Celebration time.

The face of The Standard Poodle FB, the one and only 'Luke.'  :)


I don't normally blog on Sundays; but when I do, it is for a very good reason.  Today is a special day.  Yes I know the Super Bowl is today but this is even more special; well at least to me it is.  My 'The Standard Poodle' Facebook group hit the 10,000 mark.  I started the group back on May 26, 2009 and never imagined in less than 5 years it would grow to this number of Standard Poodle  (or spoo) lovers.  I  never had a goal as far as numbers when I started; it was just a place where I thought that lovers of the breed could come together.  Well, come together we have and our members come from all around the world.

Via social media I have met so many people who I now call friends.  Some of these wonderful people I have got to meet in person, which is amazing.  Through this group of 10,000, people can share, learn and help others.  People love to talk about what they love; and on this group it is all about our spoos.   You know that I love all dogs; but I have lived with Standard Poodles for 30 years.  They hold a special place in my heart.  The commonality of the group is our spoos.  Just imagine being able to share a common interest with people in Africa, Australia, Ireland and everywhere else in the world.  I never imagined I'd be able to talk to and get to know all of these people and their amazing dogs.

We have a lot of happy moments and some very, very sad ones on the group.  But we all come together to help when we can.  Some of my proudest moments have been when the group comes together to find a home for a spoo in need; or help raise funds for an owner in need.  Having the ability to share with so many people with common interests is pretty great.  Sure social media has it's problems but is has it's greatness as well.  It has made the world a much smaller and more accessible place. 

I have one simple rule for the group and that is to be kind.  Any rude or mean people get the boot; and it has worked well over the years.  There have been less than a handful of people removed which is pretty amazing.   Everyone shares photos, their stories, experience and life with the other spoo lovers.

So, here is to The Standard Poodle FB group; you are an amazing bunch of folks and I for one am proud to say that I know you all.  I have loved getting to know you, your spoos and your family.  When you are celebrating the 'big game' today; raise a glass for yourself and our 'big group.' 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF IT ALL. 

Books

 I had Brad in my car last night which is a rare occasion.  Every time he sits in my passenger seat I cannot help but flash back to our trip across country.  Of course my book came to mind.  I decided to talk about my books this morning. It's sort of a walk down memory lane so bear with me a bit.

My very first book was Dogs in the OC.  After watching Housewives of the OC I decided that there should be a Dogs in the OC; offering a more realistic look at living in the OC.  The beauty and the places where people walk their dogs here in Orange County, CA

Before I even got started shooting I had decided to shoot real dogs in real places.  So I put out a call for dogs; any dog, big or small, furry or hairless.  The only stipulation was that they had to live in The OC.  Then I scoured the place for great dog walking sites and shot the dogs there.  It really opened my own eyes as to how many gorgeous places you can walk your dogs there are.  I loved meeting all the dogs and their owners.  Hearing all their individual stories.  So that was book one.

Dogs in the OC - on Blurb.

Book #2 was Greyhound Rescue.  I heard about Hemopet and Dr. Dodds years before.  She had done some very kind things for me and my dogs so I wanted to give back.  I couldn't rescue a Greyhound at the time so decided to do a book where 100% of the profits go to the dogs.  The whole thing, from start to finish was amazing.  Meeting each adopter, getting a glimpse into each individual dog's story to the whole rescue  procedure.  I fell in love with each shoot; rescued Greyhounds are amazing dogs and the people who rescue them are just as wonderful. 

Greyhound Rescue - on Blurb

Then came PBJ and me.  This book started out an idea of doing a photo journal across country.  My son and I were driving from CA to CT with our four dogs.  We had Jessie who was nearing 16, Tilley who was 14.5, Luke 11 and Elsa 4.5 months.  Crazy yep.  It very quickly turned into just a story about our travels.  It is all about lessons learned, things endured and what life is like in a car for 6 days.  There are a few very sad parts which are now memories stored on pages and my heart. 

PBJ and me - Two people and four dogs across the country. 

Next was the very unexpected When Luke Met Elsa.  I don't quite remember the moment when the idea struck me; but a children's book had not been in the plans.  But with so many images of Luke and Elsa while Elsa grew up it came together nicely.  She was such an important part of pack shift that the book illuminated her integral part in our life today.  Luke and Elsa are quite the pair.

When Luke Met Elsa

Then came The Standard Poodle.  I have lived with Standard Poodles for nearly 30 now; so this was the no brainer choice for a first breed photography book.  It was three years in the making and many, many hours of work.  Travelling, scheduling, shooting, working up the photos and putting the book together was a ton of work but I loved every second.  Again, meeting each and every Standard Poodle for the book was wonderful.  I love seeing the connection between a human and their dog; it is very interesting.  Each dog, although all Standard Poodles was very individual.  Work on a second Standard Poodle book is already underway but don't hold your breath, it'll be a few years.

The Standard Poodle - on Blurb

The last book to be completed was another Children's book.  Someday She'll Fly.  The book revolves around Elsa's desire to fly.  The idea came easily after seeing all of the "air" shots I got of her growing up.  She spends more time in the air than on the ground.  The story is about never giving up; when you want something bad enough you just keep trying.  I love it and it is the second book in the Luke and Elsa series.

Someday She'll Fly

That's it for my completed books to date.  I have several others in work as we speak.  I never work on one book at a time because I get bored; I like to jump back and forth.  So I have a third Children's book, a new puppy training book, a second novel and several photography books in front of me.  More to come.  :)