Diane Jarvis-Schuller

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” ~Gilda Radner

Those of us with dogs, cats, or any pets feel the same as Gilda.

If you have learned your pet is nearing the end of its life, consider a Pet Bereavement Session in which I tastefully and thoughtfully capture the special bond between you and your pet.

Since time can sometimes be compressed when we learn of a terminal diagnosis, I do my best to accommodate an emergency session if it’s deemed necessary. I understand that special place in our hearts we have for our pets so I’m particularly aware of how a pet bereavement session can be comforting for creating a beautiful keepsake of your pet. The session is dealt with compassion and sensitivity. Images from these sessions are not posted publicly unless requested by the family.

Please share this information with your friends and family (the “email a friend” button below to the right will make it convenient). If you would like further information regarding the Pet Bereavement session, please contact Diane (using the contact tab above).

{Available anywhere from Edmonton north for Pet Bereavement, in the Grande Prairie region, and north as far as Grimshaw.}

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Photographs never forget. I can help you keep your memories alive. Contact me at photos @ dianeschuller . com (remove spaces) or use the contact tab above.

I’ve spent the better part of the day working on a custom flush mount album. I’m still learning how to be proficient at creating these gorgeous products so it takes me a lot longer than it takes others. I’m also so darn fussy about the details that I tend to “measure twice; cut once” over and over again. I’ve made some of these in the past but, because I don’t make them frequently, I am rusty each time I begin again. The end result is always so beautiful but boy-oh-boy it takes me a very long time to create them. So here is a preview of the one I created today. It’s a gift for my husband.

Unfortunately to put together my mosaic of each spread, I was not able to get them all in order no matter how much I fiddled with my software. So here is a peek at what the full page spreads basically will look like. I did not include the cover but when the album arrives, I’ll take photos of it for you. I added a light black stroke around each spread so you could see what the 2-pages look like opened up. (I also see from my preview here on the web that they look over-sharpened — the album itself definitely is not over-sharpened but it’s late and I wanted to post this sample for you.

Here is a separate sample of the first 2-page spread so you can see it a bit closer.

So what is a flush mount album anyway? Press Printed Albums are flush mount albums with thick lay-flat pages and no middle gutter.

Unique to Press Printed Albums, the inside pages are printed on either Art Watercolor, Art Linen, Art Recycled, or Pearl press paper and adhered to heavy black cardstock. The ones I’ve ordered so far are all on the gorgeous Pearl finish. This allows each spread to lay flat with a thick and rigid look and feel. Pages are printed as full spreads and not cut so imagery and design elements are not lost in the center of the book! Press Printed Albums are available in fixed lengths of 20, 40, or 60 sides (10, 20 or 30 spreads) and are available in 6×6, 6×12, 8×8, 10×10, 12×6 and 12×12 sizes.

All Press Printed Albums are available in a full line of cover materials including floral, mineral, suede and book fabrics, as well as many leather options including vintage, alligator and standard bonded leathers, and as a premium genuine black leather. The very popular custom photo covers are also available with Lustre or Metallic photographic paper, and Fine Art Canvas or Metallic Canvas. All cover materials can be padded as an option. All covers are wrapped around masonite providing a heavier, more substantial album. Photo custom covers are made with a photographic or canvas print that is laminated and adhered to the masonite cover.

I have shown photos before of the press printed books & albums. I’ll be sure to take photos of this one when it arrives. See what a beautiful keepsake you can have from your photo session when you hire a custom photographer? Although the press printed albums are most popular for weddings, newborns, and graduation, ANY occasion or any time is ideal for such a quality keepsake. These are quality heirlooms you’ll be proud to display and pass on to family. {Don’t forget Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are coming up very soon.}

Let the bells ring, the book I’ve been telling you about is hot off the presses! I was fortunate that one of my canine photos was chosen to be included in the 2010 Art Book Project. I see Sara Harley (the hardworking editor) got the press releases out to the media already. Here’s the scoop.

The Paws For Charity Art Book Project is a unique fundraiser that celebrates our love of pets, and raises funds for a human cause. The 2010 Art Book is a compilation of artwork and photography of dogs and cats from by 65 artists and photographers in 7 countries. All funds raised from the sale of these books are donated to The Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, a registered charity with programs in over 50 countries. This charity also carries the Humane Charity Seal of Approval.

I’m proud to have been invited to make a submission and, even more proud to have had a photo chosen for this great cause. The book can be ordered in hard cover or soft cover but I recommend the hardcover. It makes a great gift whether for someone who loves dogs & cats, someone who appreciates fine art, or for someone who has had a struggle with cancer. I hope you’ll consider supporting the cause. Since this book is a fund raiser, I will be making reminder posts over the balance of 2010. Why not get yours today! You can see a preview of the 75 page coffee table book (the first 15 pages) when you visit the 2010 Art Book.

PS: On another paw-note … BOY oh boy have you people made it extremely difficult to narrow down to 5 finalists for our pet photo contest! We got a nice representation of both dogs and cats. I was near tears when I read some of the entries: we have some really heartwarming entries from people who have rescued their pets. As promised, I will have the finalists posted on Wednesday, later in the day, and then the voting can begin to choose a winner!

Diane’s website ||  Diane’s Facebook photography page

Here it is at long last. The pet contest I’ve been writing about but had to delay until today. Since many of you have waited so long, let’s jump right in and get started. Here’s the scoop.

ELIGIBILITY: Everyone, no matter where you are located. For this contest “pet” shall refer to a Dog, Cat, or Horse.

RULES:  Very few but these are the most important aspects …

1. The photo MUST have been taken by YOU. No photos taken by anyone other than you.
2. No photos of pets that are “dressed up” in clothing or accessories (collars or harnesses are allowed). If the article of clothing is for a specific purpose and is a necessity, such as booties on dogs in the snow or ice or a raincoat for a small or thin-haired dog in the rain, those will be allowed. (Reasoning for this rule: I strongly dislike when people dress dogs in clothing and accessories. Dogs do not like it and I consider it bordering on cruelty. It’s my contest and that’s my rule.)
3. One entry per person.
4. By submitting a photo for consideration indicates you certify that you adhere to all the rules and eligibility requirements.

HOW TO ENTER:  Send your photo to me by email [ dianeschuller @ gmail . com  -- remove spaces and please check the spelling before sending ]. You MUST include a subject line with the words, “PET CONTEST”. Any email without that subject header may end up in my spam folder and be deleted. Attach your photo to the email and be sure to include the following information in the body of your email: 1) Your name; 2) Your email; 3) where you are located in the world; 4) The name of your pet; 5) A brief (no more than 50 words) description of why you picked this particular photo or why this pet is so meaningful to you.

DEADLINE:  Send your photos with the required information beginning immediately. The contest closes Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 12:00 Midnight MDT. No late entries will be accepted.

SELECTION PROCESS: Once all entries have been received, 5 finalists will be selected. The 5 finalists will be posted on this blog within a few days (this will depend upon my workload at the time). Once the 5 finalists are posted, the public voting will commence. Full instructions on how to submit votes will be outlined with the posting of the finalists. So the winner will be selected by public voting process.

PRIZE:  The winning entry will receive their choice of one of two prizes. No cash prizes or cash equivalents.

1. Choice One: A custom on-location photo session with me for you and your pet. This includes a full creative session plus one 8×10 of your choice from the session. The session must be booked and held prior to October 1, 2010 and you must be in my service area (Grande Prairie & area, Peace region of Alberta or BC, Edmonton and area). Value: $ 150.
2. Choice Two:  Two books — Dr. Pitcairn’s New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn D.V.M. and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.  PLUS The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller. Value including shipping costs: $ 52.

That’s it. So now I am really excited to see your photos! Start sending them today. Tell your friends, relatives, and co-workers. Use the “email a friend” link (below and to the right). Spread the word. I’m expecting a wide variety of images from all over the cyber world.

Diane’s website ||  Diane’s Facebook photography page

I’m excited to finally let the cat out of the bag and bark out some exciting news! One of my canine photos will be published in a book that is a fund raiser for breast cancer! I had been invited to submit photos for consideration for the Paws for Charity Art Book and out of over 300 photographers and artists, I was fortunate to have been included as one of the 65 for the book. Please follow the link to find out more about the project. I am honoured to have been included and hope we raise a lot of funds for breast cancer. Once the book is ‘fresh off the press’ I will be promoting the book here and at Facebook.

Update: The pet contest I have been telling you all about and that I’ve had to delay due to the regulations at Facebook regarding promotions, is finally sorted out. So as soon as I finish up my current project I will announce and commence the pet contest. I will run the contest right here rather than at Facebook and the instructions for submitting entries will be announced here on Friday. Finally!

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Diane is available to do on-location custom photography of you and your dog, cat, horse, or any other pet or livestock. Please visit Diane’s website to view her portfolio and click on the “Dogs-Pets” and “Horses-Livestock” from the Category menu tabs above.

Fun in the sun! I’ve been having as much fun as Austin here who is full of glee as he rolls in the snow. I’ve been taking advantage of my extra time to take photographs for the sheer pleasure of taking photographs. I’ve been playing around with abstracts, shadows and curves. The recent hoar frost was full of photographic opportunities. I’ll likely share a few of my fun shots in another post this week. For now, here is a pair of photos of my cooperative office assistants, Austin (above) and Pearl (below).

How are you enjoying yourself and playing and having fun these days?

PS: I am the featured contributor today over at Vision and Verb.
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Diane is a custom, on-location dog/pet photographer serving the entire Peace River region in Alberta. Visit her website and contact her to book a fun session to take memorable photos of your pets. Diane is taking a limited number of portrait sessions this year so book early to avoid disappointment.

Meet Austin in the daylight and then with a bit of dramatic lighting.

If choosing an Australian Shepherd, or any breed that was originally bred to herd, hunt, or otherwise work, you should have a VERY active lifestyle that includes the dog. To do otherwise, will mean your dog will be bored and become destructive as it tries to entertain itself. Many dogs, such as these, also require a lot of mental stimulation due to their high intelligence. Leaving a dog to exercise itself in a backyard is no exercise at all. Unlike humans, they do not do laps, they just get bored. And, like humans, without proper exercise they become obese.

This guy may look tired or bored but he gets no less than three (3) walks every single day of the year, without fail and regardless of the weather. Some days he and the others get more than 3 walks. Walking doesn’t mean on a leash either, which is totally inadequate for a medium to large breed. Walking means, the human walks while the dog runs, romps, and plays. But then you knew that, right? I admire anyone who, not only gives their dog the daily exercise it requires but, also involves the dog in dog sports (rally, flyball, dock jumping, agility, etc.), herding, tracking, or hunting. Doggy daycare is a great idea for people who have to leave a dog at home while they work — the dog gets to socialize, stimulate it’s brain, plus get some much-needed exercise.

Having a dog is a huge commitment in time and daily care. Anyone who has a dog in the family knows how they so willingly give love to their humans. They’re always thrilled when you come home!

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M and K brought their two beautiful dogs along on Saturday’s photo shoot. We met at Saskatoon Island park and had most of the park to ourselves. The lake is not entirely covered in ice yet but it won’t be long before the entire lake is solid. Can you tell how windy it was?

Tucker, the all black Lab cross, was constantly on the move as you can likely tell in a couple of these shots and by how K is working to keep him still  M and K have such rich dark brown eyes but with the glare from the sun on the snow, squinting was inevitable. I’d love to capture them with different light to really enhance their eyes because this cheerful couple are both so attractive. They both have such a warm and genuine smile as well.

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Bonus: As I do with everyone, if this post receives 15 or more comments from different people, this handsome couple will receive a complimentary 8×10. To make it easy, you can use the [email a friend] link to share this post with friends or family.

Diane is an on-location lifestyle photographer using natural light to bring out the essence of people as well as their pets. Visit Diane Schuller Photography to view her portfolio or for more information.

{This will be much longer than most of my posts, due to the nature of the subject. I must also warn that this was written with my own personal views and, as you’ll discover, I have some strong opinions on this topic.}

As soon as we post a photo online, it’s out there, a sitting duck for anyone who may wish to do so, to come and grab a copy of it and use it for who-knows-what purpose. It happens and it happens more on certain sites than others. This is particularly important to be aware of if we are posting photos of children and you can guess why that is. In this digital world photos are easily manipulated in ways that I will leave to your imagination. I wrote a post earlier this year about protecting your online images and, if you haven’t read it, that may be an ideal starting point in realizing how often & easy it is to steal other people’s photos. You’ll notice that in the past year or more all the photos I upload either have my watermark or have the copyright © symbol attached (Notice how big and almost obnoxious it is? That’s intentional). This doesn’t necessarily stop someone from stealing it but it makes more work for someone who might be wanting the photo. I also have the right click disabled although people can still take screen shots if they really want to grab a photo. Even though this is totally illegal and against all copyright laws, people do this kind of thing everyday. I’ve already gone slightly off track. Let’s talk about posting photos of children online, specifically about posting them at public photo sharing sites such as Flickr.

I admit that I did post a few photos of children on my Flickr account. I never used to but earlier this year I began to think it couldn’t be that bad. Each time (and that was only 5 or 6 total photos) I did not add tags and was very careful about the title I attached. Why, you wonder? Because those creeps out there who are looking for photos of children to put on their website, to manipulate the photos in ways that are disgusting, search using the keywords many people put in their tags: child, children, baby, toddler, kids, bath time, girl, boy, and so on. Those creeps also go to public sites such as Flickr, in particular, because there are thousands of photos of children posted free for the taking, many of which are tagged. They can find them anyway even if they’re not tagged but they have to work a bit harder to get around that — but they do. When they go to Flickr, for example, they also head straight to the Groups where thousands of images in one subject area (kids, women, babies, etc.) exist and make it so easy to pick and choose whatever they want.  The reason I have pointed out Flickr is because it’s a known ‘playground’ for these people who steal photos for any purpose but that includes weirdos who want photos of children. They also know that there are public places (such as Flickr) where the pickings are easy and plentiful so they tend to go for the easy fishing holes. After all, why head out into the big wide ocean (or Internet) when you know there are these great spots where there are so many fish you can actually pick and choose?

So, if you’re going to stick with using a public photo sharing site, there are ways to make it less easy (notice I didn’t say hard) to access photos of your children. You can change your settings (but this is NOT foolproof) so the images are not public but only available to friends or family. It’s really important to leave titles blank or not to use titles that say things like “Timmy in the tub” or “Baby Brenda bare on the rug” — you get the idea. Avoid tagging the images especially with some of the words/phrases I mentioned earlier in this post. Don’t post images in Groups at Flickr. Check every single person who “follows you” or becomes “a contact”: if they don’t have images, block them; if they have questionable images, block them. Don’t post images of children posed in adult-like poses. I have seen two different ‘photographers’ on Flickr who have posted photos of children (theirs, I think) and they have them posed in seductive Hollywood-like poses — I’m talking toddlers and elementary aged children. It’s disgusting in my view but talk about tempting the weirdos. Or, you can do as I’ve done and remove every single photo of a child from Flickr.

Is there a safe online place? No. But if you’d like to have a way of sharing your children’s photos, why don’t you simply email a few to grandparents, aunts & uncles, or friends? Or better yet, mail a few prints to them. Consider avoiding these sites altogether and burn photos to CD and mail it to family & friends. If you really, really want to have an online spot for your child’s photos there are places that are less dense in terms of numbers and that require password protection. That is likely what I would suggest as an alternative to the public photo sharing sites. For anyone who has a Mac for instance, you can use the online gallery (MobileMe) with the password protection turned on (again, don’t tag them) and make the url available only to grandparents, relatives, and close friends. Also, change that password from time to time; don’t use the same one all the time. Password protection is a help but it definitely is NOT foolproof either. If you don’t have a Mac then seek out a place where you at least have the password protection for people to view the photos such as FamiPix, but there are others out there. (By the way my personal view is that I am adamantly against the use of Facebook for photos of any kind. But that’s a long topic all by itself.)

One quick note about blogs. If you post photos of your children on your blog, be sure you are (daily) checking your comments and those who are linking to you. Get savvy in realizing that many of these creeps attach themselves to blogs by saying things like “Love your site” “what great information” “I’ll come back” and other smarmy, flattering things. Many are spelled incorrectly, some aren’t using proper English (though some do), many use women’s names (that are surely false btw), but they are a bad kind of spam. Many of them are ‘feeder’ blogs (linking to you and linking to ___ ). Get rid of them! I have visited some of your blogs and have seen these in your comments; I’ve even given a hint in my comments, so hope the hint was caught. Be careful because this sort of spam is for sites that don’t respect children, if you understand what I mean. Don’t be flattered — that’s what they are counting on; check them out, thoroughly.

So now, some of you are wondering about why I post photos of children here on my photo journal. I’m not alone and you’ll find that nearly all photographers who photograph children and families, do post those images on their websites and blogs. These are harder to find for those weirdos out there because they go where the fishing is thick and easy. Would they or could they grab a photo from a photographer’s site? They could, but ours are harder to locate in terms of tags but also harder to capture (unless they do screen shots). It’s so much easier for them to head to those public places where they can pick and choose and help themselves so easily, I doubt they head off into deep water much at all. And then they have to get rid of the watermarks and so on … it’s so much easier to head to their favourite fishing hole (Flickr and Facebook public pages).

There’s more to discuss about this topic but I hope this gives people food for thought. Feel free to share these thoughts with others or to send the url of this post to others. Get a discussion going. Consider safer ways to share photos of your children. I think a lot of grandparents, in particular, would prefer to get actual snapshots of their grandchildren in the mail rather than those online glimpses. {Yes, I practice what I preach: although I do email a few photos to family, I regularly have images of the grandkids printed and send them in the mail! Who doesn’t love to receive mail?}

Recommended Resource:

“How Safe are Photo-Sharing Websites?” this addresses another important aspect of safety ( I recommend printing this article out and sharing the url with others so they can do the same. )

UPDATE (July 2010) FYI: The same principle now applies to posting photos on Facebook. Those same creeps who have been using the thick pool of photos-in-one-place for stealing photos of kids, babies, or women are now doing the exact same thing with Facebook. That is why I deleted my Facebook business page earlier this year and now only have a personal page for friends-only (and I have NO photos posted there either).

[caption id="attachment_1052" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Maggie: English Springer Spaniel, field breeding""][/caption]

Busy, busy, busy. I missed sharing one of my photo shoot sneak peeks with you — I’ll pop a post in for that missing photo shoot in a few days. In the meantime, I did get that journal entry written about being careful if posting photos of children to photo sharing sites. I’m going to warn you now, it’s incredibly frank and you’ll see how strongly I feel about the practice. I’ll publish it here tomorrow. I also have some uplifting news about an organization I recently learned of and have just been accepted into — I’ll share that with you in the next day or two as well.

This gal is nearly 11 years old, trim and fit, with a tenderness as soft as a newborn babe. This was taken at the very end of the day, just as the last sliver of golden sun was about to settle and sigh beneath the horizon. I captured her basking in the last rays of the golden hour just in the nick of time. For those who are familiar with the other type of English Springer Spaniel, both types (field breeding and show breeding) are purebred and registered as the same breed. I’m not as keen on the show lines because they have been bred for outward appearance: those droopy eyes, long flowing coat, heavier bone & body, longer and thicker ears, and so on. The field lines breed for intelligence, stamina, moderate coat (so it doesn’t get all tangled in the bushes), tight skin around the eyes (so they aren’t prone to injury or catching dust/burrs), and maintaining that nice sleek body so necessary for working in the fields and for swimming.

Another reason my dogs are not fat is because they are not fed carbohydrates (no commercial dog food). (If only I was so disciplined ) They are fed a species-appropriate diet and receive daily exercise. If anyone is ever interested in more information, I can direct you to some credible information (both on the web plus in books) about feeding the way  nature intended.

Dogs Naturally is Diane’s Canine Blog (mostly archives at the moment)

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Diane is an on-location lifestyle photographer in Alberta using natural light. She’ll take photos of you, your family, pets & livestock, or hobbies and activities. Visit Diane Schuller Photographs.