Wings of Rescue Mission 11.20.15 | Seattle Rescue Pet Photography

November 23, 2015January 14, 20163 Comments

Just this Friday, about 1000 dogs and cats got a second chance at a new life, and I was lucky enough to witness the start of some of them. It was just about a year ago now that I photographed a Wings of Rescue Holiday Airlift that flew dogs and cats up here to Washington from California to find their new homes. I was blown away then at the sheer number of animals that arrived here, at the massive operation that goes on when all these rescues pull together to make this happen. Instead of animals facing euthanasia in overcrowded shelters in California, where overpopulation is a big problem, Wings of Rescue gives them a chance at a new life in other states, where adoption rates are higher.

First here are some images from the loading portion in CA, courtesy of Jim Nista

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SO, Jim Nista, my pet photography contact in CA (and volunteer photographer at Long Beach Animal Care Services), sends me a message the evening before the mission asking me if I might meet the flight and take photos again. It then occurred to me that the rescue I volunteer my time taking cat photos at, Seattle Area Feline Rescue, just might have some cats on board, since we had started transferring in cats from CA (I found out we were expecting 11 cats on the flights). I would HAVE to go meet this year’s airlift and photograph the arrival.

*Images taken at Paine Field, Everett, WA. Note: Captions may look cut off on mobile, as opposed to on laptop/computer.

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This year’s Home for the Holidays Airlift apparently broke the world record for the most animals flown to rescues in one day, close to 1000. It took 24 planes to do that, flying them to rescues in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Washington alone received about 400 animals; PAWS, the NOAH Center, Kitsap Humane Society, Skagit Humane, and Seattle Area Feline Rescue met the approximately 100 dogs and cats from the flights at Paine Field.

Here are just a couple of shots after we continued our journey onto the rescue…I ended up helping settle the cats in for the night. Luckily I’ll be able to follow up with these little ones soon.

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Waiting to have cages set up for them.

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Tabitha waits patiently. Well, sort of.

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This kitten was in with another one until I realized they weren’t getting along, so they were separated. Then she was climbing the bars to get a better look at me. So we had to have a cuddle before I said goodnight.

I have so many thoughts and big feelings about this whole thing. I’m so grateful to the pilots who donate not just the use of their planes, but they also donate the fuel. I’m constantly grateful to volunteers at rescues and shelters everywhere for their tireless work with animals. I’m so glad there’s this massive effort to do something like this (and I know everyone involved wishes they could do even more). Yet, there’s always this frustration that there is such a need to have to move such a large amount of animals around to get them adopted. But it does feel good to know that we can come together to help find homes for dogs and cats like this. It’s really pretty amazing. Let’s keep being amazing, everyone!

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet. ~Colette

The Purr-fect 2016 Rescue Cat Calendar | Seattle Cat Photography

November 23, 2015January 14, 20161 Comment

I’m writing after a really busy week (being on CreativeLive for a Street Photography course, meeting the #CatDaddy Jackson Galaxy, plus photographing a Wings of Rescue mission, which I’ve already shared about in my previous blog post), but now I DO need to feature the 2016 calendar that I just finished for Seattle Area Feline Rescue…because I’m just so excited about it!

For several years, I’d been thinking it would be great to put a calendar out there featuring cats from the rescue (I usually create a personal one for myself, as it is), but it’s something you need to have some investment in on the back end, and we hadn’t got around to organizing in recent years due things like our rescue moving.

So when the Director of the Board asked if I could I put a calendar together in a few weeks to see how well we do this year with one, I jumped at the chance. I wouldn’t have time to do styled shoots for each month with such short notice (although that’s not my general M.O.), and I was entrusted to make my own choices of the cats based on a variety of adults, kittens, and seniors, but then I started looking at my massive catalog of cats just from this year, and it looks something like this…

I ultimately realized how HARD it was to make choices about which cats to put in! I have so many favorites images, but there are only 12 months, and I didn’t dare ask a bunch of people because then I could disappoint people who are volunteers, who foster our cats, etc., who would like to see their cats featured. All these cats are special, and I remember them all. Their stories are all unique and I could write a BOOK about all the cats I meet and about the time I experience when I photograph these sweet felines.

The only image I was sure of immediately was the cover, and that was to feature James. He came to us in a terrible state, transferred in from another shelter, suffering from diabetes, malnourished, shaved to rid his fur from fleas and terrible matting, and he had loss muscle tone in his legs. He had to have all his teeth removed due t0 his dental problems and he required a large amount of medical treatment and TLC. BUT he has come a LONG way since that time, and was adopted by his foster ‘parents’. (I’d like to do a follow-up photo session now!) But his image was and is a favorite of many, and it stands out. When Jackson Galaxy took a calendar at his booksigning event the other night, he was an immediate fan of James’ funny little face too.

Below is a slideshow featuring the cats from the calendar; they appear in this order: James, Mia, Muffin, Gonzo, Stella, Dora, Princess Buttercup, Jack, Moose, Halo, Black Violet, North & South, Cortana.

*All Images Copyright K.A.Moore Photography.

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Calendar details: In the calendar I made sure to put in pet and animal holidays and important days to remember, like National Black Cat Day, for all you cat fans out there. The images are full spread so you can gaze upon the one cat of the month, and the spiral bound calendar is printed on matte paper for easy writing. There are also reminders in there about how you can support our rescue, and all the proceeds from calendar sales support the cats and kittens of the rescue. It is the average calendar size of 8×10 inches, and if you are a Seattle local, you can pay and pick up at the rescue with no shipping charge (an excuse to come and look at cats), but you can also pay to have a calendar shipped if you are further away.

Make your calendar purchase by clicking HERE (links to rescue page)

**Update: Calendars are now only available for sale AT the rescue. If you would like to CUSTOM ORDER one (I will start with next consecutive month), contact me directly**

1 x 2016 Calendar for $15 if picking up locally at the rescue
1 x 2016 Calendar for $20 includes shipping
other quantities are available on the rescue website link too

All proceeds benefit the cats and kittens in our care. And remember this is a limited run of the calendar so get it now!!

My copy has been signed by Jackson Galaxy though! Yours won’t be scribbled on.

This really is a beautiful rescue calendar filled with images I made with a lot of love and care; when I photograph cats at the rescue, I’m not doing it just to get a photo up on the web (although that’s something I need to do to get them noticed), I’m trying to show the beauty I see in that cat, so that others will see that too. I hope that shows in my work, whether you see it as a rescue cat or as standalone artwork. These really are some of my favorites from this last year; feel free to ask me why I featured them, or ask me their stories. I’ll be happy to share. I love them all!

Thank you for your support, and enjoy your purr-fect rescue cat calendar! Again, just click the following for the Seattle Area Feline Rescue Calendar purchasing page.

Bonus: If you get your calendar at the rescue, be sure to pick up one of these Rescue Special cards for half off a pet portrait session. This also goes for any cat adopter!

Songs of Life, ‘Feels Like Home’ | Seattle Pet & Lifestyle Photography

February 2, 2015January 14, 20163 Comments

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I have a done a post for the photography blog circle I’m in but the latest song that came up for February – ‘Feels Like Home’ – really made me want to post a particular cat…this guy you see below, Scarecrow. Our blog circle (Songs of Life) centers around a song each month that serves as our theme for the images we post.

I actually had a ton of different ideas this month, and lots of things came up for me that I felt like sharing:

Going back to England at Christmas, which was so important for; it was just so good to be back amongst family at that time of year – the first time I had done so in 15 years (but I figured people wouldn’t want to see holiday photos in February)
Getting BACK home here after the holidays…I had missed my animals, and home so much, even though it was good to go away for a bit
The city of Seattle, because I have lived here for 20 years now, and I have a deep
Seattle City Skyline. Copyright K.A.Moore Photography.

connection to it; plus I had all these mushy feelings thanks to the Super Bowl (but I figured no-one would want to hear about the Seahawks right now…too sad). Although, you should check out my city skyline shot that I took last week larger, here on Flickr.

But then I realized, after taking photos – scroll down – of a cat (surprise!) the other day, that THIS is what I needed to post. I’m always thinking so much about what home means, when it comes to not actually having a permanent home yet; being around animals that need forever homes will do that to you. You will see below that Scarecrow came to us, well, looking like a Scarecrow. When he was dropped at the police station (see file photo below), he was covered in dirt and fleas, looked yellowish-brown, was unneutered (hence his great big baseball head!), and definitely needed some major TLC. He ended up at the amazing Seattle Area Feline Rescue and you can just see by looking at this cat, what a difference that meant.

Right now Scarecrow is in an amazing Seattle foster home and quite obviously it ‘feels like home’ for him. It’s sometimes a challenge to get a 12 year-old cat (a senior, but theoretically, middle-aged!) adopted, and so until the right person (is it you, perchance?!) comes along, that’s where he’ll be. Hanging out with other cats, playing with toys, rolling around in catnip, enjoying life inside with people that care for him and love him…life is pretty good for him now. But after his rough life so far, he deserves to always have a great home. Foster homes are literally the lifeblood of rescues and shelters because they enable animals to be rehabilitated, and re-socialized, and essentially mean more can be cared for. And the best part is that they feel like home.

So if you want to help homeless pets and can’t give money to a rescue, volunteer. If you can’t adopt another animal, you can foster! For so many rescued pets, it makes a world of difference.
*If you are in the Seattle area and want to meet this awesome cat Scarecrow, please email adoptions@seattleareafelinerescue.org

As for me, I’ll be posting info here soon about the in-home photography sessions for pets (and families) that I will be offering. I can’t wait!

Make sure to follow all the way to the end to link up with the next photographer in our ‘Songs of Life’ circle! The next link in the blog circle can be found below my images so be sure to follow the circle around!

*Please click on the images to get a better look.

Scarecrow, when he was brought to a police station, covered with fleas and dirt

Scarecrow, as he looks today

Playing with a carrot is very tiring

Scarecrow, supporting the Hawks

It takes a long time to get this sweet

Next up in this fabulous circle of amazing photographers is Sharon Spall of Sharon Spall Photography and you can find her post right HERE! She is a super talented photographer friend of mine, who I met while away at Clickaway, so it will definitely be something good…

8 Favorite Things About My 2014 | Seattle Pet & Lifestyle Photography

December 30, 2014January 14, 2016Leave a comment

Wishing for a new lens…

It’s the end of yet another year! Not quite sure how that happened! The older we get, the faster the years go by, don’t you think? And like me, I expect you have spent some time reflecting on what the last year has represented to you, what’s been great, what has been crummy, and what resolutions you are making for the next year. I’ve definitely been reflecting on this last year; actually I’ve spent months doing that, with a good chunk of time during my holiday back to England spent in reflection mode.

I have almost filled an entire Moleskine book with so many notes in the last couple of months, while I’ve been doing all this refocusing, reflection and rethinking. So I’m now waiting on a couple of Kickstarter projects – Spark Notebook and Passion Planner, to fulfill my important stationary needs (I’m kind of a stationary nerd). I have been rewriting an all-important new business plan, feverishly watching photography and business webinars, and reading all sorts of things, in order to reinvent my social media side, repackage my brand, and present the best photography session offerings that fit what I believe my photography stands for (I’ll reveal what’s new soon!). I want more people to enjoy and share what it is that I do, by way of having me capture their companion animals and families with beautiful images that they will hold on to forever. Since my actual business has taken a backseat in 2014, with me focusing quite a bit on rescue work as well family issues, I’m ready for this next year to be different!

8 Favorite Things About My 2014

1. First great thing was definitely getting a new laptop, one that could keep up with me and all my photos. I can’t express how much of a difference it makes having the technology to keep up with you when you’re dealing with and processing hundreds of large image files. I would definitely express this to a photographer starting out, when determining what gear to make sure they have. That, along with some good external hard drives for digital storage. Efficient digital asset management is so important!

Rachael Hale McKenna with Katherine Moore

2. Being a part of the studio audience of Rachael Hale McKenna’s course ‘Animal Photography’ on CreativeLive. I felt so honored to be chosen to be on set for this course (luckily CL has a studio here in Seattle!), to get the chance to see how Rachael works her photography magic on everything from a rabbit, to a pot-bellied pig, to a pair of Great Danes. Being among my pet photographer peers was an added bonus; it woke me up to the importance of networking with your peers, which can be a bit tricky when people are working in home-based businesses. Rachael’s approach is one of patience and simplicity, which I also feel are paramount to good animal photography; patience is vital for connecting with your animal ‘subject’ and keeping it simple is definitely my style: I believe animals are beautiful in their own right and don’t need bells and whistles to make them shine.

Our beautiful new sign at SAFe

3. This year saw the official opening of a new space for the rescue that I volunteer my photography for: Seattle Area Feline Rescue became the cat rescue so many of us imagined and worked hard for it to be, and it was and is wonderful. With a light and airy space, brand new state-of-the-art enclosures for the cats, new protocols for handling the cats, and it being so much easier for me to get good images in there without flash photography and such tight space limitations, I know it has made a difference to all of us volunteering, and ultimately for the cats. We are adopting out kitties at a much higher rate and morale is so much better. Cats being at the rescue for a shorter period of time before we get them new homes is just fabulous. More and more lives will be saved in 2015!

4. We moved. In my book, this was a personal victory. My family and I had been living in an entirely unsatisfactory living situation for way too long, and although this was just a move within the same zip code right here in Seattle, barely a 5-minute drive away, it had to happen. We moved away from landlords that didn’t care, and a nightmare of a neighbor, and gained a space that felt safe and clean and hopeful. I also finally got my own workspace, where I could keep all my gear and use my laptop in peace and comfort. I can’t even describe how good all of that was for my psyche and outlook. Never underestimate the need for a healthy living space for keeping you sane and productive!

On the CreativeLive set with Kirsten Lewis

5. I was chosen for a second time to be in the studio for a CreativeLive course and this time it was for a different kind of photography that resonates with me and am passionate about, Family Photography: Modern Storytelling with the brilliant, talented Kirsten Lewis. This changed me…really changed me. It gave me the permission to move forward in the future with the kind of family and pet photography that I’ve always wanted to do. Since studying photography and journalism in college, I’ve been fascinated with photojournalism, war photography, and candid, lifestyle photography. It’s the raw, unposed, everyday moments that need to be captured on camera to tell our stories; our stories are important and they need to be captured, recorded and shared. So many memories slip by, our children grow up, our pets never live as long as us…moments are fleeting. Recording all of those things is what I know I am here to do.

6. Click Away Conference 2014. This was my first photography conference, and first trip out of town alone since having a child (7 years!). It was put on by the fab Clickin Moms forum that I belong to, which inspires, teaches, and encourages photographers the country and world over. Aside from getting out of town to Salt Lake City, which I so needed, and attending workshops that gave me lots to absorb, what really was wonderful was connecting with so many of the talented photogs, and getting to know some of the Seattle ladies, which I’d not had the fortune to do before. Extra brilliant part of the trip: seeing the Salt Flats. Amazing.

7. I was able to go home to England for the holidays. My previous plan had been to go back again in the summer, but I felt my son and I really needed a trip home to see family sooner than that. We had had a tough few months at school, and my boy especially needed some grandparent time. I hadn’t spent Christmas back in the UK since 1999, so it was a treat, even if it was a bit crazy as compared to the usual holiday for us here. Being with family again, and around all things English (you know, castles, chocolate, biscuits included) made it really hard to leave…it gets harder each time we go back, it seems.

8. Ultimately, this year was one of great reflection and a time to refocus for me. I’ve worked on a business plan, reevaluated priorities in my life, and helped my son through some really tricky spots. These things have all been quiet, solitary and sometimes very frustrating endeavors, and from the outside, I could look at 2014 as a bit of a wash in some respects. I didn’t do the business I really wanted to, I let too many personal photos go unprocessed again (naughty me), and I discovered my first couple of grey hairs. Some relationships were really hard. But I’m trying to look forward, work on acceptance, and to embrace opportunity and change.

So, onto 2015! A re-launch and rebrand of my business is to happen, and there are tons of photos to be taken, and many cat’s lives to be saved. And I want to tell as many stories as I can with my images, so that they may be revisited and enjoyed tomorrow. I wonder what’s on your list…. Why not resolve to get your family and pet’s images taken by a photographer this year, for starters?! Make it the year you commit to preserving your memories for years to come.

Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all. ” ~ Hans Christian Andersen

Happy New Year!!

Home, where you are loved, is the best place to be... Copyright K.A.Moore Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Rescued Moments 11.4.14 | Seattle Cat Photography

November 10, 2014January 14, 2016Leave a comment

Hello folks –

If you read my posts on here, or follow my Facebook page, you undoubtedly see lots of pretty portraits of beautiful cats….proof is in the pudding that professional images of rescue animals gets adopters in through the doors of rescues and shelters, and gets those animals adopted. I can’t think of a more gratifying way for me to use my photography skills – it’s therapeutic for me – and I’d encourage every photographer and artist to find a way to give back with their work. But hey, that’s another story…

The ‘story’ I have to share today is one with those images that I don’t expressly take or use for cat adoption but instead for documenting what happens at the rescue when I shoot. On just about every trip to the rescue when I go in to make cat portraits, I take my own behind-the-scenes images, those in-between moments, the photos that capture something extra, something usually unseen in my usual work that people see. There are so many little moments with cats that are quiet and just so flipping adorable, that I have to share them. I am also transitioning my professional work of pets and family to be documentary-style, so it’s all just naturally falling this way for my photography these days. These are from my most recent visit to Seattle Area Feline Rescue. Enjoy and come back soon!!

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