Hi All,
Today my main computer is in the shop getting checked out. Therefor there will be no photos accompanying this. Instead I will tell you a few goings on.

First… I just got back in the office after spending the night with my wife at the beautiful (really) Royal Palms resort for our fifth anniversary. It is a gorgeous place and I felt like I was on vacation. It is only 10 or so minutes from my studio but it felt like I was transported somewhere else entirely. We ate at T. Cook’s, the resort restaurant and both the food and service were fabulous. T. Cook’s has been rated as the best restaurant in the valley and I can see why. If you like mediterranean inspired cuisine then definitely make a trip there.

Second… I am looking forward to todays shoot. I am photographing the animals at Robin Hood Animal Rescue. I met them one day when I was buying food for my dog “Pooch” with my daughters. Like most kids, they love to look around pet stores and see all the different animals. This day Robin Hood Animal Rescue was there showing off their foster dogs. It struck a chord with me. I lost “Chloe” in Manhattan a number of years ago. She slipped the leash and got away on a busy night in the Hells Kitchen area where we lived. We put up fliers immediately  and started to call the local animal control centers. I visited the Manhattan center in Harlem every day for a month and then twice a week for another month. All the while checking the internet for anything I could find. We never saw Chloe again. What I did see was a steady stream of new dogs every time I went to the animal shelter. I got to recognize them and then when I returned they were missing and replaced by new dogs. Most were euthanized. I cried just about every time I visited that place. All this came back to me as I saw these really cute, homeless dogs that day and I started to tear up again. Thats when I asked them if I could photograph their pets so that maybe people would see them in a better light and take them home. Robin Hood Animal Rescue is a non profit labor of love and I hope that my photography will find their cute animal charges a loving home.

Third… I am privleged to have been considered and accepted to photograph for the local chapter of Flashes of Hope. They are an organization that brings in photographers (mostly commercial) to local hospitals to create black and white portraits of children with cancer. The work is strictly pro bono. It is a chance to make the children feel as special as they really are. It also provides the families with portraits of their children that they might not otherwise be able to get. It is at times like these that I feel I truly have something to give as a photographer. Let me mention also that I am lucky to be sharing this honor with Linda Wagner, a gifted makeup artist here in the valley. When I contacted her for her availability she informed me that she had only one day off this month ( she also works at Destiny’s Bride) and it happened to be Friday the 27th, the day of our shoot. When I told her what I was doing she immediately and enthusiastically said yes. I will not however be able to share the photos with you on this blog as they are very personal. Some may appear on the Flashes of Hope website. If there is a chapter in your area then I urge you to find a way to participate, whether by donating time, talent or money. It is a worthwhile cause.

I will post more photos and less commentary soon. As always, I would love to hear from you. 

Sincerely,

 

Keith