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. :)
