, we were on our way to San Diego.

Along the way there was some cursing of gridlock, some twittering from the road, and one stop for gas, but we arrived at the Coronado Surf Dog Competition with just enough time to score rock star parking and see the “tandem” events (which in all honesty, was what I was most excited about anyhow.) As predicted, for yet another consecutive year, Scott Chandler and his dog Zoey (and his daughter Tyler) were #1 in tandem surfing. An interesting twist of fate, is that Scott and his dog-paddling brood were also just recently filmed for “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” – in fact, the camera crew was fresh from bobbing in the Pacific Ocean, trying to keep up with Scott when they arrived in Seattle to film Olivia and I.  Knowing this little tidbit, I was sure to introduce myself and snap lots of shots of these fellow TFTPLH’ers.

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Also at this event, Jamie and I were lucky enough to meet up with fellow pet photographer Tamandra + her handsome companion Borias (Heart Dog Studios) we all got snap-happy together for the last 40 minutes or so of the competition.

After the event we trekked back through the Gaslamp District to our beloved “Hotel Sofia,” which I reviewed here on Yelp if you’re interested in knowing more… we scoped this place out online the night before and upon check-in, we were MORE than pleased with ourselves for sleuthing-well-done.

The rest of our evening included snacks and beers at the hotel’s restaurant “Currant,” uploading and ooohing and ahhhing at photos from the Surf Dog event, dinner at “La Fiesta” with some fellow pet photography cohorts ( Thousand Hounds Photography + Heart Dog Studios) and the lovely and incredibly ambitious Bernie Berlin, proprietor of “A Place to Bark” – a shelter in Tennessee that you NEED to know about. In fact, you may know about it sooner than you think, Bernie was in town working on final negotiations for her reality TV show series about A Place to Bark and the amazing work she does for the dogs of TN.

If you’d like to see more exclusive photos from the Coronado Bay Surf Dog event vist dane + dane pet photography on Facebook. Also, check out the bit from the Today Show (the camera guy for the Today Show kept stepping in front of me while I was shooting – at the time I was annoyed but I suppose he gets seniority, eh?)

By admin | Posted in Tales for the Pet Lover's Heart, dane + dane travel | Comments (1)

Destination: Calistoga Ranch

June 15, 2009 – 8:26 pm

Well today we were risen and shiny for our 8am shoot at Lucia (with the devastatingly lovely Lily, thanks Dina) and then on the road, bound for Calistoga, CA by 9am.

Most of the drive was uneventful but we had to stop somewhere in OR to take an hour nap. I was so, SO sleepy from the last three days of REM deprivation and chaos that I found my eyelids getting dangerously heavy. After some shut-eye, I was refreshed and all was well. However, I always forget about the last few hours of a drive through California wine country and the inevitable departure from I5 which always means windy, two-lane 40 mph highways. Poor Olivia was panting over my shoulder for nearly three hours, chiming in with the occasional whimper as if to say, “are we there yet mom, and can you do anything about all these curvy, hilly roads??”

We FINALLY arrived, hungry and exhausted at Calistoga around 8pm.

I have to admit, I was already impressed when I strolled into reception, which had the feel of all my favorite Sunset Magazine moments: inviting outdoor living spaces complete with water features and fireplaces, rock and vines combined with plush but functional furniture to name a few.  But, it was when we arrived our private “lodge” that I was officially blown away. I guess that’s the great thing about not spending too much time on the web sites of these resorts – I never know what I am in for.

Calistoga immediately pushed itself onto the top of my “top 5” west coast getaways list – this place is outstanding. A few of my most cherished moments:

  • Artisan cheese plate with fresh fruit + a glass of chilled Calistoga chardonnay by the fire on the private outdoor deck
  • Shower in the sun, in the private shower OUTSIDE – complete with in-house botanical spa products
  • Seeing deer cross my path and hawks diving on my walk to the Lakehouse for breakfast
  • Breakfast at the Lakehouse – which feels more like a tree house – amidst the fresh air and foliage of Northern Ca.

As we left we saw a bulldog and a chocolate lab – and Olivia even tried out her first ever attempt to ride on a golf cart (which was surprisingly, decidedly successful!)  We also had a chance to meet the bodacious Bodie (thanks Erin + Josh) and follow him for a few moments around his favorite Calistoga Ranch spots.

Absolutely fantastic – I could not be more thrilled with this property – it definitely lived up to the hype. I can’t wait to edit the shots down for the book.

Tomorrow we’re off to Healdsburg for a shoot at the gorgeous (although sadly, not dog-friendly) Hop Kiln Winery. I am anxious to meet Mandy, the pet sitter who will be caring for Olivia while I work. Paws crossed.

I am off to the salt-water pool for a dip under the stars and sweet-smelling trees…

By admin | Posted in dane + dane travel | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Filming with Blind Squirrels: Day 2

June 15, 2009 – 1:19 am

I pulled in to our first location of the day fully prepared to be belly-to-dirt all morning.  Once we finally figured out where we were supposed to be and found our basset models we got right down to business, and what dirty business it was. Hah.

I must say, these dogs were fine, fine beasts. Soft, silky fur and gorgeous, thick, dangly ears. I loved following them all over squirrel territory and duck trails watching them inhale the leaves, grass and various forest debris. The weather was overcast which I was glad for as they weaved in and out of shadows and open spaces, following their noses like a children’s cereal commercial.

After the tracking bassets, it was off to the studio for some Dog is Good, some CityDog and some various “day in the life of a pet photographer” tasks.  This time, Amy snuck in with cupcakes. Mmm, Cupcake Royale (which was perhaps not the BEST way to start what would turn out to be an EPIC day)  but devilishly delicious none the less.

After some brief studio-fun we piled back into cars to find the basset meetup at Luther Burbank park (complete with the Bassets for Obama – hilarious) and messed about in the dust bowl for a while  gawking at bassets in hats and costumes and sunglasses and the like.

After a zippy drive back to West Seattle, I acquired my much-needed Yerba fix and then it was time for interview #2, and then those final words; “That’s a Wrap! All in all it was a very fast 16 or so hours, that ultimately will be somewhere around 8-15 minutes of final product. Oh the joys of editing and the cutting room floor.

With any luck dane + dane, myself and Olivia will look halfway presentable and the “basset story” will be told to perfection through our eyes.

I wish that was the end of the story for today – but the production crew headed back to Cincinnati and I rushed home to pack for a month, steal one last dinner with my boyfriend and then haul down to Portland to the lovely Hotel Lucia for the beginning of my month-long California “dog is good, surf dog and travel book shooting” adventure.

We rolled in to the hotel at midnight, which means it’s now officially time for sleep.

Nighty night all, see you in the morrow!

By admin | Posted in Basset Hound, Tales for the Pet Lover's Heart, dane + dane travel | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Filming with Blind Squirrels: Day 1

June 13, 2009 – 8:11 pm

Well, Jim and the rest of the Blind Squirrels crew arrived right on time this morning and they poured into my sleepy studio with smiles and greetings. Olivia gave them all a sniff-down and we set about getting prepped for interview #1.  I loved watching the guys tweak the lighting and the angles “just so” – it’s amazing to watch a camera crew – it feels so familiar, what with my nearly 7-day-a-week connection to a camera – but at the same time, so foreign. Moving pictures, what a concept.

Just before we started rolling, Kara took Olivia out for a stroll and Amy slipped in quietly (Yerba in hand – bless her.)  I began answering the questions – babbling on and on about my business and my dog and all other aspects of what it is to be a pet photographer (none of which do I remember but hopefully it sounded coherent.) It’s amazing how, despite having done it several times before, and having no problem doing it in theory, talking about yourself on camera while simultaneously trying to remain conversational, is very tricky. It’s very hard not to “act.”

Lucky for me, and everyone surrounding me, watching, it was over soon and we began our whirlwind of a day. Our agenda included:

Six-week old Basset puppies…

…an appearance on the Dog Talk Show with the fabulous Julie Forbes (which will air at 2pm on Wednesday August 5th – 1150am radio for all you who care to tune-in)

…a trip to the ever-enchanting Marymoor Park

…and then Basset Rescue of Puget Sound to end the day.

All of this interspersed with what felt like a million “costume changes,” constant mic removing and re-setting, and hundreds of photographs fired off.

When I finally got home I was so physically and mentally drained, that I fell backwards onto my bed, closed my eyes and didn’t move for a solid 30 minutes. I was even too tired to sleep, the whole time, I was just trying to will myself to get to the studio to upload the day’s shots and prepare for tomorrow.

All in all it was a good day, and hopefully for the crew – a very successful one.

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Click here to see some “behind the scenes” photos on the Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart Facebook page!

By admin | Posted in Basset Hound, Pet Photography, Tales for the Pet Lover's Heart, seattle dog photography, seattle pet photography | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Molly + Winston { and the new girl }

June 6, 2009 – 5:22 pm

Last Saturday our new dane + dane intern Kara brought her spotted beasts into the studio for some frivolous fun, muddy footprints, wet squeaky footballs – oh, and also some photos.

We had a blast chasing the Pointers around the seamless – coaxing them with nibbles and toys. Kara’s human sweetheart Keven even joined us for a few shots too, ahhhhhh!

Kara is our newest member of the dynamic dane + dane team. She is recent Graphic Design grad and she is currently dipping her paws into the design world here by helping with book design, client branding and of course, like the rest of us, image editing, dog walking, Tully’s acquiring and event attending.

Kara is a fierce Fido fan and brings a lot of love with her every week to the studio – Olivia looks forward to the many snuggle breaks Kara takes to accept licks {even despite Olivia’s rank breath} Ahhh yes, true doggy love.

I will let our photos tell the rest of the story…

Ummm, did I mention that I LOVE this girl’s hair?  Awesome A-line cut that I could NEVER pull off with my curls, and it totally works for her :) Way to bring a little rock to dane + dane Kara, we’re very happy you’re on board new girl.

By admin | Posted in Uncategorized, studio pet photography | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

a logo: you had me at woof photography by Pam Biasotti

June 1, 2009 – 11:41 am

Well it’s that time again, to reveal one of our design projects!

We seem to have acquired a niche in designing logos for other pet photographers… Makes sense I guess, we sure do know the biz inside and out!

I met San Francisco Bay Area photographer Pam Biasotti at Jamie’s Pet Photography Workshop where I was a guest speaker. Pam wasn’t clear yet about the way she wanted to change her existing human portraiture business to incorporate pets, but new she wanted to create a new and separate brand.

A while after the workshop, she contacted me in a rush of excitement and said she’d finally found it – her new name: You Had me at Woof Photography! I loved it immediately (what’s not to love!?) and we set about creating an identity for her new path.

Anyone who knows Pam knows that she’s an avid Golden Retriever fan, so it was pretty important to her to incorporate this concept into her brand. She also has a minimalist eye for design – white on white, clean lines and simple shapes. She wanted to convey fun and whimsy but in fairly monochromatic, dynamic and simple way.

After our first round of sketches it became clear that a silhouette would be the way to go (yet another one of our design niches) and we started to narrow down concepts.

Well my friends we are all done!  Here is Pam’s new brand, complete with simple shapes, clean lines and of course, a Golden Retriever.

The concept works on many levels, my favorite being that used in the right capacity, the ball the Golden is looking down on can also act as a period, which then makes the dog the sentence.

This idea of the dog being the words/language is fun and relates to her business name: “You had me at woof” – our suggested tagline was “speaking the language of dog” – I think you’ll see this concept realized with a fun flash design that we suggested for her new web site.

Pam also just got a new Golden puppy: “Karma,” so she’ll be plenty busy plastering her new watermark all over the massive quantity of photos she’s bound to take over the next year.

Congrats Pam! Stay tuned to learn more about the new projects we’re working on: two wineries, a pet networking site and yup, another pet photographer! Never a dull moment…

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Handsome Riley-dog images included in this post are all Copyright Pam Biasotti- 2008

By admin | Posted in Uncategorized, graphic design | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)