Gracie

One of my clients lost a wonderful companion this past summer, She was a beautiful spirit and we had a ton of fun during our session this summer. Susan and Earl adopted her from BARK rescue, a group very close to my heart.
My heart goes out to Susan, Earl & their beautiful Gracie.

Sue

WEST fest 2008!

A great day at west fest 2008 in Westboro yesterday. It was supposed to rain but it remained sunny and we managed to raise some great money for BARK. Come by the Bark and Fitz booth to check out some great doggy ice cream cones, poochie sushi and grab a quick pic of you and your dog.

This year I chose to pay tribute to the classic photo booth shots that would get at your local mall (tacky ornage and blue backgrounds and all!).

Keep posted for more selections of funny Photo booth strips of westfesters and their lovely dogs! Here is sample from Saturday!

Cheers
Sue

A country "KISSmas" Pic!
What a great time Friday night at WAG. Thanks to all the staff that helped make this event go smoothly and for feeding me lemonaid!

Although not very many people wanted to be in the photos (oh well) we still had some great shots with some funky hats and scarfs! Here are a few of my favorites, but honestly they all tunred out great.

Just a quick note to everyone picking up the photos and greeting cards, I am hoping to have them all at WAG for pick up by Friday night. I'll keep you posted and give you a ring when they are at the store and ready.

BARK santa photos
President and founder of BARK Sharon McKeil, sent me the results of Saturday's pictures with SANTA! WOW a whopping $6000 was raised with $2000 alone being raised by the photos with Santa. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the festive gathering this past Saturday.

And a HUGE thank you to Photographer and newcomer to volunteering for BARK, Stephanie Paquette. Thrown into the fire for her first time as photographer for this event! Stephanie was shooting almost non-stop from 8 to 5 and photographed over 200 dogs! Way to go Stephanie and thank you for all your time!

Dogs in Canada Magazine

Just a note to followers and fans of Dogs in Canada Magazine. The new Dogs Annual is now available and features lots of local dogs this year. Featured on the cover of the Directory of Breeders is a beautiful seven week old Siberian Husky from Kortar Kennels of Kemptville, Ontario. I was photographed this beautiful pup last year in the fall at Kortar Kennels. Thank you for a wonderful time and the time to capture this stunner shot.

On a side note I had a great time going through hundreds of entries submitted for the Dogs Annual photo contest. Congratulations to all the winners of both the dog & cat photo contest. Great shots everyone! Also T a big thanks to photographer and close friend Brigitte Bouvier for helping judge all the entries.

Dogs in Canada December issue Page 16

It was a long wait, but WOW it turned out great! Last winter I photographed a Skijoring event help here for an article written by dog writer Diane Schuller. If you were at the event, give me an email and I can send you the login details for the gallery posted on my web site.

Keep posted for some great new additions I have sourced for clients in 2008. Lots of new items to purchase from your photo sessions and ways to commemorate your beloved pet.
(And you may be surprised to see a new line of photos popping up on the URBAN Dog blog.......let's just say....meow?)

Cheers
Sue

B.A.R.K.'s 5th Annual Photos with Santa!

A great day to spend with your dog, Santa and a room full of dedicated professionals and volunteers who love their dogs unconditionally. Great products for sale and this year B.A.R.K. has opened the room to Vendors as well. I have passed the relay baton to Photographer Stephanie this year.

I am going to be helping this year at the event and I will have a table with calendars and books to look at.

Here is the information on the event:

Sat December 1st 8am -5pm
St. Richards Church
Merivale and Rossland
Cost $10
Raffle prizes & VENDORS too!

Come out and say hello!
sue

Saying Goodbye

For those who have experienced the loss of your furry friends, you know that dealing with the feelings can be very difficult. With this in mind and in memory of a great dog who passed away this summer, I have teamed up with Bark & Fitz in Westboro to create post cards for those who can't find the right words for a friend going through the grieving process. Look for these new post cards at their Richmond Rd. location.

Look for more of these post cards in the store for other events that you just cannot find the perfect card for!

Dog days of Summer News

It has been a steady summer with photo sessions in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. I have met some wonderful dogs with great names like: Monty, Hoyo, Remus, Tak and Timmie to name a few. Their dog books are turning out wonderful and I am very excited to see them coming in soon.

Check out www.pamperedpuppy.com as of July 1st for an article on URBAN dog photog.

B.A.R.K. is holding a new event for all us that love to support saving and helping dogs. The first annual Pooches Picnic is set for August 26 in the Arboretum. Check out the info here B.A.R.K. I am working with Sharon to get as many vendors as possible at this event, so if you are interested in being a vendor please contact Sharon at smckeil@primus.ca

Their Annual fundraiser in May was a huge success! B.A.R.K.'S 6th Annual "Woofs and Wags" Walkathon was an overwhelming success. We raised $55,000. We had about 700 people walking, great prizes and a lot of fun at the BBQ after the walk. Partnering with the Ottawa Sun brought in many more people through increased advertising and much work from their PR people to heighten awareness of abused abandoned dogs.The Sun provided a trophy for the team collecting the most money which was won by the Katrina Dog Team that raised over $4000. headed by Gloria Baggs. Gloria heads Catahouls rescue in Eastern Ontario and she recruited many of her "Houla" people to help the team. Next year we plan to make her a new signthat says "Kats and Houlas". And just an update that the photos will be sent out this week as they are at the printer as of today! There were over 200 dogs photographed so thank you for your patience in getting your 5x7's!

Calendars
so for all of you who have pre-ordered or inquired, we are getting closer. The designing of each page has taken a lot longer than I had anticipated, but we are so close to final production. As soon as I have them in my hands I will post and contact you immeditely! I am really excited that this calendar will be a great tool for raising funds for the PAWS for Charity group and our efforts in raising funds for breast cancer research.

Lick for Life July 28th
I'll be hosting another Lick for Life event at WAG Doggin it Cafe on Bank Street on July 28th. This is a great way to get a shot of your dog in a pose that you commonly see and laugh at, but may have never captured before! In support of a great company called Lifestream www.animalbloodbank.ca Sign up sheets ill be available soon. Visit Wag to find out more information and see a sample image from previous sessions.

Thanks to everyone for coming out to the Pet Lover's Expo and stopping by the booth. Although the weather was not exactly great, Merrickville is still a beautiful town to visit for the day! All of you were the first to grab the new brochure featured here. The cover image is of Scooter, the proud owner of Gloria. I wanted to point out a great pet friendly place to stay! Only a couple of hours away from Ottawa is the pet friendly cottage resort that you can bring your loyal canine with you! Check out www.lakeedge.com.

And....you need to check out this artist! Lee-Anne Healey's Carvings in Wood! www.healeycarvings.bravehost.com

May 6th
B.A.R.K. Woofs and Wags walkathon
So everyone has to come out this event! A great day at the arboretum raising money for an awesome organization and cause that helps a ton of dogs! The day includes a free barbeque and vendors that have provided their services for free. In fact the line was large for photographs that I have enlisted a great photography friend of mine Brigitte Bouvier.

Last year B.A.R.K. spent close to $175,000 in vet bills. Any money raised during their largest fundraising event of the year will go towards a great cause. I have been working with B.A.R.K. for close to 6 years and I have been inspired and propelled to action by the awesome conditions that Sharon and Peter go into to rescue these dogs. If there was a day that was worth a walk in the park, it is this day. Plus the trees are always blooming in the park! It is a beautiful day. Everyone do the non-rain dance please! So stop by, grab the new brochure, get your photo done....but most of all enjoy raising money for an awesome group!

Cheers
Sue

Spring Fever!

Well it has been a crazy spring and it continues to get even more busy! March was a great month with a great trip to Vegas for a great workshop with one of the world's top wedding photographers, Bambi Cantrell and the WPPI. I had a blast and refreshed my shooting skills at the same time! I have a list of events that have happened or are about to! Hope to see you there!

Thursday April 19th
Timmie Doggie Outfitters
Toronto Ontario Canada
A great store at 867 Queen St. W. that has now opened a Spa for doggies. For the grand opening, owners Paul and George held a little photo exhibit of four dog photographers. So have a peek and visit the store to check out the photos I have hanging on the walls of the Spa!

Saturday April 28th
Pet Lovers Expo
Merickville Ontario
Come and visit my booth at the Pet Lover's Expo where I will be showcasing my photography and the books that you can have made from your own dog's photo session. Hope to see you there!


Sunday MAY 6
6th Annual Woof and Wags walkathon

What a great day to spend at the arboretum while raising money for a great group. I'll be set up at the event to help B.A.R.K. out for the day. Come by the booth and say hello. See you there!

Stay tuned for events this May!

Woof 'n' Wag Walkathon

This is my second year that has invited me back as the photographer for B.A.R.K.'s annual walkathon and major fundraiser on Sunday May 6. This is a great day in that you need to attend & and help fundraise for. The 7th annual Woof ' n' Wag walkathon for BARK will be taking place at the Arberetum on Sunday May 6, 2007. This is a wonderful hard working group that rescues, provides medical attention, fostering and adoption for dogs. I wouldn't have Chili-dog (the crazy terrier seen above) if it wasn't for B.A.R.K's trip to the Hurricane Katrina areas.

I hope to see you there. Come by and shake a paw! ~Sue
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." ~ Gandhi

X-mas photos for B.A.R.K.
Every year I donate a day to B.A.R.K for Santa Paws photos. It is always great to see the returning owners and pets who I have come to know over the past couple of years. As well as the committed volunteers who spend endless hours pulling together to help raise money for this incredible rescue group. I'll have you know
Santa was on his best behaviour for the visiting dogs.

Once again, as every year, I am always torn by the horror stories & conditions that some of the rescued dogs have come from. I encourage you to visit the B.A.R.K. web site and think about volunteering or donating at the next event.

Have a happy Howl-i-day!
Sue