Back in the "field"

Last week my mom, my sister, and I headed to Gloucester, Massachusetts to spend a few days together. Up here in Vermont the leaves are changing, the air is damp and chilly, and the first snow is really not that far away. When I got into "Glosta" it was the complete opposite - a bubble of summer had settled over the area with sunny skies and temperatures in the 80's. We decided to take advantage and go for a whale watch.

I'd been out on a whale watching tour before in the same area when I was in 7th grade. The boat was packed with taller, pushier people and I barely got a glimpse of the few humpbacks that we saw.

This experience was different. There were far fewer people on this boat and the wildlife was much more plentiful. Before we really even got going a pair of harbor porpoises flitted by. Shy creatures, they are apparently not often seen in the area, but I was able to get a steady shot before they were out of range.

Before we even got out to real open sea, where the feeding grounds are, we saw several humpbacks. Some came up for a few breaths of air, then they were on their way. One individual was resting near the surface. We were able to get quite close as he "logged", or floated. As this whale began to wake up and ark back into the water I was able to get some very nice close ups.

My mom and sister were smiles all the time. My mom had never been on the ocean, much less seen these great creatures. She was absolutely tickled that we were able to get so close. Since many of these humpbacks have grown up in the company of boats they are quite comfortable to be around them.

One of the highlights of the watch was coming across a mother and calf. The calf swam beside her most of the time, following her movements. It didn't dive as deeply as she did, so it made many more appearances. It even showed us some humpback antics, pushing out of the water and falling onto its back, swimming on its side with one pectoral fin out of the water, and doing a sort of hand stand with its tail sticking right up out of the water.

As we motored along, deeper out to sea, the real action started. There, in the great blue drink, were 7 humpbacks, all feeding. There are times when I have to just put my camera down and watch. There was no way to photograph 7 humpbacks in one scene, it just wouldn't come out. I'd be forever explaining that "those specks are whales!". I had the same experience in Maine while photographing moose. When the 6th moose walked into the pond, I just had to watch. The photographs can't remember the salty smell or the dampness of our skin after a whale popped to the surface and exhaled alongside the boat. I'll file those memories away for myself.

Letting the camera hang from my shoulder for a few minutes let me really watch the behavior of the whales, not just react to it with buttons and glass. When they surface the first thing you see is the spout and their blow hole, then their dorsal fin. If it is just staying near the surface the whale will slip back into the water without much effort. If its going for a long dive it will start arching into the water just before it brings its tail out of the water. The humpbacks off the east coast have another way of catching fish though. They have learned to slap their tails into the water then spiral down and blow bubbles, thus bunching schools of fish into a smaller area. We were fortunate to witness this behavior at close distance. When humpbacks normally dive they really don't disturb the water very much. When they go into their bubble feeding behavior though they pummel the surface, sending a huge spray of water up in a violent twist.

It's been a while since I've been able to get out for some wildlife photography. When I went to Gloucester I was expecting a few relaxing days of girl time. I never expected to come back with a great set of images from the Atlantic! While photographing domestic animals gives me great satisfaction and many laughs, it is the wildlife that literally makes me forget to breathe.

Peace and Barnacles,

~Kelly

Cat Whispering

My husband, Ian, is lovingly referred to as "Mr. Catwhisperer" because he has an uncanny ability to calm stressed cats. I am incredibly lucky to have him as my assistant at many portrait sessions. He's not just a helper though. Without his patience and dedication I would simply not be able to get the wonderful cat portraits that I've gotten.

When we meet a new cat we first have to identify what motivates them. Most cats respond to attention and catnip, but treats and toys are also popular amongst our feline models. Some cats are rather intimidated by being exposed, forgive the pun. These cats don't appreciate being up on a table in front of the lights and would much rather be exploring under chairs or snuggled in a warm lap.

When a cat doesn't take readily to staying on the table Ian spends a few minutes with them, usually wrapping his arms around them to make them feel secure. When he feels the cats become less tense he slowly backs off, all the while scratching behind their ears, shoulders, and back. It's really a joy to watch him work.

When we met Mischief today at first she was only concerned with exploration. She's quite an affectionate kitty, but she just didn't see the point to staying on a boring ol' table. There were dust bunnies to catch and squirrels to watch! After Ian worked with her she had a change of heart. Now she just wanted attention. Once a cat realizes that they want to stay on the table we can really start the session.

Quite honestly, posing cats is not hard. That surprises many people, but I always think of it as giving the cat a reason to be in a given pose. Many of my portraits are not posed, but there are certain positions that work for cats and some that don't. If I want a cat to lay on their side I give Ian the cue and he will usually scratch the cat behind one ear and shoulder and lure them to the table. Frisky cats will require more attempts at this since they tend to pop right back up after laying down.

We have a whole bag of tricks like this to get cats to sit, look in a certain direction, and stand. Kitties can certainly be stubborn but with a lot of patience, treats, catnip, and attention most of them will come to realize that having their portrait taken isn't such a scary or boring thing after all.

Peace and Furballs,

~Kelly

300

No, not the movie. 300 is the number of individual animals that I have photographed at the Humane Society of Chittenden County since January. 305 animals, to be exact. I estimate around 13,000 shutter clicks and countless treats. I patted myself on the back at 100 and didn't even think about it as I whizzed by 200, but this milestone has made me think about all the kind cats, dogs, and little furries that I've met at the shelter.

I absolutely love spending Thursday mornings there with Ian as my cat whisperer and Amanda as my dog wrangler. I may be the one clicking the shutter, but they both deserve a lot of respect. They both have a great sense of humor, enormous skill and, above all, patience with both me and the animals. Thank you both.

I've included some of my favorite portraits from the "first 305" for your enjoyment. I don't have much in the way of text tonight. I'm just taking a step backwards, so to speak, to reflect and remember all the animals who have paused in front of my lens and left paw prints on my heart.

Peace and Furballs,

~Kelly

The First Mischief

I have been giving a lot of thought as to how I might construct my first blog post and the truth is, I always get distracted with working up another portrait, looking at other people's work or, shockingly, actually making pictures. I have never felt that my words have been able to fully explain my outlook on life, sense of humor, or much else in the realm of creative writing. I often joke with my husband, Ian, that life would be a lot easier if I could just hold up flash cards to help me explain what I'm saying. Actually, life would be a lot easier if he could just read my mind already.

I intend this blog to not only showcase my new work, but also to be somewhat educational. Since I am an animal photographer you can expect lots of fur, feathers and scales, both wild and domestic. When I come back from a session I'll talk about the wonderful critters that I just met and provide some insight into how I constructed the shoot. When I come back from the field I'll talk about the wildlife I encountered and the environment they live in along with the challenges and rewards of being there. I'm not going to hold back on "photographic secrets" because there aren't any.

Lastly, I want this blog to be fun. There is enough bad news in the world so I hope this space provides a few minutes of relief. Here it is folks, the debut blog entry for Mountain Dog Photography's Miscellaneous Mischief. The good stuff is yet to come. As always, email or call me with any comments or ideas that you'd like to see up here in my corner of cyberspace.

Peace and furballs,

~Kelly