Small Animal and Nature Art for Sale in my Shop

Happy Holiday Season! How did this time arrive so quickly? If you're looking for ideas for small sized, unique art, I invite you to give the gift of my photo encaustic pieces! These pieces are hand made and part of a numbered edition. No two are exactly the same.  Order by December 15th to receive art in time for Christmas.

I love creating this work and I am thankful for the positive response I have received. My work was recently featured in HGTV's 2015 Smarthome in Austin and is for sale in person at Mockingbird Domestics on South Lamar in Austin, Tx. 10% of the sale from each piece goes to animal welfare causes.

I'm looking forward to creating more art in 2015! View my SHOP

Honoring my dog, Ruckus 2003-2014

Today marks one year since a giant piece of my heart just plain fell off. I miss my dog, Ruckus, so very much and think about him every day.  I couldn't be more grateful to have known him and for us to grow up, in many ways, together. He was the first dog I adopted. My husband and I have many incredible memories to hold in our hearts forever as a result of our bond. I am so grateful for the photographs I created of Ruckus and having these images only solidifies the importance of what I do as a pet photographer. They help bring back the details. I cherish them.

I have found that writing has helped me a lot this past year... I've composed this letter from Ruckus' perspective, to me, on the first day we met. I know that all of us suffer when we lose a loved one. I am doing my best to focus on the happy moments. I hope the letter will resonate with someone in need of support today.

Dear Mom,

Thank you for adopting me! I'm excited to spend my life with you. Here are a few things you don't know today but you will, someday.

You don't know now what it's like to raise a puppy, not really. You'll do a good job though and we'll get through the  puppyhood thing together.

You don't know that I picked you as much as you picked me at the shelter today.

You don't know now that I scammed you into thinking I couldn't bark and that I high-fived all of the other dogs on the way out. (You'll find that out later–sorry!)

You don't know now that you'll be forever reminded of me when you see a dog with an under bite.

You don't know now how kind I will be to all of the other animals you adopt into your family.

You don't know now that I will grey prematurely on my muzzle, probably because I am a worrier, just like you.

You don't know now how much I will become your shadow–follow you to the bathroom, down the hall. Like a tap dancer, I'll click, click, click, behind you.

You don't know now how much I will LOVE chasing the ball in the backyard and how eventually, I'll have some problems with my feet and back that will cause me to ride the bench for a while. That'll be hard for both of us.

You don't know now that we'll develop a routine: I'll hop into your bed and snuggle up at night for a few minutes before I head to mine. And in the morning you'll awake to my brown eyes looking back into yours as you rub my soft chest for the AM ritual.

You don't know now how much I will support you when you are having a hard day or fully realize how much you count on me being there for you.

You don't know now, really how much you'll love me and how much I'll love you back.

You don't know now, that when we have to say goodbye, how big the piece of your heart will be that falls onto the emergency clinic's floor. You'll feel you won't survive the sadness and in that moment feel you could never, ever, go through that again.

What you don't know now, is that while that missing piece of your heart will never fully repair, your heart will actually grow larger to make space to love others.

Now go on and enjoy those other fur balls–I know you love me. And I love you too.

Ruckus

My online pet photography class has launched!

Yay! My online pet photography class is now live and available to pet-loving public. I love teaching and when I was contacted by the folks at Craftsy.com in partnership with the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops I just couldn't pass this opportunity up. Craftsy has classes in all sorts genres–cake baking, sewing, painting, photography and more. I've really enjoyed the classes I've taken with them and can't wait to participate in more. I prioritize connecting with people and teaching is one way I get to do that... I wouldn't put myself on the other side of the camera (a video camera nonetheless, yikes!) unless I felt strongly about the value of the final product.  Thanks to the incredible production team in Denver, CO. as they worked their butts off and were super committed to making a strong video. We all worked HARD and put a lot of of thought into what would bring the most impact into your lives, so here you go!  The class has 7 video lessons with anytime, anywhere access, class materials, hours of close-up instruction and I get to answers questions and review student images via their virtual classroom.

Thank you for continuing to be part of my community as I continue to pursue projects that are near to my heart. I've had a busy few months working on this project and also just got back from teaching pet photography (my 5th season!) at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops– always a true honor to be part of that world.

I invite you to join me in the classroom. Here is a $10 off coupon link for to my class...  Here's a link to the trailer for the class!

More detailed description about the class and what to expect...

In this class, you'll learn how to pose your subjects, work with pets of all colors, and incorporate adults and children into your shoots. To begin, find out how to build your camera kit, scout the perfect location and pose your furry subjects with ease. And remember, you can watch each of these lessons at your own pace and return to techniques as many times as you wish, since this class is yours forever. So, take your time, have fun and learn when it's convenient for you.

Pet Portraits: A deeper understanding of composition, light and color will help you to shoot visually striking photographs. So, in this lesson, explore the essentials of composition, and find out how to frame your shots for impact and allure. Plus, I'll share tried–and–true tips for harnessing light and using color to make your images stand out.

Proper Exposure: In our next lesson, we throw out the idea that some animals are harder to photograph than others. Find out how to achieve the proper exposure every time, whether shooting a black lab or a white poodle, and learn insider techniques for adjusting ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Then, discover how to capture light– and dark–colored pets with tricky contrasting backgrounds. Great cat photos:

Cats: The cat's out of the bag — and successfully into your photo — in our next lesson. Find out how to work with feline subjects using a few simple tricks for grabbing their attention. Then, explore creative new ways to capture each cat's personality purrr–fectly. I'll even show you several ways to use window light for eye–catching images.

People and Pets: Once you've become comfortable with the essentials of photographing pets, we'll add a new element to your shots: humans! I'll share step–by–step instruction for composing authentic, natural–looking portraits of people with their furry friends. Plus, from posing to playing, find out how to capture beautiful, meaningful moments with every shot.

Adults are one thing, but photographing children with their pets is a totally different experience. Up next, discover posing techniques for both older and younger children. I'll show you how to capture subjects that are on the move, and we'll shoot in open shade, for soft, lovely results.

Online Pet Photography Class Launching Soon!

Happy Summer!  I am so excited about this news...I worked REALLY hard to develop an online pet photography class with an incredible company called Craftsy and it's about to launch! This company is fantastic– the classes are interactive and really well organzied.  As an enrolled student you will be able to post comments, questions, and share photos and I'll be responding and participating with you. The classes are available to go back to any time and you can watch them and re-watch them as many times as you'd like. You can even take your own personal/private notes. (SO helpful!) I have participated in Craftsy classes and loved them.

I'm honored that I was asked to teach this class for Craftsy and to collaborate with them and the Santa Fe Photographic workshops to make it a reality. I am so proud of it and excited that it will be launching in early July!

In the meantime, you can enter for you chance to win this entire course for free. I hope you'll check it out! This course is perfect for any pet and photography enthusiast and I'll be sharing more about the class very soon.

http://www.craftsy.com/ext/NorahLevine_Giveaway

-norah