Tuesday, September 25, 2012

pet project

In case you haven't met them before, allow me to present my regular pets; these are not foster pets.  Here, our dog is basking in a golden evening glow.  He likes to sit with us, or ON us.  Notice that he isn't wearing a collar.  We found that it rubbed fur off his neck, so it is only worn when he goes outside.  Our cat appears as an enigmatic shadow in most natural light pictures, but here, you can see some of his form and he was kind enough to let me snap a pic with his eyes open.



There is a corkboard in the lobby at my veterinarian's office.  It is filled with photographs of the pets who appreciate their doctor.  No, it is more than filled, because there are a bunch of new columns that have been added next to the board, with a dozen more pics were taped to the wall.  Then as we look around the other walls, we have the large professional pet shots in fancy frames.  There is a discrepancy between the kind of portraits we see in the personal shots and the higher caliber professional shots, and I would like to see if we can bridge the great gulf between them.  Here is my idea:

What if... I consolidated and simplified the most useful pet portrait tips and created a flyer for these customers to take better pictures?  I mentioned it to the folks at the clinic, and they have not expressed any opposition to it or reservations.  Especially, since it would be a free pamphlet that, once created, would be totally under their control and discretion.

Maybe I could create a checklist, and hand it to a few pet lovers as a test.  They could indicate with a checkmark, which pieces of advice they found most helpful.

What do you think?  Nobel Prize potential or a total waste of time?

8 comments:

Pastor Dave said...

i think most pet lovers should be encouraged to take as many pics of their furry friends as they can. I discovered this the hard way when
Francis The Dog passed away. I was etremely disappointed that i did not have as many pics of him as i wished.

cute pics,there!

Jackie said...

Suuuuweet pets, you have!
Precious, precious, precious...
The photo tip idea is fantastic. I love tips, myself...and one thing about it, Craver. If they don't wanna read and follow the advice, nobody's makin' 'em. You're simply giving them some good advice on taking photos of their beloved pets...and I'm quite sure they will be delighted.
Smiles,
J.

lime said...

your cat looks like he is barely tolerating the photo shoot...which is very catlike of him.

can't help with your ultimate question though since i don't have any pets. too allergic.

Craver Vii said...

Good point, Mr. Dave. Mrs. Craver likes to talk about the pet dog from her youth, but it would be nice if we had more pictures.

Jackie, I'm thinking that the trifold flyers can be dispensed from the clinic's photo board from a plastic dispenser. And you're right--if they don't want it, nobody's pushing it. I'm still in the concept stage, so there's a lot of work to do yet.

Lime, that's his "Dude, I was sleeping; who poked me?" look. He's a good old cat, but we never tell him, because he's deaf.

Betty Manousos said...

what an adorable post, craver!

i do love pets! living with a pet can really reduce the anxiety and increase the comfort.
having pets at home provides great benefits to children as well.
your cat and dog are sooo cute!

lovely shots! great photo tip, too!

i can resonate with mr dave, tara the dog (a beautiful collie) passed away...and i am still incredibly disappointed i don't have even a descent photo of her!
what a shame!

EG CameraGirl said...

I think most pet owners would like to know a few secrets about how to take a good photograph of their furry friends. Go for it! ;)

Craver Vii said...

So sorry for your loss, Betty. The advent of digital photography will certainly make it easier for more people to capture pet pics. It might take more work, but I could see a heartfelt poem serving as a helpful reminder of the pet we loved and miss.

Thanks for the encouragement, CameraGirl. I've already begun research the process, but I've only scratched the surface.

Shammickite said...

I think it's a great idea to produce a "how to" pamphlet. Most people love their pets enough to want good pictures of them. If you write it, I hope you'll share your wisdom with blogland and not just the vet's customers!