St. Maarten

Now that the summer is coming to a close, I feel torn.  I welcome the fall season with open arms because it means that I won't sweat profusely every waking moment and will finally have some good hair days (see ya humidity!), but on the other hand I feel I didn't get nearly enough summer activities in and spent too much time inside at work.  This is in no way remotely true,  as I was spoiled for the month of July since it was essentially a full month of vacation, I just wish that it could have lasted all summer. Here are some photos from our ten day trip to St. Maarten.  I love how vibrant they all are and how on the island even the most remote landscapes are bursting with color.

Adam in Anguilla

Anguilla Resort

Karakter's beachside bar

Vendors on the boardwalk

Carib on the beach 

Grand Case

Port de Marigot

Stray Dog

Rum Punch

Marigot Sunset

Boardwalk 

Pets

Pets.  Mention that word to anyone and you almost immediately get a response that involves them gushing about the pet they own (unless, of course, they hate animals). Most of the time it feels more like you are listening to a parent babble about their child, and in reality we all know that pets are just another type of 'child' for most people.  

Over the course of the last year pets have become a predominant part of my life.  

In January my cousin got a puppy, Cody.  He quickly became a staple at every family function, with family members treating him as if he were a new baby in the family.  We all coo and talk to him like he can understand us. We all laugh at him when he does stupid cute dog things.  

A few weeks ago two of my good friends also adopted a puppy, Rawley (pictures coming soon!).  Although his time in everyone's life has been brief so far, we have quickly shifted gears so that all attention is on him when he's around (and how could you not with that cute face!).   We recently took him on a trip to the beach and we all praised and admired him as he swam in the bay, dug a hole, and frolicked around on the beach, as if we were all expecting him to not be able to instinctively do these (normal dog) things. 

Along with the addition of two furry friends, there has also been loss.  One of our cats 'ran' away from home, and hasn't been seen in almost two months (and we're all pretty sure Toby couldn't make it out in the wild). And another, Socks, passed away at the age of 15, and it was the first time that I've ever experienced a pet die. It was sad. Really sad. I cried more than I expected to. This is the first time in over 15 years that we have had less than 4 cats living in our house. My cat, Quincy, whom I adopted four years ago was the basis for which I could decide which apartment to live in come September.  As I scoured craigslist for an apartment, I tried to justify to myself paying hundreds of dollars over my allotted budget just so that I could keep my cat (luckily, an apartment was found that fit relatively within the budget AND allows cats). 

So my point: animals can make us act a little foolish sometimes.  

What does this all have to do with photography?  It means that I really love photographing pets.  I love that they can make us all insane enough to treat them like people, and that I have the ability to capture this 'human essence' every time I get the opportunity to photograph them.  And let's face it, I get nostalgic looking at pictures of Quincy as a kitten. If I could, I would photograph everyone's pets from beginning of life to end of life, if only they were crazy enough to pay me for it. 

Quincy

Socks

Cody

Sophie

Vacation

The month of July was too good to me.  It spoiled me.  It created a monster that never wanted to go back to work again.  I'm still having trouble sitting through an entire day at my desk at work.  Between traveling for the first two weeks, to a wedding, to long weekends on the Cape, I am not eager to embrace the month of August (nothing personal, August).  You just won't be as exciting.  Oh well, a girl can still hope, right?
The following set of images are from Cape Cod.  The day that I took them it was overcast and a cool 70 degrees with afternoon fog rolling in.  Plus, I've been trying to expand my horizons and shoot in black and white since it requires a different eye while you are shooting.

Chatham Fish Pier
Chatham, MA

Pup
Chatham, MA

Finn at Lighthouse Beach
Chatham, MA

Welcome!

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