Holiday musings

Since tomorrow is Halloween I thought it would be fun to give you some facts about Halloween.

• Celebrates the Christian holiday of All Hallows Eve which is followed by All Saints Day (November 1)
• Jack-O-Lanterns were traditionally made from turnips, but turnips weren't cheap so Americans used pumpkins
• The Jack-O-Lantern tradition comes from a Celtic tale. Jack tricked the Devil into paying for this drink, so the Devil gave Jack a hellish ember. But crafty Jack place the ember safely into a turnip, which he carved and carried with him so as to scare away any future hellish encounters.

• The tradition of trick or treating is a short step from the medieval practice of souling.  In which beggars went door to door on October 31st to pray for souls in return for food. (I guess candy is a sort of food)
• A 1951 Peanuts comic strip can be credited with the popular spread of trick or treating as we know it today
• Its not just an American holiday, the French village of Limoges attracted nearly 50,000 partiers last year
• The most important thing to remember is to be safe, the biggest danger on Halloween is alcohol poisoning

These points came from the following website: http://mic.com/articles/17477/halloween-history-13-strange-facts-on-why-we-celebrate-halloween

Do pets make good photo subjects?

This one is easy to answer, yes. Pets are always welcome at my photo shoots. There are only a few animals (that people tend to keep for pets) that I'm not good with dealing with and for the most part if I don't have to touch them I am just fine. And to make the experience easier for everyone, I've got some pointers and items to think about.

Some things to let your photographer know about your pet:

• What kind of animal your pet is?
• How long do they take to warm up to new people?
• Should we avoid populated areas?
• Will they let me move them?
• Any other items that would be good to know?

Another important list that will help your photo shoot go smoothly is some items you may want to bring with you.  Pets are like kids and some times need extra stuff to get them through a couple of hours in front of the camera or a nice distraction.

Some things to bring for your pet:

• A few poop bags for the dog
• Restraints of some kind
• Treats
• Their favorite toy or one that gets their attention
• Anything that helps your pet be calm and relaxed
• The biggest thing is to have fun and relax your self

My pets are considered family members, so we alwasy try to get them in the pictures.  The cat doesn't always want to play nice and love to run off and hide. I'm sure you consider your pet a family member too and they belong in your photo too.  The best advice I can give you for any photo shoot is to remember to have fun with your photo session and you'll have the best return on your investment.

Have you done photos with your pets? If so what advice do you have?

Fall or Spring family photos?

What is the right time of year to have your family photos taken? Is there a right time of year for family photos?

 The time of year you have your pictures taken is really up to you.  Most people tend to do their family photos in the fall.  Some of the best parts of fall is the changing colors, and the cold weather.  That lovely cold weather tends to get people to cuddle and be closer together, which is a great excuse to get your picture taken.

 If you're going for a fall photo shoot I'd have it take place in the September - early November range.  That gives me enough time to edit the photos and sit down with you to look through the images, and time to order prints or cards or any other custom items you may want.

Another time of year that I like to take family photos is in the spring.  This takes some work because you have to try to work it in around rain storms and any bad weather in general. But the thing about spring that's so magical is the clear air and beautiful blue sky.

No matter what time of year you want to have family photos done, think about what your favorite time of year is.  Because if you enjoy being out in it, the happiness will show in your face and photos.

What is your favorite time of the year?  I'm always interested in your thoughts and ideas.