King of the Castle

Shooting the personal spaces of creative individuals is such a thrill for me – like getting a peak behind the magic curtain. Several months back I spent the day with my friend Mel in her home, capturing images and video of her, her paintings, and her diverse assortment of once-stray pets. Mel's dog, Lucky, commanded attention that day and worked his way into nearly every image I made... wagging his tail, jumping on furniture, and pawing at Mel as she spoke and pulled out paintings from her too-full flat file. At one point, his nose literally touched my lens.

"When I first brought him home, I thought, gosh, I don't know about this one. He's pretty intense," Mel confessed with raised eyebrows and a chuckle. Then she told me the story about how she had found him in an abandoned pen on a piece of property near her farm. The neighbors had moved and left him behind without a word, food or water. Seeing him here, pictured on his thrown with a clear view of his new domain, reminds me how lucky we are to have people like my friend Mel in this world.

Take us home and introduce us to your beloved pets.

Comments

[vivienne]

i'd love to introduce ya'll to my feline sidekicks...i happened to have written a wee blog post about them the other day insprired by a few photos i took of them!

http://ladyvivienne.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-feline-family.html

[Marcie]

A timely post.. Of late - I've been turning my camera on my pup and her friends. Mine is the black-tri Australian Shepherd (all the way to the right of the image).
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/index.php?showimage=800

[Elizabeth Harper]

I don't have any pets, but I love my daughter's dog Ry. I took this photo when I was back in the U.S. last month. He's constantly learning new things like this capture in a picture I posted a few weeks ago.

http://giftsofthejourney.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/more-than-just-a-wave/

[nessa]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32387138@N06/3118245313/in/set-72157609353968275/

This is Beatrice one half of a bonded pair we adopted a year on Saturday, George was probably eating one of our chair legs when I took this )))
Such a lovely story that she rescues these innocent and precious creatures, thank you for sharing.

[Puna]

We love animals but right now can only handle one dog and one cat...

Our cat Baby, adopted from the shelter when he was 10 years old.
http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/a-reeeeeeaaaaly-long-ride/

Our dog Sophie, adopted when she was one year old.
http://lifesignatures.wordpress.com/2008/09/26/the-end-of-the-week-9252008/

[Vanessa]

meet Nemo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3179731566/in/set-72157607616272693/
he also has a sidekick -a goldfish named Bob-... and an entire cast of Spongebob figurines inhabit their tank!!

[elk]

you are such a storyteller with images Stephanie!

he is a rescue ...that rescued us!
http://www.redorgray.com/2009/04/for-me-by-redorgray-on-flickr.html

[Sue]

What a great shot, tells a story without words! I love your site, I'm a beginner but would love to learn with you!
P.S. It wouldn't take my URL for some reason, I tried many times, so here it is.
www.countrypleasures.blogspot.com

[Gayle]

I love that shot!

Here are two from me:
http://planetmfiles.com/2009/06/02/i-heart-timmys-face/
http://planetmfiles.com/2009/05/15/a-dogs-life/

[Lori]

Here's my kitty, Talula.

She's a bit skittish, but such a snuggler when she's ready.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?id=691911320&pid=3092005#/photo.php?pid=1695802&id=691911320

[debbie]

My eyes always turn to the dogs.

My sweet chihuahua appears in the upper left corner of this page, and at the bottom with my son.

http://www.deezeephotography.com/portfolio/pets/

[Michelle Davies]

My sweet, sweet lab that we rescued from the shelter. A decision we have never regretted.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michelledavies/3607446532/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michelledavies/3607445338/

[Lucy]

Bop on over and meet Henry....

[Toni | Daily Vignette]

Here's Buster, proudly showing me his creation (I wasn't so proud. Or happy.):
http://dailyvignette.com/2009/04/30/look-ma/

Here's a diptych of both my boys, Buddy and Buster:
http://dailyvignette.com/2009/04/29/pet-parade/

[Deb Owen]

The cutest dog in the world (if I may say so myself...ha)...playing in snow:
http://www.debowenphotography.com/www.debowenphotography.com/Images/Pages/Events_Misc.html

All the best!
deb

[Bostongaljm]

This is my sweet companion, something new everyday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22522584@N02/3491351804/

[heather]

Here's Patience who usually does her best to avoid the camera: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparrow_5_2/3335001609/in/set-72057594085735210/

[Margaret]

Our cat PJ is a senior citizen at 16 years old:
http://oliverallover.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/how-pj-got-her-name/

Our newest addition is a 6 year old Bassett Hound mix from Tri-State Bassett Hound Rescue:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maknj/3283150773/

Here's my self portrait with the dog:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maknj/3410038211/

[Mina]

My critters are all too often the subject for my photos. They command the attention with their cuteness and I'm just a sucker for it. Here's just a few of I'm sure thousands:)

http://shininglotus.blogspot.com/2009/06/thankful-for-joy.html
http://shininglotus.blogspot.com/2009/06/out-and-about.html
http://shininglotus.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-instant.html

[Amy N.]

this is our girl. she lives outside (the cat inside doesn't like her) and she's always there to greet us and love on us.
http://amykiane.typepad.com/ordinarily_extraordinary/2009/02/my-girl.html

[beth]

not king of the castle...more like princess of the porch swing...


http://www.flickr.com/photos/29291473@N04/3177725113/

[Jamie]

I don't have a dog of my own (although I really want one) so here's some shots of my friend's dog I took the other day.

http://umbrellablog.com/2009/06/gimley-west-highland-terrier/

[sophie]

when we lost our beloved 14 1/2 year old terrier mix this summer, I thought it would be a long time before I felt ready for another dog. But, the dog-shaped hole she left was too large, and this OE sheepdog mix came up for adoption at the local agency. I've heard people say that adopted dogs attach to their new family with particular intensity, and I think that could be true. Certainly, with a whole lot of affection:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/limesally/3169053969/

[darrah]

This is Isabelle (a.k.a. Izzy, Shmizzy, Munchy Laroo, and sometimes we call her Mr. Munchy):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artcetera/3567351785/in/set-72157618749866175/

[georgia]

normally i would provide a link to my own photo or blog, but i don't have pets, so i will provide one to my twin sister's wonderful photos of her cat and chihuahua. she has so many good ones, and i wish she would post them all the time, but i can at least point to the ones she's posted so far.
here
http://anjel-cake.blogspot.com/2008/11/least-innocent-cat-youll-ever-meet-with.html
and here
http://anjel-cake.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-love-my-pets-and-i-love-pet-faces-so.html

[Kristen]

These pictures aren't really of "my" dog. But if I could fit this dog in my car (i've tried) I would take it home with me to spend the weekend though. He's half great pyrenees, half black lab, and 100% friendly. He lives on my best friends farm and always follows close by when we explore. I like to consider all of her animals to be a little bit of mine too. Sorry so many links, but I couldn't decide on which one i liked best. Shutter Sisters, meet Buddy :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lateriser/3285954367/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lateriser/3285951981/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lateriser/3173868160/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lateriser/3173033499/in/photostream/

[Liz//Tipping Point Photo]

I am SO lucky to have found my best friend at a local shelter. I can't imagine my life or my home without her.

Simple portrait shot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tippingpointphoto/3315536614/in/set-72157610809399360/
(part of the 100 steps series, inspired by a previous post here)

Helping her momma test out her wide angle lens:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tippingpointphoto/3308529834/in/set-72157610809399360/

Bits and pieces of her that I love:
Paws------http://www.flickr.com/photos/tippingpointphoto/3315537436/in/set-72157610809399360/
Tags-------http://www.flickr.com/photos/tippingpointphoto/3314699587/in/set-72157610809399360/
Ears-------http://www.flickr.com/photos/tippingpointphoto/3314698407/in/set-72157610809399360/
Undeniably adorable face-----http://www.flickr.com/photos/tippingpointphoto/3315526304/in/set-72157610809399360/

Thanks to everyone for sharing their furry friends! It's additional uplift (beyond snuggling with my own pooch) while I'm home mending from a recent injury.

[Bridget R.]

There is no love in this world like the love of a basset hound. Their ears, their big soulful eyes, just begging for whatever is on your plate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beeroach/3598134571/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beeroach/3598943266/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beeroach/3390780553/in/set-72157616005633784/

This is Juno and she inspires the quoting of Shakespeare:

"The course of true love never did run smooth"

[Elizabeth]

Some furry "friends" I met along the way:


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rBSjLLLkzsY/Sg7hS5bS5OI/AAAAAAAAAB4/hR0uQMwjgyo/s1600-h/FL020005.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_rBSjLLLkzsY/SgEB6jtUF8I/AAAAAAAAABg/-iEsVlpmC8U/s1600-h/FL030023.jpg

[sarah-ji]

Stephanie, I can't WAIT to be able to take photos of my very own kitty! 20 more boxes to sort through, and I'll have the green light from the hubby. In the meantime, other people's pets will have to do:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sierraromeo/3591464730/

[Jaana]

My ridiculous feline http://www.flickr.com/photos/dxeechick/3607250165/

[Becky]

The youngest of our three pugs at 8 years (and the only male). Tucker is not the king, but he is adorable and perfectly fine with the ladies being in charge :)

http://blog.bagdanoffphoto.com/?p=1546

[aspence61]

Two of my four pets. Finn was a pup in this photo and was still testing his boundries with the cats! Ollie let him know who's boss! http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreaspencephotography/2836141081/in/set-72157603641774809/

[Charlane]

how about a queen of the castle?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/charlaneg/3593267995/

[Cindi Barker]

Stories like Lucky's break my heart and make me so mad at the humans who do that sort of thing. I have had a dog in my life since I was 11 or so and cannot imagine living without one. We currently have 3 on the large-ish side, one Lab and two strays that I tried to find homes for but ended up not being able to let them go:
http://southern-exposures-cjbarker.blogspot.com/ scroll down to last Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
(funny how I have just recently posted about all 3 of our fur children!)

[jackie]

So glad Lucky is now in a loving and caring home!
Here is two perspectives of our cat Licorice, just one pet in our menagerie!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22609510@N03/3608174330/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22609510@N03/3608173180/in/photostream/

[djbeat]

i have been thinking a lot about how lucky we are to have the four leggers that we have... with a big black dog, two cats & a bb boy our home could be crazy! as it turns out - it is just perfect...

http://365daysofdifferent.blogspot.com/

hunter our sweet protector: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbeat/3599932110/
chai lover cat: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbeat/3379928578/
scout snuggle sister: http://www.flickr.com/photos/djbeat/3379060799/

[gonzomama]

here's our ol' girl. she's a southern sweetie.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59735955@N00/2074230668/in/set-72157603845122855/

[s]

My beautiful kitty, Mia.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandis_art/3608409168/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandis_art/3607594181/

The best part is that she has a white "heart" shape on her tummy.

[maz]

Come and meet my labradoodle, Miller. He is my chill pill, every day.
http://divingforpearls.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/06/miller-chiller.html

[Patty Reiser]

Pets make such a wonderful and sometimes amusing addition to many families.

Kudos to those who rescue abandoned animals.

I once rescued a lab/retriever puppy who was left behind with its parents when the humans got evicted from their rental. The parents ran away but the deputy was able to rescue the puppy. We instantly feel in love with each other. My daughter adored "Buttercup" until she passed away a few years ago.

Today we have Snapple, a pure breed Dachshund.
http://camerapatty.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/introducing-snapple/

Wishing everyone a scent-sational day!
Patty

[Princess Fred]

I just received a Canon XTi 400 as a gift after I mentioned i wanted to start taking pictures of my babies (dogs). After realizing that in order to get one good pic, you have to take hundreds, I've still decided i want to learn how to do animal photography - I love both - animals and photography. Still learning, but I've started posting one a day on my blog, and have joined a few Flickr groups to get me going.
http:// www.princessfred.blogspot.com

[Toni]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39050737@N03/3608519514/in/set-72157619449339668/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39050737@N03/3608520208/in/set-72157619449339668/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39050737@N03/3608519514/in/set-72157619449339668/

[shelli - mama of letters]

We have two dogs and a cat. The dogs were my husband's before we married, and the cat was mine. I adore her, and she adores me. She was my friend when I felt most alone.

http://www.mamaofletters.com/Site/The_Focal_Point/Entries/2008/11/11_Sophie.html

[Vanessa]

after introducing you to Nemo a couple of dozen comments back, i just could NOT resist running off, taking a full family photo (spongebob cast and all!), uploading it to my flickr page and linking here. i give you: life inside my fish tank: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vanessa_r/3608024959/

[Tracy]

I have been reading for a while now but never commented...but you hit my soft spot on this one. This is my king of the castle that I rescued about 3 years ago...he is my kid!!

http://tracyjaynephoto.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-fave-pooch.html

[Liz]

Here's my dog Tinker taking a break at the top of a hill at one of our favorite walking places, the Arboretum in Boston:

http://inventingliz.blogspot.com/2008/08/take-break.html

and here she is expressing her pure joy at being at the top of a different hill in the same place:

http://inventingliz.blogspot.com/2008/06/happy-happy-joy-joy.html

Sometimes I wish I could be even half that happy just once or twice!

[Rebecca Smith]

http://rebeccasmith78.blogspot.com/2009/05/mr-bill.html

For the love of reptiles!

[Lis]

Last year we lost both our cat (18 years old) and our dog who was 14 1/2. It was a rough grieving but this past Spring I got doggy fever. We found our new buddy, Moose via a rescue group. I drove 4 hour, part way in a snow storm to visit another dog and fell in love with this sweet guy. He is part sloth as he sleeps whenever he can ... but his tail goes twirls like an airplane propeller whenever he sees me or my daughter. He has developed a liking to my shoes which he does not chew, just drags them to his bed to cuddle with.

Here is his sweet face: http:// www.flickr.com/photos/7724232@N03/3606008642/in/set-72157618113994670/

and another: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7724232@N03/3609703562/

[pac]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3608880575_3b1cf9f4d6.jpg

My BFF...definitely has been a life saver many times since I brought her home last spring. Don't know where I'd be without her!!!!