What do you get when...

...you mix a little sunshine and a long walk?

A happy dog!

I can always count on my Bison to pose for me.  Even when I don't promise a treat.  What a boy!

Positive Quote of the day:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.Dream. Discover"-- MARK TWAIN

Wishing you a safe weekend!

Letitia

Four house guests

Since last Sunday we've had four house guests with us.  Not what you may expect, they are of the furry four legged kind.  Bobby's brother and wife had their first baby on Sunday August 29, 2010.  A day our family will never forget.  They started the third Williams generation...how cool is that?!!! 

You may be thinking...wait...that means you have six dogs in your house, are you insane?  Maybe.  Let me give you a little history.  Mary used to be a dog trainer and taught me everything I know.  Our dogs have been trained the same way, had plenty of exposure to cats and respond to the same commands.  They even eat the same type of food.   Get the idea of how easy it was to integrate them into our home?  If you have a dog, no matter how old I can't stress to you enough the power of training!  Without it our house would be chaotic and it isn't.  It really isn't!!!  

How do we feed six dogs?  

In pairs, it's easier this way.

Bruno (American Bulldog): "This buddy system blows!"

Vinnie (Pug): "I know...the days of finishing my brothers food are over!"

The "cousins" really get along.  They sleep and play well together.

I know, cuteness overload!

Every dog learned they had to be patient and wait their turn, even if it was for a cat.  

These guys are the only ones who had the patience to pose for me to take their picture.  I love them for it!  The promise of a few cookies helped a little.

We loved playing together.

I got a few good single shots of Carmela (Chihuahua) and Gino (Pug):

I think Gino took my request too seriously and forced a smile?

I'm happy to present our nephew Caden Williams:

He is absolutely precious in every way!  We look forward to baby sitting him as many chances as we get and we can't wait to see this little guy grow up.  Welcome to our family baby boy!

Positive quote of the day:

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."

~Helen Keller

I can't help myself

Lindsay is too cute not to share with you!!

Isn't this the cutest nose you've ever seen?

Positive quote of the day:

"Solitude is one thing and loneliness is another."

-May Sarton

A sleeping puppy is a beautiful thing

Well....my Lindsay hasn't been a puppy for five years now but everyone always mistakes her for one.  It must be her cuteness?  Or it may have everything to do with being the runt of her litter?  Compared to all the Jack's we've met, Lindsay is always the smallest.  She may be small but she packs a large personality into that little body!  Yup, this little cutie fills the room with her grandness.  

It's rare for me to capture her sleeping or still because like all Jack Russell Terriers, she has TONS of energy!

Positive quote of the day:

"If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old.  You will just keep growing."

-Gail Sheehy

Hi there!

Who's been MIA?  Me!  I've been busy prepping for a crazy intense June.  This Friday I'm doing my second wedding.  Squeals!!!  Can't wait!  I rented a couple lenses that I've been drooling over for a while now from BorrowLenses.com.  If you ever want to play around with new lenses but don't have the cash to throw down on glass, rent it!  Borrow Lenses rates are quite reasonable and I get to keep them for an entire week!!  

Naturally my model Bison was my first test subject.  I have to say, I LOVE the Canon 16-35 f/2.8 lens.  It's everything I thought it would be.  The crispness is amazing!  And I love how it can make things appear larger than they are.  Or is Bison's nose really that long?  Maybe?  

The bokeh is gorgeous!  

One day I'd like to be the owner of this amazing lens, until then, thank you BorrowLenses.com

Positive quote of the day:

"Self-esteem comes from being able to define the world in your own terms and refusing to abide by the judgements of others."

-Oprah

~Letitia~

Why I love the beach...

Bison has so much fun every time we go.  He romps around with other dogs and especially loves to play with other Rhodesian Ridgebacks.  It's like he looks at them and thinks, "you're like me...you must be alright...let's play!"

Positive quote of the day:

"We know it matters not what we have been, but this and always this: what we shall be."

- Angelina Grimke Weld

Updates are good

I've been swamped over here with work.  Did I mention that I'm also a college Senior?  I've been working towards my B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accountancy FOREVER and a day!!!  My family can attest to this!  To my defense work, school, and managing a household is hard work!  I should be done this December if I'm able to get into the classes I need to finish up.  Budget cuts have affected the state schools here in California--no one is exempt!  In my experience many upper division sections to courses have been cut, so there are twice the amount of students fighting to get into one class.  Keep your fingers, legs, and arms crossed for me that I get into the classes I need.  

My blog posts will be sporadic but I do promise to update.  I'm excited about next month when I get to photograph my friends engagement session.  So, stay tuned!

For now I leave you with a creative take on Max, my parents Daschund.   Ain't he a cuttie?!

Positive quote of the day: 

"Cherish forever what makes you unique, because you're really a yawn if it goes!"

-Bette Midler

Cuddle bugs

I did mention that Bison and Lindsay were my test subjects for photography, right?  They so are!  I test out all sorts of new looks on their photos.  In this photo I'm testing out the retro look.  Do they look like retro dogs?  You know what's great about them being my subjects?  Besides the fact that I could call on them for a photo shoot at any time of the day.  They could care less if I catch them in compromising situations.  They're awesome!

Smiles make the world go round

This past holiday season, I was approached by my friend Terri to take her family portrait for her annual Christmas card.  Of course, I was thrilled!  I have a confession, my favorite part of Christmas are the cards!  I could care less about the gifts, the overabundance of sweets, decorations, and especially that holiday music.  Eeek!  I still cringe thinking about the music!!  I love making cards and definitely love receiving them.  After our family session I was lucky enough to catch Terri with her number 1 love Diesel.  Diesel is a two year old Dogue de Bordeaux.  Even though he outweighs Terri he is a sweet pea!  This gentle giant is filled with endless love and energy and boy does he LOVE his momma!

Positive quote of the day:

"In my eyes, I've never failed because I've never given anything less than my best."

-Shawn Johnson

Sometimes the spotlight shines bright upon us

At one point or another we've all felt that spotlight shining bright upon us.  Whether it's good or bad, the spotlight is there!  Some of us enjoy it because we feed off attention others give us and then there are people like me who shy away from it.  I'm perfectly happy in the background quietly observing.  Life is enjoyable that way!

Lindsay, my Jack Russell Terrier, on the other hand loves the spotlight to shine bright upon her lovely face.  It showcases that cool patch over her left eye.  In this photo I've experimented with actions and textures:

Positive quote of the day: "Often people attempt to live their lives backward; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier.  The way it actually works is reverse.  You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."
-Margaret Young

~Letitia

Finally Started a blog!

At the persistence of friends and family, I finally started my very own photography blog to document my photographs. I like taking pictures but I'll be honest, I'm not much of a writer. I'll let my photography speak for itself. The plan for this blog is to share recent pictures but I also want to delve into the archives and share some of my favorites that I've taken over the years. You'll notice my pets are almost always sprinkled in my photographs. They can be quite inspirational!

To kick off my very first post, I'd like to share my newest creation using Florabella Actions. It's a picture I took some time ago while Bobby and I were out with the dogs. You may only see Bison in plain view but Bobby and Lindsay are also in this shot if you look closely.

I've been on a positive quote craze to get me through tough times. I plan to end each post with my favorite quotes.

"The spiritual path is simply the journey of living our lives. Everyone is on a spiritual path; most people just don't know it." -Marianne Williamson

~Letitia