I normally make these photographs at the end of the day as the sun drops in the sky.  The light skims across the surface of the water and changes by the second.  While I’m waiting for the light to be just right, I might photograph some shore birds or just enjoy wading in the warm surf.

Skimmer chicks begging for food from one of their parents (who doesn't seem to have anything to offer at the moment)

A Great Blue Heron shares my spot on the beach.

An extremely calm surf as I make my way out to start shooting.

A warm sky and a calm warm surf

Just after an afternoon thunderstorm, a gentle wave rolls in.

I'm usually very good at timing the waves but this wave got the best of me, smacking me in the face about the time I released the shutter button. I'm not sure how I managed to keep my camera (relatively) dry.

The textures of the sky and the angry surf got my attention on this day.

One of the best things about photographing this series is I never know what visual treat will be served up by the light and the waves.  It’s always different.  At the same time,  no matter the conditions, calm, angry, colorful, overcast, or even stormy,  the connection for me is always the same.  It’s home.

This past Sunday, I had a photo shoot at Ft. Desoto with some Siberian Huskies for an editorial submission.  My models were provided by Lou and Dawn with Husky Haven.  They run a Husky rescue here in the Tampa Bay area and work tirelessly on behalf of the wonderful animals that are fortunate enough to land in their care.  Click here for their website and here for their facebook page.

We started out in the dog park area.  It’s a huge fenced area with a manicured lawn.  I was surprised when we first arrived that there weren’t other dogs in the park.  I soon realized why.  The mosquitoes quickly attacked every square inch of exposed skin.  I’m pretty sure I lost a pint of blood in the time it took me to dig out the industrial strength Cutters from the bottom of my bag and douse myself with it (I also shared with everyone else).  I have never seen it that bad before.  I regret I didn’t have the presence of mind to photograph the carnage before applying the repellent.  Of course, I might have required a transfusion if I delayed any longer.

We didn’t spend too much time in the dog park.  It was hot and the dogs just wanted to sit in the shade and drink ice water.  I knocked out the basic shots needed and we headed for the dog beach where there would be a breeze and no mosquitoes.

Monte gets a nice cold drink.

Monte and Kolchak (inseparable brothers) hanging out in the shade with Lou.

Dawn, Kosmic, Dusky, Kolchak, Monte, and Lou walking along the shoreline.

I wanted a photo of one of the dogs swimming.  We had no idea how he would react to the water but we decided to give Dusky a try.  Sarah, my assistant is always a trooper.  Not even thinking about the fact she was wearing jeans, I asked her to walk Dusky into the water to see how he would do.  Sarah, as usual, didn’t hesitate.

Sarah takes Dusky into the water for the first time.

It turns out Dusky LOVES the water.  Most dogs, when you take them out into the water, will swim back to shore when you let them go.  Dusky kept wanting to either swim further out or swim parallel to the shore.  He really didn’t want to get out.

Dusky loves swimming!

I think Dusky even liked the taste of the salt water.

Sarah’s boyfriend Ben was tagging along.  He happens to be a fantastic photographer, specializing in photojournalism.  He and Sarah made perfect models when I asked them to help me simulate a pet portrait shoot.  Kosmic did a great job too.  I was really pleased that he patiently stayed in his chair and smiled for the camera.

Kosmic poses for his glamour shot!

We were just barely finished shooting this series when I looked up and saw the approaching storm.  It was moving in fast and we were out of time.  Kosmic graciously  posed for a few more frames.  This was the last frame of the Husky shoot before we had to pack up and head for shelter. We hoped the storm would pass as quickly as it arrived.  It didn’t.  It was actually a series of storms that meant the end of the dog shoot.

Kosmic gets the last frame before we called it quits. I think he was ready to go too!

It wasn’t the end of shooting for me.  As I was driving out of Ft. Desoto, I looked to the West and saw what was potentially going to be an incredible sky as the sun fell lower.  Of course, this would all depend on the storms.  I turned around and drove to North Beach and waited.  When it seemed the rain had stopped, I grabbed my gear and headed to the north end of North Beach.  It was still raining a little but there were lulls.  There was also quite a bit of lightening but nothing immediately overhead (a fools assessment). I was rewarded with some truly wonderful skies.  As the light began to fade, the rain started again.

[EDIT: Great News! Since posting this blog entry, Dusky has found a permanent home!]

Friday evening was spent waist deep in the warm surf photographing waves.  The overcast, mostly gray skies offered cool muted blue green tones.

Saturday was my productive day.  I completed several print orders, finally got some retouching done on some portraits I shot months ago, and started assembling a magazine submission.  I wanted to get all of this out of the way because I had a full day of fun planned for Sunday.  The plan was to spend time on the beach in the morning (not making photographs, just lounging on the beach and swimming).  After that,  I was going to visit the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa to view an Ansel Adams exhibit and listen to a lecture given by Clyde Butcher.  I had been looking forward to this for well over a month.

Well…Sunday morning arrives and it’s raining.  No beach for me.  No big deal.  We still had the exhibit and lecture.  We drove over to Tampa, arriving about half an hour early in hopes of beating the crowd.  That didn’t work out so well for us either.  While I’m absolutely thrilled for the museum and for Clyde Butcher, I wasn’t thrilled to find out the museum was already at maximum capacity and no one else was being let in.  As disappointed as I was at missing the lecture and the exhibit, a part of me was also glad to see so much interest in a photography exhibit and in Clyde Butcher.  Clyde is a Florida treasure, not only as a photographer but also as an advocate for the environment.  Seeing the tremendous turnout gives me hope at a time when environmental policy is taking a beating in our state.

So now what?  We’re over in Tampa with time to kill.  We decided to go to Dead River Park for a little afternoon hike.   It was nearly perfect (for a hot summer day).  The earlier rain kept everyone away.  We had the place to ourselves.  The overcast conditions kept the temperatures bearable.  I can’t explain why there were no mosquitoes but I certainly didn’t miss them.  We had a lovely hike.

After our hike at Dead River Park, we were going to go to Hillsboro River State Park.  The overcast conditions were nearly perfect for photographing the river.  There’s a section of Cypress I’ve been wanting to photograph.  However,  just as we finished our hike, the sun busted through the clouds.  The light was now harsh with too much contrast for photography.  Instead, we headed home.

While we were driving over the bridge from Tampa to St. Petersburg, I could see the clouds to the west were doing some interesting things.  I decided I’d hit the beach again for some late day shooting.  After a quick snack and some time with the dogs, I grabbed my camera pack  and headed to the beach at Redington Shores.  When I got there, I came upon an area cordoned off to protect nesting Skimmers.  The new hatchlings were adorable.  I was amazed how well camoflauged they were against the sand.

I spent a little time photographing the birds but knew the heavy overcast conditions weren’t ideal.  I needed a little kick of light from a low angled sun to add some sparkle to the eyes.  Still, it was great seeing them.  I  enjoyed meeting several other photographers who were there (also wishing for better light).  Unlike them, I live only a mile away from this spot and can easily return when the light is cooperating.

After watching the birds, I turned my attention to some wave photos.  Just as I began my weekend standing in the waves,  I would end it that way too.  When the sun hit the horizon, it managed to break through and up-light the thick clouds.  The result was downright gaudy.  I’m not usually into kool-aid colored sunsets.  However, I was there, the color was there, the wave was coming, it had to be photographed.

Yesterday, I got a call from my Nephew letting me know he and his Fiance were in town for the day with their new puppy Lily.  Luckily, the only thing on my schedule for the evening was a Zumba class that could certainly be skipped to make room for a photo session at the dog beach.

Because of his busy work and school schedule, Mitchell has missed a few of the recent family get-togethers.  We don’t get to see him much these days.  I was so excited to spend some time with him and meet his new puppy.

Mitchell and Lily

Having only met her once before, I was also excited to spend more time getting to know his beautiful Fiance, Tiffany.  She’s  a joy to be around and we are looking forward to welcoming her into the family!

Tiffany and Lily

Of course, Lily the 3 month old Lab puppy was an absolute charmer!

Lily

It was fun watching her during her first visit to the beach.  At first she was a little reluctant to go in the water or venture too far from Mom and Dad.

Lily sticking close to mom and dad

She was reluctant to wade out through the small breaking waves so Mitchell carried her out past them so she could swim.

Mitchell consoling Lily who was a little afraid of the light surf.

Any lingering anxiety quickly disappeared when Lily met her new friend, a white German Shepard, about the same age as Lily.  The two of them really hit it off and had a great time.  Check out his ears.  They’re huge.  I’m not sure it’s possible he’ll ever grow into them.  I think one of his parents might have been a rabbit.

Lily Making Friends

Lily’s new friend really was a great pup.  He was already displaying nice manners and has learned several commands.  I really do love his ears!

Lily's friend showing us how well he sits for a treat. Lily also sits nicely but not in this photo.

Lily taking a break

Lily wondering whey she's not getting all the attention

Such a cute couple!

The Family Portrait

I love making photos but there are parts of the business of photography that are simply chores.  Like most of my chores,  If I can come up with a plausible excuse to postpone doing them, I will.  This Saturday morning, that excuse was the perfect weather and the argument that a nice paddle on the Hillsboro River would invigorate me, give me that extra something needed to trudge through the pile of work that awaits me.  Of course, I didn’t really believe it at the time-just justifying my irresponsibility.  Maybe I believe it now.  It’s Sunday afternoon and my photo submission is complete, the article is nearly written, and I’ve outlined my plan for the article photos.  I’m ahead of where I thought I’d be at this point.

Hmmmmm, that means I get to reward myself by allotting time to review the photos I made yesterday morning while paddling.   OK, I’ll call it what it is.  I’m procrastinating again.  I’m just not in the mood to finish the article or shoot the photos.  My dog models need baths before we shoot anyway.

Here’s what I did yesterday morning when I should have been working.

A beautiful morning on the Hillsboro River

We saw a bunch of wading birds including this gorgeous Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

Little Blue Heron In Flight

Little Blue Heron Scratching an Itch

An Immature Little Blue Just Standing There Doing Nothing

Great Blue Heron Taking Off

Great Egret Flying

In addition to the birds pictured above, we also saw Limpkins,  Tri-Colored Herons,   Anhingas, Kingfishers, Several different species of Woodpeckers, and heard tons of songbirds.

The morning started out a little cool and overcast but as the sun broke through and warmed things up, the Alligators started emerging.  The first sighting was this little guy.

Baby Gator

We found this momma Gator ready and able to defend her very new babies who were croaking in the vegetation as we approached.  Part of me wanted to wait to see if the babies would emerge from hiding and climb up on their Mom.  However, I didn’t want to upset her so we backed off.

Momma Gator (babies hidden in vegetation)

We didn’t have to go far before we came up on this Gator making his way up onto a fallen tree for some sun bathing.

American Alligator

This Gator claimed some prime basking real estate and was drifting off to dream land as we drifted by.

Basking American Alligator

By the time the sun was high enough for basking, it was time for us to head home.  Work awaited.  So did this Black Vulture.

Black Vulture at Canoe Launch, Hillsboro River

My magical morning on the Hillsboro River was at an end.  It was time to work!…..after a nap.

Nikki was taken to SPCA Tampa Bay for evaluation and treatment.  Obviously, her ears couldn’t be salvaged.  Luckily, under the great care of the SPCA staff and Dr. B, surgery to remove the necrotic ear tissue was successful and Nikki quickly recovered.

After following Nikki’s story, I was honored to have an opportunity to photograph her with some of the people who have helped her and have, in turn, been touched by her wonderful spirit.

Here’s Dr. B cuddling with Nikki during our photo session.

Nikki is wondering why we keep making strange sounds and why her brother (sitting behind me with his parents) isn’t joining her for some play time.

This chew stick seems to be the current favorite.  She kept going back to it when she got bored with us.

Here’s Nikki with her wonderful parents and her favorite sibling/playmate, Jaxson.  Nikki also has some Greyhound siblings at home.  What a lucky little puppy!!

Unfortunately, Nikki’s story isn’t all that unique.  Unbelievably, it’s not even the worst case.  What’s unique is that she was discovered in time to help her and to place her in a fantastic home.  Thousands of dogs just like Nikki fall victim to the cruelty of humans every day.  Dogs are burned by cigarettes, dragged behind trucks, placed on grills, doused with boiling water, kicked, hit, stabbed, and drowned.  Those in the dog fighting arena face a particularly horrific fate.  How much longer will we tolerate this?  What does it say about us as a society when we do little more than slap the wrists of those who commit such terrible acts of cruelty.

Nikki’s story is another reminder that we have to do better.  It’s also a story about those who dedicate their time, money, careers, and hearts to saving those that don’t have their own voice.  Mostly, Nikki’s story is about the uncanny ability for abused dogs to forgive, trust, and enjoy life, a lesson for us all!

If you want to help dogs like Nikki, I encourage you to raise your voice and take a stand.  Donations to the SPCA help too.

Here are just a few of my favorites.

Some of Jeanette's beautiful pups

The "Baby Daddy"-Seiko is such a ham...always!

A surprisingly intense look from a sweet goof-ball of a dog. "Pleeeeeze give me the treat!"

One seriously handsome big lug.

Tongue!

Swim

Dante's wonderfully unusual face

Studly is poised to school Dime on the quickness of cat reflexes.

Kaymie and Mav are always wonderful models!

Kaymie and Little Bear showing us how it's done. He was so focused despite all the distractions!

Mav posing for his close-up.

Maverick clears the bar!

Maverick's buddy Hubert joined in the fun. Who'd of thought a Bassett would get the "jump" on a much bigger Bully?

Hubert gets a hug from Shannon. These two were sooooo cute together!

I spent a little time with Zori after a regular portrait session last night.  She’s is staying at Pinellas Animal Hospital, awaiting the perfect home.  I must admit, I was a little skeptical when it came to Zori.  At first glance, she seemed a bit wild and nutty.  However, after a few minutes of play and attention she settled right down.  She is an absolute lover.  She wants to play, cuddle, and please.  She has the most beautiful eyes and expressive ears.  She was an absolute joy to photograph.

Now, I won’t sugar coat things.  Zori will need the right home.  She is probably a little too energetic for small kids but would  be great with bigger kids.  If other pets are in the home, careful introductions would need to be made.  She will require structure and guidance at first which is typical for dogs being introduced to a regular home situation.

The wonderful team at Pet Peeves has been teaching her all the basic commands and she nailed each and every one during our photo session.  She loves playing fetch, played beautifully with toys, and displayed great manners when being offered treats.  I’m sure Wendy and the Pet Peeves staff would be happy to speak with any prospective adopters who want to know if Zori would be a good fit with their family.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this wonderful dog, please call Pinellas Animal Hospital at 727-546-0005.

Did I mention I love her ears?

It’s time to save the date for the 2011 Animal Affair Gala!

Buy your tickets and save some lives!

This really is going to be one fantastic event.  Click here for all the details.   I’m not a big party-goer but when you mix great food and spirits at a venue like Albert Whitted Airport, overlooking Tampa Bay, it’s hard to go wrong.  When buying tickets to this event supports the “Save the Tails” medical fund for the SPCA, how can you NOT want to go?

It’s our fault (yes…society as a whole) that so many pets end up in the care of the SPCA.  The dedicated staff and volunteers work long hours and have to deal with sad stories everyday of unwanted, abused, and neglected pets.  They have to step in when pet owners find themselves in a position where they can longer care for their pets.  They answer the call, literally with a pet ambulance in emergencies.  They provide community education and pet behavior training.  And yes…they are also burdened with having to make hard decisions when a pet’s medical or behavior issues prevent adoption.

Turning these sad stories into success stories takes not only a dedicated staff of big-hearted people, it takes a lot of money.   We need to help them help the animals.  Please consider joining in the festivities on March 5th.  All proceeds go the the “Save The Tails” medical fund.  All the finest people will be there (animal lovers of course!). If you’d like to donate auction items or volunteer to help with the event, let me know.  I’ll put you in touch with the right people.

In addition to providing photography services for the event’s marketing materials, LMEimages will be donating a portrait package for the auction.

Please join in the festivities and save some lives! I hope to see you there!