Casie, the owner at All Paws Retreat, wanted to give her clients a gift for the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a fun photoshoot of dogs eating PUP-Kin Pie that I made (pupper safe ingredients!)
It was a seriously fun afternoon as we watched them each devour their tasty treat.
One year ago, I joined one of my best friends in her labor room alongside her husband. I’ve been a part of many births, but being there for one of your closest friends is truly special.
I have also had a lucky job of being a Nanny for Chase, as well as his life photographer. I have watched him as he has learned to roll over, try out letters, teethed, and tried out new foods. He has learned that dogs are amazing and that he loves having a squad of dog to crawl after at full speed.
Basically, life for Chase is good.
Chase’s parents are both Journalists for prominent newspapers here in Ohio and Sports are a big part of their jobs.
Chase’s dad follows the Cincinnati Reds all season, for work and enjoys watching it as well, so what better way to celebrate his first birthday but with a baseball-themed Cake Smash session.
My life has gone through many changes in the last two years. Two summers ago, my (then 13) niece, Lynden, moved in with us. It was a whirlwind last-minute transition that none of us planned. We welcomed her happily into our home, but as new parents of a teenager, we were in for some quick hard parenting changes.
Like most things though, as life changes quickly, we must adjust, and adjust fast. My business took a hard hit, I quit picking up my camera almost entirely. It was a shell shock.
A year later, however, I picked it back up and started photographing the Color Guard, that Lynden had joined. Doing so re-sparked me, and helped me feel normal after the year of chaos had started to calm.
Then, out of nowhere, I saw a random post in one of the many photography groups I am involved in on Facebook. Something new was happening. The first-time event of its type, a photography conference geared towards ANIMAL photography, Animal Image Makers.
I had to be a part of it.
Then as things progressed, I became more excited, I had purchased my ticket with no real idea what I was going to do there. I’ve only ever taken a class from Nick Fancher on lighting, and a film class in school to learn to develop film and am basically self-taught on everything else.
Boy was I in for the ride of my professional life.
I planned to arrive two days early just so i could get a feel for Minneapolis. I have never traveled alone so this would be a tiny vacation for me.
The weather had other plans though and a freak blizzard tried to attack the city, leaving it under many inches of unexpected snow. I made do and traipsed around the immediate area I was visiting, Bloomington.
What a wonderful little town. I found some amazing food and something else inspired me while I was there.
Ive wanted to honor Lola, my business namesake, and finally decided on an idea for a tattoo. I did some brief searching on the airplane ride and fell in love with Sarah from Minneapolis Tattoo She made a beautiful rendition of Lola’s ears and crinkled forehead. I am in love with it.
The first evening, I quickly made a group of friends, we all sat down and had drinks and got to know each other personally, instead of just the work we know of each other from online. This would be the core group of people I hung out with the entire time.
I even met the AMAZING and POWERFUL and INSPIRATIONAL Kaylee Greer of Dog Breath Photography. She was, in fact, our Keynote speaker, and stayed for the whole conference, and took classes alongside us.
She changed me. Her words were just so much, and her stories, and her struggles, and her rewards were so educational.
I wish I could write all the amazing things I learned there in one blog post, but it’s just so much. So I’ll leave you with what inspired me the most from Kaylee.
“Light yourself on fire and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
My flame has been lit.
I have always had rescue animals. I grew up with dogs that we saved from certain situations that were not safe or were not in the best housing conditions.
When I was 19, my first dog made her appearance to me as a 6-week old beagle puppy running down the street at 3am in downtown Dayton. I tried to find her owners or mom of her litter, but ultimately Mazey lived with me to the ripe old age of 15.
At 21, I adopted Lola. Lola as this fat round almost all black with floppy ears. The moment I met her, I knew she was my dog. She came home with me and Mazey. She was my dog-soulmate. She grew into this faithful dog, who did whatever I wanted happily. She was dramatic though. She hated car rides, which as an auto enthusiast, who loves road trips, was the bane. She would barf, and cry and whine… and eventually, cave into calmness.
She was brave though. She was happy. She wasn’t always the brightest. She lived to the very old age of 17. My life was forever changed by her.
Mazey and Lola made my life better. They were with me through thick and thin, and caused chaos and love. They were my rescues that started it all.
When Mazey passed away, Lola was very sad. They had been together since her whole life, and I knew I would want another dog. Fostering wasn’t in the plans for us, but I knew working with a rescue would be the best way for me to find our next dog, and thus began my next path as a photographer.
I have been working with PetPromise since 2013. I have photographed cats and dogs with them, as well as eventually fostering a couple of dogs.
My goal is to work with 501(3)c organizations who are fostering dogs in the Central Ohio area. My studio is in Franklinton, Ohio. I offer group sessions for multiple foster pets in a single day or one on one sessions with advanced scheduling.
Rescues should contact me directly, to discuss the needs that will benefit the animals in their rescue.
All Animals that enter my studio must be vaccinated, and be on flea and tick prevention.
Barb and David brought in Chase for his first Holiday photos. He’s grown so fast since August and his smile is infectious! Fergus and Henry of the #BrownDogSquad joined in for a few photos too!
Happy Chanukah!
Barbara Perenic (Columbus Dispatch) and David Jablonski (Dayton Daily News) are photojournalists. When they found out they were becoming parents, Barbara realized that even she wasn’t immune to her desire to be reported on. She has seen the nitty gritty in life, as well as the life-affirming stories out there in the world. She knew that she wanted her little one to be documented on his journey into life as well.
Barbara is a long time friend, asked if I would be a part of this journey. I felt so honored that she trusted me to be a part of such an intimate event.
Chase came into this world slowly and methodically, almost 32 hours of labor for his anxious mom and dad. Barbara, being a triathlete was no stranger to going the distance, but even this was something that came as a surprise to her. She knew he would be worth it though. With David by her side, and helping during the labor process. At one point, David took hold of a sheet at one end and tugged on it while Barbara tugged at the other end.
After many exhausting pushes, Chase clearly needed some coaxing, so the OB came in to have a conversation with him, in utero. She said all the right words, for in the wee early morning Chase made his first appearance.
David cried
Barb cried.
I cried.
Matt and Tiff are two peas in a pod. I met them 5 years ago and was quickly enamored with them. They had a spark and a little bit of crazy love going on. It’s 5 years later, 3 kids in, and I can still feel the love they have for each other and their family.
We met this weekend at Grange Audobon Society for some early morning photos. The cool August morning, a rare thing in Ohio, was amazing, and almost too chilly! The kids had fun though, and I can see their personalities really starting to shine through and can tell that the kids have that same zest for life that Matt and Tiff do
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