Contemporary pet photography in the Charleston SC area
We finally replaced Cooper’s old torn-up and tattered frisbee last week after our vet appointment and he’s been ready to play all week. I finally caught him in action…i love how he looks up at me at the end here as if to ask “hey, did you get that on video, mom?”
Cooper catching a frisbee from Els Sipkes on Vimeo.
Once a year, at the end of the summer season, Whirling Waters waterpark in North Charleston stops chlorinating its pools and opens its gates to dogs. Despite Mascha and I both being sore and tired from our massive lawn-mowing, tree-downing, shrub-trimming, weed-clearing fall yard-clean-up on Saturday, we took Cooper for a half hour of fun at the waterpark Sunday (hey, after half an hour we were ALL worn out!) Despite it already being mid-September, it was still pretty hot out, and, contrary to the warnings in the paper that people would definitely NOT be allowed in the water, there were plenty of people in bathing suits enjoying the wave pool along with the dogs. Being the completely obedient people we are, we of course wore mid-calf pants, which subsequently did get plenty wet. Everybody seemed to be having a great time…most of all the dogs
We got there around 4 in the afternoon, and it seemed like most of the crowds had already come and gone…but there were still plenty of dogs…
This guy was having a blast following Cooper around (i think he was really just after the tennis ball Cooper had in his mouth)
Same objective here…except that he succeeded in getting the ball
Murphy’s Law of bringing tennis balls for your dog to public places: either you bring plenty of balls, and leave with one if you’re lucky….or, you bring no balls, and leave with at least one.
This girl was a bit skeptical…but her daddy gave her plenty of reassurances…
Some dogs never even got their feet wet…
…despite being all decked out for the occasion…
This guy was really interested in the big toy i had in my hands…but no way i was tossing that in the water! (my camera)
Cooper was having as much fun out of the water…
…as in the water. 10 points for style on this jump back in the water chasing his tennis ball…
Plenty of tennis ball chasing going on…
…except the other guy came out of nowhere and ran off with it…
Cooper was ready to get out of there…and five minutes later he was sound asleep in his crate in the back of the Jeep.
We can’t wait ’til next year so we can do it all again!
Check out the video of the event by Lowcountry Dog magazine!
Whirlin’ Waters Dog Day Afternoon at the Waterpark from Docent Prodigy on Vimeo.
You can check out Lowcountry Dog magazine online at: www.lowcountrydog.com, or, check out their blog at: http://lowcountrydog.wordpress.com
by els
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Five years ago this weekend I lost my best friend.
Shadow was my first dog, and, he was my heart dog. We went everywhere together, and, over our almost 12 years together he taught me more about loyalty and love and acceptance and humor and life than I ever thought possible. Mostly, he showed me I could open my heart again to love, despite my having vowed never to be that vulnerable again. He also taught me how to survive the prolonged illness, and loss, of the most important being in your life—a lesson I’ve had to lean on a lot this past year after losing my other best friend, my mom, last October.
My mom and dad both thought of Shadow as their boy too, and, they were as devastated at losing him as I was. Back in 2002, when Mascha and Shadow and I moved back to our homeland, Holland, (for what turned out to be only a year, but, could have been permanent), my parents drove with us to LAX. We said our goodbyes and see-you-soons, with dry eyes(!!!), but, when dad went to say goodbye to Shadow, his tears started rolling. I can’t stand to see grown men cry, so, there I went, and pretty soon we were all bawling in the middle of LAX. We still love teasing my dad about how he wasn’t all that sad about seeing US go, but, when it came to Shadow…
Shadow, with my niece, Carolyn, in Charleston, SC, summer of 2001. Shadow, Mascha and I drove across country from San Diego, CA, to Charleston, SC, then up to Chicago, and back to California following Route 66 all the way. In Los Angeles we rewarded his excellent travelling behavior with a hamburger from In-n-Out. He ate the entire thing in one bite.
Shadow, playing in the snow in the mountains, about 10 miles from where he was born in Pine Valley, CA—an hour's drive from San Diego. Winter, 2001. He loved chasing snowballs and then running to where they crashed and digging down to the dirt trying to find where they went.
Shadow, running on his favorite beach in Del Mar, CA, Christmas Day 2001. I'm sure wherever he is now, he's on a beach, with a stick in his mouth, searching for a friend to throw it into the ocean for him to retrieve. I'd like to think the "friend" he'll find there is my mom.
Rest in Peace, my sweet boy Shadow. You gave me everything I could have ever hoped for in a best friend, and so much more.
by els
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A few weeks ago I was asked to photograph the winner of an essay contest held by the Charleston Parks Conservancy. The winner’s essay, and photos of the winner and her dog, appear in the August/September issue of Lowcountry Dog magazine. The magazine can be read online www.lowcountrydog.com, just click on the magazine to view it. The winning essay starts on page 6, and continues on page 11, where 2 of the 3 photos I submitted for the story also appear.
Here are some of my faves of the short session of Les, Sera and Jetta at Hampton Park in Charleston, starting with the three images I submitted for publication:
Thanks Les, Sera and Jetta for a wonderful afternoon in Hampton Park, and congrats on being named the essay winner!
by els
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I’ve received report that my blog is misbehaving in that it is “squishing” (yes, that is the technical term) my images. Bad blog! So, in the interest of a little experiment, i’ve enlisted the help of these two sweet cocker spaniels from my last shoot. Everybody seeing this image ok? Or, are things distorted? Please report either way in the comments section. You’ll really be helping me out, and, good karma will definitely come your way from participating in this little experiment. Thanks!Oh, and special thanks and good karma to Jennie Sloan, for alerting me to the problem.
by els
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