Chester stole the show this morning to be sure.  I love photographing pets of any kind.   This lively pup was hard to follow so what to do?  Three things:

• Let him do his thing of course!  It was us following Chester’s lead to be sure.  But this keeps him happy and gives great opportunity
• Treats!  Crucial for the obvious reasons!
• Work fast!  The attention span of most pets is pretty limited.  You can tire them out for a more portrait shot after getting the action shots when they are excited and playing.

Arista Winery is such an amazing place.  The fall, being my favorite time, is especially beautiful here.  The vines, the trees, bushes and rolling hills are just fabulous!  So this was an amazing day to be sure.   The colors were fabulous and this simple, elegant affair was a definite success.  The flowers were by Dragonfly Florals and the catering was by Park Avenue Catering.  See for yourself!

What a beautiful country.  I always love traveling just at the beginning of the winter season.  The light is ten times more dramatic, far less tourists to contend with and the mood is always kind of more festive with the oncoming of the December holidays.  Last year I walked the streets of Auschwitz almost alone, saw the festivities of the holidays in town squares like Berlin and Vienna and Warsaw. It’s just more amazing than the blue sky and green grass of summer in my opinion.  So this year was a great follow up.  The skies poured on us often but left such amazing scenes to photograph.  You just don’t get that in summer.  So please enjoy my somewhat touristy photos and more artistic visions that happened during my time in Ireland.

I’m a total animal person.  Love them all.  So when I get a new toy yes, my ahem kids become my subject.  You have a great opportunity at home to photograph your pets.  They know you and trust you and that makes for the best access.  So some tips to get great portraits:

1. Instead of shooting from afar and on your feet get on your knees or sit down with them.   Get up close and personal.
2. Look at how they see the world when you look at them.  A lot of times I’m actually lying on the ground to get portraits.  It makes for much more interesting shots!
3. Take close-ups.   A nose, ear, whiskers are all bits and pieces that make for cute little details in an album or a series of portraits.
4. Make it easy and fun for them and for you.