Photographer’s work will be free to download as he battles pancreatic cancer – CBS News

KINGSTON, N.Y.—Photographer Andrew Moore hunched over a table at his studio in the Fuller Building recently and walked his new intern, Elizabeth Kiluba, through ways she could make her photos pop.

Kiluba, 16, a Hurley resident on summer vacation from Kingston High School, became Moore’s intern some weeks ago. “We’re still getting to know each other,” Moore said in late June. He stopped her as she scrolled through a series of black-and-white photos on her iPhone. Kiluba said one photo looked wrong because a negative got scratched.

“If you just rewash that negative you can get rid of some of that. You can bring them in, I’ll show you how to do all that stuff,” Moore said. The pair got lost in a tangent, discussing the merits and pitfalls of color photography and processing.

Moore has taught for decades, at the university level and locally at the Center for Photography at Woodstock, and said part of the appeal of having an intern was that he could be around young people and their ideas while feeling more connected to the community. Kiluba’s tasks, he said, would initially be more clerical than artistic, organizing digital files and preparing paperwork for grant applications, but he planned to have her join him on shoots, make promotional content and teach her how to use higher-level equipment.

It will all culminate in a gallery exhibition for Moore later this year in New York City featuring work he and Kiluba are preparing. The exhibition, Moore said, will be a meditation on modern wilderness and our relationship with nature, also exploring how the pandemic affected people’s relationship with Upstate New York and the natural environment.

He said some of the pictures are, “a kind of revisiting of the natural beauty up here in this part of the world.”

Keiluba said, “I feel like not enough people really understand what we have up here. I feel like a lot of people, and I know kids my age, kind of take this area for granted. They think it’s boring and they all just want to leave but they don’t understand how lucky we are to have all of these natural resources and the mountains, the Catskills, the forest, the river. A lot of people don’t have that around where they live, but we have it.”

Moore spent nearly the entirety of his career in New York City before coming to Kingston. His work, he said, which has seen the cover of New York Times Magazine, is inspired by one of his first loves, architecture. Moore said shooting in Kingston’s diverse topography and natural beauty, in contrast to New York City’s concrete and steel, forced him to think about his craft in a different way.

Instead of using the side of a building to frame a photo’s composition, he said, he has to rely on natural elements like branches or stone pillars.

Moore and his wife moved to the Hudson Valley in 2018 and he decided to create his new studio in Kingston after a chance meeting with the Fuller building’s architect Scott Dutton. He said after taking a tour of the space while it was under construction he decided to go ahead with a lease. He said he hasn’t looked back and deeply appreciates the sense of community in Kingston.

“It’s actually been kind of a double blessing to both have this fantastic studio and this community that’s kind of evolved for the past five years,” said Moore. Many of the pictures Moore takes are within an hour’s drive of Kingston with landmarks like Ponckhockie or the Roundout showing up in his work.

Kiluba said she plans to study film in college but was eager to get involved with photography to sharpen her eye and hone her visual palate. Moore said that was a good strategy, comparing photography to a base language like Latin in relation to video.

“It’s like capturing a moment in time and I feel like other types of mediums you can’t really get the same feelings out of taking a picture or photography in general,” said Kiluba. “You can really motivate and move people with photography and you can make a really big impact on a community of people with just a single picture.”

Moore said he began taking pictures at age 12, setting up a small darkroom in his parent’s attic. As he grew up, he said, he started to study paintings, but the emergence of more advanced and cheaper color photography equipment cemented his preference. He said it combined many of his intellectual interests and his artistic ones and his education at Princeton University further explored that.

“Photography has allowed me to see the world and meet all types of great people and hopefully make pictures that touch people and intrigue them and are things that they want to keep looking at every day,” he said.

Moore will be exhibiting his newest collection at the Yancy Richardson Gallery in Chelsea in New York City on Nov. 16. He said he was still working on a title for the show. “I have a lot of ideas,” he said.

Kiluba nodded her head. She said, “Titles are hard.”

As a wedding photographer, Shayla Herrington has witnessed numerous newlywed couples throughout her career. Working alongside her colleague, she noticed several recurring signs that, according to them, indicate a marriage’s potential demise and unhappiness.

Herrington took to TikTok to share these insights, crediting a seasoned photographer she once worked with. She explained, “One time I was shooting under this wedding photographer and they told me they can always tell if a couple will last or not based on three things.”

What are the signs a marriage will fail?

The first sign, according to Herrington, is when one partner takes an excessive number of family photos at the wedding without their spouse. “The first indicator is one of the spouses will take, like, more than three family photos without the other spouse,” she said. “This one kind of makes sense to me just because you know, you might get a few alone with your mom and dad but to kick them out of more than three photos just seems a little suspicious.”

A wedding is a union of families celebrating the love between the couple. Excluding a future family member from multiple photos raises concerns that there may be underlying issues.

@shaylamherrington Do you think this holds some truth? #bride #bridetobe #weddingphotographer #couple #engaged #videographer #weddings ♬ original sound – Shayla Herrington

The second sign, as pointed out by Herrington, is when bridesmaids, groomsmen, or anyone representing a party fail to mention the spouse of the other party in their greetings. “That’s typically because we don’t like them,” claimed the photographer.

A successful marriage relies on more than just the love between two individuals; it involves the acceptance and support of their friends and family. If the people close to someone don’t genuinely like their partner, the marriage may face difficulties.

The third sign, according to Herrington, is when one partner spends more time with others during the event than with their chosen spouse. “The last indicator is one of the spouses will spend more time with friends or family at the reception rather than their spouse.”

Forbes magazine reported that the average length of a marriage before divorce is eight years. In the United States, it is often cited that half of first marriages end in divorce, and the rates are even higher for second and third marriages, with 67% and 73% respectively.

When it comes to landscape photography, certain destinations immediately come to mind – the dramatic landscapes of Iceland, the majestic mountains of the Canadian Rockies, or the iconic landmarks of the American Southwest. However, there is one country that often gets overlooked as a photography hotspot: Ireland.

With its rugged coastlines, lush green countryside, and rich cultural heritage, Ireland offers a treasure trove of stunning landscapes waiting to be captured through the lens. In this article, we will explore why Ireland is underrated for landscape photography and why it deserves more recognition among photographers seeking extraordinary natural beauty.

1. Diverse and Picturesque Coastlines

Ireland boasts over 3,000 kilometers of coastline, offering an abundance of picturesque locations for landscape photographers. From the towering cliffs of Moher to the secluded beaches of Donegal, the country’s coastlines showcase a stunning variety of landscapes. The rugged cliffs, sea stacks, and crashing waves create dramatic and awe-inspiring scenes that are a photographer’s dream.

One notable gem is the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its hexagonal basalt columns. This unique geological formation presents a surreal and otherworldly landscape, perfect for capturing stunning images. Other coastal highlights include the Dingle Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry, and the Wild Atlantic Way, which offers a myriad of opportunities to photograph secluded coves, charming fishing villages, and panoramic seascapes.

2. Lush and Vibrant Countryside

Ireland’s countryside is a patchwork of rolling green hills, picturesque valleys, and enchanting forests. This verdant landscape is a result of Ireland’s mild and wet climate, making it a haven for lush vegetation and vibrant colors. The Irish countryside offers endless possibilities for landscape photography, with its tranquil lakes, meandering rivers, and expansive meadows.

The Glendalough Valley in County Wicklow is a prime example of Ireland’s captivating countryside. Nestled amidst the Wicklow Mountains, this glacial valley features two serene lakes surrounded by ancient forests and historic ruins, providing a magical backdrop for photographers. Additionally, the Burren in County Clare showcases a unique limestone landscape, dotted with rare flora and fascinating geological formations, making it a captivating subject for landscape images.

3. Atmospheric Weather and Changing Light

Ireland’s weather is notoriously unpredictable, with rapid changes from sunshine to rain, and sometimes even within the same hour. While this may be frustrating for locals, for photographers, it offers an opportunity to capture dynamic and atmospheric images. The ever-changing weather conditions often result in dramatic skies, soft light, and vibrant rainbows, adding depth and interest to landscape photographs.

The shifting light and dramatic clouds can transform an otherwise ordinary scene into a breathtaking masterpiece. Whether it’s a sunbeam breaking through the storm clouds over a coastal vista or a rainbow arching over a tranquil countryside, Ireland’s unpredictable weather provides unique and ethereal photo opportunities that showcase the country’s natural beauty.

4. Historical and Cultural Significance

Ireland’s landscape is not only aesthetically captivating but also rich in historical and cultural significance. From ancient castles and monastic ruins to mystical stone circles and neolithic sites, Ireland is a photographer’s paradise for capturing the essence of history and heritage in their images.

The iconic Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary is a prime example of Ireland’s historical treasures. This medieval complex, perched on a limestone outcrop, features a collection of medieval structures, including a round tower, a cathedral, and a castle. The juxtaposition of ancient architecture against the backdrop of rolling green fields creates a compelling visual story for photographers.

Additionally, the mystical and atmospheric landscapes of Connemara in County Galway, with its vast boglands, rugged mountains, and picturesque lakes, have inspired poets and artists for centuries. Photographers can capture the spirit of Ireland’s rich cultural heritage through images that encapsulate the country’s history, legends, and folklore.

5. Warm Hospitality and Welcoming Atmosphere

One aspect of landscape photography that is often overlooked is the overall experience and atmosphere of a destination. Ireland is known for its warm hospitality, friendly locals, and welcoming atmosphere, which can greatly enhance the photography journey. From sharing stories with locals in cozy pubs to receiving helpful tips from fellow photographers, the sense of community in Ireland adds a unique element to the photography experience.

Moreover, the accessibility of Ireland’s landscapes is another advantage for photographers. Many of the country’s stunning locations are easily accessible by car or short hikes, allowing photographers to explore and capture the beauty of the landscapes without extensive planning or logistics.

In conclusion, Ireland is an underrated gem for landscape photography, offering diverse and picturesque coastlines, lush and vibrant countryside, atmospheric weather conditions, historical and cultural significance, and warm hospitality. From the dramatic cliffs and pristine beaches to the rolling green hills and ancient ruins, Ireland’s landscapes are a photographer’s paradise waiting to be discovered. So, pack your camera gear, embrace the unpredictable weather, and immerse yourself in the captivating beauty of Ireland’s underrated landscape photography opportunities.

I have put together some great Location Guides for some of the locations mentioned here if you would like to explore yourself

I also hold 121 Private Tuitions where you can learn in the field with me 

Have you visited my home country yet? Let’s chat in the comments below 

When I first saw Small Soldiers in 1998, I knew I wanted the life of Gregory Smith’s character — sans the murderous, pint-sized action figures that terrorized his neighborhood. He was just a kid who worked at his father’s toy store, propping up displays of Commando Elites and Gorgonites in heroic poses. Something about native advertising in the ’90s made it impossible to escape the draw of toys.

Like all the stuff of our childhood, we’re often taught to abandon them, to shove them away in the plastic tubs of our adult subconscious. But the toys and action figures of my youth remain an important part of my adulthood, enabling me to tap into my inner child and navigate unresolved traumas, overlooked passions, and the little things that remind me to be happy.

Toy photography is a robust hobby with a special kind of community, and I first encountered the art in 2016. Social media helped me discover the wildly imaginative work of Mitchel Wu, an LA-based photographer whose portfolio boasted some of the most dynamic images of toys and action figures I’d only seen for the first time. Using both the natural and artificial world around him, Wu arranges a tapestry of engaging subjects in startling detail.

From Ant-Man running atop leaves, to Hot Wheels cars jumping through actual donuts, Wu’s work inspired me to explore the world of toy photography deeper. The first step? Understanding how cameras work. My sister was well-versed in which cameras were best and how to set up a subject, so I consulted with her since I couldn’t even tell lenses apart.

I started off using blank printer paper taped to my wall and a small table for my earlier work. It was an experiment from the very start — iPhones have a portrait mode feature that I took advantage of but could never understand the way aperture worked. Snapping the first few shots on my old smartphone didn’t come out as I hoped, because the lighting didn’t complement my subjects. I had to reach out to my sister again.

I scoured eBay for an affordable Canon EOS Rebel T3i SLR camera — a product whose name was only matched by its complicated makeup. There were black knobs, red buttons, a display that popped out and could be flipped, and about a dozen other confusing features I constantly sought help understanding. There was still the issue of lighting, as well as photo editing.

The toy photography community on Instagram was especially helpful during this time. I was able to connect with hobbyists across the globe and foster a connection with people whose passions fueled their art. It also fueled my drive for collecting figures. It wasn’t until taking up toy photography that I discovered a market teeming with high-quality — and high-priced (like, really high-priced) — merchandise of some of my favorite characters.

Online storefronts like Sideshow Collectibles and Big Bad Toy Store became my go-to for news on release dates and preorders. One brand in particular, Hot Toys, set the standard for which figures looked and worked best in shoots because all their products were hand-crafted by artists who tried to meet the demands of toy photography.

I started to pursue more creative set pieces, going from Miles Morales and Peter Parker playing basketball to Eleven levitating a red truck in front of Mike and Lucas. I wanted to deconstruct scenes and characters in new ways, even using a detailed Michael Jordan figure to capture the ineffable cool that is “His Airness.”

After learning about which miniature studio lights worked best on darker figures and how to set up the lightbox I’d place them in, I decided to create a storyboard of images that relayed my journey as a Black kid navigating this pop culture landscape. I started with two figures: Rock Lee from the anime Naruto and Miles Morales from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. I placed them in conversation with the head of a doll I made from clay. It was brown with dark hair and largely shaped to emphasize the space it took up.

The small project was my grappling with Black identity in anime shows, comics, and video games — spaces that don’t frequently feature us. Whenever online conversations on representation in these areas arise, they often get flooded with racist responses.

Growing up, I didn’t have Miles Morales or the same big screen T’Challa we know today. Navigating that culture through the years often felt awkward when communities weren’t receptive or inviting. It was a cathartic experience putting the storyboard together, because it was a hobby that I learned from connecting with diverse creators. It reminds me to hold strong to the joys of my youth, no matter how old I get, and it also works to remind me that I belong in those spaces.

What are you really into? Fill out this form or leave us a voice note at 800-329-4273, and part of your submission may be featured online or on the radio.

I like to describe my style of photography as ‘magpie meets mad scientist’. I find shiny objects and through trial and error work out how to use them to create eye-catching in-camera effects. 

I spent a lot of time during lockdown playing with this kind of thing, getting the hang of how different shapes and colors reflect and refract light, and using them to take creative (yet slightly quirky) self-portraits. Since that time, I’ve worked with lots of other faces, most recently in a new studio space that I rent with some other photographers. We share the equipment, which has allowed me
to experiment with different lighting setups. Here, I’m using a ring light and some LED panels, where I have more control over the power and colour. 

5 studio portrait tips: How to get the best out of a studio photography session

Today’s shiny objects are various beads I picked up in an arts and craft shop and strung with wire – total cost under a tenner. Like a lot of photographers, I have some kit-head tendencies, and this DIY approach fights back against the urge to buy new equipment. Sourcing or making it is usually cheaper, easier than you think, and ultimately more satisfying. 

Jack’s advice for getting creative in the studio

1: Set up your lights

Here I’m using two Neewer RGB660 Pro LED panels and a ring light. The ring light gives me a soft key light, then I’m free to experiment with the LED panels. I tend to play around with the video modes, such as police lights, which will flash red and blue, meaning I never know what I might capture. For me, this is a far more interesting process than choosing a color, where you know exactly what you’re going to get before you’ve even pressed the shutter.

The best LED light sticks and light wands for photography in 2023

2: Try this shooting setup

I shoot with a Canon EOS 80D and a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM. This focal length is perfect for portraits, leaving a little room around the subject for placing artifacts such as beads. The 80D has an articulating screen that allows me to swivel round so I can see the shot from various positions. Sometimes I can be closer to the model when dangling beads, so I’ve found it really useful to switch to Live View and use that.

3: Focusing your subjects

I always use eye autofocus when photographing people. It’s 100% reliable, especially
if they are not moving too much and there’s a decent amount of light. On many modern cameras, you can choose Left Eye, Right Eye or Auto from the menu in advance, which leaves you free to pay more attention to composition and working
with your subjects on their mood and expressions.

4: Use objects creatively 

I originally picked up these beads and secured them together with a wire. Ideally, what I’m looking for is something reasonably translucent and colourful. The trick is to stay quite close to the lens, leaving the object out of focus, and then experimenting with various shapes while the light reflects around the image. Again, for varying results play around with this as much as possible.

5. Take your shots

I’ll mix up my shutter speeds, in certain scenarios going from 1/25 sec to 1/100 sec, and will use a shallow aperture of anywhere between f/1.4 and f/2.8. I’ll always keep my ISO low, at around 100, and will then adjust the brightness of the lighting to get the correct exposure. Shooting at speeds of 1/30 sec will let in a lot of light, so you will need to compensate elsewhere. For some motion blur, I may even move the artifacts near the lens as I shoot. 

Check out Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art review, be sure to look at the best lenses for portrait photography, and the best softbox lighting kits

Story first appeared in:

LONGMONT — From a seat on a low plastic stool, Marsha Steckling uses her left hand to manipulate the accessory tools of her trade: a squeeze-toy squeaker, noisemakers ranging from the low tones of a duck call to the thin hiss of a dog whistle, plus treats large and small.

In her right hand, she wields a camera, aimed toward subjects at turns curious, reticent or hammy as she waits, waits, waits for that perfect, elusive fraction of a second amid a dog’s unpredictable movements. Then the pup’s head tilts just so. The brow furrows, or the mouth drops open to suggest a smile. Or a single ear stands at attention to reveal an irresistible shade of personality.

The shutter whirs, capturing an image that soon will appear on the web site of the Longmont Humane Society and, if conditions are right, connect a human scrolling the shelter’s site or its social media accounts with an adoptable dog — and that warm, enduring bond that comes with a perfect match. 

Steckling is 14 years into this volunteer duty, offering her pro shooter’s eye to the shelter just down the highway from her Boulder base, where her business of more traditional family portraiture, including pets, keeps her busy. Several years ago, she dropped her work shooting weddings to focus more on what she loves.

“There was just something about the dog world,” she says. 

All over the country, shelters have found that when it comes to reaching their target audience of potential forever homes, quality matters. So when opportunity brings accomplished photographers like Steckling into the volunteer pool, organizations eagerly leverage that talent to produce results — both anecdotal and statistical — that outpace the relatively crude webcam or smartphone photos by intake workers that long had been the easy and affordable option.

A Poughkeepsie, New York-based nonprofit called HeARTs Speak grew from a single photographer to a national network — it counts Steckling among its members — that not only connects shelters with artists in their region, but also offers free marketing tools and basic photo instruction to enhance the odds of matchmaking.

This story first appeared in
Colorado Sunday, a premium magazine newsletter for members.

Experience the best in Colorado news at a slower pace, with thoughtful articles, unique adventures and a reading list that’s a perfect fit for a Sunday morning.

Some photographers realized the online images of animals coming into shelters didn’t really reflect those animals’ characteristics, says Caitlin Quinn, HeARTs Speak’s operations manager. Multiple studies have examined how photos of animals can affect the median length of stay in shelters by highlighting elements of their personality or even characteristics like coat color and ear type (floppy wins hearts).

One study, published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, looked solely at black Labrador retriever mixes to examine the impact of photo traits, and concluded that photo quality was among the factors that shortened a dog’s shelter stay. Another found that “improved photo quality, increased direct eye contact with the camera, presence of a collar, or other accessories such as bandanas, were found to decrease the median days to adoption of shelter dogs.”

“I think this is one of the places where anecdote and data kind of meet to show us just how critical it is for people to get a window into pets in shelters,” Quinn says. “And these photos can really do that by showing their personality, and showing them in a positive light.”

Many shelters find this a helpful strategy. But in the current economic climate, it’s one that helps them barely tread water. The stay-at-home lifestyle brought on by the pandemic, which initially emptied kennels across the country, is long past. Now, a shelter like Longmont finds itself stretched beyond its capacity of 360 animals — a few more if you count the ones bunking in staff offices until a kennel opens up.

Melissa Grosjean, the marketing coordinator for Longmont Humane Society, points out that Steckling’s photos (mostly dogs but occasionaly cats) impact the facility not only by spurring inquiries from people who find their interest captured by the images, but also by generating even more social media chatter.

“Everyone loves her images so much, they’re more likely to either comment or interact with them or share them,” Grosjean says. “It’s just been invaluable to keeping our adoptable pets in front of the community at large. We can tell by the amount of inquiries and even just comments about how fabulous the photography is.”

But in an uncertain economy, adoption rates are down, and the Longmont shelter has taken on more surrendered pets, Grosjean notes. Cost of pet ownership — one study puts it between $1,200 and $2,800 a year — has gone up, and so have the shelter’s costs for line items like workers’ wages and veterinary care. Meanwhile, donations are down.

“So Marsha’s work is just critical for us right now,” Grosjean says. “We really need the community to stay interacting with us and thinking about us when they do have some funds to give, and all of that is dependent on Marsha’s beautiful photography — because people love looking at it.”

A trip that changed everything

In 2007, two years into ongoing relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina, Steckling and her sister, Jeanne, decided to head to New Orleans and pitch in some volunteer work. Steckling was thinking of connecting with Habitat for Humanity. But Jeanne showed her a documentary, “Dark Water Rising: Survival Stories of Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescues,” which featured Animal Rescue New Orleans, or ARNO, which started just a year after Katrina.    

“And by the end of it, we were both like, ‘Yeah, we’re going,’” Jeanne recalls. “It’s just been really important for both of us ever since.”

The new ARNO facility helped handle the overflow of existing shelters, some of which had been flooded out, and the burgeoning population of pets, mostly dogs, whose homes had disappeared with the floodwaters.

Both women took their cameras to chronicle the experience, but their mission was to provide the shelter whatever help it needed — initially chores like cleaning kennels, walking dogs and socializing cats. At the end of the day, Steckling would document the work being done, as well as shoot the occasional dog portrait.

Outside the shelter, the sisters roamed a city still reeling from Katrina. They accompanied shelter workers searching neighborhoods and nearby woodlands for strays and gathering images of the abandoned houses and, inevitably, the loose — and elusive — animals meandering among them. 

Steckling soon became acquainted with three littermates that workers referred to as “the outlaws” that lived beneath one of the vacant structures, scavenging and basically living the feral life. One they dubbed Billy the Kid, the other two Jesse and James.

One of the ARNO volunteers would venture to the house over her lunch hour and sit on the porch, speaking to the pups in the hope that eventually her voice would become familiar and build trust. She fed them scraps of food and chatted them up over a period of months before workers were able to capture the three, bring them to the shelter and begin socializing them with the help of other volunteers.

Steckling started walking Billy the Kid. Jeanne would walk Jesse at the same time, and the two dogs would enjoy each other’s company — James, unfortunately, had died during treatment for heartworm. The camaraderie of the remaining littermates marked a behavioral shift for Billy, who displayed anxiety when he was on his own. 

“I didn’t really bond with him at the shelter or really connect,” Steckling says. “I liked a lot of the dogs and I hadn’t had a dog since I was a kid, so (adoption) wasn’t really even on my mind. But after I got home — and I know this sounds Boulder-ish or cliché — but I started having dreams about him. And I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I need to adopt this dog.’”

Steckling gave ARNO a call to see if Billy was still available. He was, and the shelter put him on a plane to Denver, where she picked him up and began a long bonding process with the 2-year-old dog. 

First, she changed his name to Jackie, in honor of one of her favorite volunteers at the New Orleans shelter who always seemed to have a calming effect on the dog. Later, a DNA test narrowed the pup’s origins to a combination of border collie, boxer and Staffordshire terrier.

A year into Jackie’s adjustment, when Steckling sensed that he seemed lonely, she dialed New Orleans again to see if Jesse was available for adoption. Soon, the two dogs were reunited.

“It was the best decision ever,” Steckling says. “They remembered each other and were just the best duo for their many years together.”

Jesse died at 9, but Jackie lived five more years. It’s been two years since Steckling lost him, and she hasn’t yet felt the time was right to reinvest her love in a new companion.

Steckling, 57, had developed a career in family portraiture before she and Jeanne embarked on their volunteer mission. But the experience — not so much the artistic element as the animal rescue vibe even in what she recalls as a rundown, bare-bones New Orleans facility — began to change her professional focus.

“This was not a pretty shelter,” she says of the ARNO facility. “But I really was attracted to the way that people care about the animals and the animals’ resiliency and just the whole process. And then the photographing of the animals just really kind of spoke to me, so I wanted to come home and do that at my local shelter.”

Among those in the area, she picked the Longmont facility, where she began to volunteer for all the usual tasks like dog walking and a practice of affectionate interaction simply called “dog TLC.” Eventually, she began helping on some photography projects, including some aimed at capturing the personality of dogs that had been there for a particularly long time, in the hope a compelling portrait might lead to adoption.

A dog named Yogi brought Steckling’s experience full circle. Trapped in the floodwaters of Katrina, his coat burned from waterborne chemicals, he was rescued in New Orleans but somehow ended up at the Longmont Humane Society. Perhaps because of his fur loss, Yogi attracted little interest —  until new photos helped him find a loving home. 

Eventually, Steckling built a program that, aside from her two days a week volunteering, includes another dog photographer and three cat photographers. When there’s a need for a new volunteer to fill any of the roles from handler to photographer, applicants get funneled to Steckling, who determines their skill level, trains and mentors them.

To Jeanne Steckling, the impact of the New Orleans experience “just felt like a thunderbolt,” and her sister’s continued devotion to volunteer photography seems just a natural consequence of the experience.

“I really think this is her life’s work,” Jeanne says.

Capturing the moment

On a sunny Sunday morning, Steckling has a list of nine new arrivals to photograph while, all around her, volunteers are walking dogs or supervising them as they splash in the fenced-in wading pools. She sets up in her usual spot, on a shaded side of the Humane Society building, in front of a waist-high gray concrete wall. 

The setting isn’t what matters — in fact, there’s even been a study on that, which found that photo backgrounds have little, if any, impact on viewers’ impressions. It’s all about the dog, and today’s first arrival is a 3-year-old mutt named George, led on a thin leash (later Photoshopped out of the finished portrait) by volunteer Rob Mazzola. Coaxed by the squeaky toy and some treats, George responds with some classic poses.

“That’s what I’m looking for,” Steckling coos, “mouth open.”

Soon George is followed by 11-year-old Banana, surrendered by an owner who’d become homeless. Then comes Dave, a German shepherd, followed by Hotdog, a stray pug with an expressive mug that stares straight into Steckling’s lens. Next come Hershey, Mira, Koopa — a huge hound that seems about 90% floppy ears — and Alexandrine, a stray who’s skittish, but soon offers a fetching head tilt before sniffing out the extra treats in Steckling’s bag.

There’s also Jessie, a black female Lab mix who’s reluctant to settle down. A duck call, a squeaker — both elicit a steady bark. Nevertheless, Steckling gets her shot. Working with dogs required some trial and error, but certain skills transferred well from her work with human subjects. She absorbed a lot about dog behavior as she eased into her volunteer work in Longmont — when to approach, when to take her time.

“Dogs sometimes need a lot of space and a lot of time, so I can pick that up pretty quickly just in the first minute or two,” she says, “and I just continue to keep my eyes open on each individual dog and work with them in the way they need to be worked with.”

After a few shots, Steckling pulls out a collection of colorful bandanas from her bag — accessories provided by Indy & Olly’s, an Evergreen-based company committed to promoting dog adoptions by donating bandanas to spice up a dog’s appearance in shelter photos. When a dog seems agreeable to wearing one, Steckling slips it on and snaps a few extra shots.

“Hopefully they relax a little and just give me that nice little smile with a head tilt — that’s what I’m really going for,” she says. “I just have to work with each dog with what works for them.”

Deaf dogs can be challenging because they don’t always respond to her sounds. In those cases, she turns to visuals, like having a third volunteer stand behind the camera and jump and wave to elicit a reaction. Scared or shy dogs require patience — and sometimes recognition that they’re just not ready for their close-up. Even if the shoot fizzles, Steckling continues to interact with the dog until it appears to be relaxed in her presence. 

She never wants a dog to have a bad experience.

“They don’t know what this black thing is in my hand, my camera, so I will let them sniff it and I’ll feed them treats by my camera,” she says. “I’ll click the shutter. If they don’t acclimate to that and start to relax, then I’ll just say, ‘Let’s try again next week.’” 

At the other end of the behavior spectrum are the occasional subjects like Russell, a pup who loved the camera as much as the camera loved him. A few weeks ago, Steckling connected with him and found a dog that was confident, playful and so well trained that he would perform a whole routine of shaking with each paw and then rolling over.

“On cue,” she says, “every single time.”

So when Steckling needed to produce some stock images for the shelter’s social media accounts, she and Russell got together and had some fun.

“I started putting sunglasses on him,” she says, “and he was like, ‘Give me another pair.’ He would just do anything I wanted him to do. And he did actually get adopted.”

By the end of last year, Steckling surpassed 4,000 dogs photographed at the Longmont facility. Overall, the shelter has adopted out about 37,500 animals since 2010 (the earliest year in its records), Grosjean says — and either Steckling or the volunteers she trains and coordinates have produced their portraits.

“She has her hand in it all,” Grosjean says.

Occasionally, Steckling will do her shoot indoors, but mostly the photos are staged in front of the same gray wall. Props are minimal.

“This isn’t about trying to dress them up,” she says. “It’s just trying to bring out their personality. It’s all about the dog itself, not the setting. I try to keep it simple.”

From time to time, she’ll do specialty shoots for social media campaigns or to highlight some of the “longtimer” dogs who haven’t drawn much adoption interest. On these, she might introduce ice cream cones — that’s an upcoming project — or let them catch gently tossed treats, an exercise that can result in some eye-catching facial contortions. 

But it’s always about freezing the telling moment, the priceless expression, that can connect an animal with a forever home.

“We really want their personality to shine,” Steckling says. “We want that to be the point of the photo.”

If you attend the Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival at the University of Saint Joseph this month, step deep into the small art museum inside the school’s Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities, past the quaint 20th-century paintings and drawings from the permanent collection, and bask in the glow of Butch Wandy’s “micro-prismatic” photography.

The twisting, oddly shaped and vibrant patterns and textures seem like they could have been digitally generated but turn out to be Ilfochrome prints created through careful lighting, reflections and synthetic materials.

Wandy is in a line of visual artists going back to Man Ray, who are able to use the photographic process to unleash new dimensions in color and light.

Wandy, who was born in Hartford in 1941 and graduated from UConn in 1963, developed his technique over 40 years ago before the digital revolution. He has worked in other media, but his micro-prismatic images are what has gotten him a lot of attention. He developed the style over 40 years ago when he was sales manager for a firm that specialized in decorative plastic sheets. He dealt with other artists who were inspired by the material, including Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

There are dozens of Wandy’s delightful micro-prismatic visions on view, some of which were recently gifted to the museum by Henry Link. Others were lent by the artists. All were recently created. The works are creatively hung so that their shapes and patterns complement each other. Many are untitled, but some have evocative titles like “Kenya is Bleeding,” “Ancient Echoes” and “All That Glitters.” One dark swirling image is labeled “Atlantic Tempest: A tribute to Joseph Turner,” the early 20th-century British artist known for his intense stormy seascapes.

The Butch Wandy exhibit is up through Aug. 26 and is ideal for summertime gallery viewing.  The Art Museum at University of Saint Joseph is at 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. usj.edu/arts/art-museum/.