Modern New Jersey Pet Photography by Stacey Axelrod | Wackydog Pet Photography

52 Weeks Project: Week 37 – Best of the Week

wackydog — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:00:41 +0000

When I last wrote about the 52 Weeks Project, I was impatiently awaiting the arrival of my pre-ordered iPhone. Later that day, I decided to drop by a Verizon retailer in a tiny town even though I knew it was impossible they would still have iPhones at 3:00pm. One hour later, I was leaving the store with my shiny new phone and really hoping the Apple guy I spoke to on the phone actually cancelled my pre-order. And it has been love ever since!

I never really imagined the possibility of editing photos on my iPhone the way I edit photos on my Mac. Once I discovered Instagram and tired of the 16 available filters, I found a variety of photo editing and filter apps. So for this week’s theme, BEST OF THE WEEK, I have decided to show off some of my favorite iPhone photos from the last few weeks. Hopefully this makes up for the last few 52 Weeks themes that I missed!

The day I edited this photo of my boyfriend’s cat Atlas was the day I decided the iPhone could be a respectable source of photography. Finally, a portable web-connected camera that actually understands light!

Much to my surprise, I love testing out filters and playing with borders. Since my background is in photojournalism, I’m used to keeping everything natural and true to the subject. I still prefer natural editing for my professional photos, but I’ve decided to open up for these Instagram-bound snapshots!

I feel like I’ve sadly neglected my Canon 5D Mark II, but I remind myself of what Chase Jarvis said: “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” I wish I could always have my Canon with me, but it’s just so big, heavy, and intimidating. Not to mention the fear of breaking my most prized possession. It only takes a few seconds for me to whip out my iPhone, create a great photo, and share it with the world. But even so…nothing beats the beautiful reproduction of my vision through the lens of a SLR camera.

Follow the blogring to see this week’s best photos from the 52 Weeks Project group, beginning with Nat and Bill from The Photo Lab!

52 Weeks Project: Week 32 – iPhone

wackydog — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:00:35 +0000

This week, the 52 Weeks Project group is honoring Steve Jobs with the theme iPHONE. Steve Jobs was a visionary who led a company that revolutionized many industries, including photography. I remember being amazed when cell phones became capable of taking photos and displaying them on teeny tiny screens. Who knew that the front page of the New York Times would feature a photo taken by an iPhone a few years later? I was recently reading Adorama’s article “The 14 Most Influential Cameras of All Time” and I was still surprised to see the iPhone on that list alongside the famous Brownie from the 1900s and today’s professional digital SLRs. But there is no doubt that Apple revolutionized photography just by putting a powerful, easy-to-use, multi-tasking camera in the hands of everyday consumers and telling them “Go. See. Share.”

I have been suffering from a terrible case of iPhone Envy for about a year now, but my wait is coming to an end soon! I pre-ordered the new iPhone 4S, which features a new and improved 8-megapixel camera that I can’t wait to test out. To say that I’m wicked excited to get that shipment would be an understatement. I’ll receive it just a bit too late to complete the iPhone theme with an actual iPhone. But who knows, maybe some photos from my shiny new iPhone will be good enough to be featured on this blog!

I generally avoid posting photos from my phone on anything other than my personal Facebook profile. The quality from my Motorola Droid just isn’t good enough for me to present it as my “professional” work. Even though I’ve been frustrated with my phone for the past two years, it still didn’t stop me from filling it up with photos of pets. I would guess that at least 90% of the photos I’ve taken with my phone were of animals. So for this week’s theme, I decided to present a round-up of my favorite pet photos from my phone. Before a beautiful iPhone comes in to kick my Droid’s bum, I’ll give it one last tribute through photos.

Thank you, Droid, for being convenient and simple enough to help me take these little snapshots. Now move on over, the king of smart phones is coming to replace you. Dear iPhone: Please get here soon–Love, Stacey.

Lets go see what the other 52 Weeks Project photographers were able to photograph with their smart phones! Start following the blog ring starting with Scott Robinson of Aussie Dog Photography in San Antonio, TX.

52 Weeks Project: Week 31 – Chillin’ Out

wackydog — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:00:01 +0000

My favorite season is officially here! I’m still resisting putting my flip flops into hibernation, but I’m definitely ready for summer to pass. Fall is beautiful here in New Jersey and I’m looking forward to some fall foliage photo adventures in the next few weeks! How could you not love this season?

This week’s 52 Weeks Project theme is CHILLIN’ OUT. While the weather is chillin’ down outside, the Axelrod animals are chillin’ out in the coziest spots inside. I’ve noticed the cats abandoning the spots they preferred all summer in exchange for soft, warm, snuggly spots. Lola, who spent 98% of her summer sprawled out on top of the fridge, is now staking her claim on a couch pillow. Bella, who is perhaps the best at chillin’ out, loves rolling around between the pillows.

Bella is shy and skittish at first, but she becomes the biggest softy once she learns to trust a newcomer. When I knelt down by the couch to take these photos, Bella was rolling around and nuzzling so vigorously that she nearly rolled right off the couch!

Now you can see how everyone else has been chillin’ out by following the 52 Weeks Project blog ring! Start by heading over to Blue Amrich Studio in Massachusetts, then keep following the ring until you return here!

52 Weeks Project: Week 28 – Macro

wackydog — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:00:44 +0000

During Week 11 of this project, I mentioned the macro lens I covet. Unfortunately, that lens has not magically appeared in my camera bag yet, despite my biggest wishes. So for this week’s MACRO theme, I decided to take a more liberal interpretation of the word. I distracted Lola with a little treat and got as close to her as my lens would allow me to focus.

Lola LOVES yogurt. She loves all dairy products, but yogurt is like a drug to her. I pop the lid off a container of yogurt and Lola comes running from whatever room she is in. In Lola’s list of Favorite Things in the Whole Wide World, yogurt would be #1.

I love how you can see her little forehead ripples in the photo above. She had yogurt all over her face after this little photo shoot!

I hope some other photographers in the group have amazing macro lenses this week! Follow the blogring to see more macro pet photos and keep clicking the links until you return here. Next in the ring is one of our newer members, Amy Riddett of Bark This Way Photography in the UK!

52 Weeks Project: Week 27 – Second Chance

wackydog — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:39:27 +0000

Now that we have officially crossed the halfway point of this 52 Weeks Project, and it was my turn to choose the theme, I decided to give everyone a chance to go back and review the last 26 weeks. For the theme SECOND CHANCE, each photographer gets a chance to make up a theme that they missed or re-do a theme that they had already done.

I decided to make up the Week 24 theme, TEXTURES, using the many different pillows I have on the extra bed in my house!

Next in the blog ring is Karen Weiler of Posh Pets Photography. Keep following the links until you return here!

52 Weeks Project: Week 26 – Humor

wackydog — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:00:12 +0000

I think it’s funny that this week’s theme, HUMOR, fell during a week that was anything but humorous. Terrifying, surprising, and long would be better words to describe this week full of disasters and inconvenience. Hurricane Irene rolled into New Jersey on Saturday night and set the tone for the rest of my week. Although the storm had lost some strength by the time it got to N.J., it still spanned an area the size of Europe and brought along more rain and wind than our little state could handle. As of Thursday, the Passaic River running through my town is still flooded over roadways, many people still don’t have power, and huge trees are down all over the place. I still can’t believe all the damage Irene caused and how long it’s going to take to fix it all.

Luckily my house received little damage from the storm. We got about 6 inches of water in the basement and had to quickly move some boxes upstairs, but all of the old trees on our property withstood the wind. But just when we thought our bad luck had run out, this happened on Tuesday morning:

Yes, that’s my house. No, I did not create this in Photoshop. Before this happened, I couldn’t even imagine such an event. Since so many power and water facilities are still shut down and everything is overloaded, there have been pipes giving out all over my town. I was sleeping when the water main blew in front of my house…how’s that for a rude awakening? We only got a little water inside of the house, but the yard is pretty much ruined now. See what I mean about the lack of humor in this week?

Houdini didn’t think the storm was funny either. He hates going out in the rain and shivers in corners whenever bad weather is nearby. But in preparation for this historic storm, I bought a Thundershirt to calm Houdini’s anxiety. I was skeptical…how could this fancy dog shirt calm my wimpy pup? Much to my surprise, Houdini slept comfortably through most of the storm and barely showed any signs of fear or anxiety. Now he gets excited and sits right in front of me whenever I pull out the shirt. I highly recommend the Thundershirt!

Once the sun came out, Houdini brought some humor back into the house with his cat impression. Living with three cats has made him very feline-like and it never ceases to crack me up. I also got a laugh out of how adorable he looked in that Thundershirt…it was like a little muscle tee!

How cute is my little boy?

Hopefully the other 52 Weeks Project photographers found some more humor this week. Go check out Posh Pets Photography by Karen Weiler in Canada, then follow the blogring until you return here!

52 Weeks Project: Week 25 – Summer

wackydog — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:00:59 +0000

Back when we started the 52 Weeks Project in March, most of my photos were taken inside where my pets just watched the snow pile up from their perches on warm windowsills. Now 25 weeks later, our challenge is to illustrate the theme SUMMER before the season ends. Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite season is fall, so I’m really looking forward to the leaves changing and the blustery winds blowing through. But I (and Mr. Houdini) will definitely miss the beautiful days of summer, the endless sunny hours, the lush green grass, and the bright blue skies.

I will look back on these photos this weekend while Hurricane Irene smashes her way up the U.S. East Coast with New Jersey in her sights. The happy pup you see running through the grass above will not be so joyful once the storm starts, but I’ll keep his mind off of it with extra cuddles and love.

Take a look at some more end of summer photos, starting with Steph Skardal of Winston-Salem, N.C. I hope everyone stays safe and happy this weekend!

52 Weeks Project: Week 23 – Thrifty Fifty

wackydog — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:00:50 +0000

Last time I wrote, the cats were staking claims on packing boxes around the house; now two weeks later, we’re all moved in and the cats are exploring the new turf. I’ve been so busy with the move (and sans-internet at the new house) that I missed two weeks of the 52 Weeks Project! Don’t worry, you can still see them and follow the blog rings by starting from another 52 Weeks Project photographers’ blog.

This week’s theme, FIFTY MILLIMETERS, is very open so you should expect to see a great variety of photos in the blog ring. The only rule was that we had to shoot at a focal length of 50mm, which shows approximately the same perspective as your eyes see naturally (I’ll let Wikipedia explain that). Ever since I got my 24-70mm lens, I have barely taken it off my camera. This theme gave me a good opportunity to return to the trusty Thrifty Fifty.

Observing the cats get accustomed to their new environment has been quite entertaining. Lola was the first to venture up the spiral staircase and enjoyed her upstairs lair until a few days ago when Loki figured it out. Since Lola explored the whole house before the other two cats, she was immediately comfortable and even went through a personality change! My little rascal Lola, who has always been skittish and solitary, suddenly became friendly to strangers and begged to be pet. It was truly amazing to see her so relaxed. I think she likes this new place…

Meanwhile, Houdini has been enjoying his new backyard full of squirrels, birds, chipmunks, and bunny rabbits. His Rat Terrier instincts come out in full force, but sometimes he has trouble deciding which critter to look at first. One day, I caught him dancing on his hind legs beneath some trees to get a better look at whatever tiny thing he could see up there.

To see the variety of photos produced at 50mm, follow the blog ring starting with Karla Ogilvie from California. Keep clicking the links until you return here!

52 Weeks Project: Week 20 – Backlighting

wackydog — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:00:52 +0000

It took me a long time to feel comfortable shooting into the light. One of the first lessons I learned about portrait photography was “place the light behind you, not behind the subject.” When I was using my first camera, I would spin my subjects around and turn my back to the sun to get that foolproof well-lit portrait. Now that I’ve experimented a bit with light and learned to bend the “rules” of photography, I’ve grown to appreciate those supposedly tough lighting situations. I’m no stranger to this week’s theme, BACKLIGHTING, and some of my favorite photos of all time were captured while I was directly facing the light.

During Week Two of the 52 Weeks Project, I got this photo of Lola that I overlooked until I brought it into Photoshop and brightened it up a bit:

I can’t believe I didn’t like this photo at first because it became and has remained one of my all-time favorite photos that I have taken. I love how it shows Lola’s rascal personality, her beautiful golden eyes, and that soft yummy window light illuminating her ears and fur.

Since all of my pets vie for the best slice of sunlight all day everyday, I have amassed quite a collection of beautifully backlit window light photos. I have no shortage of opportunities for kitty-in-the-window photos, especially now that we’ve stacked moving boxes up beneath them. We’re moving into a new house this weekend and Loki, Lola, and Bella have been enjoying the box cities that have sprawled up around the house. One box in particular seems to have a different cat on it every time I enter the kitchen.

The afternoon that I pulled out my camera, Bella had claimed it as her throne and was very aware of any felines that might usurp her territory. What is it with cats and cardboard?

I’m happy they’re all having fun on the boxes because I was worried they would suspect the big changes that are about to happen. I’m sure they’ll miss the boxes and have a bit of a transition period once we move into the new house. But there is a spiral staircase at the new house and I’m sure the cats will LOVE climbing on it and playing with the toys you bet I will hang from it. I’m so excited about the possibilities for photos on the stairs!

Check out some more back-lit photos by following the 52 Weeks Project blogring, starting with Blue Amrich Studio in Massachusetts.

52 Weeks Project: Week 18 – Spots

wackydog — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:00:17 +0000

This week’s theme gave me the perfect opportunity to focus on my favorite detail of Houdini: his little legs covered in SPOTS. I adore his freckled front legs that match my freckled arms. So this week I passed the camera over to my dad, the amazing Peter Axelrod*, to capture a photo I’ve always wanted to get.

Photo by Peter Axelrod

None of the three cats have spots, so Houdini stepped up to star in this week’s blog post. Plus, the cats really rocked last week’s Mousehunt-inspired post. I knew I could get great shots of Houdi’s adorable spots if I gave him one of these big meaty bones that he holds with his paws.

Head over to Blue Amrich Studio to see more spots, then follow the blog ring until you return here!