Project 52 - Family

December 05, 2014 by Carol Locey

After taking a break for the past two weeks due to travel and the Thanksgiving holiday, I was really itching to get back to the blog!

This week's theme is family. If you are really lucky, like I am, you were able to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by family and loved ones. This year was very different for me. It's the first Thanksgiving without my mom, without our dogs and cats that perished in our fire, not living in our home and the very first Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant.

But, I consider myself to be very blessed and I'm grateful for my family who has provided support, love and a home to live in these past 5 months.

This Thanksgiving is also different for my Lucy and Huck. It's Lucy's first Thanksgiving without her sister (and brothers) and also not in her home. For Huck, it's his first Thanksgiving ever. And I'm so happy he is spending it with us, a family that loves him so much; instead of in a cold, scary shelter.

I thought it was fitting for the photo's in this week's blog to include the dog family that is no longer with us. And to include Huck who makes our family complete again. The composite I've included in the photo's was created and gifted to me by a very dear friend, Jen Powell, who is the Ohio Volunteer Foster Coordinator for Louie's Legacy Animal Rescue, the rescue I work with and where we have adopted all of our dogs the past 4 years. I will treasure this gift forever.

After much cajoling and handing out of treats, I finally was able to get a shot with Huck. He looks like the typical kid in a family photo, who does not look happy at being made to sit still!

Please click on Khanya Photography of Poughkeepsie, NY and continue clicking through all the posts to meet everyone's family!

Project 52 - Catchlights

November 14, 2014 by Carol Locey

Beautiful Beasties is an online resource and forum for professional pet photographers where we can share and learn from each other. 52 Project is a group that is provided a different theme each week to stretch and grow our creative minds.

It is now week 46 of this year long project! I have been on a self imposed hiatus from participating, due to a tragic house fire this past June. But, it's time to move forward and attempt to create a sense of normalcy in my life. Taking part in this weekly photo/blog project is a big step for me towards that end.

The theme for this week is catchlights. This is a term commonly used by photographers. For those of you not familier with it, Wikipedia's definition is: "Catch light or catchlight is a light source that causes a specular highlight in a subject's eye in an image." It's the "twinkle" in the eye and is really what brings life to a portrait. Be it human or pet.

There are many different ways to create catchlights. If the photographer is using artificial lighting, then the type of light diffuser or modifier she uses can affect the shape of the catchlight.

In Greater Cincinnati, summer is long gone and Autumn provided one last (we think) glorious weekend of weather. We headed out to Cincinnati Nature Center since the dogs love going there and smelling all the smells.

I decided to start breaking Huck in as my new little model. Let's just say he is a work in progress. This first image is how not to capture catchlights!

I was finally able to coax him to look at me. Since I wanted to capture natural catchlights from the sun, I made sure it was situated at my back. This would be critical if you want to capture natural catchlights in your subjects eyes.

Cute Huck with catchlights and derp face.

Click through the blog circle to check out everyones take on catchlights! Next up is MJ Photography!

52 Project - Fun time!

June 13, 2014 by Carol Locey

I've been out of the 52 Project for a couple of weeks now. We've had a lot going on and as much as I wanted to, I just have not had the time or opportunity for the weekly themes. I've missed being a part of the blog circle big time!

This weeks theme is "Fun Time"!! We have had a lot of rain this week and I was worried I wouldn't be able to get the pack outside to make some fun. But, the skies cleared in the nick of time and what better way to engage in summer fun time than...BUBBLES!!

Lucy and Buttercup have played with bubbles before, but it's been a long time. This was the first experience for Jethro and Peanut Butter.

At first, Peanut Butter was intrigued. But when the bubbles started touching and popping on him, he got a little freaked out. Silly Peanut Butter.

Surprisingly, Jethro was not a big fan. At all.

Lucy is by far the biggest bubble fan. She really enjoyed chasing and biting after them. And waiting for more!

After a while, Buttercup became bored and just watched the shenanigans from a safe perch.

I must thank my daughter, Emily, and husband, Dan, for being the bubble makers for this session!

To see more of the fun times theme click on my good friend Kathryn Schauer Photography and keep following the blog circle until you end up back here!

If you'd like to schedule your own custom session contact me at carol@carolloceyphotography.com. We will have our own fun time!

52 Project - Paws

May 23, 2014 by Carol Locey

This weeks theme for our 52 Project is Paws. I have multiple sets of paws with 4 dogs and 3 cats in my house! But, I concentrated on the dogs, all 4 this time. And, let me just say that I need a more powerful vacuum cleaner in my house after editing these images!

I used my macro lens and ring flash for this week's challenge. It was a challenge getting close enough for detail, while keeping muzzles out of my gear (and eyes away from the ring flash) and trying to keep the dogs in one place long enough!

Lucy had a last minute toenail injury as witnessed with the bandaged paw. Poor girl split her nail in half somehow. She tears down the deck steps so fast, I'm afraid she may have injured it in her eagerness to get after a squirrel. We took her to the vet immediately after discovering the injury and they were able to put it right. I love all the vets and staff at Milford Animal Hospital! Thank you all for keeping my babies healthy!

It's hard to tell, but Jethro knows how to "High 5" like nobodies business! Buttercup needs a pawdicure (like her mama) and Peanut Butter is the fuzzy, wookie paw in the upper left.

I love each and everyone of these paws.

For more pawsitively pawsome shots (sorry!) click on Hudson Valley, NY photographer, Khanya Photography and keep following the blog circle until you end up back here.

To book your very own custom session with Carol Locey Photography, contact me at carol@carolloceyphotography.com.

52 Project - Wide

May 16, 2014 by Carol Locey

Wide is the theme for this week's project. We were encouraged to "shoot as wide as you can" and to be creative. I immediately knew where I wanted to show-off Buttercup in a wide angle shot.

This is a local garden shop, The Olde Garden Shack, and it is a beauty with their lush, full flowering baskets and planters. It was perfect for a wide angle shot

There was an explosion of color and texture no matter we turned.

I seriously could load this blog with photo after photo of Buttercup in a sea of flowers.

There was one other location I really wanted to see if it would work for this theme. And it did.

This is the playground of a now defunct elementary school in my little town. The tires were almost as colorful as the garden setting. But, Buttercup could climb on these and explore.

Thank you for joining Buttercup on her wide world adventure. Click on my fellow Cincinnati, Oh photographer, Suzi Pix Photography to see her take on the wide theme. Keep clicking the links until you end up back here!

To schedule your custom session in your own unique setting, contact carol@carolloceyphotography.com.

52 Project - Angles

May 09, 2014 by Carol Locey

Angles is the theme of the week. This makes me think of Old European paintings with stairs and doorways cast in deep shadows with stark highlights. It also make me think of modern architecture with sharp lines.

I have nothing like either one!

I went with different perspectives in my images. Not necessarily through light and dark, but with point of view angles. So, in the photo above, I peaked around a tree trunk to get a surprise angle on Buttercup.

I stood directly over Peanut Butter and shot down in the next image. I got him to look up at me while holding the chewy toy they were all playing with moments earlier.

I'm so interested in seeing everyone else's interpretation of angles this week. Click on Portland, Oregon's For the Love Pet Photography and continue clicking on the links until you return here!

Contact me to schedule your custom session, carol@carolloceyphotography.com.

52 Project - Doors

May 02, 2014 by Carol Locey

This week it was my turn to choose the theme of our project! I picked doors because I kind off have a thing for doors. No matter where we go I'm always taking photo's of doors and gates. Aged, worn wooden antique doors; peeling painted vintage doors; rustic barn doors; massive iron doors; it doesn't matter to me. I love doors! To me they represent unknown possibilities and adventures. You never know what is on the other side of a closed door.

This week, I'm introducing Jethro, our Beagle-mix boy. He is not as used to modeling as Buttercup and I don't think he is quite the modeling diva like she is. But, he is still a very handsome boy!

I have images of two very different types off doors. The first, with Jethro, is my own front door. Very traditional.

I love the color and symmetry of my urns on either side. And I love the simplistic formality.

The next door is the complete opposite. It is the door of the rustic barn that belongs to the original farmhouse on the property where our subdivision was built.

Even though I love my front door, I have to admit this is my favorite for a backdrop. You can't beat the texture, patina and overall scenic value this provides. It certainly showcases Buttercups beauty!

I could post lots more photo's of Buttercup and this rustic barn door, but I also want to see what's next on the blog circle! So lets click on Windsor Ontario Pet Photographer, Candid K. Nines, and keep following the door blog posts back here.

To book a session incorporating your own front door, contact me at carol@carolloceyphotography.com.

52 Project - Indoors

April 25, 2014 by Carol Locey

This weeks theme is Indoors. Since Spring has finally sprung in the Cincinnati area, and it is now staying lighter later, I have a lot more options available for inside shots!

The light at dinner was so pretty I had to grab my camera and take a few photo's of Buttercup.

Someone in my house (I will not mention his name), is bad about feeding the dogs from the kitchen table.

Check out more Indoor shots by clicking on Chicagoland's Grace Wears Fur and follow the blog circle until you end up back here!

If you would like to schedule your own indoor/outdoor session contact me at carol@carolloceyphotography.com.