biscuit's space | The blog of photographer Katherine Carver

May 15

Managing Client Expectations

One of the greatest challenges businesses face is managing client expectations. I suspect the very word “expectation” creates a wide range of images for all of us. An expectation is defined as presuming the outcome of an activity. Expectations are generally based on perceptions, opinions, and other soft parameters, often without a rational basis, and often because of a lack of knowledge. Human expectation is skewed toward predicting the best outcome. Most people tend to expect positive outcomes. While it is certainly better to have high rather than low expectations, unrealistically high expectations will create disappointment. A disappointment is defined as a feeling of sadness, dissatisfaction, or displeasure when something is not as you planned.

We all are aware at some level that client expectation is very important, yet we may do little to proactively manage it. Many times our approach is reactionary causing us to gloss over expectations or to fail to listen to the client altogether. However, I believe it is very important to manage client expectations to ensure that the client understands the terms of the business engagement, and so ultimately, the client is happy with your work and deliverable.

Below are some tips to help manage client expectations.

1. Build a relationship.

People like to work with people they not only respect, but also personally like. Therefore, developing a personal relationship goes a long way in building a stronger business relationship. Experience is everything. My goal for each client is to create and implement a personalized, fun, and seamless experience that exceeds the client’s expectations and makes each and every client feel like royalty.

2. Regularly communicate and address problems directly.

I do not know about you, but when I am working with someone, I rather receive regular communication and updates from the person I hired to ensure expectations are being met, etc. When communication is direct and transparent, trust forms and helps to create and build the foundation for long-standing relationships. A lack of communication is usually at the root of most of the problems associated with clients. I make it a practice to respond within twenty-four (24) hours to client e-mails and correspondence to mitigate any misunderstandings and to show my clients that they are important to me. Clients want to know and feel important when they have hired someone to work with. Therefore, I believe it is important to be prompt in responding to all client communications.

3. Agree on goals, timelines, and deliverables.

It is important that you and your client at the outset agree on goals, timelines, and deliverables. Therefore, in the written agreement to be executed by the parties, it is very important to clearly set forth the goals; scope of work; fees; the specific deliverables; the specific timeline when events and deliverables occur, etc. This clear information, which is communicated to the client in a clear manner, will help to set expectations on both sides, and will lead to mitigating any misunderstandings leading to the client being dissatisfied. This process should make all of the goals, timelines, and deliverables clear to the client and it really helps to set the client’s expectations.

4. Be a counselor.

When you offer your client advice, direction, and input, etc., you become a truly valuable partner. This style of open dialogue helps to establish respect. Also, as a counselor to clients, you can help explain your services and deliverables so that the client can better understand your services. Not all people are experts in your area of business.

5. Be a good listener.

Listening is one of the most misunderstood and least used tools in managing client expectations. Many clients are unsure of what they are trying to accomplish or are not very good at articulating it. As such, you must have excellent intuition and listening skills in order to identify key messages being communicated by the client. One of the best ways to help clients and to manage client expectations is to repeat what you heard from the client and ask the client to confirm the accuracy of key takeaways, which will ultimately impact expectations.

6. Be kind.

It is crucial to always be kind, respectful, genuine, and consistent with your clients. Clients should feel valued and they should never feel like they are being an imposition. I know that I do not like working with others who are not kind to me, and it tremendously negatively impacts the client experience and relationship. Always remember the “Golden Rule” when interacting with clients. Kindness truly goes a long way in building trust and loyalty with clients.

7. Anticipate your clients’ needs.

I believe that anticipating your client’s needs is crucial to any successful business. Thus, it is important to put yourself in “the client’s shoes.” Making your clients feel important is a tremendous step in building loyalty. Clients want to know that they are valued by your business. Clients are the lifeline of your business and should always be treated as such. Though you may not know all the needs of new clients, try your best to read them and anticipate what they may need. Therefore, it is important to stay very organized and attuned to each client’s needs. Do not be afraid to ask what else you can do to make the client happier. Additionally, anticipating your clients’ needs helps to foster a seamless client experience for the client.

8. Always deliver on time what you promise.

It is extremely important to deliver what you promised on time to the client. One sure-fire way to not manage clients’ expectations is to not follow through on the terms of your engagement with the client on time. If clients are like me, they expect that everything be delivered on time as promised. This is really important because you want to have credibility with your clients. Clients should always feel very important and they should feel that you really are “taking care” of them. Clients should not have to worry about you delivering on your promises. It is very unprofessional, and very unfair to the client, to over promise and under deliver. Instead, exceed clients’ expectations and over deliver — this is a wonderful way to exceed clients’ expectations and have a happy and satisfied client who will refer your services to their friends and family!

9. Ask your clients what they think.

Once your engagement with each client has come to an end, ask the client what he/she thought of your services and deliverables. This will make your customers feel valued. Importantly, you will also gain valuable insights to use as a valuable tool in your business. You may learn things from clients that will improve your business. Thus, it is important to be open and listen to the feedback from clients. After all, without clients, what do we have?

10. Thank the client.

It is important to thank your clients for their business at the end of the engagement with the client. Everyone wants to feel appreciated. Everyone loves to receive fun mail and paper thank you notes, which are quickly going extinct. A thank you is a sincere and personal way to tell the client that you appreciate them and appreciate their business. As a result, I think that it is really important to take the time to say thank you to each client expressing your appreciation, which is so often overlooked.

In the end, you will begin to attract clients like yourself — the ideal client! Knowing your ideal client, regardless of your line of business, is a key component to growth and satisfaction. The qualities of my ideal clients are people who (1) truly value and appreciate fine art photography; (2) are selective and cannot imagine working with and hiring anyone else; (3) wants to work with someone who is detailed and organized; (4) wants a seamless and fun client experience; and (5) likes my brand and my blog. I think you achieve this type of client relationship by marketing yourself in a personal way. Eventually, you start to only attract clients that desire you, your talent, and your services, which makes for outstanding client relationships!

Happy Wednesday!

May 13

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Grandmother Power – Grandma Rose

Tara Mohr started a Grandmother Blogging Campaign. When I read about this blog campaign, I thought that this was a neat campaign to commemorate grandmothers.

My husband, Doug, was very close to his Grandma Rose; and she was a wonderful role model in my husband’s life. I had the painting of Grandma Rose, shown above, made as a gift for Doug a few years ago by Mary Medrano. This painting reflects how I remember Grandma Rose; and she loved yellow roses. I was fortunate to know Grandma Rose for five years before her passing. She was an amazing woman. Her integrity, her generosity, her perpetual sense of optimism, her honesty, and her sense of humor are all characteristics that we strive to incorporate into our lives.

Grandma Rose was an extremely generous person. While Doug’s parents both worked full-time, Grandma Rose stayed at the house with Doug and his brother. Doug has many fond memories and stories of his Grandma Rose, especially when she stayed at their house for weeks at a time. Whenever we would go and visit Grandma Rose in Cincinnati, Doug and I would spend hours with her talking in her apartment on a wide range of topics. Often, we called Grandma Rose often on the telephone and told her about what was going on in our lives and she told us what was going on in her life. Because of the distance, we mailed Grandma Rose cards and photographs so that we could share with her what was happening in our lives. I wish that she could have met Biscuit. We often think that she brought him into our lives at the right time. Prior to adopting and rescuing Biscuit, Biscuit was living at the Sheltie Haven Sheltie Rescue, Inc. on Rosemary Court — an uncanny coincidence. (Rosemary was Grandma Rose’s full name).

Doug always spoke highly of Grandma Rose’s cooking. Doug loved her pork chops and her roast beef, two of his favorites. Doug said that everything Grandma made was delicious; her goetta, her hash, her vegetable soup, monkey bread, and Christmas cookies were some of Doug’s favorites. Fortunately, we have some of Grandma Rose’s recipes. Doug had an annual ritual of making Christmas cookies with Grandma Rose. Grandma Rose prepared the dough. She and Doug’s Mom then helped Doug and his brother roll the dough and cut out the cookie shapes. I am lucky because Doug enjoys cooking and baking like Grandma Rose! For example, Doug makes monkey bread, scones, crepes, waffles; and Doug also makes some terrific dinner dishes as well!

Grandma Rose always had a sense of humor. I can remember her saying to us after she told us a story, “Isn’t that the craziest thing you ever heard!?” She was always very honest with her opinions and she always spoke her mind! No matter what was going on in our lives, Grandma Rose always told us that everything would always be ok and not to worry.

Most of all, Grandma Rose was always there for my husband — a constant in his life. She emphasized that we only have one shot at life and to pursue one’s dreams. Grandma Rose was an independent person, unafraid to speak her mind, who believed in living life to its fullest and without regret. I admire these qualities.

Fortunately, Grandma Rose is with me each day. Doug’s mom was generous enough to give me the remaining diamonds from Grandma Rose’s wedding ring. Doug’s mom placed the two large diamonds from Grandma Rose’s wedding ring next to the diamond on her engagement ring. We initially planned to add the nine small diamonds to my engagement ring, but the jeweler said that they were too small to add to my engagement ring. So, then we decided to make a ring and we added six small rubies matching my engagement ring that Doug designed on his own for me. (Doug has good taste and I like how my engagement ring is unique!) Below is the finished ring made by the jeweler. I am so happy that we have something of Grandma Roses to keep in the family and it is a constant reminder that she is always with us.

I hope that if I am ever a grandma, that I can strive to be an influential role model and grandma like Grandma Rose. We both miss her dearly and she is always with us in our hearts.

On another note, Happy Mother’s Day to all! I had a nice day with Biscuit and Doug! Doug and Biscuit made me crepes yesterday morning for brunch; and we all spent the day together and we all had a nice dinner together! Biscuit gave me a thoughtful Mother’s Day card shown below! Biscuit is doing well. He loved being outside in the sun yesterday. We went for a long scenic walk, which he greatly enjoyed! A few photographs of Biscuit are shown below from our walk yesterday!

May 10

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Biscuit and Nick Cruising the Home Construction Site!

While my parents and Nick were in town last week, we went to see the progress being made on the new house — and things are progressing and moving forward. We should have our pre-drywall meeting in a few weeks! Below are a few photographs of Biscuit and Nick enjoying themselves on a beautiful day! Nick even posed on a Caterpillar tractor machine! Biscuit and Nick both had a good time together perusing the construction grounds!

Happy Friday!

May 9

Speaking with a Pet Communicator

Recently, I spoke with Lisa Green, a pet communicator, about our little Biscuit. Now, some may think that I am crazy for speaking with a pet communicator, but a trusted friend told me that Lisa really helped her with her horse’s health issues. Since Biscuit has recently had some health changes, we decided to have a reading done by Lisa. If you are interested, some highlights of what we learned from and about Biscuit are outlined below.

Introduction

Biscuit described himself to Lisa as a “Little Lassie Dog.” He said that he looks like a bigger dog than he really is because he has so much fur!

Biscuit told Lisa that he looks more “odd” on his left side and he said that he looks wonderful on his right side. He said that his best side is his right side.

Background

Lisa said that Biscuit is not where Doug and I are from.

Lisa said that Biscuit speaks in a southern accent and she saw hundreds of dogs at the base of the hills where Biscuit came from. Lisa described this as a huge operation, i.e., a puppy mill. She said that Biscuit was lonely there.

Lisa said that Biscuit was skin and bones living in these conditions and his nails were so long that it made it very difficult to walk.

Lisa said that Biscuit was tossed out of where he was living once they were done with him.

Biscuit said that he was happy that we traveled to rescue him.

Biscuit said that he misses the woman older than us; he really likes her and she is responsible for his fur coat getting and looking better. (We believe that Biscuit is referring to Carol Guth, the woman who heads the Sheltie Haven Sheltie Rescue, Inc., where Biscuit lived prior to us rescuing and adopting him).

Health

Lisa said that Biscuit told her that he is not ready to die. She indicated that Biscuit will be here a while (barring an accident, etc.).

Lisa said that she feels “off” about Biscuit’s left leg when he runs. His left back left leg turns in. However, it does not bother Biscuit, but you can see his left leg turn in when he runs.

Lisa said that Biscuit is missing a lot of teeth and asked us how many teeth were missing. (We found out when we rescued Biscuit that he is missing many back teeth on both sides.). Per Lisa, Biscuit’s mouth does not hurt, but he finds it difficult to eat at times due to the missing teeth.

Lisa feels “off” about the top right tooth behind the K-9 tooth. Lisa said to keep an eye on this tooth.

Concerning Biscuit’s recent surgery, she said that Biscuit said that he went into surgery for one thing and it turned out to be something different. (We thought that Biscuit had polyps, which turned out to be cancerous tumors).

The lobe of Biscuit’s right ear feels “off” to Lisa.

In Biscuit’s left ear, Lisa does not sense an infection; she feels that there is long-standing “gunk” in this ear, which has been there for quite some time. Lisa feels that Biscuit’s left ear has a lot of scar tissue, but, again, she does not sense an infection.

Lisa sensed changes in Biscuit’s blood work – specifically the BUN (blood urea nitrogen), increases in the kidney values. Lisa said that there is a problem with the nitrogen and urea that there is some sort of conversion problem. She advised that we speak to the vet further concerning this matter. She feels that the kidney issues are different than what we are thinking.

Lisa feels that the kidney on the left side is more impacted than the kidney on the right side. Thus, the kidney on the left will look different from the kidney located on the right.

Lisa feels that the issues with Biscuit’s kidneys are congenital in nature.

Lisa feels that one of Biscuit’s lymph nodes is “iffy.” She was unable to provide any more information. She told us to follow-up with the vet on this issue.

Lisa feels that diet will not continue to control the kidney levels.

Lisa does not feel that the medicine is doing what it should be doing, although it may take time for the medicine build up and work in Biscuit’s system. (We will follow-up with Lisa on this matter).

Lisa said that she feels that there is scar tissue around Biscuit’s ureters (tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder), which has been there for a long time.

Lisa said that Biscuit has been feeling the changes in his health since October 2012, six months ago.

Lisa said that Biscuit has had urinary tract issues on at least two (2) occasions.

Biscuit said after he got neutered, he felt very itchy around this area of his body. (Biscuit was neutered while he was at the sheltie rescue).

The tumor that was recently removed in Biscuit’s ear — Lisa feels that it will come back, but it will not be for a while.

Lisa said the left ear where the tumor was located feels numb.

Lisa said that Biscuit’s legs on his left side feels weaker than his legs located on his right side.

Biscuit said that his eyes get dry, particularly in the winter with the heat running.

Lisa did not feel any allergies concerning Biscuit.

Other Information

Biscuit said that he misses the gold dog, a non-sheltie. (We are not sure who this dog is that she described).

Biscuit does not like the rain. (We have found in our experience that Biscuit will not go potty (#2) in the rain).

Lisa feels that Biscuit is even-tempered and that Biscuit does not have a lot of fears or anxiety.

Lisa said that Biscuit does not live to eat; Biscuit does not live for food.

Lisa said that when Biscuit gets upset he gets a “nervous tummy.”

Biscuit said that he and I are alike in that I can make Biscuit nervous and he can make me nervous, a cyclical effect.

Biscuit feels like I am his “mommy;” Biscuit feels that Doug is his “buddy.”

Biscuit wants more fun car rides to fun places.

Biscuit misses our former house, which he loved. Biscuit said that we were so close to everything and it was very entertaining for him. In our current temporary housing, it is not as entertaining for Biscuit.

Biscuit feels bored living in our temporary housing. This is why he is digging at our carpet with his paws — his new hobby.

Biscuit told Lisa that he is famous. Biscuit showed Lisa the photograph of him running on the beach in Nova Scotia with his wind blowing in his fur and Biscuit smiling.

Biscuit asked why there are no photos of him up in our house, in our temporary housing. Biscuit wants more photographs of himself displayed. Lisa told him when our house is finished being built, that Biscuit will be prominently displayed everywhere. (All of our photos are still packed until we move).

Biscuit said that he loves people. He likes that everyone knows that he is a sheltie; and he misses all of the outings at our last house where everyone was constantly telling him how handsome he is. Biscuit wants more outings with people.

Biscuit said that he loves hardwood floors, which feels cool on his tummy. (It is a good thing that we will have lots of hardwood floors and hardwood stairs at our new house!)

Biscuit feels that everything is different since we moved and sold our last house.

Biscuit said that he misses chasing the cat that he used to chase in our former neighborhood – a hobby for him. Even though Biscuit likes to chase cats, Biscuit said that he is afraid of cats.

Lisa said that she had a feeling that Biscuit’s former name was “Rooty.” (Biscuit did not have a response to this name).

Biscuit said that he is not opposed to another dog, as long as it is not a dog larger than him; and Biscuit does not have a preference concerning gender, male or female. However, Biscuit does not want us to get a cat!

Biscuit feels that our vet is professional, but she is a whirl wind. Biscuit does not feel that he knows her well. Biscuit needs to be wooed. The staff at the vet’s office seems nice to him.

Biscuit likes it when people talk to him and look Biscuit in the eye.

Follow up

Biscuit needs more stimulation and more to do, i.e., more outings, use games/puzzles with Biscuit to keep him entertained. (Lisa told Biscuit that we will be moving this summer to our new home.)

Biscuit wants more car rides to fun places and we should therefore take him out more.

Biscuit wants more stimulation and she suggested that we take him outside more so that he can see people and be more connected.

We will do a check-in with Lisa in about a month to follow-up on Biscuit’s health and medicine, etc. We hope to learn more information at our appointments with the vet and the specialist next week.

If you wish to contact Lisa Greene, you can visit her website.

May 8

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Interview with Valerie Shaff, Photographer

Interview with Valerie Shaff, Photographer

Recently, I had the opportunity and pleasure of interviewing Valerie Shaff, a photographer living in Germantown, New York. Valerie Shaff photographs animals and people. A selection of Valerie Shaff’s work is displayed below. Please visit Valerie Shaff’s website to view more of her work!

KATHERINE CARVER: What were your beginnings as a photographer and when did you realize it would become your chosen form of expression?

VALERIE SHAFF: I started making photographs when I was a young child, around seven-years-old. I studied photography in high school and worked in the darkroom and developed film. In college I majored in photography, and since college graduation, I have worked professionally as a photographer ever since.

KATHERINE CARVER: Did you study art or photography formally?

VALERIE SHAFF: I began as a painter in college. Later during college, I changed my major to photography. At my college, Bard College, there was not a photography department when I first began college. However, later during college, a photography department formed at my college and that is when I made photography my major during college.

KATHERINE CARVER: How do you describe your style?

VALERIE SHAFF: My style is quite naturalistic – based upon my belief system that we all are connected – the individuality and connectedness of all living beings.

KATHERINE CARVER: What was the impetus that inspired you to begin photographing dogs and other animals?

VALERIE SHAFF: I was quite fascinated with dogs and other animals being as natural as they are. I am very fascinated with animals being themselves.

KATHERINE CARVER: How have your own dog(s) influenced your artwork?

VALERIE SHAFF: My dogs confirm my feelings concerning the depth and experience we can have with other species and being able to articulate this depth of relationship with other living beings artistically.

KATHERINE CARVER: Where do you show/exhibit your work?

VALERIE SHAFF: I show and exhibit my work at the Smart Clothes Gallery; and the Carrie Haddad Gallery.

KATHERINE CARVER: What does “being creative” mean to you?

VALERIE SHAFF: This is a good question. I believe that everyone is naturally creative, and being creative is part of everyone’s life each day. Everyone has the opportunity to express themselves just by being alive. Additionally, artists employ other strategies to help communicate creatively.

KATHERINE CARVER: What is the most challenging aspect of being a photographer?

VALERIE SHAFF: I think that the most challenging aspect of being a photographer is dealing in the realm of making a living – specifically translating what I do into commerce. I am not as much interested in marketing and promotion as I am in actually making photographs.

KATHERINE CARVER: What inspires you to keep going and what keeps you motivated?

VALERIE SHAFF: My need to make photographs and express myself visually. Specifically, the process of seeing a project into completion engages me and it is quite satisfying to complete a project.

KATHERINE CARVER: What are the most rewarding and satisfying part about being a photographer and making photographs?

VALERIE SHAFF: The most rewarding part of being a photographer is all of the little surprises that occur while utilizing my skills that I have developed. These unexpected surprises are a gift that just happened to occur by chance during the process of creating art. This is very satisfying to me. Also, sharing my work is a valuable experience as it helps to clarify ideas and find a clear means of presentation.

KATHERINE CARVER: Can you describe the process of creating and publishing your books?

VALERIE SHAFF: Each book that I have published has, fortunately, been a very fluid process. I have been fortunate to have great agents and a wonderful co-author, Roy Blount, Jr. You can view my books here.

KATHERINE CARVER: What kind of patterns, rituals, and routines do you have while making photographs?

VALERIE SHAFF: The medium of photography has changed over the years. The photography equipment and process is quite different. Therefore, there are different preparations that take place today. I am trying to be more spontaneous in my photography and practice.

KATHERINE CARVER: Looking back on your accomplishments, to date, what are you the most proud of?

VALERIE SHAFF: I am most proud that I am associated with very accessible work. Many different types of people can respond to my work from a lay person to a person who has studied art formally. I really enjoy that my work is non-exclusive. I am also proud that I have been recognized as doing something original, which is very affirming.

KATHERINE CARVER: What are you working on now?

VALERIE SHAFF: I live in the country, and I am currently building a studio in my back yard. I am working on my personal work, exploring relationships. Previously, I did a lot of commercial work, which I was fortunate to have an opportunity to work on. However, with a client comes many expectations that I was expected to satisfy and deliver, which is much different than creating my own personal work. While doing commercial work, I had much less of an opportunity to get lost making my own personal art work and experimenting.

KATHERINE CARVER: What artists inspire your work?

VALERIE SHAFF: Nobody comes to mind right now. I am most concerned with getting to know the artist in addition to viewing the artist’s work. I do like to attend local art shows and see new work being made.

KATHERINE CARVER: What advice do you have for aspiring photographers and artists?

VALERIE SHAFF: Do not second guess yourself. You need to question what you are doing, but you also need to follow your instincts. Often times, what you are working on will lead to something else as well. It is also very important to appreciate the process. Additionally, it is important to be confident and to develop your own work. When you are not as concerned about what others think, you will create stronger work. It is also important to be playful and be committed to the process of making art. Finally, for me, it has been very helpful to have a spiritual practice to help understand yourself more deeply and knowing that we are all connected.

KATHERINE CARVER: How can people view your photographs?

VALERIE SHAFF: You can visit my website at http://www.valerieshaff.com/; and you can contact me via e-mail at valshaff@valstar.net.

*Please not that all photographs are courtesy of Valerie Shaff.

You can read additional interviews here.

May 7

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Howard County, Maryland Photography Commission: Nick

This past weekend, my parents came to visit and they brought along their dog, Nick! Nick is a papillon mix rescue dog who is approximately six-years-old. Anyone who has met Nick knows that he loves his Daddy! Nick is his Daddy’s shadow and follows him everywhere…sometimes Nick is even disappointed that he cannot go into the bathroom with his Daddy! Nick is smart and he does listen well. Nick is quite vocal compared to Biscuit; Nick reacts to the slightest sound. Most of all, though, Nick is devoted to his Daddy. After our photo shoot, I took Nick to Five Guys for a little hamburger, which he loved. (Little Biscuit has been on and he continues to be on a strict prescription diet and, therefore, he could not come with us). Nick and Biscuit seem to get along well together. By the last night of the visit, Nick sat in my lap without running away to his Daddy!

We had gorgeous weather for a photography shoot and Nick did not mind having his photos taken as long as his Daddy was near by! I love the simple scenery that we happened to find!

Some highlights from our photography session are shown below. If you are interested in commissions, please find further information here!

Happy Tuesday!

May 6

Experience is Everything

Experience is everything. The neat thing about delivering a remarkable client experience is that it can be the foundation of a strong brand. Making personal contact and going the extra mile is something that makes a difference in the client experience. We are in an age where people have a lot of choice on where they shop and spend their money. If you provide a great client experience, it keeps the client happy and he/she will come back and refer you to others. It really is an interconnected process. Without the client, what do we have?

I really enjoy paper cards and design. I always look forward to making our holiday cards and I really enjoyed creating our wedding invitations. I recently created thank you cards for my clients. I created return address labels, seals, and custom stamps so that everything coordinates highlighting my brand, shown below.

I believe the client experience should be seamless for the client. After all, like myself, the ideal client, wants to make sure that they are working with someone whom he/she trusts and has confidence in. I know when I am hiring and working with someone, it is extremely important that I feel that I can build a rapport and working relationship with the person I am going to hire, which is just as important, if not more important, than the services rendered. Thus, my goal for each client is to create and implement a personalized, fun, and seamless experience that exceeds the client’s expectations and makes each and every client feel like royalty.

May 3

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Baltimore County Photography Commission: Jax

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing Jax, a rescue pit bull, who is approximately four-years-old! It is interesting how I met Jax’s mom, Jen. Jen is a big proponent of dog rescue and dog fostering, and she found one of my images on Pintrest, and contacted me via e-mail to book a commission. The image Jen found happened to be of a photograph I had taken last year of “Lady” who was living at the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS). Lady who was later renamed “Josie” was sent to the Jasmine’s House, Inc., a pit bull rescue organization, for placement in foster care. Jen and her husband fostered Josie who was recently adopted and placed in a furever home!

Even more interesting and coincidental, Jen and her husband are fostering “Princess Tulip” currently known as “Amelia” who I photographed a few weeks ago at (BARCS) for my long term dog project with BARCS. I was able to say “hello” to Amelia during our photo shoot.

Jen and her husband rescued and adopted Jax when he was approximately two-years-old from the B altimore County Animal Control (BCAC) in August of 2011. They happened to go to BCAC on a day where Jax was available for adoption at the BCAC . After meeting Jax, they decided on the spot to adopt him and Jax has been a part of the family ever since!

Jen, a woman after my own heart, writes a blog about her adventures in dog fostering, which is narrated by Jax! You can follow Jen’s blog here! Additionally, here is a blog post about Jax’s one-year anniversary with his furever family!

Jax met me at the front door quite excited for his photo shoot! We had gorgeous weather this past weekend, and Jax was a pleasure to photograph. Jax is full of energy, but he was willing to sit still for some treats! By the time I left, Jax was giving me tons of kisses — a very lovable pup!

Thank you for inviting me to photograph and document your precious, beloved, and handsome Mr. Jax!

Some highlights from our photography session are shown below. If you are interested in commissions, please find further information here!

Happy Friday!

May 2

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Biscuit’s Health Update Post Surgery

We received news from our vet yesterday that Biscuit’s polyps that the vet removed are actually tumors that are cancerous — ceruminous gland adenocarcinoma. This type of tumor is locally infiltrative; the tumor can recur after surgery; and it has the possibility of metastasis to the lymph nodes. Per the pathology results, the tumor showed low to intermediate grade of malignancy, and, unfortunately, the tumor cells were identified at the borders of the tumor.

The vet said that she thinks that she got all of the cancerous cells during surgery; and the vet did an additional procedure after the polyp/tumor removal, an ablation, in order to hopefully remove any remaining cancer cells. The vet said per the results that there is a likelihood that the tumor can grow back. If the tumor does come back, the vet will likely refer us to a surgeon to perform a total ear canal ablation. We go back to our regular vet in about 1.5 weeks for Biscuit’s ear and dental recheck. At this time, the vet will show us how to check Biscuit’s lymph nodes at home on a regular basis, and how to check his ear to ensure that we monitor his left ear closely in order to identify any change(s). When we go to the vet, we are also going to check Biscuit’s urine and blood work again during this vet visit to recheck Biscuit’s thyroid levels and kidney enzymes. We really hope that the kidney values will not show an increase; and we hope for a decrease in Biscuit’s kidney enzymes. Finally, in mid May, we go and see the specialist concerning Biscuit’s kidneys.

Thank you again for all of your good wishes and prayers for Biscuit. We greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Biscuit has been quite active and content thus far since surgery — and we hope that this continues. We plan to take Biscuit on some adventures this weekend!

Apr 30

Why I Use Photoshop

I complete all of my “print making” using Adobe Photoshop exclusively for all of my photography editing after culling through all of the RAW images from a photo shoot. (I do not outsource any of my editing). This process takes much more time than using Adobe Lightroom, for example, which allows for batch processing, which is much quicker than working on one image at a time. However, Photoshop is the most powerful tool on the market to edit images, which is not only limited to editing photographs.

I use the Photoshop tools in the same manner as I would use in the darkroom. I make cropping adjustments; color balance adjustments; brightness and contrast adjustments; and, occasionally, I use the cloning tool to help make adjustments where needed. Otherwise, my images are straight out of the camera with minimal manipulation. It is important to note that the original image out of the camera must be of good quality. However, using this Photoshop process takes more time as I work individually on each image — one image at a time to perfect each image, similar to working on an individual image in the darkroom. However, these minimal adjustments can make dramatic differences in the final image. There is definitely an art to the editing process, which requires time, patience, a keen eye, and attention to detail.

Below are some “before” and “after” images to give you an idea of the difference in the images after my editing process is completed.

Happy Tuesday!

Image – straight out of camera.