Pins for P.A.L.S.

Pins for P.A.L.S. was a great event and Bark was a part of it. A portrait session was given for the silent auction and it brought many bids to the table. Steve and I participated and my bowling skills quickly improved as the afternoon went on. I still think I should keep my day job though.

Drat, I left two pins up

James strategizes before his turn

While the bowling was taking place a very lively silent auction was taking place

Ron and Greg rest up before their next turn

Rainy Day Hikes

A hike on a rainy day has different qualities for a photographer to explore; the colors are more vibrant and the fog makes everything look mysterious.




The wet weather brings out the salamanders. The primary ones we saw were the Red Efts, the immature version of the Red Spotted Newt. These little guys were everywhere.

There are drawbacks to hiking on a rainy day too. Below is our view of the water fall that we could hear roaring in the distance...

But then, little drops on small streams turn into bigger water falls too.

Mom and Dad Celebrate Birthdays

Dad celebrated his Birthday this Wednesday. So Mom and Dad joined Birthday forces (Mom's birthday was last month) and celebrated with some of their friends. Friends from the old neighborhood and others joined then at Zucca in the Smyrna Village for a delicious lunch. Note the trendy hats. I had a hard time keeping up with this bunch.

April Essay- after the storm

Each month I plan to take an afternoon or morning and photograph something different from what I would shoot in my everyday portrait business. I let what ever sparks my interest for that month be the subject. No year long calendar agenda! I have a feeling it will usually be nature related since that is where I seem to gravitate. This month we had a great thunder storm one evening, which went on into the night. The next morning water was on everything and the light on the scene was wonderful.

These are a few of the subjects I found in my own yard after the event. I tended to focused on the smaller rain drops. It amazes me how they can seem to defy gravity and stay on those petals and leaves. I did include one rainbow, I know, its cliche'. BUT I can never get over how really cool these are and how a storm can refract light like that. So in the essay it shall stay.

May 1st Roswell's toast to Children's silent auction

This Friday May 1 from 7 to 9 Roswell Friends and Hinton's Wine Store will host their third annual Roswell's Toast to Children's. This is a fund raiser for Childrens Health Care of Atlanta with a wine tasting and silent auction. Bark Photography will be represented at the silent action with a portrait session and a large print of the session to aucton off.

Check the web site for details Roswell's Toast to Children

Bark Photography: dog is everywhere

The official ribbon cutting ceremony at Chicopee Woods Mt bike Trails, Sat April 18 2009
The official ribbon has just been cut. Note the "official" scissors. Note the happy officials.

This weekend was the grand opening for the new mountain bike trails at Chicapee Woods in Gainseville Ga. There are miles and miles of new trails there. What has always been a good place to mountain bike has become even better.

The day was very festive with music, free barbecue and a wonderful mystery adventure ride with an abundance of great prizes at the end. Norma Rainwater used her skills as a mountain biker and educator to put together a ride that was fun and interesting ride for everyone.

This is the SORBA chapter that makes it all happen up there.

http://www.gainesvillesorba.org/wordpress/

This was quite an event. Everyone showed up, including Sorella Cycling, and they brought their new banner for this year. Since Bark Photography is a sponsor, our favorite dog showed up on the banner. Check her out, she's in the bottom left:

She's everywhere, including on the back of the jerseys. The jersey model shall remain anonymous. She had been riding though check out the blood on the elbow.

http://www.sorellacycling.org/

http://www.barkphotography.com/

April 13 Judging at Cherokee Photography Club

I went out last Monday representing Bark Photography to judge a very good abstract photography competition at the Cherokee Photography Club . There were over 120 entries, which kept me talking a while. All the images were outstanding. In the projected category alone I tried to talk them into letting me give 14 honorable mentions. This is quite the creative group. Thanks for letting me see all your work.

Check them out at:
http://www.cherokeepc.org/

Bark helps sponsor opening with Dog "Drawing"

Winsome, Whimsical & Organic is an art opening at Rev that Bark Photography is helping sponsor by giving away prizes.

But with a twist.

A complimentary full session animal portrait with all the perks will be the grand prize, and will be given away along with two other prizes:

(2) 11x17 prints and
(1) free 24 page coffee table book

Both prizes come with a 25% session fee discount. The three lucky people drawn will have 2 minutes to draw a dog on a piece of provided newsprint and the audience will pick the winner of the grand prize, as well as the 2nd and 3rd.

Of course the coveted dog bone award for best use of line in a drawing will be judged by someone who spent far too much time at art school.

art opening at REV coffee
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Time: 8:00-11:00
8:00pm - 11:00pm
Location:1680 Spring Rd Smyrna

An Opening Reception featuring artwork by Betsy Cozine, Veva Dunckel, Becky Fried, Gordoni, Vida, Matthew Sugarman, and Chris Warner.

Music by Urban Folk Musician Trina Mashell (myspace.com/trinamashell)
and Santee Steve and the Red Clay Cowboys (minus the cowboys)

Come on by!

April 7th will be a big day

Look what's up

April 7 will be a very auspicious day.
Two important events will take place:
The new Bark website will have it’s coming out party on the World Wide Web. It will have an entirely different look with many more pictures and information. I am especially excited about the testimonial section. It will include a picture of the subject with the testimonial. It’s from all my photography so it is not only dogs, there are kids, parents, moms to be and maybe a bride might put her 2 cents in the mix. It was fun gathering these as well as reading what people came up with to say. Thank you everyone for taking the time to participate in this.

The Birthday Girl !

The second important event? It’s my Mom’s 84 Birthday. Like her daughter she believes birthdays are not just one day events and I know that 3 Luncheons are already in the works.

Abby's big Adventure

Last Month Cynthia and I went to Siam Square to have a goodbye meal for Abby. We were the only ones eating however. Abby just patiently sat under the table.

Abby left for New York Monday to begin her formal training to be a guide dog. Cynthia has raised Abby from a puppy for the Guide dog organization. She has taken her to the opera, museum, restaurants, art openings, mine included, all to assimilate her so she will be able to be a blind person's eyes.

Abby we will miss you but can't wait to hear about your continuing adventures. Abby has been a portrait subject, a model and spokes-dog for Bark photography since she was been able to wag her tail. Good travels Abby.
http://www.guidedog.org/

Abby as a pup in her service dog coat

Bark takes a Holiday

It’s my birthday in January so Steve and I take a little winter vacation. This year we went to the Okefinokee and on down to the Suwannee River on a 5 day paddle. It was cold. There was ice back in the shallow part of the swamp. Nothing some warm food to start the day couldn't cure.

The second night it rained so there was more humidity in the air. Luckily we got all set up and fed before the heavy rain started.

The next morning the steam from the river was just magical

The last night on the Suwanee we had a nice camp fire. I didn't really miss eating at a table while we were out here but tomorrow night I will enjoy sleeping without a fine coating of sand over my entire body.

Wednesday Morning we were down at Crystal River Florida to see the manatees from a kayak. It was amazing. We went with biologist Matt Clemmons who owns Aardvark's Florida Kayak. He's also with Save the Manatees and knows all the ins and outs of the manatee world and the politics of the human side of dealing with the plight of the manatee. I thought I would see a nose or back from afar. No they were right under us, the water was so clear we could see them in detail. We had three even swim along with us for awhile.
The water was so clear - I never thought I would get such a view.

Thursday took us to the Chassahowitzka River and National Wildlife Refuge. The west coast of Florida is just beautiful, not as built up as the east coast. All the times I have been to Florida I had never really investigated this side, and have been amazed.

We rented a canoe at the Chas and saw the most wildlife we had seen, including two or three alligators. The second one doesn't really count; It was a skeleton. Usually there are tons more alligators out in the Okefenokee. It was just too cold up there for them to enjoy the sun.

I think the river might have a lot of traffic on the weekends. We saw only three power boats the entire day. On one of the tiny secluded spring fed creeks that feed into the river, we would meet entire outings of kayakers though. It was funny and quite alright as they are a friendly bunch

The almost end of the trip was to Cedar Key. We had both wanted to visit there for many years. They had great restaurants and a nice paddle over to an historic island. It was really the first part of our vacation focused on a town and we found Cedar Key really laid back and the way my Dad describes Florida. In fact we stayed on the same corner at the dock as I did when I was a small child. I have a vivid memory of being on this dark dock and this old man telling me stories of this island in the distance. The piture below is a restaurant at the corner of Dock St. I think I had breakfast there when I was a kid. I really didn't realize all this till I got home and talked to my Dad.

The hotel where we stayed. I think it got a face lift since I was a kid.

The island has lots of local cats. They must be in heaven. People left food out and water out for them and they had all the seafood leftovers.

They are supposed to have lots of local ghosts but we didn’t see any of those even though we ate dinner where one resides. But what we did find are clams. For the last decade or so Cedar Key has been busy clam farming and they are brilliant. We fell in love with them as you can see

Our final paddle of the trip was out to Atsena Otie island. The place the old man had told me about when I was little. It was rich in history. People had lived there and there was even a pencil factory. Now all that remains are some bricks and a cemetary.

An interesting sign on the way out of town

For our last stop we joined some other Sorellas in a race down in Lakeland. We decided to go all natural and use a map instead of the GPS to get there

Last day: the 6 hours of Lagarto with My Sorella buddies Norma Rainwater, Kate Cook, Kari Linder, and Aimee Murphy