Sanctuary Studios Photography

Big Win at Maryland Sheep & Wool

2010-05-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

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My photos "cleaned up" at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival on May 1 & 2, 2010.

I won 9 ribbons total, including "Best of Show", "Reserve Champion", and "Best of Maryland", 4 First Place ribbons, one Third Place and one Fourth Place.

Thanks to Donna, I have photos of some of the ribbons. Thanks, Hon!
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New Feederbrook Farm Photos

2010-04-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Please look at my new photos from Feederbrook Farm.
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Emily Chamelin from Chamelin Shearing came to Feederbrook farm last week. Lisa Westra, shepherdess extraordinaire and the force behind the fiber, was kind enough to invite me and many other friends of the farm, so there were a lot of fascinated onlookers eager to see the shearing. A reporter and a photographer from North County News were there to "get the story". I don't know when the article will appear.

Emily demonstrated both hand shearing and electric shearing for us. She is very good at working while answering questions. She has an obvious talent for shearing and has a comprehensive knowledge of sheep and how to care for them.

Emily will be participating in the shearing competition at Maryland Sheep & Wool this year. There has not been a shearing competition in the U.S. for about 100 years, so it should be very exciting.

More info about Feederbrook Farm is on my personal blog, Totally Random Fiesta.

List Universal Themes for Photographers

2010-03-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

Central Maryland Photographers Guild - April 2010 Critique Assignment

Skills: Composition, Illustrating a Universal Theme

Select or invent the title of a magazine article. Design and create an image to illustrate this article, using at least one universal theme. Use your understanding of good composition to make the photograph interesting.

You are encouraged to make the theme something that is relative to your own life.

You may use digital manipulation to enhance your theme if you wish.

Remember to simplify. Leave out things that do not support your theme.

April's critique will be based on your ideas and creativity, not your technical skill.

To help you with your assignment here is a list of Universal Themes

Abandonment
Acceptance
Accomplishment
Adventure
Ambition
Anger
Anxiety
Appreciation
Appreciation of Nature
Attitude
Balance
Beauty
Belonging
Belonging
Betrayal
Bondage
Bravery
Brotherhood
Cause and Effect
Censorship
Challenge
Challenges
Change
Choices
Collaboration
Coming of Age
Commitment
Communication
Community
Community Culture
Compassion
Compromise
Concern
Conflict
Conflict Resolution
Conformity
Connections
Consequences
Consideration
Cooperation
Courage
Courage and Honor
Cycles
Death
Denial
Determination
Devotion
Differences
Dignity
Discovery
Discrimination
Diversity
Dreams
Duty (filial piety)
Empathy
Enthusiasm
Environment
Escape
Excellence
Exploration
Facing Fear
Fairness
Faith
Fame
Family
Fear
Forgiveness
Freedom
Friendship
Generations
Goals
Good vs. Evil
Gratitude
Grief
Guilt
Happiness
Heroism
Heroism
Honesty
Honor
Hope
Humility
Humor
Identity
Imagination
Individuality
Influence
Ingenuity
Initiation
Injustice
Innocence
Innovation
Inspiration
Integrity
Interdependence
Isolation
Jealousy
Justice
Kindness
Leadership
Loneliness
Loss
Love
Loyalty
Magnitude
Memory
Nature
New Experiences
Opportunity
Optimism
Order vs. Chaos
Origins
Parallelism
Patience
Patriotism
Patterns
Peace
Peer Pressure
Perseverance
Perspectives
Point of View
Possibilities
Power
Prejudice
Pride
Problem Solving
Reciprocity
Reflection
Relationships
Relativity
Resourcefulness
Respect
Responsibility
Self Awareness
Self Discipline
Self Esteem
Self Respect
Self Sacrifice
Sensitivity
Social Change
Structure
Success
Suffering
Survival
Sympathy
Systems
Teamwork
Tolerance
Tradition
Tragedy
Transformation
Trust
Truth
Uncertainty
Virtue
Wisdom
Work

July 15 - "National Pet Fire Safety Day"

2009-07-15T17:26:00.001-07:00

July 15 has been declared "National Pet Fire Safety Day" to help protect pets from fires in the home. See the AKC article here.
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New Computer - Horray!

2009-07-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

When DH and I went out of town recently, I came back to find that my office computer had been terminated by a power surge. Possibly a thunderstorm.

The new computer was finally delivered on Saturday. My tech adviser got the new computer installed and running over the weekend. I'm still working on getting all of the software online and functioning.

I should be able to get my backlog of client work finished and posted soon. Thank you for waiting so patiently.
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Yappy Hour this Friday, June 17th from 6-9pm

2009-07-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Wine Bin is hosting another Yappy Hour this Friday, June 17th from 6-9pm. Live music, beer and wine will be provided. Hot dogs will be sold to benefit Baltimore Cares About Pets. The Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue will be offering pony rides. Join us with your well mannered dog (no dog required) for another fun night to benefit pet rescue efforts in Baltimore.

The Wine Bin is housed in the historic firehouse built in 1930 at:
8390 Main Street
Historic Ellicott City, Maryland 21043
410-465-7802
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Fairfax Pets on Wheels and PawPrints Photography

2009-05-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

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On Sunday, May 17th, I did second shooter work for Robin Burkett of PawPrints Photography.
We were doing pet portraits for Fairfax Pets on Wheels, an organization of volunteers who take their pets to provide joy to nursing home residents.

You can see the portraits on Robin's blog here.
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Bettas

2009-04-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

2009 Edition of Presidential Who's Who

2009-03-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

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The Presidential Who's Who each year recognizes and selects key executives, professionals and organizations in all disciplines and industries for outstanding business and professional achievements.

This recognition is shared by those who have reached a distinguished level of success in their chosen profession.

I was selected to be in the 2009 Edition of Presidential Who's Who, but couldn't afford to be in the book. It cost about $850.
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Please Vote at Show Off Your Shedder

2009-03-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

Please go to the Show off Your Shedder contest page and vote for Ginger, the Golden Retriever.
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Springfield Farm

2009-03-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

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DH & I went to Springfield Farm this past Saturday.

They have free range animals there. Normally, when supermarket packaging says "free range" it means that there is a door to a dirt yard in the side of the animals' building. Normally, chickens stay inside because that's where the food and water is. At Springfield Farm, they put the food and water far from the building so that all of the chickens actually run around outside. This helps keep the chickens healthy and disease free.
We saw a hillside of chickens and bought eggs so fresh they hadn't made it into the fridge yet.

The farm will be getting young pigs and lambs soon. They also do turkeys for the holidays. I look forward to going back there with my camera and getting some beautiful shots of the farm's rolling hills, green grass and happy animals.
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Giving Back - HopeWell Cancer Support

2009-03-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

Last week, Sanctuary Studios donated a framed print of a border collie and an angora rabbit to HopeWell Cancer Support, located in Lutherville, Maryland, inside a large mansion. HopeWell is a community support system for cancer patients, their families and friends. They run a full schedule of activities including yoga, quilting and meditation.

I found this organization through my mother. She found HopeWell after my Dad was diagnosed with inoperable cancer two years ago. He is doing very well on medications that help to keep the cancer from spreading.

HopeWell was happy to take the donation, but they don't know when they will be able to hang it up.
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New Framed Print

2009-02-26T18:49:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited by how well this portrait series turned out. I'm delivering it to the client tomorrow. I hope she likes it as much as I do.
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Phishing Hurts Everyone

2009-02-25T05:07:00.001-08:00

Everyone gets evil emails looking to get personal information. You can report these emails to the companies they are impersonating. You can also forward them to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov and reportphishing@antiphishing.org.
There is a list helpful tips on phishing at OnGuard Online.
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Someone to Watch Over Me by Saralee Perel

2009-02-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, my mom sent me an amazing article. It was so moving that I wrote to the author.

The article is by award winning columnist, Saralee Perel. Her dog, Gracie, has cared for Saralee ever since Saralee's spinal cord injury six years ago. Gracie has taken on this selfless task without any training or direction from anyone. The full article entitled:
"Someone To Watch Over Me"
can be read at Cape Cod Times. It will make your cry. I encourage you to read it. there is a photo of Gracie with the article.

Saralee Perel kindly responded that, Gracie still cares for her. She added that, at the encouragement of her agent, Saralee is currently writing a book about Gracie.

Saralee has a new article:
"Learning about Eddie" , about her cat. It, too, is a tear jerker. There is a photo of Eddie with the article.

Saralee Perel is originally from Baltimore and remembers Catonsville.

Thank you Saralee, for your kind email and your wonderful stories.
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Photography Convention

2009-02-13T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last week I attended the Maryland Professional Photographers annual convention. There was a lot of great seminars and it was a lot of fun.

Michael Dunphy of Avonlee Photography took photos of the convention and posted them here: http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=857121234446086080/l=466473956/g=60587141/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

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Abundance Art Show Images

2008-12-01T14:20:00.001-08:00

Here are the two fine art pieces Sanctuary Studios has up at the Abundance Art Show:

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Abundance Art Show Update! - Closing Reception Party

2008-12-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

Sanctuary Studios is participating in the Abundance 2008 Art Show at Saramar Studios. If you missed the opening reception, they have showings by appointment. There is also a Closing Reception Party on Friday December 12th from 5-9pm!

By Appointment Only and Fri, Dec 12 from 5pm-9pm
Saramar Studios
3371 Saint Benedict Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21229
410-646-2419

Click here for more Saramar Studios Art Show Information - with photos of the show!

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New Images - A Rabbit Named Newbie

2008-12-01T14:04:00.001-08:00

The MacMillan portrait session is now online here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanctuaryphoto/

The furry family member in the photos is an 8 year old rabbit named Newbie.

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Pet Portraits Class with Judy Reisman

2008-11-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

On Nov 17th, I took a pet portrait class with photographer, Judy Reisman. Here is a link to her website.
http://www.judyreismanphotography.com/
The class was offered through Washington Photo Safari.
Here are a few photos that I took during the class.
Sorry for the duplicate photo. Blogger has an awkward photo upload interface.
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Credit Cards

2008-09-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

Sanctuary Studios will be accepting Credit Cards through September & October.

Upcoming Events

2008-09-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 20, 2008
noon - 4pm
AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day

Location:
K9 Koncepts
6059 Olsen Road
Brooklyn Park, MD 21225
http://www.k9koncepts.com

Additional Info:
This event is being held as part of AKC's
Responsible Dog Ownership Day Events
http://www.akc.org/clubs/rdod/index.cfm

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Saturday, October 4, 2008
10am-5pm
Pets on Wheels 3rd Annual Dog-a-thon
http://petsonwheels.org/

Location:
Oregon Ridge Park - (in one of the pavilions near The Lodge)
Beaver Dam Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/recreation/countyparks/oregonridgelodge/index.html

Directions to the Lodge:
1. Take I-695 toward Towson.
2. Take I-83 North (Exit 24).
3. Continue North to Exit 20-B (Shawan Rd. West).
4. At first light make a left. (Beaver Dam Rd.).
5. Follow Beaver Dam Rd. for aprox.1/2 mile.
6. You will see the park entrance on the right.
*The Lodge is the building with the flag in front of it.

Additional Info:
The main activity is a sponsored walk event. The walk is less than a mile.
There is a large parking lot in front of The Lodge.
There is a Honey Festival at the Oregon Ridge Nature Center this same weekend.

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Sunday, October 5, 2008
noon-3pm
The Blessing of the Animals
noon - 3pm

Location:
SS Phillip & James Roman Catholic Church
2801 North Charles St (corner of 28th and Charles)
Baltimore, MD 21218
http://www.geocities.com/stspandj/

Maryland State Fair 2008

2008-08-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

The Maryland State Fair photos from August 22, 2008 should be posted on my Flickr site by noon today.

My Flickr Site

More info on the Maryland State Fair

Using Costco's Photo Lab

2008-07-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

I like to use the Costco Lab for proofing or quick prints, but I like to do my own image corrections. It is not uncommon for the lab to forget and run their corrections anyway. The staff are usually very pleasant about it and they re-print my files right away, but it is an inconvenience. From talking to the staff at some of the different Costco Warehouses in my area, I have learned a few things which I thought I might share with you.

The above image shows what the code on the back of the photo should look like if the lab turned their image correction off. You only need to worry about the part I marked in red.
The sequence code should be:
N N N N---
(four n's and a set of three dashes)

If their image correction was on at the time of printing, the sequence will be:
N N N N NN
(four n's followed by a double n)

I hope this was helpful.

Cool Feature - Automated Crop & Straighten Photos in CS2

2008-07-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is a really cool feature in Photoshop CS2. (I would think CS3 has it also?)

I was importing album art into iTunes today for old albums that iTunes cannot find artwork for. I remembered this fun feature and wanted to share it with you.

If you have a bunch of old snapshots (or in my case, old CD album covers) that you want to scan, place them on your scanner bed, leaving gaps between each. Scan as usual. When you have the file inside Photoshop goto:
File -> Automate -> Crop and Straighten Photos
This magic feature does what it says, plus it puts each image into a separate file!

Very cool.

It is a bit quick & dirty, though. My scanner auto calibrates to each scan, so leaving a lot of empty space around the images changes the way the files come out. I ran "auto levels" on the files before saving and that worked well enough for what I wanted.

4th of July Safety Tips: Fireworks Are Not a Dog's Best Friend

2008-06-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

4th of July Safety Tips: Fireworks Are Not a Dog's Best Friend

from the ASPCA Website
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_newsalert062708&JServSessionIdr009=s2136vetv1.app25b#2

As the country dons its red, white and blue to celebrate Independence Day, nothing says patriotism like a good old-fashioned barbecue with a side of fireworks. But what’s fun for people can often be a downright drag for our furry friends. The ASPCA offers some advice to help you keep your pets singing, “Oh Say Can You See,” all the way to the Fifth.

- Keep your pets on the wagon. Alcohol is potentially poisonous to pets, so place your wine, beer and spirits out of their reach.

- Avoid scraps from the grill. Any change in your pet’s diet can result in stomach upset. Plus, certain foods like onions, avocado, grapes and raisins can be toxic.

- Bugs biting? Avoid lathering your pet with any insect repellent or sunscreen not intended for the four-legged kind.

- Don’t let Spot start the fire. Keep your pet away from matches and lighter fluid, which, if ingested, can be extremely irritating to the stomach, lungs and central nervous system.

As the sun sets on the Fourth, remember that fireworks are not a dog’s best friend. Dr. Pamela Reid, Vice President, ASPCA Animal Behavior Center, recommends that you keep your dog at home, instead of taking him to your neighborhood display. “He’ll be much happier at home listening to classical music,” says Dr. Reid. “Also, be sure to keep him inside, instead of in the backyard, since even the most timid dog can leap a six-foot fence if he’s scared enough.”

If your dog suddenly shows signs of distress from outside noise, “relocate to the basement or another quiet part of the house,” suggests Dr. Reid. “Or try giving him a Kong toy stuffed with peanut butter. The persistent licking should calm his nerves.”

If you anticipate that your pet will be scared on the Fourth, talk to your vet. He may prescribe a mild sedative, which should be administered one hour before the festivities begin. Please read our other holiday tips, and have a safe and saucy Fourth of July!

Wilted Unicorn

2008-06-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I worked with Robin Burkett of PawPrints Photography at the Fairfax Pets on Wheels Picnic in Springfield, Virginia. The dogs and cats were so much fun, but it was miserably hot.

Afterwards, I went to the Maryland Fairie Festival in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Unfortunately, the heat index was over 100F, so the resident unicorn was, though still magical, a bit wilted. There were scores of perspiring fae and greenmen , but it was still a poorly attended event compared to last year. Another problem was that the ATM machines broke just before the event began and the site is rather isolated. I felt really bad for the vendors.

Next year the festival will be one month earlier and hopefully the weather will be nicer.

You can see more images from the festival on my Flickr page.

Some Sweetie the Unicorn Facts:

Sweetie the Unicorn is played by a 25 year old Arabian mare.
She enjoys the attention she gets while dressed in her costume.
Sweetie is very sweet and tolerant of everyone. She is not bothered by people dressed in crazy costumes with big, flappy wings.
Sweetie's favorite snacks are apples, carrots and granola bars.
She has her own magically decorated trailer.
She has bright pink accessories for her equine nessessities.
She is accompanied by her favorite yellow fairy whenever she does public appearances.

Fairfax Pets on Wheels Picnic

2008-06-08T03:14:00.000-07:00

Today I will be at the Fairfax Pets on Wheels picnic in Springfield, VA assisting Robin Burkett of PawPrints Photography. We will be creating images for trading cards featuring the amazing dogs that participate in the Pets on Wheels programs. It should be a lot of fun, but it will be very hot.

www.rentphotobooths.com

2008-06-04T18:28:00.001-07:00

These are test strips from the gigs I have done for a photobooth rental company based out of North Carolina. You can contact them at: www.rentphotobooths.com.

This past weekend the event was a wedding at Swan Harbor Farm in Havre de Grace, Maryland. It was a fun event and the weather couldn't have been more pleasant. The guests had a great time putting on the props that the bride & groom provided for the guests to wear in the photobooth. These props included: a plastic horned viking cap, two pairs of huge sunglasses, two feather boas (messy!), a pirate patch and earring, a tiny cowboy hat, and a plush moose hat.

Holding a Grouper in Bermuda

2008-05-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

This a a photo from my recent trip to Bermuda. It was great fun holding a live fish!

Photoshop - Making 4x6 Proofs

2008-05-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

After (finally) processing the 1000+ NEF files from my Bermuda trip into large finished JPEGs, I struggled with a quick and easy way to make 4x6 proof files in Photoshop CS2. I figured that there really was a way to do it, and came up with several ways that would get me close. The final piece of the puzzle arrived in the form of a suggestion from my tech adviser (my DH)!

Here is the way to do it:

Open the files in Bridge
Go to Tools> Photoshop> Image Processor
Under #2 - (Location) - Choose your file folder locations.
Under #3 - Click on "Save as JPEG" or whatever file types you want.
Click "Resize to Fit"
Type "1800"for BOTH height AND width. (A square crop!)

I don't know how long it would have taken me to figure out the square crop! How simple and elegant a solution, but how elusive! Thank you DH!!

Pie

2008-05-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

I finally processed and uploaded the photos of the pie we ate last week.

I hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend. The weather was great here in Maryland.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie

2008-05-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

New Software

2008-05-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

I just purchased an exciting new plug-in for Photoshop! Noise Ninja by PictureCode was recommended to me by fellow photographers Javier Diazgranados and Tiffany KB. It works great and I used it to process the Buckley Portraits before sending in the lab order to WHCC. I anticipate that the prints will look fabulous!

Butterflies at Brookside

2008-05-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

Friend Lynn and I went to Brookside Gardens in Silver Spring, Maryland today to see their annual butterfly exhibit. Unsurprisingly, several butterflies landed on Lynn and were happy to hang out on her. In addition to being able to walk around in a greenhouse full of butterflies, Brookside Gardens also provides educational ops in the form of a live egg & caterpillar display, a hatchery, a touch and see table, an identification display and an outdoor garden with examples of butterfly-friendly plants. During the season they may have up to 600-700 live specimens in the greenhouse. You can even purchase your own butterfly identification chart when you buy your tickets.

I will definitely return with camera in hand.
Some info for my fellow photographers:
The butterflies are less active on cool, cloudy days than on warm, sunny ones. Normally the butterflies spend much of their time in the air, so a tripod will not be very useful.
Weekdays may be less crowded than weekends. The winged critters like to hang out on the plates that are filled with ugly rotting fruit and on the less-than beautiful greenhouse walls and ceiling. They do hang out on the plants, but they are usually busy feeding and wiggle around quite a bit. Volunteers move the newly hatched critters out of the hatchery and onto the nearby flowers. We were told that this is normally completed at around noon or 1pm, but today they moved them at about 4pm or 5pm due to the cool temperature and moist conditions. The new butterflies tend to remain very still and will be much easier to shoot.

Also, be aware that last tickets are sold at 4pm and you need to leave the greenhouse by 5pm.

Buttercup Buckley

2008-05-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

The current proofs from the Buckley portrait session are up at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sanctuaryphoto/sets/72157603983755540/

New Efficiency

2008-05-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

I placed an order today for an additional hard drive and additional memory for the main office computer. They will help me to finish processing the photos from my recent Bermuda trip. I took about 1100 photos (RAW, of course!) and they have really slowed down the system. Hopefully my technical advisor (hubby) will be able to install the new hardware soon. I am very excited about this improvement to the system.

Welcome

2008-02-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog!

Tonight I participated in a webinar on presenting images to clients.