Keegan

I've been photographing Keegan since he was just a kid. This year, he graduates from high school, and today I did his senior photographs. Here are some of my favorites, past and present.  Best of luck, Keegan...Bridget, you did good!

How Much is That Doggie in the Window?

In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to go into the Dallas Petland today after I had my nails done next door. I've read so many articles about their puppies coming from puppy mills; you really don't have to look far for a lot of evidence. Start here and you'll see what I mean. Petland in Austin and Georgetown closed last year.  See the facebook link here. Earlier, when I'd turned into the strip mall, this is what I saw:

I guess I just wanted to check things out for myself. Well, I got enough of it, and then some. I apologize in advance for the quality of the photographs, as they were all taken with my cell phone. The store was crowded when I walked in, and customers were greeted with this:

The pups are easy to find, as they're behind glass in a sterile looking environment, which covers an entire wall of the store. People were pointing and looking, some were holding puppies and talking to "sales associates." I started taking photographs of the puppies up close.

At the end of the wall were the bigger or older puppies, the ones who hadn't sold yet. They were still in the same size cages though.

About that time, my photo-taking attracted some attention, and a young sales associate came up to me. By then, I'd seen enough.  I said, "Are these mill dogs?"  "Oh, no ma'am," he replied, "I've worked here for years (he looked about twelve) and our dogs are not from mills." Anxious to leave by then, I said, "You should be ashamed of yourself," and turned to leave. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him quickly approach two employees who were standing near the front of the store. As I passed them, out of the corner of my eye I saw one take a cell phone out of his pocket. I heard click after click, and realized they were trying to take a photo of me! I hurried out the door, only to be followed by them, cell phone clicking away. Good grief! I ducked back into the nail salon, and waited for them to leave.They stood outside waiting for me. Finally, I asked my nail lady to go outside and see if they were still there. They had left. I hurried to my car and drove off quickly, not wanting them to see my license plate.  All of a sudden, I realized that I felt like someone who had done something wrong, BUT IT WAS THEM. As I looked back, they'd come back out of the store, looking for me again.

People, to say I am against puppy mills would be the understatement of the century. Please don't shop at places like this. The conditions these puppies parents are forced to live in are deplorable. They're kept confined in small, dark areas and bred over and over again. They NEVER are held, and they NEVER have even felt grass under their paws. If you have a minute, go to National Mill Dog Rescue and educate yourself. Adopt, don't shop...and as my friend Olive says, I choose to "speak for those who have no voice."

Cousins

Whenever I photograph cousins, they're usually small children. I recently had the opportunity to work with adult cousins, the added benefit being that they have great stories to tell! Meet Don May and his cousin, Larry Weeks. They are the last of the first cousins on the May side of their family.

Don is 70 years old and Larry, 69.  Larry's mother and Don's father were brother and sister.They grew up in Winfield, Alabama, and have been buddies since fourth grade.  During the hot, humid Alabama summers, they played together as boys six days out of the week.  Both fondly remember having pillow fights, going fishing, shooting bows, and flying kites.

Don even remembered shooting air rifles, until he was shot in the eye when he eleven years old, putting a ban on guns for awhile...

You can imagine these two riding stick horses throughout the house, getting into all kinds of mischief.  They enjoyed telling me how they "stole" watermelon as teenagers, and were even shot at one time. Don had a watermelon in his hands, which he threw up in the air, jumping in the car and cranking it up. In the meantime, his friends pulled Larry in through the open window.  They peeled out of the field with Larry's feet sticking out of the window, and that was the last time they "borrowed" watermelons. The boys went on to graduate from Winfield High School, Don in 1961 and Larry in 1962. More school followed; Larry was, among other things, a Baptist preacher for eighteen years. Don taught and coached at Winfield High School. If he had a computer, he'd see that his students still talk about him on Facebook. These days, they're both retired. Larry says the good thing about that is "you do about what you want to, as fast as you want to."

When I told Don I wanted to take some photographs, he got in touch with Larry (who lives just minutes away). Both were waiting for me when I arrived...I now have memories that bring a smile to my face whenever I remember this photo shoot.Thanks for coordinating, Uncle Don. You're the best!

Welcome, Marco!

A new addition to the family is always a good time for a photo shoot!  Here are a few favorites from a recent session.  Welcome, baby Marco!

Sisters

I recently had a photo session with twin girls, Addison and Avery, and their big sister, Kylie.  Lots of fun! Here are a few of my favorites (and, no, I cannot tell the twins apart)!

Emilie and Lauren

Prom comes early in Winfield, but Emilie and Lauren were ready.  With their dates, Jake and Seth, we had a great photo session in the back alleys and streets of this little northwestern Alabama town. Here are a few of my favorites.