We have moved our little blog on over to a new server, with a new domain name, and a totally new look!



Go check it out here, and please be sure to bookmark it!

http://www.cowbellyblog.com/

We moved over to wordpress, after dealing with issue after issue trying to publish a blogger blog to an external server. (ok, actually I moved the blog over to wordpress, Christina just watched as I let out a big sigh of relief). Publishing with blogger was just getting worse and worse, and it had to stop.

I'm thrilled with the changes and I hope everyone who follows this blog is too. Now I can save much more time in posting to do what I really enjoy: take pictures! Plus I can show y'all the images in fullscreen mode. No more hassling with trying to get the perfect image size in the 3-column design without breaking things. This new blog design is getting very popular with photographers, for reasons you will see shortly.

For those of you who are interested in reading the full (boring) story about why I switched, and how I chose the platform, and what the template is, and where I bought it, please see the 'new name, new look, new blog' post on the new blog. For my photographer friends, if you purchase the template (which you totally should!) and have any questions about it please ask me! I can give you all the hints on tweaking the template to totally fit 'you'.

I am still very much tweaking my blog design and haven't yet added links or a menu (still debating on that one), so you will continue to see changes made, but the new cowbellyblog.com address will remain the same.

I still want to be able to link to all of my virtual friends so I will figure out how to do that soon. I may even have a dedicated page for links, and put little images next to each link- samples of each person's work or business.

Fun times!

Thanks for making the move with me. Your support is appreciated more than you could ever know. :-)

Jamie 'Cowbelly'

Labels: cowbelly's new blog, new blog, prophoto theme, prophoto wordpress blog theme

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I was at the Belltown off leash park early this week and met the most darling dog ever. Angel is her name.





Here is how we met:

I was looking for Fergie's poop in the bark after she did her business, and this medium-sized, very happy young black lab mix came running up to me, smiling and wagging her tail as if she knew me. Not in an obnoxious, bowl you over kind of way, but in a very friendly "heyyy, long time no see" kind of way. Ears back, smiling, submissive, super sweet.

Given that I am always happy to reciprocate, I got down and said "well hello there!" and gave her a hug and some pets. The first two things I noticed were that she was very sweet, and also very soft. I surmised she must have still been a puppy because she had both puppy fur and that extra skin that puppies always seem to have. She seemed a bit clumsy as well.

So we said our hellos and then she went on her merry way, after having made a terrific impression on me.

So I watched her play with the other dogs, and her 'brother' and tried to get Fergie interested in playing with her, but the Fergster prefers the boys.

So I found out from one of the regulars that the black dog's name is Angel, after telling him what a super dog she seemed to be. "Isn't she great?" he said. Apparently everyone knew her but me.

So here is the story:

The reason why everyone there knows Angel is because she is essentially homeless. Or I should say- 'foverer'-homeless.

She has been passed around from person to person, after her first owner abandoned her. She has had more homes in her first year of life than most dogs have in their entire lives. I think it's been like 7 or 8?

Right now she is living with a foster mom who absolutely adores her, but she has another dog and is moving to NYC next month for a new (demanding) job. She is totally uncertain whether or not she'd be able to give Angel the kind of home she deserves, so is trying to find a permanent home for her. Plus she figures, it would be so much better for Angel to have a new permanent home here with someone who can really love her and care for her, than to subject her to yet another disruptive event by moving her across the country. Hence the reason for this post.

I normally don't get involved in trying to rescue dogs, because there are so many people who do it and do it well, plus I like to donate money or services to rescue organizations instead, BUT, in this case, I just had to tell everyone about Angel.

She is a FANTASTIC dog.

I have met and worked with many many hundreds of different dogs over the years, and I can tell you, just from our short hour together, I know that Angel is special.

Why don't I take her? First, as I mentioned above, Fergie is far more interested in playing with and engaging with boys than girls. She largely ignored Angel the entire time at the park, even when Angel tried to play with her. Fergie LOVES to play with the boys, and it only seems right to me to get a companion for her that she will be really interested in. The other, more important reason is that I am so gosh darn busy right now I don't even make a very good doggie mommy for Fergie. For any new dog that comes into my life I would want to take several weeks off work to bond with the dog and do training and get acclimated to each other. Given my schedule there is no way that could happen anytime soon.

SO, I plead to anyone reading this who may be interested in bringing home a new dog, to please consider Angel. I guarantee you will fall in love with her. I have thought about her every day since I met her, and still am trying to rationalize a way I could keep her, even though I know it's not reasonable. That's how awesome she is. Let me put it this way: knowing what I know of her, and having met her, if I was searching for the perfect dog, I would drive through two states to take Angel home and keep her with me forever.

If you are interested in meeting her and possibly welcoming her into your home, please email me at info@cowbelly.com and I will put you in touch with Angel's foster mom. Who by the way has the following things to say about Angel:

"Angel is an absolute love. She is just over 1 year old, playful, sweet and loves to be loved. She is house trained, can do basic commands (including paw!) and walks pretty good on a leash too, not to mention she has the softest fur I've every felt!

I just took her to the vet and had her first round of shots (Parvo and Rabies) and she is scheduled to be spayed on June 2."

Oh yes, and of course, Angel is fantastic with other dogs- boys and girls alike.

Email me at info@cowbelly.com if you are interested!!

Labels: angel, angel needs a home, belltown off-leash dog, your new dog

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Since I can't show the editorial photography I have done recently for CityDog Magazine until the summer mag actually comes out, I decided to provide a sneak peek of sorts at the shots I have taken for the 'Dog's Eye View' article for the summer 2008 issue.

I am calling this photographic art piece 'slice of life'.

Labels: city dog photography, dog's eye view article, slice of life, sneak-peek, win photo shoot

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Remember Diablo, Chico and Pucci? The three adorable boys I photographed in Pioneer Square last year?






The final product will look something like this when hung:

Labels: chico, decopaw dog art, diablo, pucci, triptych

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Remember Ella? Beautiful white dog with soft blue sky background. We are now making art for Ella and here she is in blazing color.

Ella's proofs were inspired by the colors and textures of the Pacific Northwest. Ella's mom will probably go with the one with the trees with a pinky sunset instead of orange. I myself like the beach shots because I have been spending a lot of time on the beach lately now that the sun is finally coming out. It's about time!! I'm ready for summer!!

Labels: beach dog shots, ella decopaw art proofs, weather in seattle

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Ever since I got my fancy new macbook pro in early April I have been wanting to get all kinds of fun, fancy new things to go along with it. Although it has everything on it in the way of software one could ever want (Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop CS3 + Bridge CS 3, Lightroom 1.0, Dreamweaver, MS Office, etc, etc) it doesn't yet have anything ON it in the way of casings or even a laptop bag, with the exception of the laptop bag that is part of my camera bag (Crumpler Whickey and Cox).

Laptop bag aside, I found something late last night online (yes, while in bed surfing the web on the mb pro), that has me positively drooling.

'IT' is a customized, colorful paint job by a company called colorwarepc.

Examples:




You can even do different parts of the frame in different colors- the backside, bottom, handrest and display frame are all customizable with about a billion different colors.

They even do ipods, imacs and also HD tvs!! I think there are other products available as well...


As far as I understand the process is done with automotive paint, with a clearcoat finish, and it is a super-tough, and permanent, (gorgeous) way to customize your 'toy'. And after reading multiple user reviews it seems clear that it doesn't affect the performance of any electronic equipment or part- even the scroll wheel on the ipod works as good as new!

You can either ship them your existing piece or purchase a new, pre-colored piece from them. You can even order color samples for $5 per sample before you order.

The downside? It voids your manufacturers warranty.

Otherwise, I would be all over the dark cherry color, with a metallic gold apple logo.

Still dreaming about it, still thinking about it. Might just have to get it done on my Blackberry. The tough part is just picking the color.

Aren't these awesome!?

Labels: colorwarepc, coolest mac product ever, macbook pro

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I just wanted to pop in and say hi and tell everyone that I am still alive. Since the commercial assignment ended early last week I have been doing a bunch of freelance photography for CityDog Magazine.

Labels: citydog magazine photography, citydog summer issue, freelance photography, i love my job

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Seattle Pug Rescue's annual event 'Pugmania' last Saturday was a blast nonpareil.

By the end of the day my face hurt from laughing and smiling so much. I met so many adorable pugs and their wonderful, warm owners that it just filled me with joy all day. If I learned only one thing from Saturday it's that pugs are quite possibly the most loving, affectionate and joyful breed as a whole out of any breed in existence.

My trigger finger was working overtime. I think I took over 700 pictures at the event. Which was very easy to do because apparently there were over 1,000 people and their pugs there. I was totally shocked at the massive turnout! Because I had a hard time picking my favorite images I am sharing a whole bunch with you guys here.

For those who don't share my undying love for pugs, my apologies but you'll just have to deal! ;-)

Labels: pug event at magnusen park, pugmania, pugmania 2008, seattle pug rescue

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My friend Mark Rogers of Smile Like a Dog (San Francisco) pet photography fame, just brought to my attention that my settings for commenting had changed so that only registered users could comment.

So sorry about that! Anyone and everyone should be able to comment on my blog.

I changed it back (don't know how it happened in the first place), so that commenting is, again, open to everybody. :-)

Labels: blogger issues, gotta love technology

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My dad gifted me with a Panasonic Lumix point-and-shoot camera for my birthday in March. I had chosen a specific model, and had thought that was the one that I wanted, but my dad informed me that a new model was coming out in late March that had more cool features than the one I wanted. So we decided to wait to get the camera. My task was to research the different models (including the new model) and decide which one I wanted to go with.

Well, as my blog followers know, I've been a little busy, and although I have been super excited to finally get a digital point-and-shoot (I've never owned one that fits in a pocket), I haven't had time to do the research since my birthday in mid-March.

So last night I finally spent some time looking at the different models online, and think I have it narrowed down. I know for sure I want one of the wide-angle models, because I don't think I can live without wide-angle, even in a pocket camera, and now I just have to decide between super high-tech or medium-tech.

So the two I have it narrowed down to are:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 (came out in January 2008)

and the

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 (the brand new one released late March)

They both have some truly amazing features, and even though I shoot professionally, I think it will take me awhile to learn all of the cool things the camera can do. Things like Intelligent ISO, Face Detection, Intelligent Exposure, High-Def video and so much more.

They both have the 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens that I want, and both have fully manual capabilities.

One key (and very big difference- aside from the $115 price difference between the black models), is that the new Lumix- the FX500, has a super fancy touch-screen LCD. It also opens to f/2.8 and the FX35 only opens up to f/3.3. The FX500 is also a teensy bit bigger, which is actually preferable to me. I don't need a camera I can stick in my bra, ya know? The FX500 also has a slightly larger LCD screen.

Here is a side-by-side comparison on dpreview, for all of my techy friends.

Unfortunately there are zero reviews on the FX500 online, only the standard press release. I don't think I have ever bought an electronic item without reading at least one review on it first, so it gives me a little bit of pause.

Having said that, I like the idea of the super fancy camera, because, really, who doesn't want a super fancy camera? But in reality, I fear that I may not like the touch-screen feature. Has anyone used a camera like this before? Or even an iphone or pda like this? Does the screen get greasy fingerprints on it? Is it easy enough to train your brain to navigate with your fingers and not buttons? Do you like using the touch-screen more than regular button controls? Does the supplied stylus help or hinder?

I'm itching to get my new camera soon but don't want to make the mistake of choosing something I don't like, or something that is so much more than what I really need. Yes, I know I can send it back, but I know me, and my life is busy enough it would get put on the back burner until the return grace period ran out.

Any suggestions or input for me on which I should get?

Any advice is sincerely appreciated! Thank you! :-)

Labels: jamie's first compact digital, panasonic cameras, which lumix

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For Stephen. His kitty Boo. A total sweetie.

Labels: boo, seattle cat photography, stephen's kitty

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Lily was one of the easiest dogs I have ever photographed. She is sweet, playful, adorable, fun-loving, patient, obedient, loving, smart, man you name it. I love her.

I knew the shoot was going to go well because the very first shot I took was exactly the kind of shot I was aiming for, only that shot was an accident because I hadn't adjusted the settings yet. It held the perfect settings for the high-key shots I was really hoping to get during our shoot. Call it Serendipity.







the 'parents shot'. Awww...

Lily is like a blonde Samson. Can't you just picture the two of them as boyfriend and girlfriend? Totally...









More high-key shots. These next handful were done digitally, meaning in photoshop. The series after those were done manually- meaning- in the camera. The eyes are cool in the digitally processed images, but I met Lily and I know her eyes don't look like that so I prefer the 'natural' ones best. Looks more like 'her'.










The 'naturally taken' high-key shots.




And, of course, no Cowbelly shoot is complete without the blue sky shots. (I told you I'm obsessed.)








Hope you enjoyed Lily. I LOVE HER!!

Labels: blue sky shots, high-key shots, lily lovely lab

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This afternoon Christina and I hung a new photography display at a great space- Sound Animal Services in the Interbay neighborhood (that's east Magnolia for the uninitiated).

Many people know where this is because they have taken their dogs to be trained there by the well-known Jeff Tinsley and his excellent staff of trainers. I have known of Jeff for years, and met him for the first time while I worked for Scoops Pet Services about 8 or 9 years ago. Fergie and I even attended his obedience classes abot 2 years ago when she was newly adopted by me and just a pup.

So it is my thrill to have my photography hanging in the training space. Christina and I were rushing to get out of there before his class started at 6:15, but the happy dog owners were all early, which was great because it gave us a chance to meet some of them and say hi to the pups. I wasn't expecting to be handing out business cards before even leaving but I am not complaining!

The display looks awesome and I am super happy it's there. I hope it brightens up people's already bright experience with their dogs. :-)

Labels: cowbelly photography display, new photography display, sound animal services

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I take almost all of my shots in color, then convert to black and white in photoshop. After years of using the same conversion, I decided today while converting images for a client that it needs some revamping. What do you think?

New:



Old:



The differences are subtle but I like the new conversion better.

Labels: black and white, photoshop processing

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I can't be the only one who has a dog who likes to lay down in piles of warm, clean laundry. I left the room for a moment, and this is what I came back to:





"Awww Fergie!" I moaned.

Oh well, my clothes are already covered in dog hair, what's a little more, eh?

Labels: awww fergie, dog hair on clothes, fergie loves laundry

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D'Ogi (pronounced Dee Oh Gee- as in how you spell DOG), is a darling little schnauzer puppy who had his big, exciting photo shoot day with me recently.

D'Ogi was a blast- making friends with everyone at the park, including a group of young girls who were having a picnic. I was struggling to shoot him in the full, bright sun, (dark colored energetic puppy + heavy bangs + bright sun = tough times for the pet photographer) so we eventually moved into the shade, where his true personality came out.


Tell me he's not an adorable puppy.



SCORE!! Young hungry puppy + massive picnic spread = true bliss


It's simply impossible for me to grow tired of blue sky shots. Hopefully you feel the same way too! You will be seeing these regularly on my blog. I guess you could call it a full-blown obsession.






Puppies tend to get tangled very easily (note the leash around his toy)


Dogi's favorite toy is called 'roadkill' because , well, that's exactly what it looks like.

Insert JAWS theme song here. This was the moment when we discovered D'Ogi's foot fetish. After that he went to town on Christina's shoes; jumping on them, chewing on them, playing with them, as evidenced by the series of shots below. I couldn't pick just a few so I am sharing the whole batch. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.











Note the shoelace in puppy's mouth.

Labels: D'ogi, foot obsession, schnauzer, sunny day

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I am very excited to announce that this Saturday May 10th, I will have a booth at the Seattle Pug Rescue's annual pug event called, appropriately, 'Pugmania'.



This is an event by and for the pugs (and pugs only- no other breeds are allowed due to insurance reasons), and is positively filled with fun activities for pugs and their owners; including the Parade of Rescue Pugs, Costume Contest, Pug Kissing Contest, Puggie agility course and more! They will even have adoptable pugs on site, so for the pug-lovers this event is a must.

I'm not normally a fan of having booths at dog events for a variety of reasons, but I jumped at the chance to share a booth with CityDog Magazine, whose editor Brandie Ahlgren is all too aware of my love for pugs.

The event is this Saturday May 10th, from 12-5pm at Magnusen Park in Seattle, at hanger #27.

Hope to see some of you there! If you see a girl with a camera squealing like this "eeeeeee!" at every pug she sees- that's me! :-)

Labels: cowbelly plus pugs equals love, pugmania, seattle pug rescue

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Yesterday I had FOUR photo shoots booked. One of them we rescheduled due to a skin infection (poor Murphy!), but the other three still happened. Now, I normally wouldn't do more than one or two shoots in one day, but yesterday was special. See below.

The first shoot was for Lily- a private commission on Queen Anne, the second shoot was in Federal Way for a litter of NINE 7 1/2 week old Golden Retriever puppies (SO. CUTE.); the puppies I had been so desperately needing for my commercial project, and the last was for 5 dogs at Discovery Park in Magnolia- the very last and final commercial shoot for this particular project (yes, it's still going on but I sent in the last of the deliverables late last night- Yippee!)

Yesterday was 7 hours straight of driving and photographing (with no assistant!) but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love being a dog (and puppy) photographer!!

Now, you may think I may be taking it easy today but no, I've gotta go buy some Red Bull because this afternoon I am doing a very exciting editorial photo shoot. I have had some location/background ideas in my head for a long time and today is the day to finally try and get them on my camera, and in the coolest way with three of my favorite people, and possibly my favorite two dogs ever.

I promise to share more once I can release details on today's shoot! And the commercial job as well.

AND, I will post photos as soon as I can! I've got a bunch to share!! Since I recently purchased a new external hard drive- badly needed as the admin mac computer is nearly full- I have made the full switch to shooting exclusively in RAW and I am surprised I am actually really liking it!

Happy Monday to all! :-)

Labels: crazy dog photographer, four shoots in one day, i am crazy

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Sometimes while I am working my dear doggie daughter disappears.

Usually she is right under my feet- so close that I literally can't scoot my chair out without being in danger of rolling over her foot/leg/tail. I have to contort my body and climb over her to get to my desk.

Every once in awhile I will notice that she is nowhere to be seen. This happened today about an hour ago.

Where did I find her?

check it out:



Yep, that IS the bathroom floor.

She normally only goes in there when I am having an argument with the Epson printer (anger scares her), but today there was no argument. I have however, been having a frustrating afternoon, and I suspect she sensed that and got scared and decided to hide in the bathroom. Either that or she isn't feeling so hot from her frisbee-chasing flips this morning at the park. (She landed pretty hard a couple of times.)

Normally there is a nice cushy white bath rug for her to lay on. Today? No rug, sniff.

Poor Fergie.

Now she is in my office with me, sleeping like a baby at my feet.

Side note to Jill: yes, I have been using a flash lately. Sometimes that is. Not completely sold on the idea yet, but I have a lot of experimenting to do. It's the Canon 580 EX II, used with I believe the same diffuser you have. Holy cow, I just looked at Amazon and it has come down in price about $75 since I bought it about a month ago... wow...

Anyhoo, here I used the flash alone (no diffuser), for these shots taken in my dark bathroom with no lights on (nor in the hallway either). Meaning, it was dark. Very dark. The flash did an awesome job. I had to figure out where to bounce it off of and was surprised to see that the best look for this situation came from bouncing it straight off the wall to my left. I love the flash so I look forward to using it more for indoor shoots.



Poor Fergie. So hard being a dog. ;-)

Labels: canon 580 EXII, fergie hiding, fergie on the bathroom floor, flash pet photography, poor fergie

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