I donate a portion of all sales to local animal rescue groups.  I grew up around all kinds of animals; dogs, cats, horses, hamsters. It makes me sad to see so many homeless and abused dogs and cats.  When I can, I volunteer to walk them or take them on a hike.  Occasionally a stray wanders into my yard and I help find them a home.  (or I keep them, like Jeepers and Francis) 

Recently I stumbled on a junkyard dog that I just couldn't get out of my mind.  To make a long story short, the owner saw how much I loved her and gave her to me. So now I'm looking for a home for her.  She is just adorable.  Probably a year old.  Gets along with cats and dogs and loves to snuggle.  If you or anyone you know is looking for a dog, let me know!

Let's talk about Bokeh. (pronounced boke-aay or boke-uh). This is one of my favorite photographic techniques and I use it at least once in any session.  All it means is the background is out of focus and looks soft and beautiful.  It makes the subject really stand out. 


What you want to do is make the point of focus really narrow.  You do this with a wide open apeture. 

This works great if the background is not aesthetically pleasing and you want to hide it.   Or if the background has lots of light and color.  I like to use it with parents and kids or with dogs and their owners.  Get creative.  Play around with your camera and try out different settings.  I think you will stumble on some really cool artistic ways to transform everyday photos. 


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