Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

Our cats are ready to party! Maybe they’ll start dancing on the table tops, or swinging from the chandelier. Lets hope not! Christmas is pretty much here and we at twoguineapigs HQ wish you all the best for the season - eat well (not too much) - drink well (ditto!) and stay safe. Hope all your wishes come true.

Adopt before you shop.

Summer Gift Cards Are Out | Christmas | Professional Pet Photography

I long to have such a memorial of every being dear to me in the world. It is not merely the likeness which is precious in such cases - but the association and the sense of nearness involved in the thing … the fact of the very shadow of the person lying there fixed forever! 

It is the very sanctification of portraits I think [...].

- Elizabeth Barrett, British Poet
(1843, letter to Mary Russell Mitford, English Author and Dramatist on photography)

If like me you love photography as an art form (and you love pets too) what could be nicer than to give someone special an opportunity to experience a professional photoshoot for themselves?

My new summer gift card is a simple, fun, and unique offer of a professional pet photoshoot complete with a choice of (1) a framed print (3 sizes to pick from) or (2) a fine art album. All offers come with a digital album for your personal device.

The perfect gift for Christmas > available here. Offer ends 26 21 December 2012 (from $300).

The card also entitles the recipient to a 10% saving on all additional prints.

Nothing complicated for you the gift giver to do - I know we all want to spend more quality time with our loved ones, including our fur friends, especially during this festive season. And the photoshoot can happen after the madness is over - no stress!

However, if you want to book a shoot and have the final results presented for this festive season, better make sure you book now to avoid disappointment. Contact me via Contact Form, I look forward to speaking with you.

Custom Gallery Album for Napoleon | Custom Photography

Once upon a time I photographed a dog called Napoleon - and that experience became a visual story book for his owners.

Napoleon is no longer on this world, so this book has become a book of memories for his owners to treasure.

I was so proud to have been able to make this album — as I was to meet Napoleon — who was a sweet tempered lovely personality. And honoured to share and photograph these very special moments.

Speaking of sweet, my husband kindly agreed to model with the book - get that guy to a catwalk!

In case you didn’t know, I love books (and my husband).

These classic Custom Gallery Albums are available as part of a commissioned photoshoot. For bookings or details, contact us.

2012 AIPP APPA Silver Awards Portrait | pet photography

Another late post!

Well it was another nerve wracking experience entering into this year’s Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photographer Award (APPA), what with the production of work, to print selection, to submission and waiting for the judging results of your prints, to having your work judged and critiqued openly by professional photographers.

The judges have only 30 seconds(?) to judge each print and the author/photographer was not there to provide comment or explanation.

Finally though it became worth it - 2 of my images were awarded Silver (and one almost made it to Silver distinction, however the judges were not in total agreement - come on guys! :P)

Why do I put myself through this? Call me mad, crazy, what not. It’s all for my pooch clients and their human parents, who in turn put up with my craziness - thank you!

For those who don’t know what AIPP APPA stands for, here’s a blurb from the official sponsor, Canon:

“The Canon AIPP APPAs are the most sought-after accolade in Australian professional photography and the standard rises each year due to the fierce competition,” says Taz Nakamasu, Managing Director, Canon Australia.

The Canon AIPP APPAs are a celebration of photographic excellence and represent the pinnacle of Australian professional photography – also some of the best in the world.

Roll on next year :)

CNET has featured me

So this week I got featured on CNET’s “Exposure Pro” - a regular column profiling a wide variety of photographers and practitioners in the industry.

I was really happy for this opportunity - I’ve always liked CNET for all kinds of info - they do a great job and it's a cool site - and I’m not just saying that because they featured me!

So please click on over to see the article and hear my - er - wise words (or otherwise) about the obscure art of pet portraiture.

Thanks to the guys a CNET for looking me up - it was a pleasure to be involved.

Learning | art and the heart

Shoot from the heart. Know yourself. Shoot for yourself.

Sounds simple. This needs a lot of discipline, focus, determination, courage, perseverance and strength to discover and go your own way.

Around mid-February this year, I flew to Melbourne and attended the 3-day art and the heart workshop at the Dear Patti Smith Gallery. It helped me work through some things I have been having conflicts with, things I always wanted to do but just couldn’t justify it - mainly, to shoot for myself.

The Workshop was my best investment so far*. I learned quite a lot about being an artist and not just a photographer, as well as wedding photography business advice that I could transfer to my pet photography business.

Also met some fabulous photographers (many are world-class) whom I am now proud to call friends. They supported me throughout my 3-day journey, encouraged me to do better, and have kept in touch.

The most awesome part (yes, ‘awesome’ is now a word I use!) was to be able to learn from Dan O’Day and Samm Blake. My mentor from a previous workshop, Christine Pobke, made a special appearance (and effort) to manage the place and keep us watered and fed.

So this year, I am booking less sessions and investing time to shoot for myself.

For you wedding photographers out there, rest assured, I’m not switching genre. But if you are looking for a second shooter or are signing up a couple with pets, you know to call me!

More on my personal blog for those who are interested.

*(in case you haven’t figured it out, part of being a professional photographer and running a photography business requires a lot of investment - it’s not just time but the money. We don’t just hang out, shoot and then party)

2 Silvers | 2012 AIPP NSW Epson Professional Photography Awards

I was honoured to get Silver awards for two pet portraits I submitted to the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) Epson NSW Professional Photography Awards last weekend.

A dog and cat share these awards with me - Zac the dog, and Lucas the grumpy Balmain cat, got the judge’s approval last weekend at the awards.

Neither of these were studio shots - they were on location work, which is what I value as a pet photographer - so it was gratifying that this kind of approach can be successful and recognised by the AIPP (my peers) as valuable in a world of increasingly processed picture making.

So thanks judges, and thanks also to those beautiful pets that make being a pet photographer such an amazing experience. It’s all for you in the end :)

A Kiwi Kitty | cat photography

This cat does not have a name (however we called him “Tiger”). I met him visiting the in-laws in Wellington New Zealand over Christmas. Apparently no one quite knows where he lives - or if he even has a home. However he is well known around the street and seems to be quite busy visiting everyone.

He also seems quite healthy - maybe because he’s very smart at looking after himself.

We met him as he was doing his rounds I think - he just walked into the house like he owned the place and the next thing we knew we felt we had to give him some milk!

At least he hung around long enough for me to do a quick photo-shoot - 15 min is all I need - fair trade i guess :D

A weekend in Lovedale | travel photography | wild life photography

When I’m not photographing or working, I like to travel and explore. I think it’s important to go away for a while and gather your thoughts.

We’d been thinking for months of taking a weekend break in the countryside. Work and life just got in the way. That’s Ok though because it meant our journey happened in one of the most beautiful seasons of all - late Winter early Spring.

We ended up in Lovedale, the heart of Hunter Valley.

For someone who lives near the CBD of Sydney, I welcome the challenge of photographing the countryside in stormy-rainy Spring weather.

The place we stayed at was called Tonic Hotel - we got sold by the cute fluffy furniture creature featured on their website. The whole place is a quirky modern concept. Not only that, we woke up to kangaroos grazing right in front of our patio on a Sunday rainy morning.

We did a lot of eating and greeting with the vineyard locals - and I generally mean non-humans.

And I loved visiting the vineyard at night - reminds me of the X-files.

We took the scenic route on the way back despite it being grey with rain - and I mean sheets of it!

Here’s my take of Lovedale and Wollombi.