Holiday Tidings | Reflections

December 27, 2014January 14, 2016Leave a comment

Merry Christmas, all! A tad late to say it but I think I have good reason…well actually I’ll make a few excuses about being with family.

I do hope that the holidays have brought good tidings to all you fabulous people out there! For once I was able to spend the holidays back here in England, away from Seattle…they are both homes to me. I have spent half my life in the Pacific Northwest, but my family and heart lie in England, usually so very far away.
It’s been crazily busy, seeing relatives and friends, joining in with festivities and food that I normally miss out on. My son has had the chance to feel included and involved (as well as reprimanded by many people who care!), which is what he so lacks and yearns for, and it’s been a treat to see him within the family I knows he wishes were always around.

I suppose I could lament about how I didn’t get my proper trip to London this time, how I didn’t get to go the cat café that I set my heart on. How I didn’t get to see some of the long lost friends that I wanted to, and most assuredly how I didn’t get the chance to slow down and spend time out taking the photographs that I wanted to (well there’s never enough time for all the photographs I want to take). I hadn’t spent Christmas here since 1999! I hope everyone had time to enjoy their families and friends, because they are precious gift.

I am flying back to Seattle today, much sooner than I’d like to, and with a heavy heart about leaving family I wish I could be with more often, as well as the green field-checkered landscape that is unspoiled in my mind. But I have to focus on what I’m bringing back, if it’s not what I’ll go back to. Aside from entirely too much Lego brought by Father Christmas/ Santa for my boy, I’ll be bringing back a business plan that I’ve been working on to relaunch my photography venture, goals for the coming year (look out!!), and new memories. There are several memory cards of images that I need to back up and process too.

I wish everyone well and hope you all hang in with me in 2015; I’ll be posting about my new photography session offerings really soon! So excited for the New Year. On my way to the airport right this minute!

merry christmas from K.A.Moore Photography, Seattle Pet & Lifestyle Photography

Wishing you peace, love and joy this Christmas.
Copyright K.A.Moore Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Wings of Rescue Mission 12.5.14 | Seattle Rescue Pet Photography

December 6, 2014January 14, 20162 Comments

Hi there everyone –

I had the fortune of documenting a Wings of Rescue this week, and oh, what an amazing thing to be a part of…

Many dogs, as well as some cats, arrived on several flights (at Paine Field, here just north of Seattle) from Southern California destined for new lives by way of some great local Washington rescues. Close to 600 animals arrived on the rescue transports that day, not really knowing what is in for them, but were met with open arms and second chances. There are many words I could say to explain what this sort of thing represents to me, and how it makes me feel, but I’ll share my images with you instead, and maybe you can sense the hope and relief. You can see that there are many people involved – missions like this don’t happen without a lot of people involved.

I’m still overwhelmed at the sight of the sheer number of animals that came here…I wish we didn’t have to fly animals around to different places to find them homes, but I’m very, very glad we can. Wishing them all homes for the holidays!

*You can see a bigger and better version of these images over on My Flickr album.
**Many thanks to all the rescues involved…you rock!

PS. Make sure you come on over to my Facebook page to say hi too!

A dog is not a thing. A thing is replaceable. A dog is not. A thing is disposable. A dog is not. A thing doesn’t have a heart. A dog’s heart is bigger than any “thing” you can ever own.”
― Elizabeth Parker, Paw Prints in the Sand

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Ginger Cats of Fall | Seattle Cat Photography

November 22, 2014January 14, 2016Leave a comment

Fans of ginger cats should be jumping up and down with joy at this super adorable collage. I can’t believe it to look at it… Over the last few weeks at Seattle Area Feline Rescue we have had (and have) so many ginger kitties! Red tabbies seem to be asked for specifically sometimes, so it’s crazy to have so many at once. There are even two girls among these faces (guess which!).
In the previous couple of weeks we had an influx of black and tuxedo cats, it seemed (and those are usually the hardest color to get adopted), but now it’s the turn of the red tabby. Maybe it’s because orange is a Fall color?!! I love the coincidence there…the perfect color to follow the black of Halloween!

So have a good look at all these adorable faces, and marvel at how different cats can all be. If you click on the link above, you can find the rescue’s site (here in lovely Seattle, of course).

And come on over and see me on Facebook at K.A.Moore Photography Facebook Page… It’s great to hear from you too, so please say hi!

Ginger Kitties - Copyright K.A.Moore Photography. All Rights Reserved.

Songs of Life, ‘Radiate’ | Seattle Lifestyle Photography

August 27, 2014January 14, 20161 Comment

Hello everyone! I’ve been invited to contribute to a blog circle which draws its motivation and interpretation from songs given to us each month; it’s an honor to be asked and a great opportunity to share something a little bit different. Please make sure to follow all the way to the end to link up with the next photographer in our ‘Songs of Life’ circle! Since this is new thing that I’m doing, this will be a bit of a departure from my usual pet photography (or fanaticism, depending on how you see it!), but totally in keeping with the direction of where my own personal photography already is, and where my professional work is going.

What I’m talking about is Lifestyle Photography, documenting real life, with all its warts and wrinkles, tantrums and tears. Sometimes smiles and hairballs. Outside of my work with rescue cats, and pet photography, I have practiced my skills within other photography genres that forced me to work with low-light, flash photography, with posing, groups, you name it, I’ve been doing it. But I’m constantly drawn away with my urge to focus on what feels more natural (not always is it easy though): documenting what IS. And THAT is where I am headed, with both my professional pet photography and family photography.

Recently I was lucky enough to be a studio audience member on creativeLIVE‘s course by the talented, amazing, honest and awesome Kirsten Lewis on Family Documentary: Modern Storytelling, and it was seriously profoundly life-changing. What Kirsten stressed throughout is how photography is important because of how it transports us in time, it can be controversial, it evokes an emotion/elicits a human response, and often becomes more powerful over time. With our/your own personal photography, it does most of these, so neglecting our own stories by never photographing them (or by only ever having posed portraits done or getting cheesy smiles for the camera) we never will have those real moments frozen in time in our images.

I’ve been concerning myself too much lately that over this summer, we haven’t been doing much as a family, no big trip…too much comparing to what others are doing. We had a move to make though, the heat slows me down and well, vacationing is expensive. But here we are, at the end of the summer, and these are some of my recently photographed family moments. They radiate light, laughter, smiles, sun, life, childhood. These are moments when my son and my stepdaughter are actually getting along, which usually does seem to happen at the playground. I have kept the imperfections of hair in a mess, the sun flares, the motion blur, and just gone with how these make me FEEL. For me, it’s the joy that radiates from them that has led them into this blog piece. The song that was given was ‘Radiate’ by Jack Johnson, and while I originally just saw moments in my head all week of how it made me immediately think solely of my boy, these are the images that spoke to me.

**Please click on the photos to view them bigger and to scroll through! The next link in the blog circle can be found below so be sure to follow the circle around!

The Last Pringle. Copyright KA.Moore Photography.

Until I post again (when I will just HAVE to tell you about my upcoming photography conference trip), remember to come say hi on Facebook.

Next up in this fabulous circle of amazing photographers is Jennifer of Jennifer Snavely Photography and you can find her post right HERE. I spy another little boy coming up…!

Instagram Contest Win | Seattle Street Photography

August 15, 2014January 14, 20162 Comments

Originally meant to post on August 13th, 2014….

I’m writing this late, and I’ve had an emotional evening so maybe it’s not utterly the best time to write anything anywhere BUT I’m going to blow my horn for a moment. And in a moment…

I am at the end of Day 2 of being in the studio audience at creativeLIVE for Family Photography: Modern Storytelling with Kirsten Lewis (who I will have to say more about soon) and I have to say it has been an amazing course. Exploring the art and business of documentary-style family photography and learning from the best there is, from Kirsten Lewis has really got my ‘creative cogs’ turning. For some time now I have wanted to do sessions that are more lifestyle and documentary than posed, including ‘End of Days’ sessions for companion animals, and for families with pets included. This current course totally bookends the other Creative Live course I took part in, ‘Animal Photography with Rachael Hale McKenna’, along with my extensive pet photography work, and the style of shooting is just me. I’m at a crossroads with my business and so much more so I’m excited.
But my big deal today was winning 1st PLACE in the creativeLIVE Instagram challenge contest for Day 1 and I am thrilled. Stoked. Honored.
The challenge was this: Make a portrait of a stranger. You must take the time to talk to them, connect with them. Get to know them and share their story. This is to challenge your fear and reinforce how just taking the time to connect will gain you access and trust. Don’t forget about finding good light.
Well here’s the story and photo I posted. I received such overwhelmingly great feedback on Facebook and Instagram about it that I am genuinely touched and honored. Please feel free to leave any comments and feedback here – it’s utterly inspiring to hear from people!

I feel like I hit #kirstenoncreativelive1 contest gold this evening. When I heard we had a CL Instagram challenge: great. When I saw that it was to introduce myself to a stranger to get their portrait and ask them their story: yikes. I’ve always wanted to do such a thing but honestly never had the gumption. But I couldn’t have been happier that I did. While at the farmers market with my boy, eating freshly-made quesadillas and ice cream, this street musician with a kind face and one of those boots on for a hurt foot, played his guitar, and I finally got myself up to talk to him. Within seconds of me talking, he asked if I’m English (which I am), immediately recognizing my accent and from then on he couldn’t hold himself back on sharing his story. In his own muddled English/American accent, he told me his name is Joel Fleming, “but really I’m a ‘Davis’, of Welsh descent”, and he turns 60 this year. His military father had moved their family to England when he was a teenager and he spent the early 70’s there, a time that impacted him greatly. He told me fond tales of going to the summer solstice festival at Stonehenge with his friends. About meeting numerous musicians he admired (still to this day) at concerts. About hanging out at Hyde Park in London, and calling into a radio station and getting to say hello to John Lennon. He talked with fondness about the country that I love and miss myself, and how desperately he wishes he could visit again and find a way to stay there. Joel wanted a portrait of himself holding his new Stetson hat that he had saved $230 for, something he was obviously proud of. He showed me where in his jacket he’d hide his money so it wouldn’t fall out and also explained to my inquiring son about why he had the protective boot on: he’d had the tip of his big toe removed because of diabetes. He bared so much of himself to me with his stories, his openness, and probably spoke for half an hour or so. I don’t know if he’s homeless and I’m not sure that it matters, but I feel like many pass people like Joel by and never give a second thought to that person. He just wanted to share and for that I’m grateful.

I hope you enjoyed this post, the workshop (if you saw it) and I am excited to see where my new inspiration leads me. I’ll be back on here soon!