Category Archives: Events

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The Pet Stops Here Bellevue grand store opening event

April 2, 2009 – 9:00 pm

I am waiting to hear back on who won our fun lens contest! I will let you guys know as soon as I know. One lucky dog’s gonna receive an email asking them to pick out a lens rental, woohoo!

In the meantime, I wanted to let you all know about a fun event I will be participating in this Saturday.

Yesterday I hung a large (and I do mean LARGE) new photography display at a store over on the Eastside of Seattle in Bellevue, WA (see below). The store moved locations into a huge new beautiful space, expanding for the 3rd time after 10 years of success. The new space has a fantastic roomy store filled with cool and unusual products, including a baby blue studded leather collar and new food bowl I bought for Fergie a few weeks ago. The store is backed by a huge clean grooming shop with an open design, which means that from the store you can see all of the pooches getting their fur trimmed, and they have something fun to look at while getting a blow out.

Beyond the grooming shop is a large daycare, with lots of different areas for different sized dogs to play. Also incredibly clean. Every room in the space has tall ceilings and I am just beyond enamored with it. Diana the owner has done a truly amazing job with this new space. The store even has this sweet huge wrought iron chandelier. Can’t get much cooler than that!

Anyhoo, they are having a grand re-opening this Saturday, and contacted me a few weeks ago about hanging my photography. I was thrilled when I received the email because I have been wanting to branch over to the Eastside for quite awhile, but never had time to really research stores. This is a true match made in heaven for me. Keep an eye out on this blog for photos of the owner’s pups. We’ll be doing a shoot in Bellevue as soon as the rain stops. (Which better be soon, grrr…)

And now for the official blurb on the event this Saturday:

The Pet Stops Here Grand Re-opening:

Saturday, April 4th @ TPSH (10697 Main Street, Bellevue 98004, 425-637-0188)

1-5pm is Open House
7-9pm is Wine & Hors D’oeuvres

On location will be product representatives, a pet massage therapist doing live demonstrations, a pet psychic, and pet photographers & artists. Diana even told me last night there will be this crazy Russian dance performer there too! Good times.

Of course, I will be there with my camera to capture all of the action. I’m thinking I’ll be there for an hour or a little more during the open house, then back for the two-hour party. Come on over to say hi if you have never met me, or come over to say hi if you have! To my Eastside clients: if you come and bring your dogs it would make my year! Also, I guarantee if you have never been to the store before you will find some awesome things to take home with you. 

Pics of The Pet Stops Here: 10697 Main Street, Bellevue 98004. 
(pardon the low quality, I was shooting inside at night with my new Pentax Lumix point and shoot [more on that in an upcoming post], which takes *great* daytime shots, not so great nighttime shots w/o flash)

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Those prints you see below are the biggest I have ever hung. The big ones are 30″x40″. These photos just don’t do justice to the display, it’s ENORMOUS. See those metal shelving units below the big prints? Those are taller than me, and I’m 5′ 9″!
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The ‘small’ ones on the end are all 16×24. I measured the wall down to the last inch before purchasing the prints for the display, and it worked out perfectly.  I will get some better shots of the whole store on Saturday with my 5D when the light is a little better. Including of the chandelier. lol. 

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That’s Christina with the owner Diana’s dogs, Cash and Chance. 

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Christina and I were so excited about the display that we decided to go out to dinner and celebrate. We went to this awesome Mexican restaurant in Bellevue that had the best drinks. Don’t remember the name of the place but the food and margaritas were gooood.  My melon, raspberry, citrus margarita on the left, Christina’s pomegranate ginger margarita in a martini glass on the right. 

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P.S. Thank you Jenna for reaching out to me! You rock and your email this morning made my day! Hopefully my display made yours :-)

By Jamie 'Cowbelly' | Also posted in Behind-the-Scenes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (14)

CityDog Magazine Yappy Howlidays pawty is tonight!

December 10, 2008 – 4:51 pm

I just wanted to remind all of my Seattle peeps that the annual CityDog Magazine holiday party is tonight! 

Like every year it is at the beautiful W Hotel in downtown Seattle, and goes from 6pm-8pm. Like every year my dear friend Nichole Smith of Dane + Dane Studios will be photographing the attendees and their pups. And like every year I expect it to be extremely full of PNW residents and their dogs. It is the party of the year for local dog lovers. And I can think of no more beautiful place for it to be held in. 

I always look forward to catching up with my pet photog and industry friends, and dishing about photography and business and, of course, our dogs.

Fegie will be staying at home this time because she gets really overwhelmed at the parties and just wants to leave. So she will be leaving her purple studded leather jacket hung in the closet and sleeping peacefully on the couch while I go and have a good time.

Speaking of good time, this is the first December in history I have actually had free time. I have been taking days off and resting and playing with friends. I am so grateful for everything Christina does for me, it allows me to take days like today to just take care of personal stuff and get ready to go to the party. 

With that, I’ve gotta go eat and get myself all prettified for the pawty. Victoria- I will be wearing my purple dress with zebra belt. No heels though as I expect it to be standing room only. :-)

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

By Jamie 'Cowbelly' | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Destination sessions Sonoma County CA October 25th + 26th, 2008

October 1, 2008 – 2:03 pm

As if I haven’t been busy enough with client work and workshops, over the past few weeks I have been planning the details of a little trip down to Sonoma/Napa. I will be flying down to SF on Friday October 24th and driving up to Sonoma Valley to do photography for some private clients near Santa Rosa on Saturday the 25th at a small estate winery. 

I will be in California for 7 days, mainly for some long-overdue R&R, but have set aside the entire weekend for client photography.

If you or someone you know lives in the area (SF, Sonoma, Napa, Greater San Francisco Bay area), and is interested in scheduling a session with me on the 25th or 26th of October, please send me an email and let me know. I am taking a *very* limited number of sessions while there so that I can have a Sonoma-in-the-fall-induced zen-like calm color every day that I am there.

**Please note that ALL sessions will be done in or near Santa Rosa, Sonoma or Napa.**

Oh, and lest you think you need to sell a kidney or something to work with me, this totally isn’t the case! :-)

Every client whose dog I photograph will receive a super cool little gift that is only for my most special clients- something that I don’t release to the general public. Oooh, I can’t wait. 

To forward this post to a friend, just click on the title which will place the post on it’s own page.

I am more excited about this trip than words can express and I can’t wait to see the resulting shots of dogs among the fall colored grapes and vines and beautiful rolling hills of Sonoma. Also SO looking forward to taking some time off and relaxing. I have been working hard on my business non-stop for years and it’s time for a little break. Sipping wine on a picnic blanket under a tree sounds like heaven to me. A good girlfriend is flying down from Seattle with me and we will be renting a convertible at the airport and driving up to the wine country. Cannot Wait!! You can bet I will be sharing photos here after I return. 

Some images I have been using for inspiration:

By Jamie 'Cowbelly' | Also posted in Travel shoots | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (10)

Whidbey Island Cowbelly party sneak peek

August 4, 2008 – 5:12 pm

Yesterday was the big 5-year Cowbelly anniversary party on Whidbey Island. Dogs and humans alike had so much fun and my guess is that everyone is exhausted today. I know Fergie and I are! I am working from home today- flat out on the couch with my laptop on my lap. Fergie is right next to me, snoring away. I may need a little nap too after posting this. :-)

A huge thank you to everyone that came! Also a huge thanks to JS for baking all of the awesome homemade doggy treats that were such a special gift for attendees. Fergie snacked on hers in the car on the ferry. I plan to post all of the images on my proofs site once I have time to go through them- so far I have them narrowed to 522, ha! I will send the link to everyone when they are ready to view. Here are a few sneak-peeks that I feel best exemplify both the happy, relaxed mood of the day and the gorgeous surroundings of Whidbey Island. I swear there isn’t a prettier place in the Pacific Northwest for dog photography. Enjoy! 

Fergie was very sleepy that morning until we got on the ferry. Then I think she remembered the smells from last year and started getting excited. 

The lovely Puget Sound. Whidbey is one of the San Juan Islands, which are accessible by ferry from the mainland. There were lots of low-lying clouds that morning but they burned off by midday making for a gorgeous, sunny afternoon with beautiful blue skies.

At the first OLA- Marguerite Brons. Which, apparently, is the island’s best-kept secret. Seymour (l) and Bella (r).

Fergie and Sasha.

Kate and Spice.

The off-leash trails at the park. A dense, green, woodsy, mossy, ferny paradise for dogs. Fully fenced (no joke!). That’s Fergie and Dozer there on the left (with D’ogi next to them). F & D went NUTS running through the woods. Nearly took us all out several times. 

Kyah exploring her new surroundings. D’ogi sitting nicely for a treat.

Seymour (l) Fatsa (r). Posing on the same picnic table I shot Fergie one one year ago.

Useless Bay Coffee Company where we had lunch. LOVE THEM. There isn’t a single thing they serve- from their paninis to their cookies to their espresso drinks- that isn’t downright delicious. I think we have some new converts on our hands. :-)

Fatsa fell in love with Charlie, hee hee. That’s Double Bluff Beach. The #1 paradise for dogs on Whidbey Island. I could have stayed there for weeks.

A personal fave below.

Michelle was popular with both the big dogs and little dogs. 

Bella with her mom.

Kate on the left enjoying a game of ball in the (very warm!!) surf. Poor Kyah was still exhausted from our big photo shoot just the day before. 

The water was very shallow quite a ways out, which enabled it to be warmed by the sun. It was like bathwater- incredible. Even non-swimming dogs couldn’t stay out of it. I wanted to lay down in it but alas was fully clothed.

The dogs were exhausted before we even left the beach. Here Bella tries to keep her eyes open while she gets toweled off.

Fatsa taking a little nap in the sun.

After a 20-minute rest Fergie found her second wind. At that point I honestly couldn’t believe she was still moving. ‘Indefatigable’ as my dad says.

In the car in line for the ferry home. I have never seen her so tired ever. Although after running and swimming for hours non-stop it was no surprise! Notice the eyes rolling back into the head, hee hee?

For those Seattleites who are interested in a getaway to Whidbey Island, here is a link to the island’s off-leash dog parks, courtesy of JS, courtesy of a very nice lady on the beach. Not only do they love dogs there but all of the people are SO friendly! I love Whidbey!

www.fetchparks.org 

I agree with James in that we should do it more often! Anyone up for a trip before the summer ends?

By Jamie 'Cowbelly' | Also posted in Cowbelly Family, sneak-peek | Tagged , , , | Comments (14)
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