Monthly Archives: March 2010

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a rescue story

I started shooting for this project last November and I can’t tell you how good it feels to wrap it up and see it completed.  Five months of shooting + endless hours of post processing + seven consecutive days of nothing but book design has finally culminated in the finished project of the full color Saving Giants : A Rescue Story, soon to be available in softcover or hardback.

I am really excited about this book.  Donating my time + energy to rescue dogs will always be an integral part of who I am and consequently how I run my business.  This book is the culmination of the people who donate their lives to saving these dogs and of those super hero dogs themselves.  I hope it conveys the meaning I encountered every time I met with a volunteer or a new family and their fosters or adopted dogs.

If you are in the Denver area, you should think about coming to the release party which, of course, benefits the rescue.  [Get more info on the event Facebook page or on the Big Dogs Huge Paws site].  Also, if you run a dog-related business anywhere and are interested in carrying this book, please let me know!

I’m only able to post a sneak peek of the a few spreads of the book, but once it’s officially released I’ll post the whole thing here along with information on how to buy a copy.  For now, if you want a copy email me and I’ll put you in touch with the folks at the rescue.

Just the briefest of brief previews:


I promise the whole book will be up soon!

Also, in the spirit of dog rescues… The fabulously talented Sarah of Sarah Beth Photography recently put up a photo journalistic post documenting her experience working with a canine rescue on a reservation.  Her writing is beautiful, the photography is stunning, and the story is important.  Check it out.  (And while you’re at it check out the rest of her work, it’s fab!)

emma + lola

Everything about this shoot was aesthetically delightful: the sleek modernity of the house, those jade-green puppy eyes, the vibrant oranges + greens in combination with deep chocolate fur, Ruth’s incredible long, black hair…  Add to that the fact that I loved Ruth + her dogs instantly.  Thirteen-year-old Emma was Ruth’s first dog and the intimacy of their bond is evident right away.  Eight-week-old Lola is the newest addition, and I swear this puppy was born to live with Emma + Ruth.  She worships both, seizing every opportunity to be near Emma, curling her body into any small space she can stake out and following Ruth like, well, a puppy.


Thanks for a lovely shoot, Ruth :)

ideal woman

The variety of my shoots the last couple weeks has been totally invigorating.  Since WPPI I have been so totally amped about shooting I didn’t think twice when Allie asked me if I was interested in doing a shoot for her new jewelry line.  Allie is a fabulous artist whose new show opens this friday. If you are local to Denver stop by – it’s going to be a good time. [6-9pm @ the Hinterland at 3254 Walnut Street in the RiNo Art District].

Here’s a quick synopsis of Allie’s work from her site:

Ideal Woman: Necklace reflects Allie Pohl’s belief that society is obsessed with the image of “the perfect woman.” The necklace demonstrates our culture’s desire to emulate a look that seems naturally impossible to attain. Allie’s artistic objective is to critique cultural trends that she finds impractical or destructive to the female.”

This was my first crack at fashion photography, and it totally left me wanting more.  The model is the infinitely lovely Audrey Powell.  Also, the ever-stylish Renee gets mad credit for hair + outfit input, detangling wads of necklaces for hours on end and generally keeping us all on track.  And of course, Allie is the brains behind the gig.

We originally planned to do a studio shoot only, but the light on my roof was so fabulous right when we were getting started that we all maneuvered our way up there for a quick fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes that resulted in some of my favorite shots of the evening.

And here’s a selection of the studio shots:

And you had to know this was coming…

roadtrip

A little over a month ago a friend and I departed for what turned out to be kind of an epic road trip.  Initially the idea was just to drive straight to Portland (Oregon) to meet Lauren, and then drive back.  Instead, we met Lauren in Portland and then decided to take the long way back, which happened to include an unplanned extended stay in Waldport, Oregon when the alternator of the Subaru died. It turned out to be kind of a blessing in disguise because Waldport, as it turns out is totally underrated. Especially in February. Most of the beach photos were taken there.  Also, this video was taken there.  This is just a glimpse of Roux’s first encounter with the beach.  She ran circles like this for a good two hours.  I didn’t bother to edit out sound, so unfortunately you have to endure my laugh.  (Why is it so painful to listen to recordings of your own voice?!)

Crazy Dog from Claire B on Vimeo.

And here is a semi-random selection of photos from the trip.

/Shoshone Falls, Idaho/

/Hay bales on the side of the road outside of Twin Falls, Idaho/

/The Oregon Trail Motel, Baker City, Oregon/

/Portland, Oregon/

/Waldport, Oregon/

/Redwood National Park, California/

/Highway 101, Northern California/

/Napa Valley, California/

/Wine tasting + art viewing @ Hess, Napa Valley, California/

/Hanging out @ Rutherford Grove, Napa Valley, California/

/Killing fish in Palo Alto, California/

/Backyard art in Palo Alto, California/

/Vintage clothes shopping, Haight Ashbury, San Fransisco/

/Chilling in Palo Alto, California/

/The Bonneville Salt Flats @ dusk, Utah/

Phew that was a long one.  And long overdue.

Back to regular posting tomorrow with a super fun shoot for Ideal Woman.  (Sneak preview here).

eastwood

Eastwood is a Newfoundland / Border Collie cross, new addition for the talented Josh.

(I promise Eastwood’s interest in this bottle is entirely due to the peanut butter smeared across the back).

Love these last three: