Below is a partial transcript of a chat thread between my BFF Anne (aka Kitty) and me today:
Anne: Hey are you home today?
Me: Home most of the time, why? (fyi: I work from home)
Anne: Heh heh heh.
Me: What’s going on kitty.
Anne: I am sending you a congratulations gift. It will arrive probably between 1 and 3 today.
Me: What kitty what? REALLY?
Anne: I am so excited for you. I had to call a local Boston business to arrange it. (Anne lives in Manhattan)
Me: That is so AWFUL NICE OF YOU! I HOPE IT’S A KITTEN.
Anne: It is a BASKET OF STRAY CATS. I am so excited for you, seriously.
Me: (rather moved)…No, I’m not crying…It’s just been raining…On my face.
Anne: Kitty don’t make me cry, I am so proud! You have been working so hard on this. (Yes she calls me “kitty” too. It’s a sick disease we have)
Me: …I’ve just been chopping onions…
*Several minutes tick by *
Me: Why isn’t the surprise here yet?
Anne: Because, kitty.
Me: Because they have to brush the pony’s hair first?
Anne: And to pick JUST the right saddle.
Me: Dude. Awesome.
Anne: Yeah don’t get your hopes up. It will be almost as good as a pony.
Me: So it’s George Clooney is it?
Anne: YES, GC with the FOC logo tatooed on his HAUNCH.
Here is what arrived an hour later:
Do I have the greatest friends or what? I’m overflowing with the warm and fuzzies. And soon, the bubblies.
To online friends and acquaintances – thank you so much for all the comments and the stellar questions. I’ll have plenty now to fill my extremely thin “About” page. I’ll start posting answers sometime next week, so stay tuned!
xoxo
That is so incredibly nice! Congrats :)
Also, I still do want to know about the framing & matting you bought! LOL :)
Congratulations on your new business! I hope you will make enough $$$ to be comfortable and will have fun making them :-)
Questions for your “About” page: How did you decide to become a pet photographer? What is the most difficult part of your new business?
I think it will make sense to add your business blog link to your new buziness website.
Good luck!
this is so exciting! I’m curious about your history with pets — have you always had cats? Are Veebs + Bunny your first? I just got my first little kitten (never really had pets growing up), we sort of just picked her up off the street, and though I never imagined myself a pet person before, I rather adore this little fluff ball.
This is a lovely blog, and your work is gorgeous, too! What do you like BEST about your new business? And what do you do to unwind after a crazy day full of catnip and dog bones?
All the best!
i love your photos! congratulations on your business, i hope that it works out really well!
Hey Li, congratulations! WELL DONE!!!!!
I have a question for you and I think you’ll know where I’m going with this one. Do you play a musical instrument?
:)
Congratulations on your new business!
Questions:
1. Do you make housecalls or do you have a studio and prefer your clients come to you?
2. If you do make housecalls, will you travel to LA to photograph my two kitties, Cooper & Milo? ;)
3. I’m assuming you use a digital camera. How does the processing differ from film? Do you just click to print or is there a lot of touching up that you do first?
4. Do you use Photo Shop or a similar software?
Best of luck to you!
ok, now I am all teary eyed ! because my Mothers nick name was Kitty (short for Kathleen)…and she has long since
left this place ….and because I am so proud of you too ! I have really been struggling with that question-“how do you make a living doing what you love ?”
so your new venture is verrry exciting and encourageing for me as well !!
Wonderful photography!!! How many shots does it take to get “the picture”??? I sit here and imagine that it must take hundreds, or at least it would, if I were the one taking them… you probably only need one or two! ;)
Congratulations! Everything looks absolutely stunning!! And I lurve the kitty pictures <3
How tricky is it to get the lighting right? And what are some good ways to achieve ‘natural’ lighting? I’m only a point-and-shoot photographer at best, but that seems to be the hardest part. And not getting my camera in the way of the light source… aargh!
I love your work! Here’s my question: Are you still photographing for Sundara? The yarn tempts me everytime I look at those pictures. :)
Congrats on your new business and the best of luck! I wish you lived in AL so you could take portraits of my sweet Newfoundlands. I love the photos of Sundara’s yarn and I think if you sold them, you could do quite well!
Hi! I just found your website and wanted to say you take amazing pictures! I love them all! My question would be, did you take lessons in photography or does this come naturally for you?
ok you rock…so deserving of the bubbles.
(question for your about page)
I love how you capture the contradiction that is the personality of a cat: one minute seeming totally disinterested in your trivial human life, the next playing viciously with a toy you have given them. The photographs of your own cats especially convey their spirits very well. It must be quite often that you see them doing something and have to rush for your camera to capture the moment that is so very much “them”.
My question is, if Veebs and Bunny had cameras (and opposable thumbs, AND the interest in photographing you) what aspect of your personality do you think that they would try to capture?
Your photos are beautiful. I have to bug my family again about hiring you since I guess they didn’t get the hint when I sent them to your blog when you first announced you needed pets (and sadly I just left Boston). Your photos are all so amazing.
How long is a typical shoot?
Okay, so first of all, congratulations.
Second, what are your top three photoshoots (outside of your own kitty!) and what made them so?
Also, how do you decide where to shoot? or is that decided by/with owner?
You’re great! I totally mentioned FOC in conversation the other day. :)
Your photos are wonderful! Congratulations!
Unless someone has asked you to photograph a specific subject, how do you pick what you shoot? Is it simply instant inspiration, or do you come up with ideas and build a shoot around the ideas?
I hope you have enjoyed the bubbly!
Congrats!
A question? A question??
OK. Do you know of any hypoallergenic cats? Cause I love ’em. But I’m allergic. So sad…
Such beautiful shots — I love how you bring out the personality of each of your clients. My question, which may or may not help with your “about” section, but I am really curious about how you “knew” that it was the right time to branch out into the professional world? Then, my next question would be what made your choose to focus on pets rather than people?
Congratulations!
Congratulations!!! Your photography is beautiful. With all of your images I feel like I can tell something personal about each pet. Any tips for capturing a pet’s personality? Also the coloring in your photos is beautiful (very warm) any tips to achieve similar results?
Yur prints are beautiful. How do you get shy pets to open up and show their fun side?
Congratulations, your work is lovely. I have deep and abiding respect for people with an eye for photography, because I most certainly don’t have that! My best wishes for your continued success.
Congratulations! :) And now some questions:
1. What kind of picture do you prefer? Close-ups? Full shots? Black/white? Sepia? Colourful?
2. What is your favourite pet to photograph?
3. Is there a specific animal you’d love to photograph?
4. What is your favourite (and most embarrassing) TV show? (We all have one!)
Hope this will help with the writer’s block. :)
xx
What was your first camera and the evolution to your current equipment. The underlying theme would be “when I fell in love with photography”. Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with all of us. I’m always thrilled to see a new post. You have a wonderful way of writing in addition to your beautiful photos. I know you will be a success in your business. Congratulations!
Congratulations on the new business! What better subject to start photographing than CATS?! Okay maybe I’m partial. What kind of camera & lense are your favorites?
Congrats on your courageous decision to open FOCS! Your work is beautiful. I’m sure you’ve said this before, but I’ve missed it. What kind of camera do you use?
Congratulations on opening FOCS! How exciting!
Here’s a question for your About page — feel free to use it or not. But do you have any tips for the at-home, amateur photographer on how to capture your pet in “that special moment” before they decide to turn their head, scratch behind their ear, or lick themselves? :)
I love those yarn prints! They’d be gorgeous in a craft room.
Now that stuff won’t give you a hangover!