[ PET OHANA ]
Toby's enthusiasm for the beach is reflected in this photo, which was chosen for October 2004, Love-a-Dog month. Toby's owner, Emily Gardner, says they'll celebrate Toby's second birthday on Oct. 11 with "Oct-Toby-Fest."
Immortalize photogenic
pets in 2005
Snuggles likes to curl up on a porch chair overlooking the city skyline. Maggie leaps to catch a ball in the swimming pool. Miss Kitty hangs her legs over the branches of a big tree and takes a snooze. Where's the camera?
These situations would be wonderful photos to capture your pet's spirit. The Hawaiian Humane Society has an idea for giving your pets the attention they deserve. For the fourth year, the society will produce a full-color calendar documenting "Pets in Paradise." The calendar allows pet owners to celebrate companion animals while helping the society.
"Pets in Paradise"
Photograph your pet for Hawaiian Humane Society calendarEntry forms: Available at the humane society, www.hawaiianhumane.org, or call 946-2187, ext. 223 to have the form mailed to you.
Rules: Entries must be in color photo prints in a horizontal layout, no bigger than 4 by 6 inches, and contain only animals (no people). Include $15 per photo. Photos will not be returned.
Deadline: July 30
With the deadline for photo entries just three weeks away, photographer Stan Wright offers some tips for photographing pets.
"Keep your photo simple," said Wright. "Make your pet the star in the foreground, and keep the background uncomplicated. The background should contribute to the photo and enhance the subject but not overwhelm or distract. Since the calendar is called 'Pets in Paradise,' a beautiful island-style background is a real plus."
A good example of this is the featured photo for October 2004 of a wild-haired bichon frise puppy named Toby, floating in his own pink raft with only the ocean and a little Kahala island in the background. You need not have the priciest SLR or digital camera to get a great photo. Toby's owner, Emily Gardner, took her photo of Toby with a disposable camera that she bought on the way to the beach.
"Toby has so much fun playing in the ocean, and I think it's reflected in the photographs!" said Gardner. "He looks like the ultimate 'pet in paradise' to me. We're shooting more photos to enter for 2005; we think Toby is cover-dog material."
"Looking through the hundreds of photos in last year's collage pages shows how well loved Hawaii's pets are," Wright said. "Making your photo stand out from the rest is the challenge. My best advice is to find a gorgeous spot outside, place your pet in the foreground, get close, make a chirping noise to get his attention, and snap the photo quick. If you can't take your pet away to a beautiful view, use foliage as a contributing background."
SOME OF THE 2004 winning photos were taken indoors, too. When Sheila the dog and Choco the cat sat curled up next to each other on a wicker love seat last year, Joanne and Michael Parker grabbed their camera. The pair ended up as pets of the month for April.
"If Fluffy is posing sweetly on the sofa or bed, move the pillows and distracting items away before you take the picture," Wright said. "With two or more pets in the photo, catch them reacting to one another. Get their attention with a squeaky toy or whistling noise so the animal is looking at the camera, ears perked up, head cocked to one side. The winning look can come and go in an instant. And the same noise only works a couple of times."
Noises can be made with your mouth, kazoo, a clicker or toy. Try words like "treat" or "walk." Then ready to try a variety of things to get the reaction you want.
It also helps to see eye to eye with your pet. "Lie on the floor and wait," said Wright. "Those intriguing noises might not work to get your cat's attention, so try waving a feather or ball of crinkly plastic. Patience and being eye-level with the cat will give you the best photo. Remember, you don't have to include the whole animal in the photo -- get up-close and personal -- crop in on the good stuff."
Although most of the photos submitted are of dogs and cats, the society encourages photos of all types of pets. Last year's winner for August 2004 was Jerry the Eclectus, a beautiful green parrot who belongs to Cindy Nakamura. Rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, goats, goldfish and roosters have all made calendar appearances over the years.
Some people end up with lots of excellent photos and can't decide which to enter. A $15 entry fee supports the work of the humane society, so many enter more than one photo to contribute. Last year, Marcia Taylor-Kaneshige entered 10 photos of her three cats, all adopted from the society.
The deadline for entries is July 30. The 2004 calendar comprises 54 pages featuring more than a thousand pets. All photos will be included, with 14 covering full pages and the others featured on collage pages. The calendars will go on sale Nov. 1 in time for holiday gift-giving.
"It's a good idea to start now and not rush your pet," Wright said. "Begin with short photo sessions when your pet is 'in the mood,' and keep the camera ready in between for candid shots."
"Pet Ohana" runs the first and third Fridays of the month. The Hawaiian Humane Society is a nonprofit agency dedicated to preventing cruelty to animals. They are at 2700 Waialae Ave. Call 946-2187.
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