I recently had the opportunity to shoot some pictures for the new MSPCA Summer Campaign. They are calling it SPF 75 – (Seeking Purrfect Families). They are offering reduced adoption fees of $75 for adult cats over 1 year. It’s a great chance to get that loveable cat you’ve been wanting, without worrying about having to kitten proof your whole house! More information is available on the MSPCA website.
The whole staff got into the shoot, we had a backdrop painted by one of the amazing staff members, and tons of summer gear for humans and animals alike. It was a ton of fun to shoot, and I hope you enjoy the images!
You can see more and get even more information on the MSPCA facebook page.
~Rachel
I’m sorry for the delay in posting, but lots of exciting things are happening and it’s getting really busy! So thank you for visiting me even after my time away.
First, I want to tell you about the Fidelco 2011 Walk in Manchester, CT. It was another overcast Saturday morning, very similar to the walk in Boston the week prior, but all similarities ended there! Fidelco is based in CT, so this event was much bigger than the one in Boston. The Governor of CT, Dannel P. Malloy, attended and spoke, and the Governor’s Guard presided over the walk.
I spent most of the morning taking pictures of the wonderful teams who raised money for this cause and attended the walk together. I loved meeting all the dedicated people who have a love for animals.
The CT State Police did a demonstration with a few of the German Shepherds donated to them from Fidelco. These dogs work very hard and are a great addition to the State Police team. The love between the handler and the dogs is really inspirational.
Finally, I was able to get pictures of some of my favorite subjects! There were hundreds of dogs that attended, of all sizes and shapes. It was a great morning, and I was so glad to be apart of the festivities!
Please head over to my website for a full slideshow of all the images. If you are a team leader and would like to order prints or any special arrangements, please feel free to email and I’d be happy to help.
~Rachel
I hope you got a chance to see the lilacs before the rains came. I took this image last week. I love lilacs. I grew up next to my grandparents, and in between our house and theirs, we had a large out-of-control lilac bush. Every spring, Misty and I could be found hanging out around the flowers, usually me reading and him snoozing. Nothing reminds me of my kitty like the smell of these beautiful flowers.
I hope that you have a wonderful memory triggered by a delicious smell.
~Rachel
When I heard the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation was going to be doing a walk in Boston, I immediately contacted them and let them know that I was planning on attending and would love to be able to present them with some images. They were so wonderful to work with, and I was so honored to be able to help this great organization. They are based in CT, which is where I grew up, and I had heard of them and the amazing work they do, but getting to know them and to see the extent in which they benefit the blind and deaf community is inspiring. They raise German Shepard’s from puppies into adolescence, training them in loving families and surrounded by the foundation with support and training and then place them with people as working guide dogs until they retire in their senior years. They have a great staff that works in conjunction with a vital volunteer system. It was great to see!
They had asked that I bring an assistant to help corrall the puppies when I was doing the team shots. I asked my cousin Elizabeth to come along because she loves dogs and she is one of my best friends. We had so much fun, and when she picked up my second camera, she got amazing shots like the one below. I was so glad that we were working together! Thank you Liz!
To see all of the pictures, please feel free to view the slideshow. I can’t wait to work with them again!
~Rachel
The MSPCA has 10 beautiful German Shepard/ Labrador Retriever puppies. They were born on St. Patrick’s Day and will be available for adoption today! Here is the official statement from the shelter:
We are likely to grow up to be around 70lbs and will have lots of energy! Our adoption fee is going to be $485 which includes our spay/neuter, rabies, microchip, first round of shots and 11 training classes! We are required to come to Puppy Play and Learn and Basic Obedience training. The awesome staff here at the adoption center is collecting applications to find us the best homes possible. If you would like to apply for one of us please stop in the adoption center to see us and leave an application!
I was so happy to meet them, they won’t be around for long and will all get adopted and go to their forever homes! Interested in learning more? All of the animals at the MSPCA are on petfinder.
~Rachel
I decided today was Orange Cat Day at the MSPCA. Ok, so it was only orange day to me, I’m hoping for the sun to peek out soon!
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Yesterday was my volunteer day at the MSPCA, and it was the first time that I walked into the adoption room and didn’t immediately see the cuteness and adorableness of all of the cats. You see, the MSPCA has had two separate cases of Cat Hoarding come in in the past few weeks. One case was a house full of exotic cats, persians, sphinxs, munchkins and ragdolls, and quite a few crossbreeds. These animals were in such deplorable condition that they needed to be shaved and treated. They are now available on the adoption floor, but look much worse for the wear. Of course fur grows back in, and these personalities are oh-so-sweet, so I wanted to share a few images from the floor, they will make amazing pets. They aren’t the cutest kids on the block, but I think they have a beauty in them that the smallest kitten can’t replicate. If you want to read more about the backstory, please visit the MSPCA facebook page.
~Rachel
You may remember my friend Nomar from here. Well those pictures were done during an impromptu visit to my friend’s house. It was not a formal shoot, mostly just me playing around with my camera. Since I posted those pictures, Nomar got kennel cough, which put a strain on his heart. He is nine years old, and was slowing down, so it hit him really hard. He ended up in the animal hospital for a few (harrowing!) days, and they didn’t know how it would turn out. Everyone who knew him sent out good thoughts and prayers, and they worked! He was sent home on Thursday, but with a long term prognosis of a serious heart condition. I knew that I had to seize the moment and go have an actual photoshoot with him and make sure that I made some images that captured his sweet sweet soul and his very loving nature.
We had a great couple of hours together on the beautiful Sunday. It was a bit low key, since he is still recovering, but we took a short walk and spent some time out in the grass with a new toy. I even ended up climbing into his hiding spot under a tree with prickly bushes to see if I could capture every aspect of him. He’s a fighter and I hope that he has a long time ahead of him. I’m very glad that I got to meet him and make images of him that will last forever. Nomar, we are all rooting for you!
~Rachel
This weekend, the Hubster and I were walking around our neighborhood, enjoying the nice weather. I had my camera with me with my zoom lens, thinking I would take some happy pictures of flowers, green grass, etc. All of a sudden, Hubby stops and points. “Not something you see in Boston every day.” and I looked over and there he was, Mr. (or Ms.) garter snake, in a very populated urban neighborhood, on a traditional front stoop. We spend some time making sure I got his most flattering angle, and of course with the tongue. He then slithered off into a nearby garden and we walked on. Until next time 
~Rachel
I’ve been very fortunate to have been working with David Fox for the past few months. He is an amazing photographer that has been working in the Boston area for over 20 years. He has allowed me to come out on a myriad of different kinds of shoots and I learn something new every time I see him. Last night he let me come along while he shot a final dress rehearsal of Arabian Nights at Tufts University, and I got to take a full set of pictures. If you are interested, visit his blog for his perspective and more information on the production. If you can head over to Tufts this week, it is definitely worth it!
For me, the shooting plus the learning, plus being back in a theater was HEAVEN. Thank you David for the opportunity!
~Rachel
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