tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13489915366274531152024-03-05T15:21:38.063-06:00Cats et cetera from Helmi FlickCats, cat lovers, photography of cats, and other things (that's where the "et cetera" comes in).Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-42319900751788622752013-02-19T20:22:00.001-06:002013-02-19T20:22:07.025-06:00Flying BackgroundsThese are the backgrounds we fly with:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77v1erLRGIMdv-kqY7tNzM49uaemhG-mHIRhNrw-vtCMR8p-y7kpcjoz4cHkvPcd95dWIgJFwfTUPQROUZdyyu14z0wK_q6nvjMpCd0Pa3ZouMR34cJoKCvYzDHYv8q2mDqZK0NmiSgIP/s1600/Print+7x15+-flying+ContactSheet-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77v1erLRGIMdv-kqY7tNzM49uaemhG-mHIRhNrw-vtCMR8p-y7kpcjoz4cHkvPcd95dWIgJFwfTUPQROUZdyyu14z0wK_q6nvjMpCd0Pa3ZouMR34cJoKCvYzDHYv8q2mDqZK0NmiSgIP/s640/Print+7x15+-flying+ContactSheet-001.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Row 1: Black and Imperial Blue<br />
Row 2: Blue-Teal and Plush Spruce<br />
Row 3: Green Felt and Peat Moss<br />
Row 4: Chocolate and Claret<br />
Row 5: Plush Purple and Periwinkle<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9YAOxQ-fliLRFpqwD30bjFJttLOlJMZWlEH0zNPHy7xM7OH2kRF5b9ZnX-VWWrb9kxqSMyspnso1sMCHHzgCreHeszQmE1tJLhFm82fi6olfyW1ouSxxU2t4kbbaSXAXd2aqApD39h5Q/s1600/Print-7x15+Backgrounds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9YAOxQ-fliLRFpqwD30bjFJttLOlJMZWlEH0zNPHy7xM7OH2kRF5b9ZnX-VWWrb9kxqSMyspnso1sMCHHzgCreHeszQmE1tJLhFm82fi6olfyW1ouSxxU2t4kbbaSXAXd2aqApD39h5Q/s640/Print-7x15+Backgrounds.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Row 1: Black, Charcoal and Navy Blue<br />
Row 2: Imperial Blue, Caribe Blue and Blue-Teal<br />
Row 3: Teal, Plush Spruce and Green Felt<br />
Row 4: Sage, Peat Moss and Bark<br />
Row 5: Chocolate, Paprika and Claret<br />
Row 6: Burgundy, Magenta and Plush Purple<br />
Row 7: Purple and Periwinkle<br />
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} catch(err) {}</script>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-90885645909807263962012-12-23T11:50:00.000-06:002012-12-24T05:50:08.016-06:00The Cat Who Launched My Career . . . is Gone.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b>This morning, at
about 4:30, Ken and I said goodbye to our beloved 15 year old Blue British Shorthair,
Earendil Sky. August 5, 1997 - December 23,
2012. Long thought of as the healthiest
of our four kitties, Sky's decline was mercifully quick. For the previous day or so she had begun
telling me by degrees that she was ready to go, becoming progressively listless
with labored breathing, not eating and unable to sleep or even find a
comfortable position to rest. Her
extremities were cold. At 2:30 this
morning she woke us up, first trying to settle onto the covers between us, then
moving to various spots around the bedroom trying to find <span style="font-size: small;">a</span> place of
solace. I told Ken<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>that she seemed to
be trying to tell us to help her out of her misery and then, when she let out a
loud baleful cry, I was certain of it.
We took her to a 24 -hour emergency clinic near us and the Vet, after
examining her, confirmed what I knew intuitively. She was about half her healthy weight, her lungs were "wet" and she had a temperature of only 93 degrees. It was time to say goodbye. And we did.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"> We brought Sky's body home and laid her out on a towel in the den so
Nox (our 15 year old Black Earendil Brit who is a week younger than Sky) and Zak and Quin,
our 10 year old Maine Coons, could sniff her and come to some instinctive
understanding that she was no longer a part of their family. We've been told that this is a good thing to
do for them. We buried her in our backyard
this morning when the sun came up. We discovered that there is a healing
closure to this time-honored ritual that having the Vet deal with the remains
does not provide.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>I say that Sky launched my (our) cat photography career for a few
reasons. I had always enjoyed taking
photos of our cats, trying, with more aspiration than technical skill in those
early days, to capture some of the beauty I saw in them. After losing Miss Kitty, Ken's mixed breed
cat when I came to live with him, to FIP, we chose to get a British Shorthair
kitten because we liked the way this breed looks. And we chose to get a Blue (gray) Brit
because we love the way that light can limn their gray fur in a fringe of
silver. In a cruel irony, this
beautiful kitten, who we named Smudge, was also doomed, along with all of his
littermates, to a very early death from the FIP virus he brought with him from
his cattery.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"> After once more thoroughly disinfecting our house and again waiting the
recommended 90 days to be certain we would not have to go through this again,
we got Sky and Nox from Thora Hart in Southern California. While Thora's Earendil Cattery was well known
for her many show-winning cats, we were only interested in getting a healthy
pet quality kitten. Thora did not have a
blue male but she made us an attractive offer on a blue female along with a
black male from a different litter that was only a week apart.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>When we picked up these kittens from air cargo at the Dallas/Fort Worth
airport and I peeked into the front door of the carrier in which they were
shipped to us, I was instantly smitten.
I said, “Oh, Ken, you should see her face!” Now, all kittens are cute and cuddly, but
even with the perspective of over 12 years photographing and handling cats of
every breed, we remain convinced that no breed embodies more of these cherished
qualities of kitten-ness than young British Shorthairs do. And just looking at this heart-breakingly
precious example of the breed who was coming to live with us made me grin from
ear to ear.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>From that first day and even after she began to lose her characteristic
roundness and the plushness of her coat over the past year or so, I could not
look at Sky, curled up asleep in a soft ball of gray fur, without smiling and
being flooded with a warm, comforting sensation of . . . what?
“Hearth and home”? A feeling that
“all's right with the world”? I realize
I am reduced to cliches here, but out of anything I could lay my eyes on in our
house, nothing made it look – and feel – like “home” and the right place for me
to be - than seeing this special cat of ours in repose. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgNBZk7IV1-TYLcv8CjYsqXj_MCgg87W09quvb0E3cDkAcxW1iP5FpbhbWtMIL1ZUyJYyDVHMXvDBm-UsCLM0RDyaJJ51xiLXvCPZwKL2TazImsTdFBRtq1zuk23JbEEDpV_pF8pOl0gy/s1600/eMail-P3240061+Sky+purple+rolling+on+table+head+to+us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgNBZk7IV1-TYLcv8CjYsqXj_MCgg87W09quvb0E3cDkAcxW1iP5FpbhbWtMIL1ZUyJYyDVHMXvDBm-UsCLM0RDyaJJ51xiLXvCPZwKL2TazImsTdFBRtq1zuk23JbEEDpV_pF8pOl0gy/s400/eMail-P3240061+Sky+purple+rolling+on+table+head+to+us.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">Sky was good at looking good.
And Ken and I soon found out that we were not the only ones who thought
so when we decided to have the experience of showing her and Nox. While we quickly discovered that our lovable
Nox, decidedly the more affectionate pet of this pair, was indeed confirmed to
be the “pet quality” cat we were sold –
Ken used to say of Nox's brief show career that he couldn't get arrested in the
show ring – Sky's reception was quite the opposite. She quickly became an 8-ring Grand Champion
in CFA's Premier class for alters and then went on to achieve Supreme Grand
Alter status in TICA. Beyond burying us
in rosettes and spoiling us with “beginner's luck,” showing Sky gave us a
feeling for cat shows and the perspective of exhibitors – the people who would
soon become our primary customers. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Back at home, it was Sky's immensely photogenic qualities<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>more than
anything that kept me trying to get better at capturing on film (remember
film?) what I saw in her. And it was the
advent of the digital camera – the freedom to experiment and learn from my
mistakes that its zero cost images and instant feedback provided – along with
the technical guidance and encouragement of Ken, who supported my passion with
ever more capable cameras, staging gear and studio lighting, that enabled me to
amass a sufficient portfolio of portraits of our cats and those of a few
friends that earned us an invitation to shoot our first show in May of 2000.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #999999;"> Beyond motivating my photography career, there are so many ways that we
cherished Sky and as many personal and private reasons why she will be
profoundly missed and long remembered.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Bengal Banner for The International Cat Association (TICA)</span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;">This image includes the call names of the cats used. We were commissioned by TICA to create two </span></span><nobr><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;">banners</span></span></nobr><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;">,
seven feet tall that retract into a case at the bottom to bring
attention to the TICA area in NYC at Meet The Breeds. What follows is
what we term "The Bengal Banner." The Maine Coon Banner is below this post.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRsGh_PF5rq9TLQJtaLs5LDetIx1GBRqzTQLpSzaFPLWFype3b278ENw89m8Qd0LbV9PBdMs9uysbKzSVaG2lpXaVKY1MLxC2Cuvq6SHyWetv2qsr1ezRPOGcoml0QpnvUxbTuxoshbY-/s1600/LowRes-Bengal+Banner-9+FINAL-Merged+wCat+Names.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRsGh_PF5rq9TLQJtaLs5LDetIx1GBRqzTQLpSzaFPLWFype3b278ENw89m8Qd0LbV9PBdMs9uysbKzSVaG2lpXaVKY1MLxC2Cuvq6SHyWetv2qsr1ezRPOGcoml0QpnvUxbTuxoshbY-/s640/LowRes-Bengal+Banner-9+FINAL-Merged+wCat+Names.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><script type="text/javascript">
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Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-65747571469809159702012-10-12T07:49:00.003-05:002012-10-12T07:49:59.341-05:00Maine Coon Banner to represent TICA at Meet The Breeds 2012<b>This image includes the call names of the cats used. We were commissioned by TICA to create two banners, seven feet tall that retract into a case at the bottom to bring attention to the TICA area in NYC at Meet The Breeds. What follows is what we term "The Maine Coon Banner." Most all of the sixteen cat images at the bottom are repeated for the The Bengal Banner which I will post later.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMChf-fJSWfWt5EiF2yaINZB_a4oz5nIfp-VIVK7e-5bghNVsIjezpQ2PHALEiXrja5rcJGlP0IQRtF0vo_QTChA4gXIepkr9fZzl0rcgHh0r0-WVzFfHXwzwM9FhDw9bnNliPsS7CM_Hp/s1600/LowRes-MC+Banner-15+FINAL+wCat+Names.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMChf-fJSWfWt5EiF2yaINZB_a4oz5nIfp-VIVK7e-5bghNVsIjezpQ2PHALEiXrja5rcJGlP0IQRtF0vo_QTChA4gXIepkr9fZzl0rcgHh0r0-WVzFfHXwzwM9FhDw9bnNliPsS7CM_Hp/s640/LowRes-MC+Banner-15+FINAL+wCat+Names.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
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} catch(err) {}</script>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-11484065138946671202012-01-25T11:03:00.009-06:002012-01-25T11:16:45.911-06:00Birmans Submitted to Cat FancyCat Fancy magazine is profiling the Birman in its April 2012 issue. Below are my Birman images that I sent in for consideration. What they select from these images, is, of course, up to them. But if you see your cat amount the images I submitted, I just want you to know that I thought it was a fine candidate for publication.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701618227921674850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Rge1VvSfnxvP1r8w19cBCMS65rKjeakpchnaqa5WfxPui04GhkNbF8rs1sVW44ukKV4PPnfIGDenjpgFkla6qTpzh9E_yTHxsV_8I5OIvQ3YnuKRpyaOrgj6kwuLV4ZYGJUzNnxA2jwh/s400/ContactSheet-001.jpg" /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701618219126565522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAH1smvbyFuUJtTNjJjLMogX7lwplEK2fGIKyg3NwSSpIWM-010UXVAKFTCTgsOV7AvMIETClot-dr2IbvUgTPbxjX3blhsnOW14ndhu-uhxyBVf88LV4PafQqW1WwZWsch6RrXZ9W82K/s400/ContactSheet-002.jpg" /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 337px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701618212327214610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXopE1fswDG1zFBkw6N3B9_5otAHUxWsQtwdk7AJtPDrevypZVkF-6tEYvE39NgLxZQs5jlcPX4dR75hZ-KbKzB-NT93RbRV1J6zQj0ugcKzX5D8F5GHl0JgqKPSUYUqXG4-5ZQyeXp-0/s400/ContactSheet-003.jpg" />Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-22823494613003915902011-05-17T14:54:00.012-05:002011-05-17T16:13:29.728-05:00Cat Angels<div align="left"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607777074573486386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4woyXhfXyXjsXqkygMX-ds_AubRsHvlkzsBe4pRvNK5LoqsIt5qHlALR9OOw8rGV3uwWbMA4a64-cmO0_wToFd7yJ-M-MPaWisPbm_FY_ZhpvaZINegd7uCZGOrVXO9UH4__qh_cT59S/s400/1+2011+Calendar+Cover.jpg" /> <br /><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:78%;">All images Copyright 2010, 2011 Cat Angels Pet Adoptions. All Rights Reserved</span></em></div><br /><div align="left"><br />BACKSTORY<br />We first met Darrell Massengill and Diane Olson a few years ago when we were shooting at a cat show in Raleigh, North Carolina. They live in the area and had asked if they could sit in on a few photo sessions at the cat show and observe our techniques. They were also a cat photographer/cat wrangler team but, unlike Ken and I, who do this for a livelihood, their motivation is a far nobler calling: they do it to save lives. Diane and Darrell are part of a cat and kitten rescue group in Cary, North Carolina, called "Cat Angels." They photograph each rescue cat and kitten that comes in and post the images to the Cat Angels website to give each kitty a better chance for adoption.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.catangelsnc.org/">http://www.catangelsnc.org/</a> </div><br />Diane and Darrell understand that winsome portraits of their subjects are more likely to attract people to adopt them, so they were very interested in seeing our shooting, wrangling, and lighting methods as well as asking us questions about our equipment.<br /><br />A year or two later, when they asked to sit in on some more shoots the next time we were in Raleigh, we were glad to see Darrell and Diane again. They are so friendly, gracious, and appreciative that we were happy to help. It was apparent that they were putting into practice what they were learning from us.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607776959652748402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGNUP4x_Czi_gCWC9pEstmJl6do-WvvRxn2IAmNYzh-17govBa7kuYNyJchMwyNbHiPY__F8gNwjHaq69uBcl33k3DCj6g1RZsxd8gvBhqb6RfUisYwCWWXcO3nrHM2iGMRN7ScnfaA1A/s400/2+eMail-Irregardless+Diane+Helmi+Darrell.jpg" /> <em><span style="font-size:78%;">Diane Olson, Helmi and Darrell Massengill at Irregardless (Ken took the picture)</span></em></div><br />After the cat show, they took us to dinner at <em>Irregardless</em>, a great local restaurant, where we enjoyed spending time with them and swapping "war stories" about trying to coax decent portraits out of uncooperative kitties. Compared to their challenges, struggling to get appealing poses from freaked-out feral kittens/cats, we decided that we had it much easier with show cats who are generally easy to deal with.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607776844673072242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJlNzFin238atU50Blqavdj_ApyNJtdGe0mntGQkTRGHwa4-SR84CFXOU51ATZHEMXDIsd-w7gpL-p6ek06cJILCYmE4ledGtMv9NPziRS2pr1JobGX2ocSAmTaiavHDKq-iJ84NNgQPI/s400/3+2011+Calendar+Back+Cover.jpg" /> <br /><div align="left">Earlier this year, Diane sent us a calendar of her and Darrell's work, which Cat Angels published and sells to help subsidize the organizations operating expenses. </div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607776725629455906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkMK3izFrZ4FX0EaA2p27zj8z-IO6A8nP5Hgr7t2ZZ6AO9R9eV-teMR6-315khxxaiLk3qv_4eeRFpod_4pw50qYCeFRht00SB3tLn3zH2oNwMgpdANgocXVUU0q5bvBUwH1GqoLGjI4m/s400/4+Prince+Charming+%2526+Kirby-November.jpg" /> Accompanying each month's featured kitten is a little story about it.<br /><br /><p align="left"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607791720538530018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JYrhdO_84Wernaal4mU-GkuvQkqKoWaD3b133mF7-Plb8rCPkPweKiFsAZlNgmizYYv1nvlOwAflJ84OGulucAzsusJ7vGUmbZ7XP1aL3UkuLxHuSQMOoXGJSc4v7kwfryxyrnQR-KzM/s400/5+Topaz+%2526+Tangelo-Sept+Kitties.jpg" /></p><br /><p align="left"><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em>This piece is quite obviously a labor of love -- as is everything that all those very special people in cat rescue do -- and we found it to be thoroughly charming.<br /><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmxtE2jzSBQnv-jIMmRDdMFRFr5c6x4mcIWefDnCUp64hCNg4zWDVbkce3rXJDkEY8XNx0hbfCtAuWlFpI4nDu4xbzt7VqT9HzV6807nPmYN6AqZaxDMgchx2a7J-DuuENypvYzF4NmA3/s1600/6+Leah-March+Kitty.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607776428842667650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmxtE2jzSBQnv-jIMmRDdMFRFr5c6x4mcIWefDnCUp64hCNg4zWDVbkce3rXJDkEY8XNx0hbfCtAuWlFpI4nDu4xbzt7VqT9HzV6807nPmYN6AqZaxDMgchx2a7J-DuuENypvYzF4NmA3/s400/6+Leah-March+Kitty.jpg" /></a>Recently, Diane sent us the cover image for next year's calendar (below) that she and Darrell are currently working on.<br /></div><br /><div align="left"><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-H6ZLQ1jMzswLRYgQbSTnTznh236VNF_vBh7GSOPROCJZ0WrCpxHLTV5kW7SJk8PSWT2ouWRqrjLT3woTZjHjna4dlByTfMl2_atNJGYP99UBET0VR9KXi_ajscCKfFFk08Slr79AwAM/s1600/7+eMail-Final_2012_CA_Calendar.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607776274393708210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-H6ZLQ1jMzswLRYgQbSTnTznh236VNF_vBh7GSOPROCJZ0WrCpxHLTV5kW7SJk8PSWT2ouWRqrjLT3woTZjHjna4dlByTfMl2_atNJGYP99UBET0VR9KXi_ajscCKfFFk08Slr79AwAM/s400/7+eMail-Final_2012_CA_Calendar.jpg" /></a> <em><span style="font-size:78%;">Copyright Cat Angels Pet Adoptions</span></em></div><br />THE POINT OF THIS STORY<br />More recently, Diane wrote and asked if we could help her rescue group with a favor. That's what this story is all about. Their Cat Angels rescue group has lost the lease on their current facility, which the landlord now wants to occupy to expand his own business, so the rescue group has to move. And they want to double the size of their present space in order to double their adoption rate.<br /><br />To help cover the additional expenses that this move will entail, Darrell and Diane have entered the Pepsi Refresh Grant Competition by producing this 59 second video:<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.refresheverything.com/catangels"><strong>www.refresheverything.com/catangels</strong></a> </div><br /><br /><div align="left">WILL YOU HELP ME HELP THEM?</div><br /><div align="left">To win this competition and get the grant, Cat Angels needs to get the most votes for their video, and Diane told me today that they are in 2nd place, but the competition is fierce with positions changing daily among the top contenders. So I'm posting this to my Blog to encourage all of you readers to vote for their video. Ken and I are voting every day, but we need your help, too!</div><br /><br /><div align="left">You can vote every day in May by three different ways:</div><br /><br /><ul><br /><li><br /><div align="left">Through Facebook</div></li><br /><li><br /><div align="left">By getting a free Pepsi Refresh Account</div></li><br /><li><br /><div align="left">By texting 106148 to 73774 (PEPSI) </div></li></ul><br /><br /><p align="left">If you are reading this on Facebook or on my Blog, it's quite likely that, like me, you are a cat lover. And for one reason or another you may not be able to be directly involved in cat rescue like Diane and Darrell and so many other dedicated people who do this are. But you can make a difference by helping these big-hearted volunteers save the lives of more homeless cats and kittens. The $50,000 grant prize they can win -- with your help -- could save a lot of kitties!</p><br /><p align="left">Please take a moment to click on the above link to the Cat Angels video and vote for it, then vote again each day for the rest of this month. And share the link with your friends on Facebook! Thank you!</p>I will let you know how this turns out, but YOU can influence the outcome. </div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-24088423904595388172011-03-24T12:13:00.015-05:002011-03-24T12:55:15.792-05:00Kelly's Art Glass -- et cetera!Kelly Crouch is a customer of mine from the first year I started cat photography. She bred Oriental Shorthairs and Maine Coons. Lately, she has branched out into glass and she has named her new company Glasstasy. Ken and I shot eleven pieces of her art glass she created. Below are my favorites:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyNOfPMGWn5ctdGMNc9j2U0-JRr4xNvl3YdpzZZsQsAtJpiPNXshyyBIVq93zQsg8BFEQOjgSirfF3HebkvGOToUAnAp6FBEinpOpgXfZeuaFD7VJvhaA1C9UZxiAK2Rm9giVC6v_Hvl3/s1600/eMail+1+8x10+IMG_8724+Crouch+Glass+Ice+Sculpture.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587697527443970402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyNOfPMGWn5ctdGMNc9j2U0-JRr4xNvl3YdpzZZsQsAtJpiPNXshyyBIVq93zQsg8BFEQOjgSirfF3HebkvGOToUAnAp6FBEinpOpgXfZeuaFD7VJvhaA1C9UZxiAK2Rm9giVC6v_Hvl3/s400/eMail+1+8x10+IMG_8724+Crouch+Glass+Ice+Sculpture.jpg" /></a> This is my most favorite piece. It is almost a half round. Kelly has named it "Glacier." I want one.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAJ8lsTYl1nCUbtzrnE-c5C5gMtaPua5fUnDzILsrYEoKc6sFyMKU-QLn6DFp6BYzqEnRRkpr-GHq76rbKOU6QwttkLbOus086fh-VkYhZtRyhyleSGClDjeizXFpShuGzrQAUvU8z732/s1600/eMail+2+6x4-8+IMG_8447+Crouch+Ice+Sculpture+inside+view.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 308px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587697408064277234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAJ8lsTYl1nCUbtzrnE-c5C5gMtaPua5fUnDzILsrYEoKc6sFyMKU-QLn6DFp6BYzqEnRRkpr-GHq76rbKOU6QwttkLbOus086fh-VkYhZtRyhyleSGClDjeizXFpShuGzrQAUvU8z732/s400/eMail+2+6x4-8+IMG_8447+Crouch+Ice+Sculpture+inside+view.jpg" /></a> This is a view of the inside of "Glacier" ... again, stunning.</div><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrIe7xar7tJDiLO3KGkkS8HkqfZ-rif_tz1JsmEgjAVoabHXXS2EQ-kHjQmZqvXr5HJPgldyTfuAgGd0gJfcBtXCAIvvwXm1ji3XYLTEcGTWPJVK4aIwuq7DzZpWK11eH9-83qVDsaj-q/s1600/eMail+3+8x10+IMG_8458+Kelly+Crouch+BlueGreenGoldHarlequin+Dish.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587697303281900242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmrIe7xar7tJDiLO3KGkkS8HkqfZ-rif_tz1JsmEgjAVoabHXXS2EQ-kHjQmZqvXr5HJPgldyTfuAgGd0gJfcBtXCAIvvwXm1ji3XYLTEcGTWPJVK4aIwuq7DzZpWK11eH9-83qVDsaj-q/s400/eMail+3+8x10+IMG_8458+Kelly+Crouch+BlueGreenGoldHarlequin+Dish.jpg" /></a> Kelly used a very expensive material called dichroic glass on this piece. "Dichroic glass is glass containing multiple micro-layers of metal oxides which give the glass dichroic optical properties," <em>reference from Wikipedia</em>. We photographed this same piece on a white background and the dichroic properties did not appear, but on a black background, it is obvious!<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qU3rU1jJ-nmJX1cP1MAO8i_bUX-c0KIsDhRp7KPuc1TUkmjMwQuw0l1hopdcRpTLi_OY6t2fv13GCa-Sae6qA-n7BYN4i9eRySpnJcIpS_Tue1GGSR2DSxwaP0c3RFA5DIxiwLCFJOcQ/s1600/eMail+4+8x8+IMG_8481sq+Crouch+YellowGreen+6-sided+Bowl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587697176739876626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qU3rU1jJ-nmJX1cP1MAO8i_bUX-c0KIsDhRp7KPuc1TUkmjMwQuw0l1hopdcRpTLi_OY6t2fv13GCa-Sae6qA-n7BYN4i9eRySpnJcIpS_Tue1GGSR2DSxwaP0c3RFA5DIxiwLCFJOcQ/s400/eMail+4+8x8+IMG_8481sq+Crouch+YellowGreen+6-sided+Bowl.jpg" /></a> <div align="center">Yellow and lime green six-sided candy bowl.<br /><br /> </div><div align="center"></div><div></div><div></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qLQ9aTsf0v6YMcz1PEvoSL5ycXj2pGqKhF43lthJAAzIExS_7vjzi53ia918AbNeLr3pzehg4Vgs8DiiHMpv1JtKUNLUBPQdASczWVxJEhfisEUe_n6xZs-plhea0FNiG6REazq710eX/s1600/eMail+4a+4x6+IMG_8488+Crouch+side+view+YellowGreen+6Sided+bowl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587697086662670626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qLQ9aTsf0v6YMcz1PEvoSL5ycXj2pGqKhF43lthJAAzIExS_7vjzi53ia918AbNeLr3pzehg4Vgs8DiiHMpv1JtKUNLUBPQdASczWVxJEhfisEUe_n6xZs-plhea0FNiG6REazq710eX/s400/eMail+4a+4x6+IMG_8488+Crouch+side+view+YellowGreen+6Sided+bowl.jpg" /></a>Here is a side view of the same bowl.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBb2nJKBAo4v9-zQ8PfZMxXTrl9LEGFOyylQHwJBctOglTo-8znve0bUr6qKE_MLaWSttR47B9x5plGOKQ_1tPyFbDRWah1WzXUFC0VkbFtGLNcW308E3LCXar8aMFs6lCWKjddQnTAVyw/s1600/eMail+5+4x6+IMG_8524+Crouch+RedWhite+Pinwheel+Bowl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587696974624845890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBb2nJKBAo4v9-zQ8PfZMxXTrl9LEGFOyylQHwJBctOglTo-8znve0bUr6qKE_MLaWSttR47B9x5plGOKQ_1tPyFbDRWah1WzXUFC0VkbFtGLNcW308E3LCXar8aMFs6lCWKjddQnTAVyw/s400/eMail+5+4x6+IMG_8524+Crouch+RedWhite+Pinwheel+Bowl.jpg" /></a> Pinwheel candy dish.<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6zoBhv7bRKieghFJcP1Dnl14KmGvCq6X1oWcSqPuLgpESLTNiG0PSoQGAyD3LuezEooOy2cpz_SCmyX0QexKhyphenhyphen2CPSWbtKsL_C7VpjzJO_aHoO9umLhq04YFZOhcTAr8VDxNsQShsen4/s1600/eMail+6+5x5+IMG_8470sq+Crouch+Green+Ivy+Glass+Bowl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587696848035717250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr6zoBhv7bRKieghFJcP1Dnl14KmGvCq6X1oWcSqPuLgpESLTNiG0PSoQGAyD3LuezEooOy2cpz_SCmyX0QexKhyphenhyphen2CPSWbtKsL_C7VpjzJO_aHoO9umLhq04YFZOhcTAr8VDxNsQShsen4/s400/eMail+6+5x5+IMG_8470sq+Crouch+Green+Ivy+Glass+Bowl.jpg" /></a> This is a very elaborate piece -- note that Kelly handpainted ivy leaves on the piece in gold. The edges are ruffled (not sure of the terminology here). I'd be happy to update this post with the correct terminology if anyone wants to enlighten me.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMHVIvPb5wtG1mHUzntMjDBs9fVcjNJ_BUCh8J5Eez9jV7G0no2sDGsK9-atMGcq74Be1PiiuwFR79D2qbxmdK4jAtzxixCtB1EJtXlXZu406bLzCCRmUKFH6a87eIzBHVRDYq_O0CIVv/s1600/eMail+7+8x10+IMG_8464+Crouch+BlueWhite+Harlequin+Bowl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587696716135526178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMHVIvPb5wtG1mHUzntMjDBs9fVcjNJ_BUCh8J5Eez9jV7G0no2sDGsK9-atMGcq74Be1PiiuwFR79D2qbxmdK4jAtzxixCtB1EJtXlXZu406bLzCCRmUKFH6a87eIzBHVRDYq_O0CIVv/s400/eMail+7+8x10+IMG_8464+Crouch+BlueWhite+Harlequin+Bowl.jpg" /></a> This is a rectangular bowl with a quilt like pattern. Graphically very simple and pleasing.<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxkUV9rTWpRxgtShFGAs9kT2uGkGJJBims3Gw-7GRFaEmWih6sPTwj4XW7vPsnSjK2ikFBZVDJ2uLy9Tyb2b2YdRXgAApMHfw_wVi7xlPwZplGxvbcH8bkXxGmerUxv0K4YJl7IuFzYUQ/s1600/eMail+8+8x8+IMG_8552+Crouch+Dartboard+Glass.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587696601221094050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxkUV9rTWpRxgtShFGAs9kT2uGkGJJBims3Gw-7GRFaEmWih6sPTwj4XW7vPsnSjK2ikFBZVDJ2uLy9Tyb2b2YdRXgAApMHfw_wVi7xlPwZplGxvbcH8bkXxGmerUxv0K4YJl7IuFzYUQ/s400/eMail+8+8x8+IMG_8552+Crouch+Dartboard+Glass.jpg" /></a> The brown piece, pictured above, is very large, about the size of a large tray. Reminds me of a quilt top I made some years ago. Kelly referred to it as the Brown Dart Board!<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sd9KT3w3pX4N0evrwnqoCr_gfJXaFySQm-2cO2_ESdx27ftToY7aR7e80lgsc3E7EodA70Lr6ZrtKeCQUlaAuRCpSs9h_Qnxn8uJQY8jjI79YCsKcprztj0m4yhYBvx9rug5lwpNffAi/s1600/eMail+8x8+IMG_8508+Crouch+Green+Pinwheel+Candy+Dish.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587696481447756002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9sd9KT3w3pX4N0evrwnqoCr_gfJXaFySQm-2cO2_ESdx27ftToY7aR7e80lgsc3E7EodA70Lr6ZrtKeCQUlaAuRCpSs9h_Qnxn8uJQY8jjI79YCsKcprztj0m4yhYBvx9rug5lwpNffAi/s400/eMail+8x8+IMG_8508+Crouch+Green+Pinwheel+Candy+Dish.jpg" /></a> Green and white round candy dish.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSQ9LaI9FWz9s9M8pYcffzK_ovNRVJo9KoF2qwdG2Ho_q2AiVokr8xPU8p4tB9K-bt5mnyUAOPi_-BRqWAOt1XFytZRV0ZTDP6HwZfaz1mLpFNt28f77nc_jr4-c1ofkRU95HhacwwRNu/s1600/eMail+8x8+IMG_8532+Crouch+SpiderWeb+round+bowl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587696355030859554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSQ9LaI9FWz9s9M8pYcffzK_ovNRVJo9KoF2qwdG2Ho_q2AiVokr8xPU8p4tB9K-bt5mnyUAOPi_-BRqWAOt1XFytZRV0ZTDP6HwZfaz1mLpFNt28f77nc_jr4-c1ofkRU95HhacwwRNu/s400/eMail+8x8+IMG_8532+Crouch+SpiderWeb+round+bowl.jpg" /></a> This piece looked much better photographed on white (which will not come across well on my blog, since my background is black). It needs light to show it off as it is nicely translucent.<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Mak54TONwIQVH5u0zwLmuH_f90S3J09lrlub6MZnU4plezEt4RsYsauewzv-RBchCHVsxrx6mjl2m-V4xJ9KQ2_ssU7VTJClKsCG8vAjm0iLhKejPXl64KHJKxDwi6GDEfMSv4cVB3Ym/s1600/eMail+8x8+IMG_8540+Crouch+PinkPurple+Round+Candy+Dish.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587696189655764978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Mak54TONwIQVH5u0zwLmuH_f90S3J09lrlub6MZnU4plezEt4RsYsauewzv-RBchCHVsxrx6mjl2m-V4xJ9KQ2_ssU7VTJClKsCG8vAjm0iLhKejPXl64KHJKxDwi6GDEfMSv4cVB3Ym/s400/eMail+8x8+IMG_8540+Crouch+PinkPurple+Round+Candy+Dish.jpg" /></a> A candy dish, pink and purple. Photographed against black, you cannot see that the center of the dish is a deep purple as are the dark pinwheels. Another piece that showed up better against the white background.<br /><br />If you are interested in any of these pieces, please email Kelly at <a href="mailto:glasstasy@austin.rr.com">glasstasy@austin.rr.com</a> I am waiting for her to have an exhibition of her work! She should probably have a few more pieces before she has a show, but if she has one, we're going!<br /><br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">All pieces photographed using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II against a black background.<br /></div><div align="left"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-19421208668361709342010-11-04T19:07:00.008-05:002010-11-04T19:31:18.971-05:00A Short Vacation to Florida<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyy6716ODjGV6DbESG6EOYA1DEqCEz_0AXQNDepxZ7E0o9sNDJKikmuYcto8NljBor6jTS8Igl8u7pZmka_PbDHpKYN7gRglPedP0aCHfrUjxIjwCPYaIoFCLjwnn8XKbah1iv-Fck9-H/s1600/eMail-1P1050988+Sunset+in+Mirror+Sun+nite.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535852228185201058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyy6716ODjGV6DbESG6EOYA1DEqCEz_0AXQNDepxZ7E0o9sNDJKikmuYcto8NljBor6jTS8Igl8u7pZmka_PbDHpKYN7gRglPedP0aCHfrUjxIjwCPYaIoFCLjwnn8XKbah1iv-Fck9-H/s400/eMail-1P1050988+Sunset+in+Mirror+Sun+nite.jpg" border="0" /></a> I hate to miss a sunset. Since we were still on the road to the condo, I got the sunset in the side mirror while Ken was driving.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY8W-UaC_N-qTUTo8H5iuInd-sk0xQQUaPu18MKxhcCrdffymX3FKYCqf_yU4z6SwsL86XY1sqtBzaQ8KnefOMOQa6DWPaC2kFEXsgJUQvEBjbSNdMaGLElnqymKX_96wpsyTu1p_7I-8/s1600/eMail-2P1060008+Sunday+nite+sunset.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535852224913265074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY8W-UaC_N-qTUTo8H5iuInd-sk0xQQUaPu18MKxhcCrdffymX3FKYCqf_yU4z6SwsL86XY1sqtBzaQ8KnefOMOQa6DWPaC2kFEXsgJUQvEBjbSNdMaGLElnqymKX_96wpsyTu1p_7I-8/s400/eMail-2P1060008+Sunday+nite+sunset.jpg" border="0" /></a> Then Ken pulled over to the side of the road to get the Choctawhatchee Bay. It is SO much better to take a photo when the car isn't moving, especially when it's dark outside! </div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgbVCzyXxZp7FRuCdWDjvQl7fOWckuVLKwGa2yYT7ge8rBXXxSaubSfllb5ssWuMLBqOdunuXDnYRfCJUNPiBANTjly2BxwA-FG40bsHdEMi7J5nFKSi1H0JW-DABl57qoQjClbPd2Chk/s1600/eMail-3P1060012V+Sunrise+FL+from+condo+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535851956802519682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgbVCzyXxZp7FRuCdWDjvQl7fOWckuVLKwGa2yYT7ge8rBXXxSaubSfllb5ssWuMLBqOdunuXDnYRfCJUNPiBANTjly2BxwA-FG40bsHdEMi7J5nFKSi1H0JW-DABl57qoQjClbPd2Chk/s400/eMail-3P1060012V+Sunrise+FL+from+condo+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a> Monday morning, this was the sunrise from the balcony of our condo.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD96N577cYU9uD-72h6dmOhZ_CBqAruqEj9b5THaLqGKeJHDzY1em30AhLxze-sS7ZRzA4rcpLS_MLNpTRa8VANm3xRVvqVXdKVY7XLcYk-DC46zLrmUMTU7qRND2-Z4SWanNHdAzovPcp/s1600/eMail-5P1060031+Crane+fishing+am.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535851637861238882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD96N577cYU9uD-72h6dmOhZ_CBqAruqEj9b5THaLqGKeJHDzY1em30AhLxze-sS7ZRzA4rcpLS_MLNpTRa8VANm3xRVvqVXdKVY7XLcYk-DC46zLrmUMTU7qRND2-Z4SWanNHdAzovPcp/s400/eMail-5P1060031+Crane+fishing+am.jpg" border="0" /></a> And there was a crane or waterfowl of some sort, waiting for his/her breakfast to appear on the morning tide.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqek60IbeVc0S7p3FyYdwL2RiHtlD19yICJ1v0UF_r9Mvdlb6z_X-ZJbmSH0MmMY_Kyzk5VT3craNgUmLuTNV4-Ig6Q3Q-n0kGCP7Wcn68IhWa0tBf0WND7uSKCN04witxblRLj6yITxE/s1600/eMail-6P1060085+Sunrise+before+6am.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535851634152836562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqek60IbeVc0S7p3FyYdwL2RiHtlD19yICJ1v0UF_r9Mvdlb6z_X-ZJbmSH0MmMY_Kyzk5VT3craNgUmLuTNV4-Ig6Q3Q-n0kGCP7Wcn68IhWa0tBf0WND7uSKCN04witxblRLj6yITxE/s400/eMail-6P1060085+Sunrise+before+6am.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is the view to the West after the sun was starting to rise.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImsZ7xS1L-ZnedL9bGXHFm0HHDYok_M9mhRyjvT88x8kTta1vg1MEQgi6mG2t3NuedpKSCN7gkxXMbqOkNur4IwAv3Cj2-oev1PEb6p9fNYjhePZow-9Ul38qXq9VlRsV2cO74KUM3PtQ/s1600/eMail-7aP1060069+Agi+Bill+washing+feet+from+beach.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535851632742527890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhImsZ7xS1L-ZnedL9bGXHFm0HHDYok_M9mhRyjvT88x8kTta1vg1MEQgi6mG2t3NuedpKSCN7gkxXMbqOkNur4IwAv3Cj2-oev1PEb6p9fNYjhePZow-9Ul38qXq9VlRsV2cO74KUM3PtQ/s400/eMail-7aP1060069+Agi+Bill+washing+feet+from+beach.jpg" border="0" /></a> Our good friends, Agi and Bill Vetter (who were in our wedding 12 years ago) washing the sand off their feet. You can see how white the sand is and it's extremely fine. Your feet squeak when you walk on it!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2KISFWmCDBmjfi9OPnKrykH6_wlgJHb4W_sMrSDS6VSe1hFUC_xmFgd9fSs8pFrYK4C1HnmEianYiFXnuZ52ob7L-7gtzJSoD9uhMyu6mSy1-hGM5KZiuqfASf6L8tpUxU0ERrYVDJM8/s1600/eMail-7bP1060121+walk+to+the+beach.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535851352902129266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2KISFWmCDBmjfi9OPnKrykH6_wlgJHb4W_sMrSDS6VSe1hFUC_xmFgd9fSs8pFrYK4C1HnmEianYiFXnuZ52ob7L-7gtzJSoD9uhMyu6mSy1-hGM5KZiuqfASf6L8tpUxU0ERrYVDJM8/s400/eMail-7bP1060121+walk+to+the+beach.jpg" border="0" /></a>The walkway to the beach ... I love the look of this with the cobblestone walk to the wood of the stairs and the free standing shower. A serene and quiet place with the roar of the surf ever present. A great way to drift off to sleep in the arms of Morpheus, hearing the rhythm of the waves crashing on the beach.</div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj57HusjgeFiNjC3_kJq3cnIcNYe31JeK7QIRIXNDXNrnAb8LnUM6ifhmQXpulyatXxRV5-Rl0BdyYLxfc4t3lb_1lsdetD3P5-IRxxajpCHTu9_2ttFCi3Be50FMw6hLZUxYnb2O_rIYZ/s1600/eMail-8P1060136+Pelicans+in+the+rain.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535851348621522130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj57HusjgeFiNjC3_kJq3cnIcNYe31JeK7QIRIXNDXNrnAb8LnUM6ifhmQXpulyatXxRV5-Rl0BdyYLxfc4t3lb_1lsdetD3P5-IRxxajpCHTu9_2ttFCi3Be50FMw6hLZUxYnb2O_rIYZ/s400/eMail-8P1060136+Pelicans+in+the+rain.jpg" border="0" /></a> It rained on Wednesday and half of Thursday, but the Pelicans still made their forays down the coast.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0109k8v63j8txUrc4s8qZZZaRg9NGFB-o82838ohu49uINh2E-0kX9G3f79fd1CUKtI7JV-50dv_NzIulaFxiM4hWEO-CCr-Z_nmTZGgGKSetTpn7m-LPheJQmsELb6uWBncV0qN14ebN/s1600/eMail-9P1060186+Amazing+sunset+Thursday.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535851342101072610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0109k8v63j8txUrc4s8qZZZaRg9NGFB-o82838ohu49uINh2E-0kX9G3f79fd1CUKtI7JV-50dv_NzIulaFxiM4hWEO-CCr-Z_nmTZGgGKSetTpn7m-LPheJQmsELb6uWBncV0qN14ebN/s400/eMail-9P1060186+Amazing+sunset+Thursday.jpg" border="0" /></a> And our "goodbye" sunset was tonight with this unbelieveable display of color. So we drive back home to Dallas/Fort Worth and start madly packing for the trip to Japan on Tuesday. Recharged for another cat show! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-13843568696555184042010-10-15T10:29:00.014-05:002011-02-21T12:09:21.435-06:00A Little Love Letter to Ken<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2D01PCg_Dp1RPCo4COa9v00AMrzvYN8inVLHPtziUGNialNjs6SH4Ws2sTSRP9AtFXi4ztPJEXwp2sxCuobxVAlHEScjCFitL61pIUdERqb8Xdp4YpKB8T7ApKxp49a09u5NVcEmxA7n/s1600/eMail+P1050668+Anniversary+Tulips+5x7.jpg"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; display: block; height: 286px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528299997521306514" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB2D01PCg_Dp1RPCo4COa9v00AMrzvYN8inVLHPtziUGNialNjs6SH4Ws2sTSRP9AtFXi4ztPJEXwp2sxCuobxVAlHEScjCFitL61pIUdERqb8Xdp4YpKB8T7ApKxp49a09u5NVcEmxA7n/s400/eMail+P1050668+Anniversary+Tulips+5x7.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Anniversary Tulips from Ken </em></span><br /><br /><div align="left">I am very lucky to be married to a romantic man. He remembers our anniversary, birthdays and Valentine's Day much better than I do. We married late in life and I've only been married to him for twelve years but we've crammed a lifetime into those years!</div><div align="left"><br /><br />Ken was the one who encouraged my photography. He got me a digital camera for HIS birthday! This was back in 1999. What a difference it made ... I could instantly see what I was doing wrong and could correct it, right there. Before then, I was using film and would be lucky to get one good image out of three rolls of film. Ken would ask me, "What was your f-stop? What was the exposure setting? Speed? Look at this image and tell me what is in focus?" I was clueless. But when digital came out, all the settings were there. And because of Ken, I became a Cat Photographer.<br /><br />Now we are able to travel together, work together, play together, live a full life, with cats -- together. All because of cat photography. Sure, there are rough patches, but they don't last long. And it's usually me that gets bent out of shape or acts like a drama queen! But we end up laughing about it and remembering what, in the long run, is important. </div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-5136350508064184022010-09-24T22:11:00.007-05:002010-09-25T09:51:54.835-05:00Remembering Dancer by Ken Flick<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnPF05vl7uEuT1UgSmh2ONvDSq1H-tA_O1oWQS2J2s3PfYd2YQNwYzoHyA3pTHtUowvoK4SlHe3binTpV6gzi-j3Un-FBB93QtxYsyt-j42WWlSS4lCM8yEbEw_RwD6c-5kn8jP44T85T/s1600/eMail-5x5+A9195867+BG+Dancer+wMarbles.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520684577856541810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnPF05vl7uEuT1UgSmh2ONvDSq1H-tA_O1oWQS2J2s3PfYd2YQNwYzoHyA3pTHtUowvoK4SlHe3binTpV6gzi-j3Un-FBB93QtxYsyt-j42WWlSS4lCM8yEbEw_RwD6c-5kn8jP44T85T/s400/eMail-5x5+A9195867+BG+Dancer+wMarbles.jpg" /></a>It will be a long time before Helmi and I forget a little Bengal kitten called "Dancer," who we had the pleasure of photographing last Sunday at the Wichita, Kansas, show. I could feel her trembling from the moment her owner placed her on our shooting stage, so I asked, pretty sure of the answer I'd get, "Is this Dancer's first show?" We were told that, yes, this was her first show and, more than that, this was only her second day away from the home where she was born six months ago. So this little kitten was in a strange place, surrounded by the sights and sounds of a hundred strange cats, in the care of her new owner who was essentially a stranger to her, and now being handled by a strange man -- me -- in a room full of bright flashing lights. No wonder Dancer was trembling. And I'm not sure she ever stopped trembling during the entire photo session.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioInmwPM2IJsf4YmKHYSOF7TgPxdPBFfdWO40ctbLgCwjjhy3nUSPX5QYnxj8VCaa7rLIIgkowdeqKVx8StzmoAOuxxIcZb4MiYL787KWd6NHJuD4sr8-87tElJnM-_Owrn9snlxLuo3qr/s1600/eMail-A9195838V+BG+Dancer+Beauty+Shot.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520684394080038914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioInmwPM2IJsf4YmKHYSOF7TgPxdPBFfdWO40ctbLgCwjjhy3nUSPX5QYnxj8VCaa7rLIIgkowdeqKVx8StzmoAOuxxIcZb4MiYL787KWd6NHJuD4sr8-87tElJnM-_Owrn9snlxLuo3qr/s400/eMail-A9195838V+BG+Dancer+Beauty+Shot.jpg" /></a>But I'll tell you what: this scared little kitten was so courageous and so ready to please that she let me put her through all the paces and coax her into all the poses that I would expect of the most cooperative veteran show cat. And Dancer's performance was especially welcome to us, since we had had a number of tough subjects earlier that day.<br /><br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTYqxJRKUf9Hzp3XWU6dsltaPfRqmjKCcZNxoEhAkQ4-fVtDPVHycYrim0lgdxSVHIFdHaIks6I3tzQibe22SOojw4WuZApshOg00D06TgdZFUeMZJSvCEHUxKW-2wr6SaaxUKnmzDwWn/s1600/eMail-A9195833+BG+Dancer+scared.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520684368902510466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpTYqxJRKUf9Hzp3XWU6dsltaPfRqmjKCcZNxoEhAkQ4-fVtDPVHycYrim0lgdxSVHIFdHaIks6I3tzQibe22SOojw4WuZApshOg00D06TgdZFUeMZJSvCEHUxKW-2wr6SaaxUKnmzDwWn/s400/eMail-A9195833+BG+Dancer+scared.jpg" /></a> Unlike cat show judges, whose criteria for evaluating cats are strictly those of a beauty contest without the talent or personality component, Helmi and I judge the cats we shoot based upon their willingness and ability to perform for the camera. Our feline subjects earn our admiration if they are cooperative, poised, playful, good natured and photogenic.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipQkniJ7z1M9bP2LDnAVjpukbc47w29ieb-gv4HGrqeX3Y-tlBLNhRgh7r4U83xhQuiXWEkAHlBp1YOwPzfbZwTSJ2ifI-Fs3pCpQRBQz4P3qcDDkNHUNxfhj8Mcqt9__sNH8Vf6o6M8Z/s1600/eMail-A9195848+BG+Dancer+walking+L.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520684365558179266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipQkniJ7z1M9bP2LDnAVjpukbc47w29ieb-gv4HGrqeX3Y-tlBLNhRgh7r4U83xhQuiXWEkAHlBp1YOwPzfbZwTSJ2ifI-Fs3pCpQRBQz4P3qcDDkNHUNxfhj8Mcqt9__sNH8Vf6o6M8Z/s400/eMail-A9195848+BG+Dancer+walking+L.jpg" /></a> Our job is to produce the best possible portraits of the cats our customers bring us, yet we cannot deliver on this if the cat is shy, ill at ease, cowering, camera-phobic, frozen stiff or freaked out and bent on escape. Most Oriental breeds tend to be this way and despite our best efforts and all the patience we can muster, we are seldom satisfied with what we are able to get from these cats -- and always surprised when their owners are. At the other extreme are Maine Coons, who are such easy going, eager to please, rewarding to shoot subjects that Helmi and I decided early on to get two of our own.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihA0W9YPEAD1DhbkVQtoSAQbK3XrPrJpeODhB6-w92JQqlKOsoo-U08XBQDaIfh6FNQHrJBVskJ6jYi7Bi59_tJ15QZ0hQDa2prJDuoTbhYPikQP11B2hIJQIful1Pt0jjQGM0B2M4hVt3/s1600/eMail-A9195856V+BG+Dancer+sitting+formal.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520684358995941442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihA0W9YPEAD1DhbkVQtoSAQbK3XrPrJpeODhB6-w92JQqlKOsoo-U08XBQDaIfh6FNQHrJBVskJ6jYi7Bi59_tJ15QZ0hQDa2prJDuoTbhYPikQP11B2hIJQIful1Pt0jjQGM0B2M4hVt3/s400/eMail-A9195856V+BG+Dancer+sitting+formal.jpg" /></a> So, yes, we judge the cats we shoot at every show, too. And often, in the evening after the show is over or on the drive home the next morning, we will talk about the cats we shot and tell each other which ones were our favorites. And on the drive home from Wichita on Monday, it became clear that Dancer, the little Bengal kitten with the big heart, had stolen both of our hearts. Despite her understandable insecurity at being wrenched away from the only home she had ever known, she stepped up to the plate and performed at a level that a number of our Wichita cats never attempted. We don't give out rosettes, but Dancer was a big winner in our eyes. She gave the kind of photogenic performance that enabled us to win -- she made our job look easy to our customer and enabled us to deliver images the customer would like.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISE86BB2Zh_EY0jsebR2LIp0s7tFTbRZJh2KIpsfq4uHdSTdX5JDHVyIy20alGgO_nZAdtgGZE4Jh_nWwHAQ-q-YwUO_0Fa8ChMDYg7gN15mChCE3I9U3rhZvFL-DsO6ucBWoF0dx5Jst/s1600/eMail-A9195854+BG+Dancer+reaching.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520684352740125314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISE86BB2Zh_EY0jsebR2LIp0s7tFTbRZJh2KIpsfq4uHdSTdX5JDHVyIy20alGgO_nZAdtgGZE4Jh_nWwHAQ-q-YwUO_0Fa8ChMDYg7gN15mChCE3I9U3rhZvFL-DsO6ucBWoF0dx5Jst/s400/eMail-A9195854+BG+Dancer+reaching.jpg" /></a> It is always heartbreaking news to hear that a cat we have known has died, especially when it is a kitten who has left so soon before its time. And it was even more tragic to learn this about a kitten who had so recently won our respect and affection and was still very much on our minds. But this is what happened on Thursday (yesterday) when we learned that little Dancer, who had not eaten for days and had spent the previous couple of days in the care of a vet, was diagnosed with terminal feline leukemia and put to rest. It's enough to make a grown man cry. And that's not just a figure of speech.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />It will be a long time before Helmi and I forget Dancer, the brave little Bengal kitten with the big heart. The world has lost a real winner.<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-85532495505376974532010-08-21T09:42:00.011-05:002010-08-21T10:10:01.737-05:00Bus Ads<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8tm91cnJ8UXv5y0K4Fo_27uo0qoEK7Ju-wHmqGvIUKBolZL6deUp7bg5Sp4wSqm-dSYmCRv2xNhbQe7G5gqTSAWDS-JZPv8JT0NNr6nKv83X3Wtt8IhYJHPAg47eHOxscZM4wl3eXjWA/s1600/eMail-Persian+Ad+wText.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507877015105291826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8tm91cnJ8UXv5y0K4Fo_27uo0qoEK7Ju-wHmqGvIUKBolZL6deUp7bg5Sp4wSqm-dSYmCRv2xNhbQe7G5gqTSAWDS-JZPv8JT0NNr6nKv83X3Wtt8IhYJHPAg47eHOxscZM4wl3eXjWA/s400/eMail-Persian+Ad+wText.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">2010 TICA Annual Cat Show Bus Ad: Persian<br /><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x0uLQm28I9mmFgT8WcLEAM13TjVSIXZBnH_IDNOEgN770Tr5JZCE3FrPbwaH3fD8jf1kQDPhgMP-NpGFU2rYJzcTy9LrYPwo_Hn2_WrqQhcbFrp4CO2JdtvUCqyc3_alHQg8B6xD3Q7r/s1600/eMail-Ragdoll+Ad+wText.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507874539540497378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1x0uLQm28I9mmFgT8WcLEAM13TjVSIXZBnH_IDNOEgN770Tr5JZCE3FrPbwaH3fD8jf1kQDPhgMP-NpGFU2rYJzcTy9LrYPwo_Hn2_WrqQhcbFrp4CO2JdtvUCqyc3_alHQg8B6xD3Q7r/s400/eMail-Ragdoll+Ad+wText.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> 2010 TICA Annual Cat Show Bus Ad: Ragdoll<br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeCAObMhcXkBj_uZjN2Z0z8lLMLAeinqsJSU5X-cBIzzkroeFIA4iNczStYOQOxguf1s6aPhmBL-2b8TNcaLSjvpanzhB4fEaHIgbjgu6LildBCzrCai9Vt54Lv_TEav8dzjkl-FiK85s/s1600/eMail-Siberian+Ad+wText.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507874531492793266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeCAObMhcXkBj_uZjN2Z0z8lLMLAeinqsJSU5X-cBIzzkroeFIA4iNczStYOQOxguf1s6aPhmBL-2b8TNcaLSjvpanzhB4fEaHIgbjgu6LildBCzrCai9Vt54Lv_TEav8dzjkl-FiK85s/s400/eMail-Siberian+Ad+wText.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">2010 TICA Annual Cat Show Bus Ad: Siberian<br /></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZo7gH2LKk1YRh_A0SUMmBDud22b4dddmt0C32yQX8NJQ-4PEGmXTGA2lKE-RhzLPqZ-ahkNTgIPejbzBU4M6XRTk9jWkBi6dPl6TH7HH3VOLXzKyc_DBCm6-ixNGW_koCDF83uq0zNFCe/s1600/eMail-Maine+Coon+Ad+wText.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507874228652900226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZo7gH2LKk1YRh_A0SUMmBDud22b4dddmt0C32yQX8NJQ-4PEGmXTGA2lKE-RhzLPqZ-ahkNTgIPejbzBU4M6XRTk9jWkBi6dPl6TH7HH3VOLXzKyc_DBCm6-ixNGW_koCDF83uq0zNFCe/s400/eMail-Maine+Coon+Ad+wText.jpg" /> </p><p align="center"></a><span style="font-size:85%;">2010 TICA Annual Cat Show Bus Ad: Maine Coon<br /></span> </p><p align="center"></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507874224504230498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQSy3uZS2oqc0w5-tzEV9Kz7i1IKn7ooQjJEc3hv5aqQ-IVadmL2p_Taq9zTp8d3QFXCz5k5UH1eTnBQdOgAsHZyZBNlSKmu5ZLYYsUoR57_tTeXKEktaNvI8OUSrUkcepGErTfBqAy3B/s400/eMail-Bengal+Ad+wText.jpg" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">2010 TICA Annual Cat Show Bus Ad: Bengal<br /></span></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgsuCpM_HXvfT2Ksy_qZWkqMw2KxEbYtKH3WEX9iiD6iNhqTK4HUT0IMD5XS8W9eRyQHgn-FbDoHK2ef7CYKw1Y5EUVokmF3ed6VkbDH3enqwaIR2jE3txiXJfhFb0AcVf4kYQYtH3gaV/s1600/eMail+SM+CFA+Bus+Ad+2010+Oci-Helmi.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507874220449782962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgsuCpM_HXvfT2Ksy_qZWkqMw2KxEbYtKH3WEX9iiD6iNhqTK4HUT0IMD5XS8W9eRyQHgn-FbDoHK2ef7CYKw1Y5EUVokmF3ed6VkbDH3enqwaIR2jE3txiXJfhFb0AcVf4kYQYtH3gaV/s400/eMail+SM+CFA+Bus+Ad+2010+Oci-Helmi.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> 2010 CFA Santa Monica Cat Show Bus Ad: Ocicat<br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sqER3q6O2T8nX6PyIYrJdWs2WGQGUGnZufjEAozitNJZHTzIvWBSWPDTwXtFsgAKw-VS9WJkDbKVPytOM-iDdQFa2jHxe2QHVBDS2gtSyxABRfP7Hw6_v_TG9nR8N9b3NJaD-lpgj4NS/s1600/eMail+SM+CFA+Bus+Sign+2009-Helmi.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 120px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507874213791677058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sqER3q6O2T8nX6PyIYrJdWs2WGQGUGnZufjEAozitNJZHTzIvWBSWPDTwXtFsgAKw-VS9WJkDbKVPytOM-iDdQFa2jHxe2QHVBDS2gtSyxABRfP7Hw6_v_TG9nR8N9b3NJaD-lpgj4NS/s400/eMail+SM+CFA+Bus+Sign+2009-Helmi.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> 2009 CFA Santa Monica Cat Show Bus Ad: Oriental Shorthair. <br /></span></p><div align="center"><div align="center"><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is probably my favorite bus ad because it is very eyecatching. Art Graafmans did a wonderful job of making the best use of the cat image while giving pertinent information.</span><br /></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">If you're in California, you'll be able to see Bus Ads promoting the CFA Santa Monica Cat Show in Los Angeles, and ads promoting the TICA Annual in Santa Clara. Ken created all the ads for the TICA Annual in Santa Clara and we supplied the cat images for the CFA Santa Monica Cat Show.</div></div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-65069997386262119972010-08-14T21:29:00.003-05:002010-08-14T21:36:37.454-05:00Going to Japan!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAyVY5XhSriD9pyQDvly6wfLG27oCFFWfM6PC8lKN_6dpOaM0qvbwgiI1nZnRiySD47pq_bd5PXQ-WVBMubvUS7tHl4Ns2KFNZHZGynKhtz6J4F4_ej427ajvnSJh2GxXqGg8-DxS7dLC/s1600/email+ad_helmi_2010nov1314.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 283px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505458387126205266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAyVY5XhSriD9pyQDvly6wfLG27oCFFWfM6PC8lKN_6dpOaM0qvbwgiI1nZnRiySD47pq_bd5PXQ-WVBMubvUS7tHl4Ns2KFNZHZGynKhtz6J4F4_ej427ajvnSJh2GxXqGg8-DxS7dLC/s400/email+ad_helmi_2010nov1314.jpg" /></a><em> <span style="font-size:78%;">Design and graphic art by Jun Hagiwara</span></em></div><br />I am so fortunate. Not only are we going to Japan to do the CFA Ruban d'or Chat Fanciers Show in November, 2010, but Jun Hagiwara created this beautiful ad for me. It shows the ten backgrounds we'll be flying with and our names for them. <br /><br />This will be the first CFA show we've done outside of the United States! Thank you, Jun, for a stunning ad.Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-41096762778528496572010-06-04T16:54:00.018-05:002010-06-05T11:33:40.926-05:00Fossil Ridge Wildlife Center - The Beginning of an 18-Hour Vacation<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iLlPQm_2KsvQfnGFPvkXTW9xhZhjhJw3l5swOllFQnU1NKjcuhJYBCBNOEdU_KN0OnjELbk0QkUIdzd5zrxrKloQyQ7l5z6fr5tFJUAS63BL-M2nytkHQbnfNA6M591FGjFExlfw9e8e/s1600/eMail+P1030653CU+Closeup+crop+Giraffe+Zebra+Deer+etc.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 130px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479328169039193442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iLlPQm_2KsvQfnGFPvkXTW9xhZhjhJw3l5swOllFQnU1NKjcuhJYBCBNOEdU_KN0OnjELbk0QkUIdzd5zrxrKloQyQ7l5z6fr5tFJUAS63BL-M2nytkHQbnfNA6M591FGjFExlfw9e8e/s400/eMail+P1030653CU+Closeup+crop+Giraffe+Zebra+Deer+etc.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Click on image to enlarge. That's how you can see the giraffes!</span></div><br />I wanted to start this story with an image from the next afternoon. There are giraffes, zebras, deer, antelope, all in this image. The school bus that has a camoflauge paint job is one that takes people on the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center's Scenic Wildlife Drive. <div align="center"><div align="center"><br /><em>Fossil Rim has 1700 acres containing 1100 animals who roam freely in areas that approximate near natural conditions.</em> (These words are almost verbatim from the Animal Identification Guide we were given before the drive.) <em>The animals are managed this way so that they can behave, socialize, and reproduce, much as they would if in the wild. Some are endangered, on the brink of extinction, or part of dwindling populations. </em><br /><br />Ken and I had such a magical time here. An 18-hour vacation! But it was so packed full of new sights, sounds, smells, etc that it felt like a longer time. It was rejuvenating. Here are some of the shots I took with my small camera.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479043127622087986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkK9Jy7ZFD8EnwN8-weyJZVPonINZ62bo0UTUBtUIm01LcJutXfSmgoJJxSE6m_gaoBt-FX9prF58bAwk24-GqtctdhyphenhyphenDGqldc13HXPDBilsFy55ec1befI59wTWGfJgzlswcPbs8avzkK/s400/eMail+lg+P1030469+Waterbuck.jpg" /> <div align="center"><em>Waterbuck. </em></div><div align="center"><em>Their range is the Savannah regions of Africa south of the Sahara. Only the males have horns and an oily, musky secretion makes the Waterbuck unpalatable to predators. Their bulls-eye marking on the rump may help the young follow through high grasses.<br /></em><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479043121500551266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZfTSN5rFOOOjG6UKSZ4C_TjfAFTzfJv5BIXrWifzY2UCHGX6GsvnH0JP2RdVR0zcH8JoPWMw40xQukj0R1qD18CKgUrX5A4mVROiYrytNh8Holrjad8G3TnI1Gai-GhoVCo_AGNFoFjt/s400/eMail+P1030489+Safari+Camp+Pavillion+in+afternoon.jpg" /></div><div align="center">Fossil Rim Wildlife Center has a main Lodge as well as their Foothills Safari Camp. Shown here is the Observation and Deck of the Pavillion in the Safari Camp. This is where we were to have breakfast the next morning.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479043117210999298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikNd2FC9wPkHRMeBPkkj8ASLrbPtfPkWRVV8EA23_blZMDwYMoDfLplgWGZfjZ6MoQaLCh339a7S39EXr7GFVE2voAq6EMI8ndTiYCKGUKEQSUT5tKjjVA7uTfL1T-Yy6Eitcw0b_u-US/s400/eMail+P1030490+Addax.jpg" /><em>The Addax. </em><br /><em>Range: Mauritania to Egypt, western Sahara and Sudan. Critically endangered. The most desert adapted of all antelopes, an addax can live most of its life without drinking, deriving sufficient moisture from the plants it eats. Their coloring is stark white to tan with a distinctive brown "toupee."</em> (I called that fringe of dark hair "bangs" when describing them to Ken.) Our tent was called "Addax."</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479043114422004066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCpOGIg4qSSXRVEeI0yOVEg02YAbYLULEkSMCbNxOuEexyYgXTsa1kVNrcvCkjNJqCM6axYMWl4B_934qtoGFzs_WAGwFQyBg1-C6c5xXE3_FaZUmtxPRYL70e8HsKvroE-NLU0wYNCEi/s400/eMail+P1030494crop+Greater+Sandhill+Cranes.jpg" /><em>Greater Sandhill Crane. </em><br /><em>Range: Northeastern Siberia, Alaska, Canada and northern United States. Population: Stable. Most easily recognized by their call, greater sandhill cranes can be heard up to half a mile away. These cranes have the longest migratory route of any crane -- about 14,000 miles round trip.</em> This image is a crop, but you can see a youngster if you look closely; lighter in color and to the left of the two large gray Cranes.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479042720647133634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfBTs87XXIPaKKje3C4B2TQh-yHP5Jp9RnhFPrtuF47Ejq9XkvIB4uEuaKCu0a1-F4rKqaWjZtU1FT5pRN1QVkEtOvEyYrW4WEG0TwgBNSpCffcLa4WtUQBwtZqo5cUyQCuyJ328XmNfn8/s400/eMail+P1030516+Sable+Antelope.jpg" /><em>The Sable Antelope. </em><br /><em>Range: Southeastern Kenya to Angola and eastern South Africa. Status: Least concern. The herd rests in an outward-facing circle to watch for danger, while young lie protected in the center. Females are reddish brown, males are black, both sexes have white undercoats.</em> I thought this female struck a pose that looked majestic. She was grazing in a pasture between the Lodge and the Foothills Safari Camp.</div><div align="center"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479042715984978162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_t5kdJFBXMxpdeLavp9h5Pt9VcbC20NzxuVnOoJ31nufLewAr6WVMp4JL3capYzl48Y_cQx-8lpIjC1G1P5ra7K3AYA62XzLBC3cBn1oE6wqgN-P5IcZ1E2zhgV-zuqUKN8_hJY64EOS/s400/eMail+P1030520+European+Red+Deer.jpg" /><em>European Red Deer.</em><br /><em>Status: Least concern. Red deer closely resemble the American Elk. Males emit a powerful bubling call during mating season in the Fall. Red deer shed their antlers each year in February and regrow them quickly.</em> One of these deer came up to the car for a handout but I didn't have any food yet. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479042710092218402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeV8SyHKLYNqsmhA_AUhinFlNld0Gr7pMKhbWCgb7ytJI6Bx1ASTJtHrO6Djq1bHrZrPThrc5lS6lepxy6BNRYZnRMqEqtwcAPRCVVku7Cu22qUKsqrsMn1eSXuHD9OHohJo2v8rlvOCf/s400/eMail+P1030555+Morning+Wildflowers.jpg" /> <p align="center">Wildflowers in the meadows. These were in the meadow right outside our tent. The morning light is doing a nice "fringing" light on the thistle bud.</p><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479042706601001010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2m7gQC38hdUYhxQcZvwsOIHUVTbi5OFuo7JJC-plJBdYSFdge_Rc_ayezaxxsQ3FRFpfu6p4eV1s4z3SWT9sy6UXHEKf2kpogLNfOHG1ZbV5WpSmevGE6mTXvPbUVBaT_OrKiiLc2ESj/s400/eMail+P1030556V+Thistle+morning+sun.jpg" />Thistle bud.</div><div align="center"><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479042695712496018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQTir0xK_1uGXWUWvhvX_qbq0OI9esy2B3AID63IkNlMRnZ_3pDy-t0B9HzcG69v5BkBvDWB1ERFuHWHA1nLawsfFB8pfxz0RReRnLOxPHJDFFh0wxqC3rgbL91mvNKaV1vuIGkyK60JX/s400/eMail+P1030558+Morning+flowers+against+watering+hole.jpg" />Wildflowers with the watering hole in the background.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479042084067018482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSK01ekusMtjtoqQzYApmZihLRXSMXzStfQczO6U-v8cAMbTwCBdhyvJbHqtqhuOnpgKrm5zn5jtmQ8EAq77ZBnce6Qso2YDsFOnbF6viL-CSQnQpL-CpIQqX4R6BVpn5iT9JgOQWsfTMZ/s400/eMaild+P1030483+Our+Cabin+wKen+on+bed.jpg" /> This is our "tent!" No locks on the doors but who needs them!<br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479041210157305778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3DGVyUBaUt6q__Xx9rEWfRoWlfSi66PVk7_H1GJgIdyEQuxJGUJWiy4oI4AK7qW2FjLAJEBPiqFFHvxsWcRZgfN7Qfzo_xspRs8S0Dtcx_RCdlHR914Vp09LaGDjKjCLGkNpuopf8suB/s400/eMaila+P1030485+Our+Cabin+Ken+in+front.jpg" />Addax Tent. With Ken relaxing in front. Now you can see why they call the cabin a "tent."<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479041202358877618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1oq8K_IXr1_EO6G2Vp_quocgBUjDBOGvaAhhwrC1rYFG8I-QpBvQm5aUkOGvI8geH39XiSYd47tGczyB7mpQjaMBOpWuJVK31kRho9ooMmZ9-mM_vOfFcoD27W2I4MKETf9S4CAKpM3g/s400/eMailb+P1030543+Inside+Cabin+wFlash.jpg" />View out the front door of Addax Tent.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479041196125806306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTf3BfBoe5V5ztbpe8-l8nSDikVAwdGooJI9P8n7rzCNMKd3olIRTBQirD7YVBPIypOXejCUQDQjNVWoio5fKEAm-TonsZ50CF279m2yCOi28x6piRFpUDEyL08NdS5M-EDAuRI5tPkvSi/s400/eMailc+P1030480+Bath+in+our+Cabin.jpg" /></p><div align="center">Glassed-in shower in the bathroom.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479123435648687474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWWriWrtTNlbTw6GVlBsVdn9v303yw7nxoYkCQtH8dGZy-s8ZUV-4-wHAHCpNUzkQtWjSDzi-CjDVuaO3ye620xlTxC7g6qNr3b0fIcf87DLsv03wij-bex7i47BARPTY11LGzgkH1lg0/s400/eMail+P1030575+Our+Breakfast!.jpg" /></div><div align="center">Our breakfast! This was included in the price of our room and </div><div align="center">below is the view we saw while eating breakfast.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479123442710662210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fMpUnOt-8r0QCpLDbUowmXnbDGpyyoT2LCLvM9QSg9bgLX1LMMhgT88n4XGoq5fE8zquxE0_jbesVD4jkgmgbJcJQtMVmBitQzoStrL6VpFoZaFN4kQ1BPb9ZLqyCiuz9TnsvgTlZ139/s400/eMail+P1030576+Part+of+the+breakfast+view.jpg" /> Beyond the pond in the foreground is the watering hole where we saw the Greater Sandhill Crane family the night before.<br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">This was a magical place, serene, lovely, spiritual. I would think if American Indians saw this place, hundreds of years ago, they would call it sacred. I felt a peace descend over me. I hope all of you reading this can make this journey less than 80 miles from Dallas/Fort Worth. I felt like I was on Safari, in Africa! But with air conditioning! Check them out.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fossilrim.org/">http://www.fossilrim.org/</a><br />If you like animals, this is a place to experience.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /><br />The next post will be the drive through the park, called Fossil Rim Wildlife Center's Scenic Wildlife Drive.</div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-56041679974675979242010-05-17T17:32:00.005-05:002010-05-17T17:47:18.164-05:00The Cat and the RatThis is Lewis, the Cat, and his pal, Squelch, a Rat. I believe, if I have my story correct, that Squelch is a Rescue! He is hairless with hair only on his tail. Lewis is a Maine Coon.<br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472370942486695810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lVBDxKVMm2FEh1jWq8Cs2AVYABHZ9jaLnokBaYUXSPi3-o6mn5cY5nIJD_D5EfqdEW8ouY6kQRw48UGyIOPmWrlWnxCFa5_UrROY0ImRJyKjixvIbeTjYSdR3TwHnNdYqXDdYNRJaIue/s400/eMail-A5161989+Lewis+reclined+and+Squelch.jpg" />Lewis has his own page on facebook! Fleur came to me for a photo shoot in my studio for Lewis, then mentioned that Squelch might be fun to have along, too. Fleur also brought her two Trailer Rescues, two four year old cats rescued from under a trailer when kittens. These cats, Michael and Jeremy, weren't so thrilled about the photo shoot, but Lewis was a "Player!" He couldn't take a bad photograph!<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472370931242245458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3kyAPKRfYcyYb78MIJLAhyphenhyphenj5rxbxuVHlhyphenhyphenz1x90MQmwd0uEAk_OHtsDWUC7kASIDvVGG9ldCCCbUaPARAepiRHy9SDb7dZesYmHbrR40nWHcKQky67abvOH9_Ehw28TXbvqltePX1CkM/s400/eMail-A5161974+Lewis+and+Squelch+nose+to+ear.jpg" />Fleur said that Squelch was the instigator of a lot of mischief making in the house. I can just see that in my mind's eye!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472370928417999282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7lD6RypKuCNx1IWLMON3LQiumJE7o9d2RWaTx5OPQfgzNomh-woEZ6Qsch_TYRLQJ5xISjwnKGEegr5lCzRQxzxcveXnvzZnUl21LBwf3OH4CA7CCV3bik4sViYuxysnIYbg0l2jSF3Y0/s400/eMail-A5161971+Lewis+and+Squelch+under+chin.jpg" />You can see that they are buddies.</div><div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472370924560345298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQMT6sWZ_-G9vtY7m9-J1rfNudT02K97IfJAYM6bGJU-DYdpOiAVce7grGVHVq4P6vfBYJF080oplsjwds-1FIJ_MGx6LrhXUp2LPU-Hz-CiABA6bP7dCXAJ5NkfYDVR-dXWO5JtOZWBy/s400/eMail-5x5+A5161973+Lewis+and+Squelch+nose+to+eye.jpg" /></div><div>I thought this was one of the sweetest ones. It's almost as if Squelch is whispering to Lewis what devilment he is planning for the cats to get into next! It's a happy household and it was a pleasure to meet Fleur and her family. </div><div></div><div></div><div><br />But about teasing a rat into poses: forget about it! This guy was not interested in sound or visual teases. You can imagine Ken whipping his pheasant feather around, getting the cat's attention, with Squelch paying him no mind whatsoever. It was a hoot!</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Background: Sage.</div><div></div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-31603385379156308312010-04-24T07:39:00.010-05:002010-04-27T12:12:21.675-05:00The Bagral<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI6CbEtQ4Owm0a7FVZuNrnosjfB43Cmymvz83p3Witn21VCPu_vgTJsPDDykhs9KnroAmA3KzkpJgZsi-mgrDg6nEiRrghBWQGSYV5X-rRESt6Hkd1Wp58uUnwXcszibGI6MJGOjvw7bA/s1600/eMail-P4231176+BAG+Cleo+reclined+right.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463683789822406034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiI6CbEtQ4Owm0a7FVZuNrnosjfB43Cmymvz83p3Witn21VCPu_vgTJsPDDykhs9KnroAmA3KzkpJgZsi-mgrDg6nEiRrghBWQGSYV5X-rRESt6Hkd1Wp58uUnwXcszibGI6MJGOjvw7bA/s400/eMail-P4231176+BAG+Cleo+reclined+right.jpg" /></a><em> <span style="font-size:78%;">"Cleo," an F1 Bagral (Fishing Cat x domestic shorthair), owned by Pat Harbert of OhMy Cattery.</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="left"><br /><br />Yesterday, we had the singular opportunity to photograph what is to our knowledge, the only known Bagral in captivity. The Bagral is a exotic/domestic hybrid breed which is a cross between the Fishing Cat and a domestic shorthair, in this case a melanistic Bengal. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />For a stay-at-home cat that is not used to being around strangers or new places, Cleo was surprisingly manageable during the photo session -- especially a cat with one wild parent! We were struck by how affectionate Cleo was with her owner, Pat Harbert, constantly headbutting her - purring and visibly happy to be in her company. In fact, Cleo was so happy, that she was also affectionate to Ken and me, wrapping her body and tail around my legs and rearing up to meet my hand when I reached to pet her. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />This was a large cat, far heavier than most cats and all muscle. Cleo's friendliness aside, this was not an easy shoot, primarily because Cleo was a busy cat by nature, eager to explore the new surroundings she found herself in. And eager to be all over our shooting stage, especially behind the deck when we needed her to be ON the deck so we could photograph her! She'd jump down off the shooting stage and start exploring (we were in an enclosed room), then run back to Pat for affection, purring loudly. What a treat this was to photograph and be around this happy feline!<br /><br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Of the six known exotic/domestic hybrid breeds, which are in order of prevalence: the Bengal, Savannah, Chausie, Safari, Caracat, and Bagral; the Bagral is by far, the rarest. So we were priviledged to have the opportunity to photograph Cleo. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br />Cleo was photographed against our Background: Old Wine. </div><div align="left"></div><span style="font-size:78%;"><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>(If I had another opportunity to photograph Cleo, I'd choose Peat Moss or Black. We had to pump so much light in since Cleo is a dark cat that the background came out pinker than I would have liked. Next time... !)</em></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></span><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />NOTE: From research done after this post was uploaded, it seems that Cleo would actually be called a Viverral which is a cross between the Fishing Cat and a Bengal. But whatever she is called, she is a stunner!</span></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-15500562125466058922010-04-20T22:24:00.028-05:002010-08-15T17:13:56.897-05:00My Cat Images on Popular Photography's Website<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFOhWTQdOGFCGJZ1punEqDUHYgE_ZW7TM6X0AuRVpwbtBt0GrgzNNEbibtk7VGnEa42th8s3o31fVE6WsTea9Hhw3b491OAOW0m2YLiOODKG5_AY7vXYycxfGJFO5tEWsQ5a9NUdyk2W2/s1600/eMail+P8058623+TG+Starbuck.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464511109085806786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFOhWTQdOGFCGJZ1punEqDUHYgE_ZW7TM6X0AuRVpwbtBt0GrgzNNEbibtk7VGnEa42th8s3o31fVE6WsTea9Hhw3b491OAOW0m2YLiOODKG5_AY7vXYycxfGJFO5tEWsQ5a9NUdyk2W2/s400/eMail+P8058623+TG+Starbuck.jpg" /></a>Above: Toyger on Claret Background </div><div align="center"><br /></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLyAr6iAafuekRvz-BGJtqw63OSQ5m2cu4qiGy3WwZoyQar4urxWk9exmqnRHg-XAsensQCfbu59E73mMMOR3NleRlpUVGH1ex7yj2XFgy-kJFqTMqpaRHEl0Kk3fxzRAJW7Hz8h9wk9N/s1600/eMail+P7116687V+OS+Charlie+CU.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 286px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464510710995450162" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLyAr6iAafuekRvz-BGJtqw63OSQ5m2cu4qiGy3WwZoyQar4urxWk9exmqnRHg-XAsensQCfbu59E73mMMOR3NleRlpUVGH1ex7yj2XFgy-kJFqTMqpaRHEl0Kk3fxzRAJW7Hz8h9wk9N/s400/eMail+P7116687V+OS+Charlie+CU.jpg" /></a></p><p align="center">Above: Oriental Shorthair on Magenta Background</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQqdf1HDIUBiMzIib-k40hCG_JjW5Pc9RKV8ziXYrnuYxCCIEiVOMyZRftYwlvCRkBB01VgXPEOT1qYigXY0U3xiXfjNzdZM-_ASkCZpWzk56vpRp6uyGWAp08Ghrq5Uor72308yTIxGv/s1600/eMail+P5246671V+MC+Shadow+in+Beauty+Shot.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464510703275147186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQqdf1HDIUBiMzIib-k40hCG_JjW5Pc9RKV8ziXYrnuYxCCIEiVOMyZRftYwlvCRkBB01VgXPEOT1qYigXY0U3xiXfjNzdZM-_ASkCZpWzk56vpRp6uyGWAp08Ghrq5Uor72308yTIxGv/s400/eMail+P5246671V+MC+Shadow+in+Beauty+Shot.jpg" /></a>Above: Maine Coon on Imperial Blue Background</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkTNOQUliZn1jPKsTCRAKKZ8StSYCqef-pm0SyvS2U5Nq1X2NRzEbG2oTJEt8jl5I7mLBhcEwsfwMQspNX57icLLhXAwkrVBu51QKzRQSqVJLpZMwNxWrUTws4znMyxbKOHWfBHt8AB11/s1600/eMail+P1224204HV+JB+Ninja+Standing+to+Back+Presenting+Tail.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464510689871781186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkTNOQUliZn1jPKsTCRAKKZ8StSYCqef-pm0SyvS2U5Nq1X2NRzEbG2oTJEt8jl5I7mLBhcEwsfwMQspNX57icLLhXAwkrVBu51QKzRQSqVJLpZMwNxWrUTws4znMyxbKOHWfBHt8AB11/s400/eMail+P1224204HV+JB+Ninja+Standing+to+Back+Presenting+Tail.jpg" /></a>Above: Japanese Bobtail on Paprika Background</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a0lQ1Lz7xAqGUo0StrIIYZljBZhTlpT2z55QDP9dJagTyhGsrYFl48LBPfPyiZPFQDLw9hQfgliECqnoryhUrBbVT2DIXP_dyQp8tc2TrTGaX8xn88qBG4s4YyXHAwNu4Swa9nZXDagP/s1600/eMail+lg+Pc092408+MC+Black+Maine+Coon+Family+w3Kits.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464510688572613938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a0lQ1Lz7xAqGUo0StrIIYZljBZhTlpT2z55QDP9dJagTyhGsrYFl48LBPfPyiZPFQDLw9hQfgliECqnoryhUrBbVT2DIXP_dyQp8tc2TrTGaX8xn88qBG4s4YyXHAwNu4Swa9nZXDagP/s400/eMail+lg+Pc092408+MC+Black+Maine+Coon+Family+w3Kits.jpg" /></a>Above: Family of Maine Coons on Imperial Blue Background</p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMQc7J00kQSg6-NFSrQr_CD4bSWviblcvVG1qUBp1RL9oUdQ_qafEUdUCFNGle94ZA-5WXVubccLYADN75Pb8n47lxH0VhwWm5Cmfh20mA9_Z5fXEvuCGfyQNy11omMneX4eOy_x5gfPt/s1600/eMail+HalfPage-P5042856+BG+SIX+F1+Kits+on+the+Chest.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464510672336639458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMQc7J00kQSg6-NFSrQr_CD4bSWviblcvVG1qUBp1RL9oUdQ_qafEUdUCFNGle94ZA-5WXVubccLYADN75Pb8n47lxH0VhwWm5Cmfh20mA9_Z5fXEvuCGfyQNy11omMneX4eOy_x5gfPt/s400/eMail+HalfPage-P5042856+BG+SIX+F1+Kits+on+the+Chest.jpg" /></a>Above: F1 and F2 Bengal Kittens on Peat Moss Background</p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFP8kzapxMZaf33pHGGqad9CL6Q8G2dlhqyqelANe6ksHjoD_oyC1Py4Z0q1yOON74e_3xzy9CN_g7RlQ78j1iYE2Va91YUbwVt-XKxN2ZSUBZVKtjaD5mnztf5BWpusnM2ibu2PIfRxI/s1600/eMail+Pa204708+sq+PS+Oreo+GCS+Karen+Hensley.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428750378185474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFP8kzapxMZaf33pHGGqad9CL6Q8G2dlhqyqelANe6ksHjoD_oyC1Py4Z0q1yOON74e_3xzy9CN_g7RlQ78j1iYE2Va91YUbwVt-XKxN2ZSUBZVKtjaD5mnztf5BWpusnM2ibu2PIfRxI/s400/eMail+Pa204708+sq+PS+Oreo+GCS+Karen+Hensley.jpg" /></a> Above: Persian on Purple Background<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_M6rYl2EdKbDCapAcQw9Ti6hx22D_fP5Svdz6Yn8WUWJvJwe0RhlEnkqiAi-BQlNzytxM3HlfzHhSTurnWh0COZJNf3P5UrjMenQO5yhhCsm_dZCI9LeFmvy9xSBdYCzMFmhaPklXFtE/s1600/eMail+PP+P1201653+AB+Nobgoblin+racing.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428651832074610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_M6rYl2EdKbDCapAcQw9Ti6hx22D_fP5Svdz6Yn8WUWJvJwe0RhlEnkqiAi-BQlNzytxM3HlfzHhSTurnWh0COZJNf3P5UrjMenQO5yhhCsm_dZCI9LeFmvy9xSBdYCzMFmhaPklXFtE/s400/eMail+PP+P1201653+AB+Nobgoblin+racing.jpg" /></a>Above: Abyssinian on Sage Background<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRc8XO1uPsVr5Csbl_Sh2G47QnJn0n5I7LiXhj32lAt3hKTQ680WryQU3eRrdXUD6bAtJtGlnp-gP8ukr4WbfW3QcK5PkufAQbpICfc2OMCt4fLaP6bVIf__OHn6FtoTDUN4eKnxHMdJM/s1600/eMail+PP+PB142572V+SR+Too+Curl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 311px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428541292103826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRc8XO1uPsVr5Csbl_Sh2G47QnJn0n5I7LiXhj32lAt3hKTQ680WryQU3eRrdXUD6bAtJtGlnp-gP8ukr4WbfW3QcK5PkufAQbpICfc2OMCt4fLaP6bVIf__OHn6FtoTDUN4eKnxHMdJM/s400/eMail+PP+PB142572V+SR+Too+Curl.jpg" /></a>Above: Selkirk Rex Longhair on Purple Background<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJ4jSBKAQ7u6dOZo-m8T070IX6TkKuLBM3b7g0yoTBQUL4hZmDF2uzYv-5wvmqllPf0a01XJwLxryNtPlfHlsKGdMw_xZ8PJkMtdrZt2aIjtyf4CnjhQHuOPfo03mZaSD8d6fLbT6FaPR/s1600/eMail+WPF+BB+%2309+Standing+w+R+paw+inside+brick.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428416863609122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJ4jSBKAQ7u6dOZo-m8T070IX6TkKuLBM3b7g0yoTBQUL4hZmDF2uzYv-5wvmqllPf0a01XJwLxryNtPlfHlsKGdMw_xZ8PJkMtdrZt2aIjtyf4CnjhQHuOPfo03mZaSD8d6fLbT6FaPR/s400/eMail+WPF+BB+%2309+Standing+w+R+paw+inside+brick.jpg" /></a>Above: Chausie on Black Background with Marbles<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDIpFG-2B31Da4zdcJF9Nr1HC6elAJQiuvazlP9nA-M8EGJMTeWg4Sj74udK0on-3ukrXg265idfmWE5xFXk0HH3xc6pkioI7sKUi3aEw5MFKiQo-jKFJX53PONcWTWlJuRrg3KE-6Y3N/s1600/eMail+WPF-P05014298bf+BG+Tee+on+Log+wBF.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428330437571714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQDIpFG-2B31Da4zdcJF9Nr1HC6elAJQiuvazlP9nA-M8EGJMTeWg4Sj74udK0on-3ukrXg265idfmWE5xFXk0HH3xc6pkioI7sKUi3aEw5MFKiQo-jKFJX53PONcWTWlJuRrg3KE-6Y3N/s400/eMail+WPF-P05014298bf+BG+Tee+on+Log+wBF.jpg" /></a>Above: Bengal on Peat Moss Background with Driftwood<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOCrSYmoBtl6IcQcE2yxcAvfBtiS5g-oM6c9IYajuKY9pYMCO7PffZX9XMWXGIAAklgfpPuoD5xHInrLL5a5iS4W7WEASthtZ9ML7v3Z7tCqBH_eVGkt_R6v0_yel7EbpItNEDWcjeRru/s1600/eMail+WPF-Pa291770V+MC+Michaelangelo+CU+head+on+deck.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428242398554290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOCrSYmoBtl6IcQcE2yxcAvfBtiS5g-oM6c9IYajuKY9pYMCO7PffZX9XMWXGIAAklgfpPuoD5xHInrLL5a5iS4W7WEASthtZ9ML7v3Z7tCqBH_eVGkt_R6v0_yel7EbpItNEDWcjeRru/s400/eMail+WPF-Pa291770V+MC+Michaelangelo+CU+head+on+deck.jpg" /></a>Above: Maine Coon from Japan on Burgundy Background<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8KXWXzgm98d0fEqJbmxc4rwUPL54B6EpPogW2sC-LGmCiMkkx7CTQulxPIHuEq2R1vMTeSBx_mcuDEQp7K2zQceak5_Yb-DLUnx7Nihd8O1AdCxwg-N4caCKCcxLHycIa-CJOyjucv8d/s1600/eMail-IMG_0657+BI+Bumblebe+Artful+Dodger.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428145827701298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8KXWXzgm98d0fEqJbmxc4rwUPL54B6EpPogW2sC-LGmCiMkkx7CTQulxPIHuEq2R1vMTeSBx_mcuDEQp7K2zQceak5_Yb-DLUnx7Nihd8O1AdCxwg-N4caCKCcxLHycIa-CJOyjucv8d/s400/eMail-IMG_0657+BI+Bumblebe+Artful+Dodger.jpg" /></a>Above: Birman on Periwinkle Background<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEtxmBjWKX4x0xz5KKHvpXzGSKOeaHYRGDRamMrVl4hyM4S9Uv5X36A3ommRba7VQ92INL5Re7IwHayODGOmDL99f9Is1Oow7tmDDN9KXDfCWZ0-AHUMmNzFIhp_ECmLmLus_EjVvRKGu/s1600/eMail-IMG_5057V+MC+Sgt+Munch+sitting+L.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462428065666576818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEtxmBjWKX4x0xz5KKHvpXzGSKOeaHYRGDRamMrVl4hyM4S9Uv5X36A3ommRba7VQ92INL5Re7IwHayODGOmDL99f9Is1Oow7tmDDN9KXDfCWZ0-AHUMmNzFIhp_ECmLmLus_EjVvRKGu/s400/eMail-IMG_5057V+MC+Sgt+Munch+sitting+L.jpg" /></a>Above: Maine Coon on Peat Moss Background<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaHxKqJ7NmMQX6AvcmlMOUlLyjAShNMPQAPAJaCDrrDXmpTdytiXJt_5QMesXqkoD75jZ3MDOFenPQRUarYf6CNpgqVJTO9VGq_GuiPO3Fhev8bjQkydZiytS6VY4pS04NUVkWg6WDyMe/s1600/eMail-P1212621+PS+Buzz+reclining+to+L.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462427973706066226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaHxKqJ7NmMQX6AvcmlMOUlLyjAShNMPQAPAJaCDrrDXmpTdytiXJt_5QMesXqkoD75jZ3MDOFenPQRUarYf6CNpgqVJTO9VGq_GuiPO3Fhev8bjQkydZiytS6VY4pS04NUVkWg6WDyMe/s400/eMail-P1212621+PS+Buzz+reclining+to+L.jpg" /></a>Above: Persian on Green Felt Background<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTclFfTdrJKk4Q4kxA3qOSJ7Ck5YcEJXq77SjJqhJWN-So9taLp0JiKUwLf59hFz03Cx4YhNrlcYzclodaWtljXfJJi6ikLDeuYmkbJy5Ec_x3Z4E7NOAK1CDGWvlL7-mor4h9PK_qV2E/s1600/eMail-P2114846+SV+SERVAL+Mary+and+Callie.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462427894322494370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijTclFfTdrJKk4Q4kxA3qOSJ7Ck5YcEJXq77SjJqhJWN-So9taLp0JiKUwLf59hFz03Cx4YhNrlcYzclodaWtljXfJJi6ikLDeuYmkbJy5Ec_x3Z4E7NOAK1CDGWvlL7-mor4h9PK_qV2E/s400/eMail-P2114846+SV+SERVAL+Mary+and+Callie.jpg" /></a>Above: Savannah on Serval on Rusty Brown Background<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpW7LTz42KF9a7PP9bN6ipnCRdBdsfPuW1qgZnndlgpXrCgFr9lyd4pwmkrtiE8GJIcHspQ1Z17tQMmu4iTBZRb_lA3Xn0vJtJ3bt4QawW3uWQqWH0qcc2Xcf8XliQix0POptzmfdH1J8q/s1600/eMail-P4041023V+BI++Angel+Big+Hugs.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462427793161481538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpW7LTz42KF9a7PP9bN6ipnCRdBdsfPuW1qgZnndlgpXrCgFr9lyd4pwmkrtiE8GJIcHspQ1Z17tQMmu4iTBZRb_lA3Xn0vJtJ3bt4QawW3uWQqWH0qcc2Xcf8XliQix0POptzmfdH1J8q/s400/eMail-P4041023V+BI++Angel+Big+Hugs.jpg" /></a>Above: Birman on Milk Chocolate Background<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfiM0e4Zo-nb6Dy7ygqsBLX6ICr8yPp9kP52iYr3LEei6ggRl8SGQZ0V4DD9wsZpYw8LAdB-97YuQ7oEraqYJpr93N_HyPvLJsK7AbkVpT9I-s9R0SgyXTdxlh0U7KPB0hUQgpmplh26d/s1600/eMail-P4300296V+HI+Bluebonnet+Belle+sitting+in+crystal+bowl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 350px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462427687750999154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfiM0e4Zo-nb6Dy7ygqsBLX6ICr8yPp9kP52iYr3LEei6ggRl8SGQZ0V4DD9wsZpYw8LAdB-97YuQ7oEraqYJpr93N_HyPvLJsK7AbkVpT9I-s9R0SgyXTdxlh0U7KPB0hUQgpmplh26d/s400/eMail-P4300296V+HI+Bluebonnet+Belle+sitting+in+crystal+bowl.jpg" /></a>Above: Himalayan Kitten on Teal Background in Crystal Bowl<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpzrRaHArtpKHFe4s-eR0FY2HTbwsonQ0PrHDb6PhuXdNcR6QW-KHZ6qA4fwdRKZJE3W8IQj35BLnSid5YgYxcWtdHAYS-yVE_0XFPbOnWWdJR0m8viihe_f_QfO3-KA9NLCXeZPmWbQf/s1600/eMail-P8074491+RD+Cropped+Gem.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462427574936109474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLpzrRaHArtpKHFe4s-eR0FY2HTbwsonQ0PrHDb6PhuXdNcR6QW-KHZ6qA4fwdRKZJE3W8IQj35BLnSid5YgYxcWtdHAYS-yVE_0XFPbOnWWdJR0m8viihe_f_QfO3-KA9NLCXeZPmWbQf/s400/eMail-P8074491+RD+Cropped+Gem.jpg" /></a>Above: Ragdoll Close Up on Caribe Blue Background<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xafLLPsgEm8UaHkJXDCQAobLaHYQiAzfhRG6wXv25JISfHRbJdDa2KPxumDkWsMUVOjotQ2yhwBygslg5SUDdefdNky_GhCPxr5dKRA0auyo_JQo03holvPSm1MswFvDElcTnPJtFj77/s1600/eMail-Pb291062+TO+Dreamer+turning+on+1+Foot.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 326px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462427342644875090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xafLLPsgEm8UaHkJXDCQAobLaHYQiAzfhRG6wXv25JISfHRbJdDa2KPxumDkWsMUVOjotQ2yhwBygslg5SUDdefdNky_GhCPxr5dKRA0auyo_JQo03holvPSm1MswFvDElcTnPJtFj77/s400/eMail-Pb291062+TO+Dreamer+turning+on+1+Foot.jpg" /></a> Above: Tonkinese on Imperial Blue Background<br /><br /><div>Above are the 20 images I sent to Popular Photography to support the Interview on "Cat Photographer." <a href="http://www.popphoto.com/cats">www.popphoto.com/cats</a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-7111270269716750152010-04-15T21:29:00.004-05:002010-04-15T21:33:32.295-05:00Gallery Prints<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0ITiLg87LLMqbtIcKWbS4k0D0pDjm87LeJQ_1ic1aY_n_9D39Si1wwch0auSn4WcMp6IDeXMY9qtAVzCKj0x6Pr9_eZ3ky84PkHxtjfCo2iqejSZq2-Qc7wHvA7A6DKNqQUldZ0Y3KuZ/s1600/LowRes-P4040707+SD+Darius+Gallery+Graphic-12x16+Ver+3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460557064586691426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0ITiLg87LLMqbtIcKWbS4k0D0pDjm87LeJQ_1ic1aY_n_9D39Si1wwch0auSn4WcMp6IDeXMY9qtAVzCKj0x6Pr9_eZ3ky84PkHxtjfCo2iqejSZq2-Qc7wHvA7A6DKNqQUldZ0Y3KuZ/s400/LowRes-P4040707+SD+Darius+Gallery+Graphic-12x16+Ver+3.jpg" /></a> This is an example of the "Gallery Prints" we do.<br /><br />Above is Darius, brought to us for photographs by Judith Johnson of Mystic Melody Siberians. I am very pleased with the way it turned out.<br /><div><br />Darius was photographed against our Peat Moss background.<script type="text/javascript"><br /><br />try {<br /><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8720390-1");<br /><br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /><br />} catch(err) {}</script><br /></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-14046809637474790202010-04-06T10:10:00.009-05:002013-03-30T10:44:23.915-05:00Tax Time: It's the Chits<div align="center">
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<i>Ken: "Anyone who comes into this room has to help sort receipts, otherwise known as chits."</i></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457042561278472546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSzxOcBn-cBmCy3qvCPd0o33zC1t9-IDLYWwZZoC0jl7vyqJ9SH6VGhXgMxcy5B8N3b_OpJxiLUmvhXo58_59P6Z0ImMuJusJtwGdyZnG7vTa8rv5TJIFYZspqlwDyGNI7n1MLf8hSmSO_/s400/eMail+P1030302+Zak+will+help+with+taxes+but+something+looks+more+interesting.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /><i>Zak on the floor: "I think I hear someone calling my name ... "</i></div>
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It's tax time in our house. The dining room (pictured above), the living room, Ken's desk in the studio, the photography table, essentially all horizontal surfaces are covered with chits. I am going to help file them with Ken today. The kitties have offered to help but Ken eschewed their offer, saying they can't read, but he appreciated their good hearts. In the past, they lay on receipts on the floor and when the mood strikes, they chew on the edges of some of them. Not good, not good. </div>
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Guess it shows their contempt for the whole income tax process. I'm with them.</div>
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Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-14085977803121837912010-03-25T07:11:00.006-05:002010-03-25T07:21:12.471-05:00Interview: Cat Photographer | Photography - PopPhoto.com Offers Camera Reviews and Exclusive Photo Tips<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPQzDc7L5yVCfjrtXefVEj0gaznh1qeh0nPsijvEWpJngsvQzw_5tGqtjd80XQ_GNE3HfTLtYT0bZi6C9bev_5KXc436PHSlN0aUIzENMbxtBTVT3Hp8ndIEjlh0Lyv714l7JCo7INYDt/s1600/eMail+HalfPage-P5042856+BG+SIX+F1+Kits+on+the+Chest.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452544412499299858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPQzDc7L5yVCfjrtXefVEj0gaznh1qeh0nPsijvEWpJngsvQzw_5tGqtjd80XQ_GNE3HfTLtYT0bZi6C9bev_5KXc436PHSlN0aUIzENMbxtBTVT3Hp8ndIEjlh0Lyv714l7JCo7INYDt/s400/eMail+HalfPage-P5042856+BG+SIX+F1+Kits+on+the+Chest.jpg" /></a> <div><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.popphoto.com/cats">Interview: Cat Photographer Photography - PopPhoto.com Offers Camera Reviews and Exclusive Photo Tips</a><br /><br />Posted using <a href="http://sharethis.com/">ShareThis</a></div><div></div><div>Click on the link above "Interview: Cat Photographer Photography - ... " and you'll see the article as presented in the April 2010 issue of Popular Photography, (minus the picture of me, Ken and Coonificients Sgt. Munch by Thomas Singer) with <span style="color:#ffffff;">TWENTY other pictures of cats!!!</span></div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-78319295089234488782010-03-19T11:43:00.009-05:002010-03-20T11:00:34.983-05:00The REAL Story -- Popular Photography, April 2010<div align="center">Below is the rewrite that Ken did for the article in Popular Photography, April 2010 issue, that was originally entitled: "It's Like Herding Cats." It was changed by the magazine to<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">"Making Cats Fancy, A portrait shooter to the feline stars" </span><br /><br /></div><script type="text/javascript"><br /><br />try {<br /><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8720390-1");<br /><br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /><br />} catch(err) {}</script><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 304px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450390018025364738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxy8oRDZ1dPBsn1hewQZQP6bu6uoISaxHhJfmWms8KyJ1RQ3YWpjlw3GqmrE9ywZaDrDk4Icjy-py1CtRvi0MOdtTX9AdctuSgvfvwU_p1dhOZQV0KenLQ0BkqLuZTo-WCd5cIxTzedRZh/s400/popphotog+Flick-10r1+rev.jpg" /> <p align="center"><strong>Photo by Thomas Singer </strong></p><p align="center"><em>(who was standing on a stepladder to be able to get all three of us in one shot, </em></p><p align="center"><em>hence the Maine Coon looking so large and Ken being out of focus).</em></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">[</span><span style="font-size:100%;">Photo Caption:] </span></strong><strong>Helmi Flick (</strong><a href="http://www.helmiflick.com/"><strong>www.helmiflick.com</strong></a><strong> ) and her cat wrangler husband, Ken, based in Bedford, TX, travel the world taking portraits of cats. They pose here with SGC Coonificents Sgt. Munch, a red Maine Coon, at the Jersey State Cat Show. See a gallery of Helmi's work at PopPhoto.com/cats.</strong></p><p align="center"> </p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"></p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><strong></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">CAT PORTRAITIST SEEMS LIKE AN UNUSUAL CAREER.</span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I only know of six or so others who do it full time. Most work alone, yet I cannot get the images I do without my husband, Ken, to wrangle the cats.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">HOW DID YOU TURN PRO?</span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I've always loved cats and loved photographing our own. However, I had more enthusiasm than expertise, wasting way too much film, until Ken gave me a digital camera in 1999. That changed everything. I could instantly see what I was doing wrong and correct it. As my work improved, I got some studio flashes, and Ken built me a shooting stage for formal cat portraiture. I was 55 in 2000 when, on the strength of my amateur portfolio, I was invited to be the Show Photographer at an Oklahoma City cat show. Back then, when all my cat photographer heroes were still shooting film, I was shooting with a 2MP Olympus C-2020. In 2004, when <em>Cat Fancy</em> magazine published their first cover from a digital camera, I was thrilled it was from my 5MP Olympus C-5050.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS?</span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Our business has two revenue streams. First are the cat breeders who need portraits of their cats to promote their catteries and also the pet owners who just want good pictures of their cats. Our secondary market involves licensing our cat images to publishers of books, magazines and websites, and also for advertising and packaging.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">WHAT IS A SHOW DAY LIKE?</span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">We spend about four hours setting up our staging and lighting gear the day before the show. On show days, we are typically booked with all the cats we can shoot. We always have the cat owners present during the photo session. I usually shoot for 10-15 minutes, then take another 10 minutes to download the shots to my computer and review them with our customers to ensure they are pleased. Finally, I burn the high res JPEG proof files to a CD for the customer. That's now my basic product, although I still offer retouching and prints as an extra.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">WHAT GEAR DO YOU USE?</span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm shooting with a Canon 5D Mk II and a 24-105mm<em> f</em>/4 L lens. Our main flashes are Alien Bees: a B800 and two B400s. We light our backgrounds with a small Quantaray MS-1 slave flash. I make my own backgrounds with materials from fabric stores and prefer solid colors and stretchable fabrics for a clean, wrinkle-free look.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">ARE CATS EASY SUBJECTS?</span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">No. That would be flower arrangements. While dogs are innately eager to please, most cats enter the portrait session oblivious to your objectives, so the challenge is to make it fun for them and make cooperation seem like their idea. Ken uses a variety of "teasers," such as a pheasant feather on a long rod, to direct the cat's attention to my lens or to coax it into various poses and actions. He creates the "moments" we are looking for and I capture them. Generally, the large, longhaired breeds such as Maine Coons, are more cooperative posers than others. Active breeds, such as Bengals, love to play and give us great action shots. A few breeds, like the Siamese, are notoriously camera shy or defiantly aloof and really make us earn our money.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-size:130%;">Shooting cats -- like "herding" them -- is exhausting work, especially at an age when most people are retired, but I love it. I'm working at the top of my game, seeing the world, and having the time of my life.</span></p><p align="right"><span style="font-size:130%;">- Interview by Kathleen Davis/ Rewrite by Ken Flick</span></p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><em></em></p><p align="left"><em>I'll post later the images I sent the magazine for their online mag. If you have any comments, I would love to hear them!</em></p>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-11466285479306125122010-03-03T11:01:00.006-06:002010-03-03T11:16:25.735-06:00Packing for Providence RI<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwEcV4__6C3PCKCPg53PsYselgUc_1C7hOFaeY4-0dUL49_meoQZICaQcsVLSWiQP5As_HTkfUHJxpr-zFKrjmbXnQd3-D-Gwvw7Aaoyt_YJbxjzhDUn-UBhg6DFgt2ND-TLqBBezSfTc/s1600-h/eMail+P1020700+Zak+CU.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444454494997602738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwEcV4__6C3PCKCPg53PsYselgUc_1C7hOFaeY4-0dUL49_meoQZICaQcsVLSWiQP5As_HTkfUHJxpr-zFKrjmbXnQd3-D-Gwvw7Aaoyt_YJbxjzhDUn-UBhg6DFgt2ND-TLqBBezSfTc/s320/eMail+P1020700+Zak+CU.jpg" /></a>Ken called me to come into the living room, saying "you gotta see something" ... And whenever he does that, I know it's a kitty in a pose that will just melt your heart. This time it was Zak, our Blue and White Maine Coon, who had found a comfortable place inside one of our new "flying" cases on top of our Imperial Blue (just washed for the show). I saw, returned to the studio to get my camera, and then called his name when I got back to the living room. This little sad peek was all he gave me. He hates it when we go out of town, so I take the time to give him extra attention before we leave. </div><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAxiSmPE_4JnddA12Ne2RSX5TAGAX5bX73Qwjz8NP9I9QLIdzmCNUUens4s3TvWy_XKKZPixrXN9kD-epW6ucSpC4JzRxpkOG6vhy9RW3-MgwagcZkXZOVPHT9NbLII8XXWXqDWgoJGQA/s1600-h/P1020707+LS+Zak+in+Lg+Case.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444454488311259586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAxiSmPE_4JnddA12Ne2RSX5TAGAX5bX73Qwjz8NP9I9QLIdzmCNUUens4s3TvWy_XKKZPixrXN9kD-epW6ucSpC4JzRxpkOG6vhy9RW3-MgwagcZkXZOVPHT9NbLII8XXWXqDWgoJGQA/s320/P1020707+LS+Zak+in+Lg+Case.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Click on the photo to see the image larger and really get a good look</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"> at the chaos in our house when we have to fly with our gear!</span></p><p><br />Above is a long shot of the living room, with two of our three new flying cases in view. Zak is in the large one which holds our deck of the photo table plus our lights which fit into foam holes Ken has cut to cushion them. The case in the bottom foreground will hold our camera gear which we'll take as "carry on" luggage. The remaining case (not seen) is actually a gun case but holds our light stands and poles. Plus probably the drill driver which is heavy.<br /><br />Apparently, we'll have to take our batteries on board with us. Wish we could take Zak . . .<br /></p><script type="text/javascript"><br /><br /><br /><br />try {<br /><br /><br /><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8720390-1");<br /><br /><br /><br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /><br /><br /><br />} catch(err) {}</script>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-41659829222306343112010-02-14T06:25:00.007-06:002010-02-14T06:54:34.500-06:00Popular Photography and My Valentine<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_odgcs5j0PG8-a-1qcoLqxCbjoOEPXdcr_tutP_H3h6TuMIAGtz3VQoFL1xriEyGY-IA9WbOnH2VEJGoAlIC21C8jxFLnqSTv62AqCEH0LLmINhXqx_ALykexhsAPcI4BZZACCEsRc9U/s1600-h/258788522_d718062a.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438078559565431074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM_odgcs5j0PG8-a-1qcoLqxCbjoOEPXdcr_tutP_H3h6TuMIAGtz3VQoFL1xriEyGY-IA9WbOnH2VEJGoAlIC21C8jxFLnqSTv62AqCEH0LLmINhXqx_ALykexhsAPcI4BZZACCEsRc9U/s320/258788522_d718062a.gif" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Bushwah and Helmi, Photo by Ken Flick</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">I am pleased to announce that a short article about us will be in the April 2010 issue of Popular Photography! A phone interview happened before we left for the Jersey State cat show in January and a photographer, Thomas Singer and his wife Pamela, came to that show to grab a portrait for the article.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">I waited to post this information until I knew it was going to happen. We got the galleys yesterday and will correct and send them back on Monday (tomorrow). The title of the article is "It's Like Herding Cats" and will appear on the stands in mid March.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Wow! What a compliment. To be recognized for my photography! This is where I have to thank my Valentine, love of my life, my husband -- Ken -- who does my lighting, is my cat wrangler, techie, roadie, makes my coffee in the morning and treats me like a queen. I owe him for all my success. He is the unsung hero of the two of us. None of the shots I get of cats are possible without him. I am only the one who presses the shutter. He is the maestro, but I get all the credit. How cool is that!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">So this is my little Valentine to him. Honey, thank you for the gift of my career and finding a job we could do together. I adore you. :)<br /></div><div align="left"></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-59891568273265182092010-01-24T17:20:00.006-06:002010-01-24T17:32:43.506-06:00Black Humor We Love<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlVqC-4UaQTsnNhl0yKezo1qc_NNcr7GRbXNmYHkczQQzJFBcg3x_ogxbODg4E6D6oguWeoGkeKYhEvyXXxswrQW1X70SbZFCF5mHqEG5FRT3Mnq0sUo46l7p-chsNAIl0mtVhdp9zkpw/s1600-h/despair03.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 289px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430452384801303410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlVqC-4UaQTsnNhl0yKezo1qc_NNcr7GRbXNmYHkczQQzJFBcg3x_ogxbODg4E6D6oguWeoGkeKYhEvyXXxswrQW1X70SbZFCF5mHqEG5FRT3Mnq0sUo46l7p-chsNAIl0mtVhdp9zkpw/s400/despair03.jpg" /></a> Copyright <a href="http://www.despair.com/">http://www.despair.com/</a><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 344px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 397px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430451253276499138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXZqI66ie5lcKK2iTzmRJECiMsj7BYxhnzf6BCsYj-uBFmFL9evp4tW-yH-kVG8DE2wYR_6HnEcsoMENJuON4a5oe4RbDGdRIBVhTsstxOY17kKDbm32LUDD3gn7jaxrCrKP29Rl0e8Jx/s400/opportunity.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Copyright <a href="http://www.despair.com/">http://www.despair.com/</a> </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">There is a website that has a twist on Motivational Posters. Ken found it a couple of years ago. Now that I have a Blog, I wanted to share it with all of you! Beautiful images with tongue-in-cheek messages. Check it out for yourself. Click on "Posters" at the top!<script type="text/javascript"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />try {<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8720390-1");<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />} catch(err) {}</script><br /></div></div>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1348991536627453115.post-29577267951433890202010-01-24T12:46:00.004-06:002010-01-24T13:15:57.476-06:00It's Always Something ...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLbrWgXDDVNEl8FaH_UjqcPTSkS4Nqjj48GAtLOoR8GHc1z59vNeEHB5zH0gA6BW0zwlN1119YP2LpiMY078rD4hYIslAhxSbYZNC85Wkl1CEJup6Cyr2V0451xu5rf2Z4DwIyqmqCTHv/s1600-h/Print+P1070179+Squirrel+Rehomed.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 264px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430379786536226658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVLbrWgXDDVNEl8FaH_UjqcPTSkS4Nqjj48GAtLOoR8GHc1z59vNeEHB5zH0gA6BW0zwlN1119YP2LpiMY078rD4hYIslAhxSbYZNC85Wkl1CEJup6Cyr2V0451xu5rf2Z4DwIyqmqCTHv/s400/Print+P1070179+Squirrel+Rehomed.jpg" /></a> I have a confession to make. It takes us forever to get out of the house to shoot a distant cat show. There is always something unexpected that throws a wrench into our exquisitely planned-to-the-minute (and unrealistically optomistic) schedule of things to do before we can leave home. And since we essentially BUILD our shooting table and studio at the cat show, there is a lot to do.<br /><br />Once, it was our Black British Shorthair, Nox, whom we could not find (counting kitty noses, you know) before we set the alarm and closed the front door. We looked all over the house. With a flashlight -- he was nowhere. Finally, I resorted to opening all the doors in the house ... cabinet doors, linen closet doors, you name it. We found him .. asleep in one of the kitchen cabinets which had a spring hinge that closed the cabinet door after him. Nox was a happy camper but we were over an hour behind schedule.<br /><br />Another incident was my notebook computer. Two days we worked on it, right before leaving to drive cross country to a show, to get it to burn a CD, but it refused. Finally, we bought another after putting the recalcitrant offender into the shop for repair.<br /><br />Today was another example of events conspiring to set us behind. One event was a new Lenovo notebook computer we got as a show computer to be able to handle the load of images from the new Canon EOS 5D Mark II at the show. Ken spent two days downloading applications, checking to see they worked, and trying out all peripherals. Then he couldn't burn a CD. Spent more time talking to Tech Support. Nada. End result: Shipped back to Lenovo for repair. The first Tech Support person told us to get a CD from Fry's and reload the operating system. Ha! <br /><br />The second event has nothing to do with electronics. Winter is the time of year that squirrels in our part of the country are looking to find a nice warm place to sleep or have babies. Our attic must be a 5-star hotel in that respect, as we've had squirrels in our attic before. If they didn't chew the electrical wiring, conduct Santa Anita races above our heads, and urinate in the insulation, I wouldn't mind sharing the space. But they do. And they have. Our cats are the "tell" -- when they start looking up at the ceiling, I know we have a problem.<br /><br />We have 2 "Have a Heart" traps which are set in our attic. This morning, all feline heads were pointed toward the ceiling in our bedroom. Ken and I looked at each other, knowing what that meant. Two hours out of our schedule, down the drain -- not even creating something new like a display of our photos for cat shows -- but rescuing a frightened squirrel who only wanted a warm place to sleep ... ur, and race around and possibly raise a family. Sigh. So we began.<br /><br />Move the photo table in the studio which obstructs the stairs to the attic. Get gloves to handle the cage. Clear out the car for the re-homing squirrel trip and line it with newspaper just in case Mr. Squirrel was kind enough not to empty his bladder in our insulation. Move the cats to the front of the house just in case they decided to try to climb a ladder to the attic in their old age. (The Maine Coons are very adventurous.) Did I mention that going into the attic makes Ken's skin crawl? It freaks him out. He's so tall that the roofing nails scrape his head and with no floor, he has to pick his way carefully. Not a pleasant experience even without a squirrel trapped. But we didn't have a choice. You can't leave a squirrel trapped in a cage. So Ken bit the bullet. The squirrel was pretty quiet during the physical transportation process from the attic to the studio but once he and Ken were out the front door, he smelled "freedom." This made him kind of crazy until he was put in the car. A new experience, scary but not painful. We drove him to a large park with lots of squirrels, trees, and a large duck pond about three miles from home.<br /><br />I should have brought my camera for the "release" but I was too worried about Mr. Squirrel and his feelings to even think about it. Once Ken opened the trap, the squirrel ran straight for a stand of trees about half a football field away.<br /><br />Happy Squirrel. Happy Flicks. Now, late Flicks.<script type="text/javascript"><br /><br />try {<br /><br />var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8720390-1");<br /><br />pageTracker._trackPageview();<br /><br />} catch(err) {}</script>Helmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02594056623118791950noreply@blogger.com2