biscuit's space | The blog of photographer Katherine Carver

Jul 7

Honoring Biscuit: One Year — A Letter to Biscuit

Dearest Biscuit:

We cannot believe that your physical being has been gone a year ago today. Our time together was too short, just two and a half years. During this time, you changed our lives forever. We miss you very much. We know that your physical being has left this life, but we know that you are always with us. You brought us so much joy and you gave us so many, many gifts that we are so thankful for that we continue to receive today. We think of you every day and your images are displayed throughout our home. Whenever we see an vibrant orange sky or a rainbow, we think of you. Your gift of your sissy, Victory, makes us think of you every day as well. Although you two have distinct personalities, she exudes some of the characteristics you exhibited. This is why we know you sent us the ‘right sheltie friend.’ We thought we would describe to you how you two share some of the same qualities.

1. You and Victory are extremely cautious. You both are weary of new situations and people. You always had anxiety of being left somewhere; and Victory gets scared of new people and situations. We know that her confidence will continue to grow. She has made significant progress since she came to live with us and joined our family.

2. You and Victory sleep in during the morning. We are lucky in that you both like to sleep in, which is very nice on the weekends!

3. You and Victory are night owls. We think that you both would prefer a later bed time during the week!

4. You and Victory like the snow. You both enjoy walking around in the snow. During recent winters, we received quite a bit of snow along with some snow days.

5. You and Victory love to sleep in front of the fan. You both love sleeping in front of the fan during naps and during the night; and you both position yourselves in the path of the fan.

6. You and Victory love to beg at the dinning room table and while we make dinner in the kitchen! This is partially our fault for giving in to you because you two are so cute when you beg for food — of course, we do this in moderation!

7. You and Victory love to eat yogurt! You loved yogurt parfaits that I made for you on the weekends and Victory loves eating yogurt on the weekends as well gobbling it up in no time flat!

8. You and Victory love ice cream (in moderation, of course!) You both love ice cream. Remember the time in Nova Scotia where we gave you Cows Ice Cream and you got a tummy ache because it was so rich (a high butter fat content) — fortunately a local vet helped us out and we had to give you Pepto-Bismol via an eye dropper — those were good times chasing you around the cottage with an eye dropper trying to help you! Victory loves ice cream as well, but we are careful not to give her too much!

9. You and Victory love to go to Home Depot/Lowes! When we sold and moved out of our old house, while we waited for our current house to be finished being built, we had to get you more outings as you missed our old neighborhood and house. Daddy came up with the idea of taking you to Home Depot and Lowes since these stores are furry friend friendly! You loved going and everyone told you how handsome you were. Many people thought you were a girl because you were just so happy and beautiful! Victory also loves going to Home Depot/Lowes. She also receives many nice comments about how beautiful she is and she smiles ear to ear prancing around the store!

10. You and Victory love to go on outings in the car! We are fortunate that you both travel extremely well in the car and you enjoy it! You both love to go in the car with us and the destination does not concern you both — you just like going out and about. We shared so many dinners, adventures, and lovely vacations together. We will never forget those times together. Victory also loves going in the car and she loves coming home and going into the garage. She thinks it is the best thing ever — who knew a garage could be that exciting, but it is for Victory!

11. You and Victory allow me to photograph you. You both are so patient with me when I photograph you. I think you both know what the camera is, as you both are naturals in front of the camera. You are my muse and have brought photography back into my life.

12. You and Victory love to be with us and you are both special and perfect just the way you are! You both enjoy being with us as much as we enjoy being with you two. You and Victory are great company and companions — you are our little fur babies! We have been blessed with wonderful shelties and we could not be happier to have you both a part of our lives. You both are special and warm our hearts. We cannot imagine not having either one of you as part of our little family. We love you both.

Thank you for being part of our lives, Biscuit. Your memory will always live on and we will never forget you. You are the reason Biscuit’s Space exists and Biscuit’s Space will continue in your great memory. You also inspired my dog photography project and I hope, upon its completion, it will have a positive impact. This body of work is for you and it will be dedicated to you. We love you, Biscuit. We know that you are with us always.

Love always,

Mamma & Daddy

Jul 4

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Happy Fourth of July (Weekend)!

Happy Fourth of July from your favorite Sheltie Girl, Victory! This is Victory’s first Fourth of July! We are enjoying beautiful weather, homemade crepes, walks with the Hound About, grilling, time with friends, and rest! Have a great long weekend, friends!

Jul 3

Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc. — Part XIII – Rescue dogs in need of furever homes

I am excited about a long-term Dog Photography Project that I am working on with the Baltimore Animal Rescue Care Shelter (BARCS) as well as some local dog rescue organizations, including the Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc. I hope to share further information in the future. Using the following links, you can view Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX and X, Part XI, and Part XII.

For now, I can share some color photographs of these doggies pictured below in the hopes that they receive furever homes! If you are interested in adopting (or fostering in some cases) any of these dogs pictured below, please contact Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc. for further information. Please consider dog rescue! Biscuit’s rescue story illustrates that we can make a positive difference and impact in one dog’s life.

At this point, almost all of the images for Part 1 of this project have been photographed! I have been working on this project for over a year! Part 2 of this project is also under way! I can’t wait to share this project upon its completion!

Below is a brief description of the dogs in the order they are pictured below.

1. Simon — is a male 14-year-old Fox Terrier Mix. Simon is very loving, sweet, and easy going senior dog, and he is in need of a furever home!

2. Mello — is a male 4-year-old Corgi Mix. Mellow is a happy go-lucky doggie who is in need of a furever home! Mello is housebroken and he does well with children!

3. Skylar — Adopted!

4. Fiona — is a female 8-year-old Maltese Mix. Fiona had a terrible flea infestation when she arrived in rescue. She has been treated and, as a result, has some skin issues that are being treated. Fiona is in need of a furever home!

5. Patches — is a 12 week old Pit Bull Terrier. Patches is full of energy! Patches has a medial issue that is being treated by the rescue. Patches is looking for a home with someone willing to care for and train a puppy pit bull.

If you want to adopt a rescue dog; donate money; and/or contribute your time to the Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc., please contact Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc. via email at fallstonrescue@aol.com. To learn more, you can also visit the Fallston Animal Rescue Movement, Inc.’s website.

Jul 2

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Victory: Photography Project — 24

“Dogs are miracles with paws.” ~Unknown

Beginning in January of this year, I began a weekly photography project with my muse, Victory! I will continue to share this project on the blog! I have also been documenting Victory’s milestones so to speak each month — you can read these here! I think that it is fun to document all of Victory’s changes, while preserving fleeting moments and memories.

Below are some recent photographs of Victory at the dog park! She loves going to the dog park and sniffing around! Hopefully, the temperatures will cool off some so that we can take her back to the park again soon. Since Victory is covered in fur, she warms easily! Isn’t Victory looking so fluffy and pretty! Doug says everyday that, “Victory is the most beautiful sheltie girl ever!” I agree! She is blossoming more each day!

Happy Wednesday!

Jul 1

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ASPCA — First and Free Interactive Mobile App for Pet Parents

The ASPCA recently contacted me to share its first and free interactive mobile app designed for pet parents to help pet parents quickly locate their furry family member when their precious furry family member goes missing. You can download this app for free on the iPhone and Android. The ASPCA believes that this is an essential app for pet parents and pet lovers as it show you exactly how to search for your pet if he/she goes missing, which is (1) tailored to your specific circumstance; and (2) each pet’s individual personality. With July 4 quickly approaching, furry family members often go missing after being scared by fireworks and other loud noises.

Furthermore, through the app, users are also able to build a digital lost pet flyer that can be shared instantly on their social networks. The app will also provide the most critical advice on ensuring a pet’s safety before, during and after a major storm or natural disaster.

Lastly but also importantly, the app will allow pet owners to store all their pet’s relevant information, such as vaccination history and dietary info, all in one convenient place.

Anyone would be panicked and understandably upset if their pet went missing, and this free app from the ASPCA looks like a great tool to help locate one’s pet if he/she goes missing along with keeping one’s pet’s records in one place. To download the app, please visit here.

Happy Tuesday!

Jun 30

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Weekend Snapshots

It was a beautiful weekend! Doug made it back home after a long day of travel and it, unfortunately, ended without his luggage — the airline left his luggage in London. Fortunately, Doug got his luggage back last night! Over the weekend, we took little Victory to Wegmans and Ritas for an outing and she had a great time — all smiles! (Unfortunately, there are not as many restaurants near our home where we can take Victory with us. When we lived in the city, there were more dog friendly at restaurants!) My flowers are blooming and I am watering them often! Doug made us homemade buttermilk pancakes on Sunday for breakfast and they were very good! Victory loves Siggi’s yogurt and we usually give her some vanilla Siggi’s yogurt on Sundays when Doug makes breakfast! And, I had two photo shoots for my photography project — there is still much work ahead of me on this project!

Happy Monday!

Jun 27

Behind the Scenes: Preparing to Photograph Dogs

Working with and photographing dogs requires a lot of patience and hard work! Below is a list of items that help me photograph dogs.

1. Prepare Gear: Make sure your camera is in good working order; your batteries are charged; your memory cards are cleared; and your lenses are cleaned.

2. Find Good Light: Whether you are working inside or outside, find good light. It will make all the difference in your images. If you are photographing inside, photograph the dog near a natural light source such as a window or french doors. I find it is best to raise the blinds, open the curtains and let the light in and it will make a difference in your photographs.

3. Treats: Bring natural treats to help keep the dog’s attention. (Prior to giving any treats, I always make sure that the dog does not have any allergies or food restrictions and I make sure to buy only treats made in the United States.) If the dog is not treat/food motivated, speak to the dog’s human and inquire as to what motivates his/her dog!

4. Toys: Ask to use toys to help get a dogs attention. Sometimes a squeaker toy works really well for getting and holding the dog’s attention.

5. Patience: The most important attribute one must have is patience while working with dogs. Each dog is different, and I find that each dog shows me who they are when I surrender and just let the dog be himself/herself. This approach often produce the most authentic images.

6. Be Present: Whenever I am photographing a dog my mind is solely focused on the dog I am photographing. My goal is to create authentic images. In order to be effective, I must stay present and really observe and interact with each dog in a way that elicits the dog’s personality.

7. Stay Physically Fit: Working with dogs requires one to stay in good shape. You have to be able to move quickly and sustain a lot of time on your feet and position yourself at awkward angles in order to get the shot you hope to achieve. Working for several hours non-stop can also be draining on your body.

8. Wear Comfortable Clothing and Shoes: Wear clothing that is comfortable along with comfortable shoes, which you can move easily in. Also, wear clothing that you do not care if it gets dirty or slobbered on by the furry friends!

9. Rest: Get plenty of rest. If you are well rested, you will be able to concentrate and focus better.

10. Hydration: If you are working outside in the sun photographing dogs, it is best to keep hydrated so that you do not become dehydrated.

With all this said, each dog is different and you have to be able to adapt to each dog and connect with each dog in a way where the dog can be himself/herself. I always hope for images that just occur serendipitously during the photo shoot, as these images are gifts that usually result in some of my strongest images.

Happy Friday!

Jun 26

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How Do You Work?

How do you work? What is your optimal working environment to do your creative work?

For me, I work quietly in my home office, which I try to keep free of clutter, i.e., piles on my desk. To organize my day, I make a list on paper of items that I hope to complete. Invariably, the list is never checked off completely! Currently, I spend the vast amount of my time working on my long-term dog photography project. I edit images; work on the logistics of photo shoots; go to photo shoots; follow up with rescue and shelter organizations; consistently maintain and update data in a large spreadsheet; and prepare blog posts.

I find that I am able to focus when I get plenty of rest. Working on each image can take many hours and it is very tedious work, which requires much concentration, and some days I have better results than others. For me, it is easiest to concentrate on one image at a time, and when I am done, I always go back to each image to see what I might have missed. Also, time away from an image can help me see the image with a new perspective, so I implemented a practice of revisiting each image at a later date to ensure I am happy with the final image or to continue further editing of the image. Working on a body of work is like a puzzle and you have to finish to see how the pieces come together to see which images really are strong and work with the body of work and determine which images do not serve the body of work. This process is very intuitive.

I find working on my images is a very meditative process and I often can get into a zone while I am working. When I work, I turn both the email off and the Internet off and concentrate on the task at hand, and I set a dedicated time later in the day for checking email, etc. Victory is always close by. However, she still likes to stay in her hut! However, when I sit on the sofa and work when I am not working on images, Victory always comes over and sits next to me. Biscuit always slept near my feet while I worked. I still very much miss having Biscuit close by. Most days, I can work for hours at a time and the time seems to just zoom by. Other days, I need more breaks and the days seems a bit longer, depending upon the work.

I am a morning person. We go to bed early and wake up early. I am more alert and focused in the earlier hours of the day. I think that is when I do my best work. Everyone is different and works differently, and it is interesting to hear how other work on their creative work.

The most important lesson I have learned is to keep showing up and keep leaning into the work each day, even during the most challenging times.

Jun 25

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Things I Love: Summer 2014

It is officially summer, and I wanted to share some items that I love! We are looking forward to longer days and more time outside!

1. Still Writing by Dani Shapiro – I am almost done reading this book, and it is great and I highly recommend it to creatives! Shapiro talks about the struggles of writing, but almost everything she says can be applied to any creative discipline. It reminded me that showing up and being dedicated to the work every day is how creatives create their work.

2. Big Green Egg — Since it has become warmer outside, Doug has been grilling on our Big Green Egg! The food is always tasty!

3. Orange is the New Black — We are almost done with Season 2 of Orange is the New Black, and we enjoy watching this series!

4. Groove Short — I love Lululemon and recently got these shorts — they are very comfortable and nice to wear in the warmer months. Plus, Victory came with us to Lululemon and she even came with me into the dressing room like Biscuit used to do — furry friends are permitted in all Lululemon stores!

5. Rita’s – We love Rita’s! Sometimes we go several evenings in a row! Fortunately, there is a Rita’s not too far from our house! Victory loves to go with us as well. She loves the vanilla custard — in moderation, of course!

6. Petzlife — Victory came to us with a bit of tarter on her two back molars. Fortunately, with regular brushing and use of the Petzlife Oral Care spray, we have gotten rid of most of the tarter! We try to brush Victory’s teeth four to five times a week — she tolerates me brushing them! We also give her dental treats from the vet to also help clean her teeth! Otherwise, her teeth are in great shape and we want to prevent teeth cleanings to mitigate her going under anesthesia.

You can view other things I love here!

Happy Wednesday!

Jun 24

Creativity: Wise Words

Below are wise words from artists on creativity and making art.

“Inspiration is for amateurs — the rest of us just show up and get to work.” – Chuck Close

“Show up, show up, show up.” –Isabelle Allende

“A self-respecting artist must not fold his hands on the pretext that he is not in the mood.” – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali

“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.” – Jack London

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. You simply must do things.” – Ray Bradbury

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, the just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while.” – Steve Jobs

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on.” – Albert Einstein