Learning about Lightroom, Scissors & Mud | Reflections

May 13, 2012January 14, 20164 Comments

It never stops, does it? The learning, that is…

I learned quite a lot about the above said things over the last few weeks. I’ve got Lightroom 4 up and running on my computer and I’m finding out how best to streamline my photo editing and organizing. And I know I’ll continue to learn more about what LR4 can do for my photography ‘habit.’ I’ve also learned that little boys like mud. They really really really like mud. So much that you have to strip them down to their birthday suits in the ‘Tulip Town’ parking lot so they don’t get into the car like dirty muddy piglets. Side note: Roman was born in the Year of the Pig.

I’ve also learned that my 4 year-old should not be left in the living room with his craft scissors (aren’t they supposed to be blunt?) while his parents have a bit of a lie-in lest he starts cutting his hair off. Okay, maybe he did need a haircut and it will grow back, but now my boy has a ‘fade’ on one side of his head and the shortest hair he’s had since he was a baby (the lop-sided mullet he gave himself had to be fixed). I will now cross this experience off my parenting bucket list.

As usual, I am posting to my blog in the wee hours of the morning. I’m still a night-owl, even though I’m actually exhausted with a headache…but I must sleep. I have a lot of kitten and cat editing to do ‘tomorrow’ (adorable photos coming!). It’s also Mother’s Day here in the States; maybe my boy will let me sleep in bed a bit longer as a treat (and if I bribe him probably). And yes, I have hidden the scissors.

Happy Mama’s Day, everyone!!!

xo ~ K

Tulip Town

Proud Muddy Piglet

Exceedingly Cute Kittens | Seattle Cat Photography

May 1, 2012January 14, 2016Leave a comment

I thought I would share this trio of exceedingly – no, insanely CUTE kittens, that I just re-edited. I took it way back close to beginning of my volunteer photo work at animaltalkrescue.org – the kittens were adopted in a heartbeat (how could they not have been?!) and were called about as soon as this photo went up on Petfinder and they weren’t even ready for adoption yet! We are going to send a copy of this to big donors at the rescue as a little thank you for helping save lives.

What my rescue photos don’t show, and I should show everyone some day, is the space that I take them in. I usually take them actually at the rescue itself in tiny small spaces (I take some of cats in their foster homes), with no way to set up lights and within a very short period of time; usually within 10 minutes and with the help of someone distracting them so they don’t jump off the table (or filing cabinet!) and run off. It’s really remarkable that these three actually posed and looked in the right direction for me…so, thank you, Moxie, Tango and Cozette! I hope that you three are enjoying pampered happy kitty lives now.

Now back to photo editing!!

xo ~ K

If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble. ~Bob Hope

**REMINDER: Please do not share, copy or reproduce my photos without prior written permission. They are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by K.A.Moore Photography, & Katherine A. Moore. Thank you!!**

Kitty’s ‘Good Side’ | Seattle Cat Photography

April 12, 2012January 14, 20164 Comments

It has been one of those weeks!! So today’s photos are kind of inspired by some of the feelings that we all have when we’re tired and weary, and certainly don’t want a camera in our face. Many people ask how I get the cats that I photograph to pose for me and how I capture their many pretty sides; it usually takes shooting off quite a few photos of my feline friends to give me the ‘money shot’, especially since cats are generally not as inclined to cooperate compared to dogs and people.

Well, like us self-conscious humans, animals appear to have their ‘not-so-pretty’ moments that they might not appreciate me sharing with you, but I happen to think they’re still adorable. I always see a lot of character behind these funny, perturbed and ‘why are you flashing that camera thing in my face’ looks.

And of course I do know that it’s only us silly homo-sapiens that care about what we look like to the world around us. I take the photos at the cat rescue so that I show off the cats’ best ‘side’ so that a potential adopting home may be drawn to the animal by their profile picture online (match-making at its finest and most useful, I’d say). Sometimes it’s the quirks and imperfections that make us/them more appealing anyway.

I also need to get beyond my own need to look half-way good in every photo of me, and let (aghast!) more be taken especially of me and Roman; I take so many of everyone else around me, that from my photo albums you’d think I didn’t really exist. But until then, everyone may sometimes see some of these looks appearing on my face in photos. I will post smiles and pretty things soon, but I hope these at least give you a chuckle.

xo ~ K

PS. Feel free to comment with your own captions for these photos!! I’d love to see what you’ve got.

This much is certain: when a man is happy, happy to the core and root of beatitude, he is no longer conscious of himself or anything else. ~ Meister Eckhart

Some Spring Thoughts | Seattle Animal Photography

March 31, 2012January 14, 20162 Comments

My boy and I had a lovely day together at the zoo recently, and I’m looking forward to more sunny spring days here where I can get out and about taking photos. Once I figure out what my naughty stomach is doing to me, and once I’ve shaken this cold and got some energy back, maybe that will be possible. And this is assuming we have some more nice days…we have had some wacky weather lately.

The giraffe shot was taken with my brother in mind, since he understands the ‘skill involved’ within that shot. Although, since the funny-looking fellow seemed to be looking right at me, I’m not sure what to make of his ‘gesture’ personally. Catching the bear basking in the spring sun made for an adorable sight, but take a peek at the long claws on his paw in that photo…

When I go to the zoo, I always have mixed feelings come up. I am happy to take my little boy so that he may see all these rare, many almost extinct, fascinating animals; I want him to learn about the different amazing creatures in the animal kingdom, and hopefully learn to appreciate that zoos are there to help with conservation, education, and breeding programs.

He’s excited to see the animals that fill the pages of children’s story books, and see that they really do exist. But I’m constantly reminded of the sad truth behind keeping these animals in their enclosures, in zoos, in wildlife preserves…we need them because all kinds of animals, birds and marine life are losing their right to live wild and free, safe from poachers, hunters, polluters and land developers. I read an article in TIME Magazine recently entitled ‘Nature Is Over’ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2108014-1,00.html and the whole concept made my heart sink. I don’t want nature to disappear. How could that be??! I don’t want my child to know a future where humans have obliterated all that is natural around us. I think that will be a sad, sad day. I also think it will be a very grave day; we are already seeing the impact we have had on the world around us and it’s not looking pretty. And by the way, did you go and see ‘The Lorax’ movie yet? If not why not?!!

*I love this link to The Lorax Project, so check it out… http://www.seussville.com/loraxproject/

Spring brings us that feeling that growth and new beginnings are possible; we see the flowers blooming, buds opening on trees, the grass is greener, and people get busy in their gardens (I seriously need my energy back to do something with ours – it’s looking shameful!). It’s the change in the trees, the sky, the light, the life that is in nature around us that brings those feelings and inspiration. I feel grateful to live in a city that embraces the natural world within and around it; we have so many parks and green spaces, we are surrounded by mountains and water. I doubt I can ever get my little family to the depths of the Amazon or the plains of Africa to see all the wildlife and natural wonders that I’d like us to see, but I can appreciate the nature that I see around me all the time, and hope that Roman always sees the wonder in it too.

xo ~ K

“In Nature there are no rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.” – Robert Green Ingersoll

Francisco | Seattle Cat Photography

March 23, 2012January 14, 2016Leave a comment

I am up way too late to write a real post but because I love the photos I got today of the handsome and very regal Francisco, I thought I’d share them. He has been at the shelter animaltalkrescue.org for a while now, with his more-shy brother Anconia, and in the past he has played a little hard to get. But today I got his soft side and all his attention. More beautiful cats from this session to come very soon!

xo ~ K