Showing posts with label Zoe & Lexi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zoe & Lexi. Show all posts

Friday, September 14, 2012

Zoe Turns 5 Years Old!

Zoe turned 5 years old on September 11th. In some ways it is hard to believe that it's been almost 5 years since I adopted her. In other ways, it's hard to think back to my life before adopting my dogs and it kinda feels like I've always had them.

Zoe and Lexi always get birthday and Christmas presents and they LOVE tearing open the bags and discovering what is inside. Here they are patiently waiting for Kevin to give them Zoe's gift...


Zoe's expression in this one cracks me up!...


Here Lexi is helping Zoe out, making sure she didn't miss anything in the bag...


Oh wait! There's still something in there...



I just love this photo of Lexi!...


New stuff to chew on. Yay!...


And, the aftermath...


I get such a kick out of watching them open their presents, and tear up the wrappings.  Lexi's birthday isn't until early December, but I'm sure it will be upon us before we know what hit us!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Puppy Cuteness + Purple Goodness

A month or so ago I was looking for props for a session and stumbled upon these purple scarves. As soon as I saw them I knew I HAD to have them for Zoe and Lexi!  I've been dying to get behind the camera and take their photos wearing them, but I've been so busy moving that I didn't have time until now.

These photos were taken in the backyard of our new rental house, and as you can plainly see we have a yard with grass again.  Sort of, anyway.  The previous tenants didn't really keep it up, so it's very patchy and full of weeds, but the green is a nice background change for their photos, especially for Lexi.  Her coloring tended to blend into the landscape of the backyard at our previous house so I never loved the photos of her there.



When I take photos of my dogs, I often struggle to get them to sit next to each other long enough to get the exact photo I want to capture. But I rarely struggle to get their attention focused on me and the camera for the time they do stay sitting. During these photos, I couldn't get Zoe to look at me no matter what I did, as these photos clearly show...




Well, come to find out, the poor baby had a fly on her nose the whole time, only I didn't see it until I was looking at the photos on my computer!...


I finally managed to catch this one of both of them, though, so all wasn't lost!...


I had to include this last photo because this is classic Zoe!  She sits like this all the time.  She's such a lazy girl that she doesn't even like to sit up without propping herself against a wall.  She definitely has the Bulldog disposition, while Lexi is Beagle through and through!


As always, thanks for stopping by!  I hope you'll come back to visit again soon.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Puppy Love

Kevin and I are gearing up to move soon, so I know that my opportunities to photograph Zoe & Lexi in our huge backyard are getting numbered. Last night I took them out and snapped a handful of quick portraits of them since I had a few free moments and the light was perfect.  It's been a while since I posted any photos of them on the blog, so I thought I'd share a few.

I love this first one! I was focusing on Zoe's tongue because she was panting up a storm and I managed to catch her just as she licked. It cracks me up how her tongue curls up like that!...


This little session was just the opposite of last time, with Lexi being the angel who sat patiently posing, while I took as many photos as I wanted, and Zoe being a little turd and not wanting to sit still for more than a few seconds at a time.


One of the very few photos I captured of Zoe....


And another of sweet Little Lexi Lou. When I see photos of her, she always look so sweet and calm, but anyone who has ever met her could tell you that's not really the case! She is sweet, but she's a tad on the crazy side!...


Thanks for stopping by, and allowing me to show off my sweet fur babies!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A Long Overdue Appearance

I spent the past few days updating the photo albums on my facebook page, and while I going through my photo archives I realized that I hadn't taken any new photos of Zoe and Lexi in quite a while - especially any portraits! The last few times I've photographed them it has been more action shots of them playing.

So, I dug out a few of their scarves, grabbed a box of treats, and headed out to the backyard with them to take a few photos.  They seemed to have reversed rolls today.  Usually it is Zoe who gives me the most struggles as I try to keep her in place long enough for me to take a photo, but this evening she was a perfect little angel.  She just sat there and let me snap as many photos as I wanted...


Lexi, on the other hand, was being a little stinker and wouldn't stay put for more than a few seconds. As soon as I crouched down and started to raise my camera, she came running up to me. The only photos I managed to get of her tonight were ones where Zoe was sitting right next to her. This photo came from one of those where Zoe wasn't looking at the camera, but Lexi looked really cute - so I just cropped her out. Gotta love Photoshop...


And of course, I had to have one of my two fur babies together...


As always, thanks for stopping by!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Ask and Receive

Yesterday the UPS man delivered this little beauty into my hot little hands...


And last night after I got it, I posted on facebook about firing off a few quick shots of my dogs with it in pretty dim lighting and how I was thrilled with the results.

I wasn't planning on posting the photos because seriously, how many more photos do you really need to see of Zoe & Lexi? But Talina of Talina Phillips Photography requested I post a few, and I aim to please. So, I did a quick edit on my two favs, and here they are...



I fully admit that I did brighten the photos up just a bit in photoshop, because I'm a fan of bright, bold photos.  But, I could have left the brightness unedited and it would have still been a-okay.

So, Talina, these are for you!

P.S.  If you aren't a fan of Talina, you're seriously missing out!  Not only is she a kick a$$ photographer, but she's about the nicest person you'll ever chat with.  She's my photog BFF, even though I've never meet her!  She's my go to girl when I need advice, ideas, suggestions, or have questions about all things photography related.  So, seriously, swing on over to her FB page, become a fan, and tell her I sent you!  The crazy thing is that she is married to the younger brother of someone that I do know.  I grew up with him, and we went to school together from kindergarten through high school.  Small world, huh?

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Let's Play!

I thought I'd share a few photos that I took this afternoon of my crazy fur babies playing in the backyard.

Silly Lexi...


Doesn't that hurt?!...


Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Truth in Photography

In the past year there have been several instances of Professional Photographers getting caught manipulating photos. Here are links to just a few of the examples that I can recall off the top of my head:
All it takes is a quick google search for "photoshopped celebrity photos" to find hundreds of examples of magazine covers, etc. where the models have been photoshopped to the point of barely resembling their real selves.

And you know those super cute baby photos, with the baby's head propped up in their hands?  Yeah.  Those are photoshopped, too.

I'm even guilty of it myself!  The photo I posted for this year's Christmas photo was a photoshopped compilation of two other photos.  Gasp!

Kind makes you start wondering if there are actually any "real" photos out there, doesn't it?

So, what exactly is the point of photography?  Are we capturing truths or are we telling lies?  

I've been giving these question a lot of thought recently, and ultimately I believe that each photographer has to decide for him or herself exactly where to draw the line on manipulating photos.  For me, I am comfortable with basic enhancements to improve the color and quality of the photograph, and perhaps I may occasional do a compilation image.  (The Christmas photo was my first attempt - which I composed to experiment with photoshop and test my abilities.)  But that's where I draw the line.  As much as I'd like to remove a chin or two from myself in my personal photographs, I think it is more important that photographs represent real life and real people.

But there is more than one way to misrepresent the truth with a photo.  As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so allow me to give you an example.

I give you those three photos of my dog, Lexi.  These images were all taken on the same day, in a span of about 30 minutes:

Here she is really just playing with Zoe, but she looks pretty mean and fierce, doesn't she?...


Here she's all tuckered out from playing and is crashed out, looking all calm and serene...


But the truth of the matter is that Lexi is neither mean and fierce, nor calm and serene. Instead she's just a crazy, lovable, goofball...


Depending on what photos I present to you, I can dramatically alter the way you see her.  It is so easy to misrepresent something in a photograph, and I think photographers have a responsibility to make every attempt to avoid doing so as much as possible.

What are your thoughts?

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


‘Twas the year before Christmas, when all through the house
We were all stirring, even my new spouse.
The boxes were all stacked in the garage with great care,
In hopes that nothing would break during the long trip out there.

Our belongings were nestled all snug in their newspaper wraps,
With the exception of our warm winter caps.
And I in my flip-flops, and Kevin in his sandals,
Thought to ourselves, “OH MY. I hope we didn’t pack any candles!”

When out on the street corner there arose such a clatter,
Kevin called me to tell me what was the matter.
Away to the junkyard his car was towed,
One less thing to move to our new abode.

We had started to think the end would never be near,
When, what to my wondering eye should appear?
That bright sun on the cactus and palm tree,
Has us both shouting out a loud “Whoopee!”

With a few final miles, through the gorgeous peaks,
I knew we had finally arrived in Phoenix.
Right behind us the moving truck came,
And as we unloaded the boxes, we called them by name:

“The Bedroom! The Guest Room!
The Room with a view!
The Office and Den!
And don’t forget the Loo.
Just stack them all up,
Next to the wall!
Now empty them! Empty them!
Empty them all!

We emptied the boxes in the scorching summer heat,
Into a house without air conditioning – no easy feat!
So up to the ceiling, empty boxes did stack,
While we filled the cupboards in a race to unpack.

And then in a blink darkness did fall,
Onto every soft surface we all did sprawl.
As our heads hit the pillows, we sighed with relief,
And sincerely hoped that our sleep wouldn’t be brief.

Morning brought with it a bright, sunny day,
Zoe and Lexi couldn’t wait to go out to play.
Into their backyard, so new and so big,
With lots of room to run and to dig!

Law school -- Quickly it started! The classes, how many!
Only six, but it felt more like twenty!
Case briefs, outlines, and memos a plenty,
For his thoughts, they didn’t pay a penny.
Into a good lawyer, he will turn,
So much from Civ Pro he did learn.
Torts was a bore, Contracts was worse,
Lawyering Process turned into a curse.

A pretty white car, so shiny and new,
And a prosperous job offer finally came through.
And after a few months of this new work,
I’ve almost gone completely berserk.

For a house of our own, we’ve begun to dream,
The time has come to begin a new scheme.
To the other side of town we wish to move,
Hopefully there we will find our groove.

2011 was one for the books,
Now onward we go, with no backwards looks.
We wanted to say as the holidays draw near,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good year!



Love,
Michele, Kevin,
Zoe & Lexi


Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Happy 4th Birthday, Sweet Baby Lexi Lou!

My little fur baby, Lexi, turned 4 years old, so of course we had to celebrate with new toys and treats for her and Zoe.

They got a kick out of destroying the bag that her gift was in!...



My parents were visiting on her birthday, and even brought her a gift all the way from Michigan.  Lexi doesn't look too happy about Zoe stealing it, does she?



Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Lazy Sunday

Remember a few weeks ago when I wrote a Tips + Tricks post about photographing dogs? And in that post I said that a tired dog is a good dog to photograph?

Perhaps, I should have added that a tired dog is a good dog to photograph IF you are trying to capture photos of the dog(s) with them appearing calm and serene, while looking at the camera.  However, if you are trying to get some nice actions shots of the dog(s) playing, then your plan will completely backfire if the dogs are too worn out to play!

Case in point:

Today, I thought it would be fun to get some photos of Lexi playing in the kiddie pool that we have in the backyard for her.  (It's not that we are playing favorites!  Zoe just doesn't like to get wet.  She's a HUGE baby.  She doesn't even like to walk in wet grass.)

So, I got out my camera and went outside with the dogs, all ready for some fun shots.

This is what I got instead...



Kevin and I had a small gathering at our house last night, and in an attempt to keep the dogs from being too insane while we had company we took them to play at doggie day camp all day yesterday. Then three of their new dog pals came over with their owners last night to play in the yard during our party. Apparently all the activity wore them out, and they are having a very lazy Sunday!  Guess I'll have to try the pool pictures another day.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Happy 4th Birthday, Sweet Baby Zoe!

Yesterday was Zoe's 4th birthday! I find it incredibly hard to believe that so much time has passed since I adopted her. It is down right scary just how fast time has been flying by in recent years.

I will fully admit that my dogs are incredibly spoiled! On their birthdays, we always buy them a bunch of toys and treats to unwrap. We put them all in a bag covered with tissue paper, and let them open it and pull out all of their goodies.

This is typically how the event starts, with both of the dogs heads in the bag, checking out the goods...


Here are a few photos of the birthday girl that I took after her present had been opened and sufficiently sniffed...




I had to throw in a cute one of Lexi, too!  This photo just captures her personality.  She is such a happy dog...


They were actually doing a very good job of posing together, so I even managed to get a couple of good ones of them together...



Lexi's birthday is in early December, so I'm sure that we will be celebrating hers in the blink of an eye!

How do you celebrate your pet's birthday?

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Sweetness Overload

If you ever have the opportunity to see me with my family, two things will become immediately apparent to you.  First, I am completely head over heels for my husband.  Second, my dogs have my heart wrapped around their adorable little puppy paws.

It's not often that I manage to convince my hubby that sitting for a photo session sounds like a good idea, but every so often I manage to twist his arm into it.  (Usually when I suggest it at the very last minute and he can't come up with a good excuse on the spot to turn me down.)

I was lucky enough to get him to agree to a handful of quick shots of him with Zoe and Lexi this past weekend at a local park.  So, please indulge me, and allow me to share with you some photos of my family: my sweet husband, Kevin, and my adorable sweet peas, Zoe and Lexi.

I'll even save the commentary, and just allow the photos to speak for themselves:










Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer currently located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Michele will be relocating to Phoenix, Arizona during the summer of 2011. Visit Michele's website at michelewhitacrephotography.com. Become a fan of Michele's work on Facebook. Follow Michele's updates on Twitter.