Nizhoni Pet Photography Blog

Damon is the handsome brother to Delilah.  He was far more interested in exploring the surroundings (including climbing up onto the train platforms) than he was in having his picture taken.

Once again, the holidays are quickly approaching.  And I’m sure there are those of you out there who are already prepared. I on the other hand, am in complete denial that it could possibly be November already.   It helps that its not nearly as cold here in Texas as it would be (or is, I suppose) back home in Ohio.  So that makes my denial that much easier.   At least Texas has that going for it…

Anyway, if you happen to have a spoiled pet, or pet parent, on your gift list this year you should check out Bisket Baskets.  They have all sorts of beautiful and unique gift baskets for all occasions.  But, if you ask me (which you didn’t, but its my blog) their pet baskets are by far the coolest.

For one thing, its just plain pretty, and I’m a sucker for a well put together gift basket.   All their baskets are gorgeous and full of tasty treats and other goodies. but I am secretly coveting the bone shaped pill container (not that I need one, it just appeals to the pharmacist in me) and the giraffe Bite Meez.    They even have super cute baskets for cats, if cats are your thing,

Now… if only I could convince hubby to let me adopt a cat who would appreciate such a fine gift…

Check out their website to see all their great gift baskets, and be sure to poke around their blog for news and other fun stuff!

One of my clients from the session in Columbus ordered an 8×10 canvas wrap of one of her images. Its the first time I’ve had one printed and I was so pleased with how it turned out. I think I’m going to have to get a few larger ones to have on hand for displays.

I think, in the future, for smaller wraps, I’m going to go with a slightly shallower frame; while this depth should be fine for the bigger sizes.

And, of course, I ordered a ton of prints, both for clients and for my own use.

aka: Roxarelli, Turd Bird, Little Dog… I’ve picked up my sister’s habit of calling dogs by anything but their actual names.

Roxie is a boxer puppy, probably six or seven weeks old. She was found by a guy just outside of town, who kept her for two weeks before he found out about the Humane Society. Everyone else he called was going to put her down if they didn’t find a home in three days. He said his landlord wouldn’t let him keep her once she got big, and he knew if he kept her any longer, he wouldn’t be able to give him up. I can see why.

She is hilarious… all floppy legs and wrinkly skin. And she jumps when she walks. She also has her whole tail. I think it might be the first time I’ve ever seen a boxer with an intact tail. It very rarely stops moving.

she loves to play with toys.

She’s constantly harassing Kodiak and Nizhoni, who are trying to teach her how not to be the most annoying dog ever. Their barks and snaps of reprimand are generally ignored in favor of continuing to run around like a mad woman. Or she barks right back at them, much to Kodiak’s distress.

We are trying to crate train her. She’s good in the crate while we’re at work and she’ll wander in and out of it when we’re home. She just doesn’t like to sleep in it. And against our better judgment, she’s been sleeping in our bed. Its just that she’s so damn cute, I can’t say no. And I figure we’ll only have her to the end of the week, then someone else can break her of the habit. I’m a terrible foster mom, I know.

One minute she’s running around all spasmodic, then next she’s out like a light. And she’s uber snuggly when she’s sleepy. Unfortunately, right this minute, she’s tearing around the house like a bat out of hell. Oh, and she chews everything… but not until she’s paraded around the house with it for a good five minutes. This is especially true of shoes and slippers that are bigger than she is.

The nice thing about fostering is that we get the cuteness of a new puppy, without the obligation of a big dog. She’s awfully precious now, but she’s going to be a good sized girl, and we do NOT need another big dog.

Can you tell I love her little tail??

But if YOU are in the market for a big dog, she is perfect… in a hilariously obnoxious, delightfully cuddly kind of way. Seriously, I can’t even explain how snuggly and adorable she is.

I have never felt the desire to get a pit bull. Its not the I have anything against them, because I don’t. And I’ve met some very sweet ones at various dog parks. I’ve just never looked at one and thought, gee that’s the kind of dog I want.

Most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen on a dog.

Until yesterday. This is one of the sweetest, most beautiful dogs I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He was, by far, the most well behaved dog at the adoption event. And the sad thing is, he will probably remain in foster care because he is “too expensive to adopt.”

He was all about sitting all up in Ken’s lap

There were several inquiries about adopting him, but each time they heard that they would be required to pay for the training class at Petsmart on top of the adoption fees, there was a change of heart. Not to mention issues with homeowner’s insurance and all the other crap that comes with adopting a bully breed

Knowing that after another month or two, we would easily be able to afford this dog is heartbreaking. I know I say that I want to take them all home, but this one’s options are far more limited than the others through no fault of his own. For us the problem isn’t money. Its the fact that Kodiak is a dumbass and would probably start a fight that would get him maimed or killed. So no pit bull for us.

So if you, or anyone you know, is willing and able to give this handsome guy a home please, please, PLEASE contact the Humane Society of West Texas.

Back in March I had ordered a 5×5 book for my aunt as a thank you gift. I took some pictures of it at the time, but then forgot that they were on my card when I formatted it for a shoot. Whoops!

Luckily I stopped in Dallas again to say hello on my way to Lubbock, so I was able to snag a few shots of it. I am pleased with how it turned out, though I think I may try another company or two, just to compare. I had nightmares about the two-page spreads not lining up properly, but they turned out just fine.

I also hit the craft store to find some goodies that I could use to make my discs look a little less utilitarian. Scrapbook paper is magical; I swear I could spend all day in that aisle and I don’t even scrapbook. Turns out, with a little help from a paper cutter, it makes a lovely lining for CD cases.

I’ve also got my first canvas wrap on order and it should be arriving in the next couple of days. I can’t wait to see how it looks!

Adriana is another beautiful dog up for adoption from the Humane Society of West Texas. She’s a bull terrier mix and as sweet as can be. And she has the cutest bat ears…

One of the volunteers said that HSWT has over 140 adult dogs in the system that need homes. There are so many advantages to adopting an adult, I wish more people would consider it.

And, whether you’ve got an adult dog or a puppy, every dog needs some stylin’ gear. So hop on over to April Ziegler Photography for a chance to win a super stylish new dog collar.

We had our first Humane Society of West Texas event this morning and it was awesome! We had to take pictures in the parking lot, which obviously wasn’t ideal, but everyone was SO nice. There were a couple of youngsters there who were excellent assistants, and who could recite each dog’s stats from memory. I was very impressed.

We got lots of cute pictures, which I will most likely post once we get our arrangement with them all nailed down. But I had to post this cutie.

Her name is Starlight, and she’s a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. But more importantly, she’s Nizhoni’s Doppelganger! Ok, obviously her color is different; but her face, her ears, her tail, and even her stance are dead on. If Ken hadn’t been there, I would have adopted her in a heartbeat. Not even kidding.

If you live in Lubbock, and want a dog (or are even thinking you might possibly want a dog at some point) you should adopt her. Immediately.

Turns out Kodiak is a big Buddy Holly fan. Who knew??

He actually sat. And stayed. (Two skills we have failed to cultivate and at which he usually fails dismally) But apparently he too was mesmerized by the giant glasses, because he sat for a really long time.

Since I had a few days between getting into town and reporting for duty at my next rotation, we decided to drive around to see what kind of cool locations we could find for future photo shoots.

Some of the framing and processing on these (particularly on the first and last images) is inspired by a wedding photographer team that I have a secret photography crush on. While I in no way claim to have anything close to their mad skillz, a gal can dream If you’re getting married, check ‘em out. Seriously.