Rolling into 2013 | Reflections

January 8, 2013January 14, 2016Leave a comment

It’s already a week into 2013 and I have yet to add my two cents to the blogosphere about the passing of the old year to the new…so, Happy New Year!!

I always look forward to the new year, far more than the holidays preceding it. It signifies a new beginning, a fresh start, a chance to move forward on existing goals, and to create new ones. If I didn’t do something right in the previous year as I had wanted to, it’s time to take a look at what I can do better from here on out. I achieved some of my goals for last year and even superseded my own expectations with some things.

But then there are more personal challenges, some that I have to wrestle with others for control of, where I feel I am failing. I have already taken steps to try to pull me/us up out of the proverbial quicksand; it’s just not good to feel as though you are sinking! I’m trying to hold on to my inner strength that has served me well in the past, to get beyond some of the current hurdles. Quite aptly, I came across a picture today with the quote “The worst part about being strong is that no one ever asks if you’re okay”…

As far as my photography goes, I look forward to every day that I can learn more, try new things and challenge myself, help more rescue animals, and add new creative avenues to my work and endeavors. Already this year, I’m moving forward with all sorts of new projects and sessions and it’s exciting (if not exhausting!). I’m grateful to those who have lifted me up so far and inspired me to do more.

When I made a resolution at the start of 2011 to get back to volunteering, and so began my photography venture with Animal Talk Rescue (where I had previously spent hours volunteering cleaning out crates and so forth), it got me back to not just a creative pursuit that ballooned into so much more, but it also filled me up in terms of my spirit. If there’s anything I can suggest to anyone else who has yet to make a resolution for the new year, it’s to give back. Give back and volunteer your time and your energy to something or someone other than yourself. When you look outside of yourself, however fortunate or unfortunate you think you are, it truly does your spirit good. When it comes to animals in particular, there’s always a rescue that could use your help, your donations, a home to foster animals in…something.

I’ll start the New Year as I mean to go on, by posting a photo of a beautiful rescue kitty by the name of Sally, who needs a new home, and also with the same eternal wish for peace, strength and good health. And not just for me either!

xo ~ K

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. ~ Helen Keller

Have a Merry Meowy Christmas | Seattle Cat Photography

December 25, 2012January 14, 2016Leave a comment

It’s been a busy few weeks of photo-taking and editing as the holidays have drawn closer (and Doomsday didn’t happen, woohoo!), so I’ve been in full-on photog mode…and I’ve not even had time to do my own Christmas cards and photos! But it has actually helped replace some of the personal stressors going on; I’ve found some editing projects to be quite good stress relief, as I’m up til about 3am in the morning making everyone look perfect, and then I just crash when my head hits the pillow. That said, this girl needs at least a Christmas Day break!

There are a great many cats and kittens who have happily found their forever homes this cold holiday and for that, I am so happy, but there are always innumerable amounts of animals who don’t have a warm home with love in it, and even more who are either sitting in shelters or worse than that, abandoned and stuck outside in frigid temperatures, or awaiting a deadline for euthanasia. I hope that the Christmas spirit extends beyond the holidays and a sparkly new year is in store for many deserving kitties that I know.

May you and yours enjoy a fabulous holiday tomorrow – hold your family and your animals close and show them a lot of love!

xo ~ K

“Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ” ~ Janice Maeditere

HeARTs Speak | Seattle Rescue Pet Photography

November 20, 2012December 16, 20144 Comments

I am ecstatic to say that today my membership application for HeARTs Speak was approved! HeARTs Speak is a global network of artists that is dedicated to helping get homeless animals adopted through photography and art, and I am so humbled and pleased to become a part of the community. Be on the lookout for my new HeARTs Speak watermark on my images of the animals at Animal Talk looking for homes.

Please visit HeARTs Speak to find out more, and please click on my Giving Back page above to read more about the work that I do photographing rescue animals.

Thank you, HeARTs Speak!! And thank you for all the work that you do to support the efforts of everyone involved in finding homes for abandoned, neglected and abused animals everywhere. xo ~ K

‘I am NOT less lovable!!’ | Seattle Rescue Pet Photography

November 8, 2012January 14, 20161 Comment

Long time, no see! It has been a busy month for me, and one project I have been helping get off the ground with my photography, is a new campaign for Animal Talk Rescue on Facebook – ‘Adopt less-adoptable cats’. The campaign is simply to highlight that ‘Less-adoptable cats doesn’t mean less lovable! It just means they tend to be overlooked because of their age, shyness, medical condition or black fur (yes!).’

Here, at the only no-kill cat rescue within the Seattle City limits, we are hoping to get some of these wonderful cats adopted during this special campaign where there is 20% off the adoption fee ($80). so if you breeze by my blog here, I’d love it if you hopped over to Facebook to like our new campaign Adopt less-adoptable cats. It’s also, quite appropriately, National Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month; the oldies are the goodies!

Here are just a few of these amazing cats at ATR right now; click on the images to read their bios; they all have a story to tell…

Less-lovable, indeed!

“What greater gift than the love of a cat?” ~ Charles Dickens

xo ~ K

Nine Lives for even more cats | Seattle Cat Photography

October 15, 2012January 14, 2016Leave a comment

Last night I attended and took photos at the Nine Lives Gala, a benefit to raise money for the cat rescue Animal Talk that I regularly take photos for, and it was an amazing evening, I can’t stop thinking about it. It feels just great to know that there are so many good people out there who care about all the cats that are lucky enough to make it through the doors at this no-kill cat rescue.

Driven by my never-failing love of animals, I started volunteering at ATR years ago when I lived barely two blocks away, going in almost daily to help clean out cages. Cages and crates and rooms that never stop housing the countless cats that are abandoned, abused and need new and loving homes. Even now, as my input at the shelter has changed to photographing the cats (especially the ones who are usually deemed less-adoptable, often adults), the real situation that faces all animal shelters and rescues, is that the need and the work never stops. There are just so many people who pour themselves into that small space for a very big cause, and it is constantly inspiring.

People who do volunteer work at animal rescues and shelters, including myself, are often asked how we do it. How we can spend so much time within what seems to be a never-ending problem – kitties who only know pain, neglect, sickness, fear and mistrust of humans. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you see all those crates that need cleaning, and all the cats whose big eyes look at you, knowing that there are more, and then still more…

What keeps you going and spurs you to do more, and again, are the success stories. The feral cat who gradually learns to trust people and eventually finds out that sleeping near the fireplace is awesome. The young mama cat who comes in with a litter of kittens, but finally is spayed and gets a home where she isn’t constantly nursing babies. The abused cat who finds his way to the rescue and needs to have his lower jaw removed due to the trauma it has received, but after a lot of TLC is adoptable and gets a home complete with another kitty friend. And even when we can’t save a live, because of incurable sickness, we tried. And everyone then tries even harder.

It seems it’s not obvious to some as to why us ‘bleeding hearts’ will do so much for an animal that is not human (that’s right, we’re animals too, remember?). I just happen to believe that missing out on companionship with other living beings, and treating their lives with as much care as a person in need, means missing out on many opportunities for unconditional love and friendship. An animal’s love is honest and uncomplicated, and there’s no pretense. I couldn’t imagine a life without my fur-babies!

So thank you to everyone who supports the cause of animal rescue! Here are just some of the many many cats who have found new homes because of Animal Talk. And there is also a link to the final video shown at the event last night (that just about had me in tears) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoCGppbSid8&feature=youtu.be . Every life was worth saving.