In case you didn’t know, I love animals. It’s gotten to the point that I’ll count out the approximate footsteps and speed of movement necessary to “accidentally” cross paths with a dog and owner walking vaguely toward me from a quarter mile away.
Yep – I’m “that guy.”
A friend of mine has a golden retriever. His name is Mondego (after the character in Alexander Dumas’ Count of Monte Cristo). He also happens to be the smallest fully-grown male golden I’ve ever met, tipping the scales at something like 40 pounds.
But that’s beside the point.
This dog is a member of an extended family that also loves goldens. Parents and siblings included, there are 6 golden retrievers… and I got to photograph them.
Oh, and there’s a cockatoo as well.
Here are a few of my favorites.
– Jon
Well hi there!
It’s been a minute…
I don’t know about you good folks, but this summer’s been a wee bit crazy. By “crazy” I mean busy, and by “busy” I mean I have projects coming out of my ears. There’s been corporate-y stuff, assorted events, videos, commercials, and one big-time marketing campaign for a regional company that’s about to go national… there’s also been a bunch of dogs (like you’re surprised).
But all that in time.
To get you guys caught up, here’s a little ditty from earlier this month. A couple friends of mine tied the knot at Indian Springs Metro Park in White Lake, MI and I got to photograph it. It seems that each summer I end up shooting one wedding. So, who’s gettin’ hitched next year?
– Jon
I would apologize for three dog posts in a row… if it weren’t awesome. But, as it is, dogs are pretty much the best thing in the entire world.
Everyone agrees? Great. Let’s move on.
So back at the beginning of the month I mentioned that I was doing some work for Pedigree’s Dog Adoption Project. While that was an awesome experience, it was only the tip of the iceberg. I got the Pedigree job as a referral from The Michigan Animal Rescue League.
Back, about 2 and a half years ago, I did a bit of volunteer photographic work for the Rescue League. You can check out some of the images in my fine art gallery (click that image on the right to link to it). It culminated in a couple small photo shows at local galleries and a bit of work for the Rescue League to use on their site and such.
This time, while I was already digging in, I figured I might as well give it my all…. so here’s what’s going down:
The Rescue League needed a commercial. This place has been helping you find your best friend for over half a century. People should know how awesome they are. So that happened. Check it –
While I was working on the commercial, one of the volunteers came up with the idea to strap a camera to a spoon and give peanut butter to all the dogs. The whole concept made me feel like a child ’cause I wasn’t smart enough to come up with such an awesome idea… but that’s beside the point. For your viewing pleasure, here’s a boat-load of dogs eating peanut butter:
All the media is fine and dandy, but I felt this time around it would be better to keep pushing and put together an event. So here’s the deal.
My longest-running client owns a bowling center and restaurant in Commerce, MI – Wonderland Lanes and The Mad Hatter Pub. He happens to also love dogs.
He’s graciously agreed to host a pet adoption fundraiser on May 5th. There will be food, music, glow bowling, art sales, and – of course – lots of dogs and cats ready to love you forever. Here are the details:
You should totally come. Even if you don’t bowl, the food is great, it’s a great cause, and how else would you rather spend a Sunday than playing with puppies and kittens?
See you there!
– Jon
In case you haven’t heard of the “Idle No More” movement, it’s essentially a continent-wide collective of all indigenous peoples, who are now using their numbers and modern media channels for a wide array of purposes. These may include forming political pressure to have sacred locations renamed, re-appropriated, and/or recognized as such. There is also an internal movement designed to teach their own members ways and reasons to respect their heritage and culture.
There is also, of course, the long standing cause: to finally get legislatures’ attention regarding their complete and utter disregard for nature. Well, as we all know, short of a smack in the face (that might not even work) the only way to get noticed when it comes to creating new policy is by getting EVERYONE to say something about it. This is where Idle No More comes in.
For quite a while now, the movement has staged “protests” in cities across the continent, drawing attention to the people and the problems.
Today (Sunday, January 20th, 2013) they held an event in Detroit, discussing their cause, giving a blessing to the Detroit river, and presenting in front of Cobo Hall.
Here’s some of the goings-on.
– Jon
Yesterday, I got a chance to revisit my childhood. It was an… altered experience.
Went up to Crossroad Village, in Flint, Michigan. For those of you unfamiliar, it’s kind of like Greenfield Village (a city of historical reenactments) set in the mid to late 1800’s. This time of year is specifically interesting there because they break period-character a bit and deck the entire place up in quite a lot of Christmas lights.
When I was a wee lad, it was just crazy to go to a village in the middle of nowhere and see people who still live just like they had 100 years prior. I would take the train ride out into the country and wave to Santa, who would have, of course, been kind enough to grace us, and only us, with his presence as we rode the tracks, listening to the most traditional, old-timey of Christmas carols (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer).
Now the illusion is a bit lost on me, but that’s not to say the experience is not enjoyable – far from it. In my current mentality of “if there’s something I can learn, you best be sure I’m gonna learn it,” the magic of the holiday spirit has been replaced by super-fascinating historical facts. As an example: The train you can ride (on the Huckleberry Railroad) is actually a real-life coal-burning engine from the late 1800s, pulling a dozen cars from the same period. This, of course, is quite an accomplishment, since people have had to maintain the machines in working and aesthetic order for over a century.
A little side fact: Reindeer are ticklish… let me explain. In the spirit of all things festive, a reindeer had been brought in from a local farm for photo opportunities. As you enter the barn, there is a sign near the entrance instructing you not to touch the reindeer as it is “too ticklish” to them. Being a reasonable adult, I deduced that the comment was a friendly, whimsical way of keeping children from taking an antler to the face. Of course, if I were to wait for the impressionable youth to leave I could have an adult conversation with the reindeer’s handler and explain that I would very much like to pet the reindeer and that I would not do something stupid like hang my coat on it. She informed me the sign wasn’t actually a joke and demonstrated by VERY VERY LIGHTLY petting the reindeer. If the reindeer could have spoken it would have said something akin to, “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?! Get away from me.” In conclusion, reindeer do not like to be petted.
While the antique train and the reindeer with personal space issues were fascinating, the clear winners of my trip were the historical actors. It wasn’t so much the convincing illusion (they didn’t wear Wolverine work boots back then) but the nerdy factoids these folks had in their heads. I got to see a 100-year old typesetting machine printing a news article, found out that frontier towns sprang up based explicitly on the vicinity to the blacksmith, and learned how to use a straight razor (which I was just recently gifted).
And, OF COURSE, there were some pretty nifty photo opportunities. Here are a few of my favorites.
– Jon
It’s just about summer and as far as I’m concerned, that means festivities.
Now, I don’t know about where you live, but in my neck of the woods (Metro Detroit) there are fairs, events, and festivals EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND from Memorial Day to Labor Day. However, there is one kick-off that draws people from a 
really really long way off.
The Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Polish Country Fair.
This thing is straight up awesome. Forget the corn-dogs and elephant ears for a second – most fairs take a few days to set up the rides and pavilions. This one takes 2 WEEKS. It started small and insignificant about 40 years ago… as of last year, it topped 110,000 attendees.
North American Midway Entertainment puts on the show (they’re the “world’s largest traveling outdoor amusement park”).
There are, of course, many a photo opportunity at this thing. For your viewing pleasure – here’s a little gallery from my trip to the fair yesterday. If you’d like to check out the rest, or pick up a print, be sure to swing over to the full event gallery! <– (link).
-Jon
Well, folks – after a bit of soul searching, a sizable chunk of staring off into the distance, and an overpowering need to get out and take some pictures, I decided it’s time for mighty deal.
I want to create. I want to create something for YOU.
So, for the next 5 weeks, the deal is as follows: If you’d like some portraits shot, you get half off the session. This includes, but is not limited to: you, your kids, you and your significant other, your whole family, your grandmother, your BFF, your dog, you AND your dog…. I think you get the picture.
– Oh and dude(s) – I come to YOU. There ain’t no sittin’ pretty on a stool in a cheesy studio, with the wafting tunes of (whoever I think you might like), that smells vaguely of Kmart brand vanilla candle. NO, SIR (or ma’am). This all happens on your turf (or at a super cool spot if your turf is lacking in creative possibilities). The point here is that we’re going to have an adventure!
But let’s not forget global warming and oil and what not… don’t make me drive 50 miles, people.
ANYWAY! Here’s a little doodle I put together for this. Have a gander. Send it to your mother (it’s mother’s day soon and she’d LOVE a picture with her precious little bundle of joy), send it to your coworker, your neighbor, your dog… OK, don’t send it to your dog. That was a bad idea.
I’m rambling now. Here’s the picture.
I’m in the Detroit area, by the way.
– Jon
Just put this together. What do you think?
If you like it, drop me a line or pass it around.
-Jon
JonKPhoto 