Padfoot needs a home

for those of you who don't know, i'm a HUGE harry potter fan. i recently found out that Padfoot (the dog that played Sirius' animagus) is up for adoption. i cant believe such a star cant find a home. he needs our help to get him adopted. i would buy him myself in a heartbeat but he lives over in europe and he's 10 years old so i doubt they could send him and i don't have the money to fly him over here to live with me. we need to get the word out that he needs a good home, please re-post this. he deserves a good home. after all he is one of the good guys. here's the website for the adoption: http://www.germanshepherdrescue.co.uk/padfoot-harry-potter.html

and here's some pictures.

"Hands On" Graphics

about a year ago, i photographed a group of volunteers working for Hands on Charlotte at the Carolina Raptor Center. Hands on Charlotte is unique in the fact that the main aspect of their non-profit is to provide volunteers for other non-profits and organizations that are looking for volunteers. volunteers can do anything from tutoring to building playgrounds and landscaping. most non-profits choose a specific topic or area to focus their attention on, Hands on Charlotte does a little bit of everything and has volunteers across the city working on multiple projects at the same time.

i wanted to not only take pictures and present a photo story from the photo shoot but also build a layout that could go in a magazine or newspaper. with all my photo shoots and stories i try to build some sort of layout or advertisement to keep my layout skills fresh so i can offer graphics to my clients as well. it's a great way to stay competitive in the business as well as keeping it simple for clients - they can come to me for any creative project they have and i can take the pictures and make the layout. the next thing i hope to work on to offer is video...

Some Layouts...

while i am first and foremost a photographer, i also love to design layouts and design advertisements for different organizations. i have recently been designing more layouts and honing my graphic design skills. i love this aspect and hope to offer graphic skills in my business in the future. these are all about social media and different forms of media.

Humanitarian Art

Rrecently i've been thinking about how my photography skills can help the world and help bring about support for the non-profits i want to work with. i kept thinking that most people want medical or teaching skills and art was not something that would benefit a non-profit. however, then i met with a church group that was sending off 3 of their own to Swaziland in Africa for 11 months. i began asking how their organization, Africa Revolution, could use my photography and graphic skills to help the orphans, widows and go-go's (grandmothers) that they work with. they immediately relieved my anxiety and spoke of art therapy and how everyone wants their story told and many non-profits would benefit greatly from having more art in their organization. i am now more excited than ever to continue building my humanitarian photography business and working with non-profits using my photography skills. Nathan Clendenin is a fellow humanitarian photographer located in chapel hill and has the same love for Africa as i do. his work is amazing and i now have multiple role models for my photography and my business. here is an example of his amazing work in africa.

Animal Compassion Networks Your Pets

Animals have always had a special place in my heart, since my first job was working at a dog day care/boarding facility i have always loved any place that helps place animals in good homes and helps them live a happy life. Animal Compassion Network is a non-profit located in Asheville, NC that runs a pet store and adopts out pets to the community. by just walking in there and speaking to some of the volunteers and the owner, you can tell they all love the animals and care that they live a happy life with their new families. my big sister introduced me to ACN because they recently adopted their dog, Brogan, through ACN and they love him. when i asked if they remembered Brogan, they immediately said yes and started raving about how great he was. these animals are not just another adoption number to them, they care about their futures and help them find the best home possible.

Watching the Pro at work...

Kate Weaver is a local portrait photographer who is all about the "experience". we got to experience the "experience" today on a shoot with my photo club at school. Kate is all about interacting with the clients and letting them have a good time and not just buying photos, you (as the client) are buying the experience and the memories. Kate came to our school and we found a family for her to photograph. it was great to see a professional during a shoot and how they work and get the clients excited.

While i do not want to shoot portrait photography as my career, interaction with clients is very important in every field of photography. and i think we can all learn things from photographers with how to shoot or how to get your clients excited. it's all about making everyone feel comfortable and happy on the shoot. as soon as you meet Kate, you feel at ease and excited to do the shoot, and that's what every photographer should strive for.