Masthead header
Sunday, December 18, 2011

Michael Kloth – Tucson Pet Photographer

Posted in Animals, book, dogs, Shelter Puppies

It’s official – Tucson is my new home.

We arrived a few weeks back and are now for the most part settled in to our new home.  I’ve been keeping busy doing all of the little things that need to be done after relocating and I’ve been doing my best to give my students at Washington State University continued lessons as I finished the semester from the road.  I’m sure we are all grateful that the semester is now over and all that’s left for me to do is to critique and grade their final projects.  I will miss working at the WSU Tri-Cities campus and I am very grateful for a fantastic two years teaching a great group of students.

Now it is time to ponder the state of my career.  Of course I am planning to work with local rescues in the new year and I think there are several promising avenues to pursue for my teaching career.  The real question though is what to do about reestablishing my studio here in Tucson?  As 2011 comes to a close, my main job will be to reconsider my business and marketing plans.  Fortunately, I believe that Tucson offers a wealth of opportunities for artists and now my job is to figure out how Michael Kloth Photography fits in to that market.  It’s both a little intimidating and exciting starting fresh and I am looking forward to the challenge.

Finally, this week I received some press clippings from my publicist Rob Moore of 60 Cycle Media for Shelter Puppies.  I’ll share them over the next few weeks and I think Shelter Puppies is getting some great press.  The Miami Herald included it in their Holiday Gift Guide as one of seven great books to give.   Awesome!  Of course I agree, Shelter Puppies does make a fantastic gift – send me an email to buy an personalized autographed copy.

I haven’t done much in the way of shooting since I’ve arrived but I did break out my gear for a quick session with my own pups.  I’ll leave it today then with photos of Lyle, Spring and Maebe.  Enjoy!

 

Digg This
Reddit This
Stumble Now!
Buzz This
Vote on DZone
Share on Facebook
Bookmark this on Delicious
Kick It on DotNetKicks.com
Shout it
Share on LinkedIn
Bookmark this on Technorati
Post on Twitter
Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)
Posted in Animals, book, dogs, Shelter Puppies

no comments

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Shelter Puppies book signing event at Barnes & Noble – Soon to be Tucson Pet Photographer

Posted in adoption, Animals, book, dogs, Shelter Puppies

I enjoyed my first book signing event for Shelter Puppies this past weekend at the Columbia Center Mall Barnes & Noble.  When I made the plans with community relations manager Jerrica Fowler last month, we agreed that the event would be a lot more fun if we brought an adoptable puppy along but the Benton-Franklin Humane Society had been going through a long puppy drought so I made plans to bring a small adult dog.  I was very happy then to see adoptions manager Audrey Zoesch with the cutest little beagle/terrier mix pup that had been brought to the shelter earlier that same afternoon.  The pup had a very big day but was a perfect angel during the two hour book signing event.

As much fun as I had during the entire event, a highlight was seeing Brandon and Wendy Koca.  Brandon and Wendy adopted Bagel earlier this year and were gracious enough to invite me into their home to do a followup happy ending photo session for the book.   It was fun to get an update and I wish them all the best.

For those of you that missed the book signing but would like a signed copy of Shelter Puppies, I am offering them for $19.95 (plus shipping and tax for WA residents).  Please email me @ michael@shelterpuppies.net if you are interested and please include any special dedication that you would like me to write.  I accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover and PayPal for your convenience.

Digg This
Reddit This
Stumble Now!
Buzz This
Vote on DZone
Share on Facebook
Bookmark this on Delicious
Kick It on DotNetKicks.com
Shout it
Share on LinkedIn
Bookmark this on Technorati
Post on Twitter
Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)
Posted in adoption, Animals, book, dogs, Shelter PuppiesTags: , , , , , , , ,

no comments

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
Thursday, September 22, 2011

Dancin’ in the Dirt

Posted in adoption, Animals, HeARTs Speak, horses

My friends at Spot-O-Faith Farm have been working on fixing up the barn for all of their rescues and are now putting together a little fund raiser benefit to celebrate.  The first of what will hopefully be many Dancin’ in the Dirt events will be held on Saturday October 15, 2011 from 6-8 pm.  There will be food, music and a silent auction.  Tickets are $25 each or $75 for a family.  Donations will be accepted for the silent auction through October 8.  To donate, please fill out the donation form and send it to Linda.  She can be reached at spotofathfarm@msn.com or 509-845-7242.

The Spot-O-Faith Farm is a 501c3 non-profit horse rescue so all donations are tax deductible.  The Spot-O-Faith Farm is located at 6204 W Wernett Road in Pasco, WA.

And while I’m on the topic, they have two beautiful Appaloosas that are ready to find their forever home.  Contact Linda if you are interested in adopting them or sponsoring any of their rescues.  Any donations are appreciated!

 

Digg This
Reddit This
Stumble Now!
Buzz This
Vote on DZone
Share on Facebook
Bookmark this on Delicious
Kick It on DotNetKicks.com
Shout it
Share on LinkedIn
Bookmark this on Technorati
Post on Twitter
Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)
Posted in adoption, Animals, HeARTs Speak, horsesTags: ,

no comments

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Tri-Cities Pet Photographer soon to be Tucson Pet Photographer

Posted in info

It’s funny how even something as simple as walking the dogs on the same route I’ve taken hundreds of times can seem to take on a renewed meaning once a new course has been set.  I’ll be moving to Tucson, Arizona in November and already I’ve found myself musing about all of the things that I won’t be doing here any more.  Teaching at WSU or photographing adoptable animals at the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter or even Coyote Ridge Corrections Center.  Looking back on the last three plus years that we’ve been in the Tri-Cities, I know that I’ve been very fortunate in all of the opportunities that have come my way but as sad as it is to leave the area, I’m really looking forward to all of the opportunities that await in Tucson.  For all of you familiar with the Tucson area, send me a note with your suggestions for your favorite things to do and places to eat.

Of course all this means that I’m also counting down on the number of sessions that I am able to do here in the Tri-Cities before moving.  If you’ve been waiting for the right time to contact me, this is it – after October, I won’t be able to help you.

One thing that I’ll certainly miss is my home.  We haven’t listed it yet with a realtor so it still feels like our home (if you’ve ever sold a house then you’ll know that as soon as it’s listed, it’s not really your home anymore but rather the place that you live while it is on display).   If you live in or are moving to the Tri-Cities and are interested in a beautiful Stanfield Homes construction (~4200 sq ft), please send me an email @ mike@michaelkloth.com to get a link to a photo gallery.  I’ll leave you today with a pair of photos of our house.

 

Digg This
Reddit This
Stumble Now!
Buzz This
Vote on DZone
Share on Facebook
Bookmark this on Delicious
Kick It on DotNetKicks.com
Shout it
Share on LinkedIn
Bookmark this on Technorati
Post on Twitter
Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)
Posted in infoTags: , , , ,

5 comments

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
Judy - August 10, 2011 - 5:52 pm

I love your house, these photos are way better than the ones the Realtor would post.

Robyn Lisone - August 10, 2011 - 6:15 pm

Good luck with the move Michael! Tuscon is a lovely city! Make sure you go to Frost (http://frostgelato.com)…they make the BEST gelato ever!!!!! And I cannot resist AJ’s Fine Foods (http://ajsfinefoods.com), it is gourmet heaven!!!! The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is beautiful, as well as Tohono Chul Park. Every year during the first week of Dec, they have Holiday Nights where they open the park up and the cactus are all decked out in lights. They have music, crafts, and refreshments. The Reed Park Zoo does lights as well during Dec. I’m excited for you! Tucson has some great festivals, art shows, etc…it’s lots of fun!!!

Bob Haugh - August 10, 2011 - 6:52 pm

I certainly do imagine that you are having huge mixed emotions about moving. The Tri-Cities really is a very lovely place. We will miss our visits there, as it has a lot to offer besides you and Robin (dogs too). You have done a lot of good in the area and I am certain that you also make a big difference in the Tucson area.

The photos of the house are beautiful, just like I would expect.

Trish Scelfo - August 11, 2011 - 4:12 am

Congratulations on your new adventure! I know how you feel about selling your house. We are getting ready to sell ours and I am dreading that sign going up in the yard even though I am looking forward to the change. Good luck with everything!

adam - August 11, 2011 - 8:21 am

good luck with your new opportunities, michael!

Friday, June 3, 2011

The fake room – Pet photography by Michael Kloth

Posted in adoption, Animals, dogs

It’s not that I’ve grown tired of using paper seamless backgrounds when I take photos of the animals at the humane society, but every now and again I feel the need to try something new.  Currently I’m working on the fake room.  As always, I want to feature each animal using an uncluttered backdrop so that potential adopters can’t be distracted by the living situation each animal faces in the humane society but rather, I want each photo to be only about the dog, cat or other critter featured.  The fake room is a work in progress as it’s rather cumbersome to transport, set up and break down at the humane society but I think it will see a fair bit of use over the summer.  My thought on the fake room is that it might help potential adopters to envision the featured animal as a pet rather than as an animal in need of a home.  It would be great if it helps spark increased interest in some of the great dogs and cats.  If not, well, at least I’ll enjoy a bit of variety.

So what do you think?  Any feedback is appreciated.

undefined

This is the first time I set up the fake room at the humane society. It worked fine but took 30 minutes to set up.

undefined

Spring helping me try out the fake room at home before bringing it to the humane society.

undefined

Lyle wasn't a big fan but then again, he doesn't care for the regular set up either.

undefined

Head shot of Lyle in the fake room.

undefined

Maebe wasn't a fan either but photo shoots make her a bit nervous even when she's laying on the ground.

undefined

Anything goes for Spring - she's always ready to model for me so long as I pay her for her services.

undefined

Swapping looks is as easy as putting up new wall paper. This wall paper was probably on the clearance rack for a reason.

undefined

The wood tiles are 1' square tiles from Lowe's and cost $0.72 each.

undefined

It quickly became clear that I'll need to pay closer attention to keeping the molding level in the frame.

undefined

Detail shot of Spring on the floor.

Digg This
Reddit This
Stumble Now!
Buzz This
Vote on DZone
Share on Facebook
Bookmark this on Delicious
Kick It on DotNetKicks.com
Shout it
Share on LinkedIn
Bookmark this on Technorati
Post on Twitter
Google Buzz (aka. Google Reader)
Posted in adoption, Animals, dogsTags: , , , , , , , ,

13 comments

add a comment
link to this post
email a friend
Andi (^_) - June 3, 2011 - 7:37 pm

I think repeated ‘tinkling’ on the floor tiles over time may make them tougher to keep clean than the paper. But the setup does look homey.

Nicole glazier - June 3, 2011 - 9:31 pm

LOVE LOVE the Fake Room! It totally works and is a great idea!!!

Mike - June 3, 2011 - 9:39 pm

Thank you both!

Andi, the tiles are actually smooth linoleum so clean up should be a breeze.

Nikki - June 3, 2011 - 11:56 pm

Wow, that is really elaborate. I don’t even want to know how much time it took to set up and break down. You must have a fair amount of cargo space in your vehicle to transport all of that — sure hope you have an assistant to help with the hauling.

Are those AlienBees? Interesting that in the second photo you’re using a 3-light system — when do you choose to use the overhead strobe on the boom as a third light source, as opposed to the 2-light setup shown in the first image? I can see now how you get such beautiful, even lighting in your images of the critters, what with the large softboxes and all.

Is the tile surface slippery? I know when I use the tile board for a white seamless setup, the dogs sometimes have a hard time keeping their footing, especially the larger, older dogs. Maybe a linoleum such as your parquet tiles might be better?

Sorry to ask so many questions. Love the look and your resourcefulness. Very inspiring and looks good too!

Mike - June 4, 2011 - 6:24 am

Hi Nikki.

I’m glad you enjoyed. I drive a truck and make pretty much need it even for my normal less elaborate set up. I usually have another volunteer meet me at the shelter but I do the heavy lifting myself.

The three light setup is always my preference but I often will go with just the two softboxes for convenience and because the room I use at the humane society is not very big. The tile isn’t super slippery but probably more than most big dogs would care for. I’m thinking that I’ll add a small throw rug to the mix to help out with that and when I do, I’ll definitely either use one with a rubber backing or use one of those skid free mats under it to keep it in place. I didn’t use the setup for the big dogs because I set the level of the platform too high. There’s no reason to think I couldn’t set it up much lower next time though.

Judy - June 4, 2011 - 11:47 am

Mike, next time I’ll bring along that faux barnwood floor I have, I forgot I had it.

TroyK - June 14, 2011 - 12:45 pm

Hey Mike,
love your work and great idea on the fake room, it creates wonderful light. One question though, why lug around the large scaffolds to support 20lbs of lighting? wouldn’t something like a folding card table and light stands be easier?

thanks for the inspiration!

Mike - June 14, 2011 - 2:07 pm

Hi Troy,

Thanks for your feedback! The scaffolding is definitely more than I need for this particular application but of course it has it’s other uses too. I will sometimes use sturdy long tables but I’d be pretty wary about a folding card table because most are too flimsy. Anything that the animals can shake will make most of them pretty nervous and make the job of photographing them more difficult. I usually put my lighting on light stands so that weight isn’t really a consideration.

If you put something similar together, I’d love to see a photo or two.

Happy shooting!

TroyK - June 14, 2011 - 2:21 pm

Good point about having a stable surface for the animals. I’m a carpenter working my way to a pet photography career so I might try to build something that’s portable, light and stable.
Troy

Ashley - June 19, 2011 - 9:47 am

Mike,
what a great setup. I love the idea of the fake room because it offers so many possibilities. I’m definitely gonna try it but instead of scaffolding I have 2 aluminum benches (found them at Lowes in the ladder section) that is lower to the ground and will be much easier to transport if needed. It is also very sturdy and will be great for the older dogs too.
What a wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing!

Cynthia Barker - July 25, 2011 - 5:19 pm

I photograph at our city shelter and for my rescue group’s adoption events. At our current city facility I have about a 5 square foot area to work in. I set up a small table with a rug, use my reflector stand to hang large fleece throws, and shoot the cats, kittens and small dogs there with a Gary Fong diffuser on a speedlight in my hotshoe. They like to be in pet beds or baskets with fleece throws, and I think that helps them appear to be “pets” and not homeless animals. The large dogs must be photographed outside in a shady grass area. For events I have set up a white canopy and hung backdrops on 3 sides to make a “booth”, setting up light stands with 2 umbrellas or softboxes with speedlights and that has worked pretty well. You could hang or clip lights from the frame…it may take some special way to get them as low as the animals but would be worth it to not have the danger of knocked-over lights. I can put a table up for small dogs but I prefer the large dogs on the ground — is there a reason you have them elevated? Eventually I want to purchase a barnwood “rug” since I know the dogs like to be on something soft. But a canopy is much easier to transport and set up than scaffolding and it gives you a frame to use so I thought I would mention it.

Mike - July 26, 2011 - 6:50 am

Thanks for all of the great feedback!

Cynthia & Ashley, your setups sound very good.

Cynthia, I use the table for a couple of reasons but I should probably first mention that I don’t use it for large dogs but only dogs small enough to allow me to pick them up. One of the things I like about the table is that it allows me to easily shoot at the animal’s eye level. I see so many photos of animals that are taken from a higher perspective that I want to do something to make my photos stand out from the crowd. I also find that being on a table often times will slow an animal down just a bit while at the same time, allow me to work a bit faster (since I’m not on my knees or laying down to get the shot I want). Sometimes that extra fraction of a second is key to getting good shots when working with especially wary or excited animals. Finally, I don’t think I could work on the floor at all with the small animals that frequent our humane society as they’d be off in a shot hiding behind bookcases, chairs, etc.

In the end, the most important thing I can recommend is that you find the setup that works best for you and the animals that you work with. After all, we all have our own vision and it all goes to help the animals find good homes.

Mike - July 26, 2011 - 6:53 am

Troy,

Did you make something? I’d love to see a few photos. Actually, I’d be interested in doing a follow up post with photos from everyone’s setup if you all don’t mind sharing.