The Barking Lot

I was recently made aware of new dog rescue facility opening in San Diego called The Barking Lot. I decided to volunteer my photography for the dogs up for adoption. In February, I went to the rescue and set up a studio - and photographed the pooches at the new rescue facility in El Cajon, CA.

Here are some of my favorites photos from the day - along with some of my favorite pooches.. One photo you'll see is 'Big Head Fred' the black 3-legged dog (below),, - someone adopt him please!! - my heart aches for the big fellow, he needs a good LOVING home, and YES they ALL deserve good loving homes. Big love and much respect to The Barking Lot,, talk about about a group of amazing, selfless - human angels.. very inspiring.

& No I'm not just photographing dogs these days - been busy photographing people as well.. ha Just sharing some fun, and some pooches that need homes. Contact the Barking Lot should you be interested in adopting... (*note - some of these dogs have already been adopted - but not all!!)




My photographer friend Stacy Keck joined me at the Barking Lot photo shoot photographing some 'behind the scenes'. Check them out here: http://bit.ly/i7PPZQ Thanks Stacy!!

Animal Panels

I started making dog panels about 3 years ago.

The dog panel is an evolution of sorts. I started making fine art panels of my photography in 2006, and in 2008 I was inspired to make a dog panel. So now I do both.

Technique: Inspired by my many street art friends. They go bombing in the concrete jungle and beyond, where they enlarge their art through painting, stenciling & postering, and I simply - do not (on the streets). And not that I haven't ever wanted to enlarge my photos and plaster them around cities - I just don't have the gonads, or maybe the energy I suppose anymore to run from the law. ha. Anyway my panels are photos that I take, work on in the computer, enlarged, oversize printed and then adhered to wooden panels that my husband I make. We adhere using street postering technique, and then finish them with either a poly-acrylic or resin finish.

I love animals, case you didn't know ;) , and I really like dogs. We were on the Dog Whisperer years ago - and my first inspired animal-panel was to make one for Cesar Milan of his dog Daddy. Daddy was old around this time and his day were numbered so to speak so I knew making a panel for Cesar of Daddy would be pretty cool and appreciated.. Daddy was Cesar's best buddy and partner with the whole show. {Its important to document your loved ones, and I really enjoy doing that for others capturing those serendipitous moments that maybe only an owner would see, and I do through my camera.} So I took some photos of Daddy, and well I wasn't that happy with them, as it was a HOT day - Daddy was over it and didn't like the camera - ha. Yeah I got barked at pretty hard by Daddy, scared me - Cesar was laughing. (Even though I own pit bulls - being barked at by one that's pissed off because of something you are doing, well it never seems to feel right,, ha) So my initial plan to make the panel of Daddy was put on hold - until when I could get some better photos - which I did about 1 year later. But this ordeal inspired me and was the beginning.

Further inspired, I saw a photograph taken by Frank Bruynbroek of his dog AJA, a one eyed pit bull. I am in LOVE with this photo, and I love the angle at which he photographed the dog. Its framed as if it is a human portrait. It definitely oozes human qualities, which I think makes the photograph all the more interesting. The direct glance commending your attention, the deep depth of field, and where he chose to crop the shot - looks as if its sorta a doggie head shot. So now combining the dog - animal subject with a signature type framing technique combined with the panel, my fine art dog panels were born.. Not your typical animal portrait is my goal, rather a fine art piece, larger than life - of your best friend with fur.

I finally made 2 panels of my own dogs! I have them hanging in my kitchen, I love them.. My girls are such good models.






Here is one of my good friend Peyton's dog Puddy:





I have a lot of fun making these and meeting new furry faces. They all have such different personalities, just like humans, so unique..

Here are a few other examples:

Hand painted background, and hand painted highlight of certain features. In this photo the dog's tags are painted blue.



This panel does not have a frame around it, rather the image is flush with the box style panel.


"When a dog speaks about love, every word is true." - Frank Bruynbroek

Emmy Lou Harris

Last week I got the opportunity to photograph the performance of legendary Emmy Lou Harris and her band. They were performing for a charity event in La Jolla to benefit the Foundation for the Children of the Californias
which was produced by Redfearn and Associates, a San Diego based production company that I've been working with for a bit now. It was a very cool event for an exceptional cause. Here are some photos from the performance. Such a righteous lady.

Her voice was all to familiar to me, as my father is longtime fan, and I remember listening to her 8 tracks in his truck as a child. I was very happy when I was able to tell him that I met & photographed her ;) - he said he was very proud. pretty cool. Theres nothing like photographing legends - its quaintly magical.

She played a song and I think its called "All I intend to be" (can't find it.... still looking)- which she said she wrote six years after the death of her poodle-mix, who inspired Harris to set up a shelter rescue program on her 50 acre back yard called Bonaparte's Retreat. The song was about a dog, about being a homeless dog, the life of - yup - i know - right up my alley ;) it was truly amazing - I shed a few tears and you would too - find it, listen to it! & let me know when you do. (I just found the song I think it is - you can watch it here - ‘Big Black Dog’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOaUt9vG-qA )

(Bonapartes Retreat) "The rescue is dedicated to providing nurturing foster care for shelter dogs when their allotted time at the shelter has elapsed; to prevent these wonderful animals from being euthanized and to find them permanent, loving homes. Bonaparte's Retreat was created to rescue dogs who were unadoptable from Nashville Humane Association. It has evolved into rescuing dogs who have run out of time at Metro Nashville Animal Control." -BR Website.


Meeting Emmy Lou and being able t photograph her was another all time life moment - and for that I am blessed & thankful!