I am excited to announce that today I was named a Rising Star of Photography. I had submitted my portfolio for review around Thanksgiving time last year and was notified in December that I was one of six photographers chosen for the designation. It is always an honor to be recognized by one’s peers and I have been more than impressed with the work of all of the photographers named thus far. I would very strongly encourage you to review the other photographer’s portfolios and read about their work. Please check back in a couple of week’s time to see the work of the last photographer as well. 
Continuing with my work with the animals of the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, I photographed a Guinea Pig, a rabbit, two kittens and five dogs. I do my best to stay impartial to my subjects charms but occasionally I can’t help but be swayed. Yesterday I met Maralee and her puppy. If not for the fact that Lyle has made his position on bringing new dogs into our home, I would have been sorely tempted to bring Maralee home to meet our pack.
And just to keep me humble, today marked the first time that I brought an animal from Benton-Franklin Humane Society home for an extended photo session. Lola was featured on the morning news program this morning as a pet of the week. When I met her at the shelter she seemed to warm right up to me. That is until I tried to put her in a cat carrier. Once I was ready in my studio and opened the door, she bolted. Obviously I use a secure environment as a precaution for this exact reason so she wasn’t in any danger of real escape but she did her best to remind me that while some might think I’m a star, it is only because the animals allow me to work with them. Lola is the first, and I certainly hope last animal that I’ve not been able to at least get one portrait of for her Petfinder.com web page. In fact, I didn’t even get the chance to pick up my studio camera. I did manage one or two photos though but I don’t think they will be helping her chances of adoption so I will most definitely not be submitting them to the Benton-Franklin Humane Society. It just goes to show that when working with animals, you have to keep on your toes because anything can happen.
To see the rest of animals I photographed this week, please visit my artist page on Facebook.
