Wheelistically @ Claire.NU » Photography

Featured Photo: Birthdays & Bowties…

Claire — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:43:54 +0000

Today, our handsome boy celebrates his fourth birthday.

Ziggy,

This past year, you’ve been brave: You’ve gained a new playmate and companion in possibly the most mischievous Whippet that ever lived. Although Hector’s arrival has spawned quite a few more grey hairs (both yours and mine), you have gradually welcomed him into the ranks.

There were times where we thought we’d made a mistake; that you couldn’t cope with another dog. Your anxieties and lack of social skills saw you revert to “kennel behaviour”, for a while you became confused and was unsure of your place in the pack: whether to challenge us for the top, or sink to Omega with your tail between your legs and your belly in the air.

Over time and with our help, you now recognise your place with us. Where once you growled and bolted in fear, when having your space invaded, you now will let Hector curl up next to you, pressed against your body for warmth and (so long as he doesn’t fidget too much) you will share your bed without flinching. You greet Hector with a wag and he stands patiently as you slink alongside him, your nose probing beneath him to identify his scent. Satisfied then, that this is your companion, you will then merrily trot along, scent-marking over the top of Hector’s “offerings” (and sometimes, even over the top of Hector!) and, with enough persistence on Hector’s part, will be goaded into a game of chase.

I will never tire of watching you run. Nothing is more exhilarating to me than the thunder of your paws pounding the ground beneath us as you belt passed. The double-suspension gallop, characteristic of your breed, creates the illusion that you’re swimming across the earth; with each millisecond you are suspended momentarily in mid-air: all four paws leaving the ground not just once, but twice with each stride.

No matter where we take you, be it a piece of fenced-off farmer’s land or an enclosed playing field, whenever someone catches a glimpse of you run, they stop in their tracks and do a double-take. At full-speed, you are a formidable force and in close quarters, an impressive (and sometimes intimidating) sight.

You are never as happy as when you are off-lead and running at full tilt. Your back is arched, your thick neck outstretched and narrow, pointy head kept low, hulking your muscular shoulders round as they propel you forward. Your lips, bearing the brunt of the air resistance peel back under the sheer force to show your teeth to their full extent; it’s this that gives people the (ultimately misappropriated) impression that your kind is snarling, aggressive or ferocious in nature.

Whereas, people who know Greyhounds? All we see is you smiling. Grinning that big houndy grin of yours as you do exactly what you were bred to do: Run, run like you just can’t get there quick enough; Running for the sheer joy of running.

Ziggy: The Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday, “Big Zig” — may your day be full of treats, big runs, gentle walks and good sniffs.
Love,
Your Doggy-Mummies and your little “brother”, Hector.

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Photo Friday: Little

Claire — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:43:36 +0000

This week’s Photo Friday challenge is: Little.

Little Piggies

If the post ends here, then the rest of this post is “partially private”. Please see this post in order to read the rest.

If you’re already logged in, just ignore this notice and carry on reading…

Photo Friday: My Baby

Claire — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:51:00 +0000

To ease me back into this blogging lark, I’ve taken up Photo Friday, once again.

This week’s Photo Friday challenge is: My Baby.

Twelve months since he arrived at The Little Downstairs House, Hector — with his characteristic wonky ears, cheesy paws and a big, wet, sniffy nose — is still very much my baby.

There’s so many sides to Hector, the variation and colourings of his markings, not to mention, all of his individual personality quirks: from his bravery as he boldly explores unfamiliar territory to his sensitivity as he bolts from the vacuum cleaner and takes refuge, quivering, under my wheelchair. There’s no other dog quite like Hector.

Just one photo could never encapsulate all that makes up my little Sighthound, my best friend, my Bubba.

And so, I give you Hector in triptych form…

Hector Triptych

Featured Photo: Checkmate?

Claire — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:43:00 +0000

We interrupt the scheduled silence with a rather overdue announcement:

K and I are getting married. Finally. After over a decade together, we have set the date, booked the venue and bought the dresses. I couldn’t be happier, or more excited.

I’m currently really enjoying planning the Big Day (although I’m sure that will change as the date draws nearer) and eight months from now, I will be Mrs M!

Checkmate?

[A Sneak-Peek of our wedding “theme” — taken at our venue.]

The Bit With The Appeal Update…

Claire — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:50:14 +0000

First off, THANK YOU. Thank you to everyone who has commented, tweeted, re-tweeted and blogged to raise awareness and support for the Wheelistically “Free Wheel” Appeal; thank you to the celebrities on Twitter who have used their high profile and army of followers to increase the Appeal’s online exposure; and a special big, BIG thank you goes out to everyone that has donated so far. With every penny you’re giving me just that little bit more freedom — there are no words to express how blown away I am each time I get a donation email. To think that strangers could help me in this way, through random acts of kindness, blows my mind.

As promised, here are the details of the greetings cards available, should you wish to purchase them:

Purchase Houndy Greetings Cards

Houndy Greetings Cards

Set of 5 Houndy Greetings Cards, starring Ziggy & Hector

Each card features my own design/photography and is professionally printed onto high quality, heavy (340gsm), FSC certified stock. They’re satin coated on the outside for better colour reproduction, and the inside is left uncoated and left blank for you to write a message. Comes complete with 5 heavy-weight, high quality, white envelopes.

£5.99

(excl.P&P)

Purchase Houndy Christmas Cards

Houndy Christmas Cards

Set of 5 Houndy Christmas Cards, starring Ziggy & Hector

Each card features my own design/photography of my Hounds (in full festive costume!) and is professionally printed onto high quality, heavy (340gsm), FSC certified stock. They’re satin coated on the outside for better colour reproduction, and the inside is left uncoated for you to write a message. Comes complete with 5 heavy-weight, high quality, white envelopes.
The front of each card reads: Merry Christmas
The inside of each card reads: And a Houndy New Year

£5.99

(excl.P&P)

I know that just blindly handing over money to random causes can be difficult, we live in a climate of ever-worsening financial strife and there always seems to be a never ending stream of moth-eaten ‘unfortunates’ with their hand out. I get it, I really do. That’s why I want to be as open as possible: I want you to know that there is a very real person that is going to benefit directly from the funds raised. Should you want to know more about me, check out my About Page. Want to know why I’m in a wheelchair? Here’s where I talk about my disabilities, in detail. Curious as to where the funds are going? See both the Appeal page and the blog/back-story.

Where possible, I don’t just want to sit with my hand out — I want to give something back, even if in just a small way. As I mentioned before, I am selling postcard prints of my photography and self-designed greetings cards in order to help reach my goal of the £400 needed for a FreeWheel™ attachment for my chair.

If you don’t feel comfortable donating directly, please consider purchasing some of my work, instead. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Wheelistically “Free Wheel” Appeal.

Kudos and Kisses to Moo, my top-class printer of choice.

The Bit With Christmas Cards…

Claire — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:34:11 +0000

Wishing You a Houndy Christmas

A couple of years ago, I opted to have some of my photography printed onto custom Christmas cards. Moo did a first class job of printing them and they went down a treat with the close friends and family. So impressed was I with the first attempt, I’ve had another bash at it this year. Except, this year? They’re even better!

Not only do they feature Ziggy and Hector in an all-hound cast as “Santa Paws” and his “Little ~~Hinderance~~ Helper”, but the cards themselves have been subject to an upgrade.

Gone is the high-gloss finish card stock (which according to K made them look like cards from a typical “high street multipack”). Instead, a new satin-coated finish that apparently gives “better colour reproduction” and that looks and feels so much more expensive, languishes in its place. The cards are satisfying in weight and the colours are rich and pleasingly true-to-screen. Even the envelopes are thick and crisp, further underlining the high-quality, custom nature of the product.

To say I am pleased with my Moo Christmas cards this year is an understatement: I almost don’t want to give them away. Almost. They’re too good to keep all to myself!

Besides, seeings as I have already humiliated my hounds by having them dress in full festive costume, the very least I can do is make it worth it by sharing the evidence worldwide for all to see, right?

DISCLAIMER: No Hounds were harmed during the making of these Christmas Cards.

Featured Photo: Pawtrait

Claire — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:47:50 +0000

Hector: A Pawtrait

Now that my study for a degree with the Open University has finished, I’ve been busy getting back to what I love: making pictures.

Since I moved house just over a year ago, my kit has barely been out of its bag. Between studying, kitchen and bathroom renovations and getting a new dog — not once — but twice, there’s been neither the time nor the space to break out tripods, light tents and expensive lenses.

I’ve missed it. I’ve missed the learning, the improving, the lusting after the next spendy gadget and the excitement of firing up my battered old card-reader to see if I managed to get the perfect shot I’d been after. (Those tiny little screens on the backs of cameras hide a multitude of sins only visible on a larger monitor.)

It’s time to get back to what I love to do. I’ve got a long way to go before I can truly call myself any sort of Photographer (with a capital P), but the shoot I did with the dogs last weekend was the most fun I’ve had with a camera for ages — even if my models weren’t always terribly compliant. Out of all the outtakes (and believe me even with K there as my wonderful assistant, there were many) I produced some shots that I really loved: something I haven’t done in ages.

Featured Photo: SIT!

Claire — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:53:05 +0000

Today, ‘Sit’… Tomorrow, the world! ~ Hector @ 18 Weeks

Featured Photo: Keepsake

Claire — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:08:30 +0000

Needless to say, having a puppy seems suspiciously similar to what I imagine having a baby/toddler is like — just with a super-accelerated timeline. Sleepless nights, crying when hungry, crying when tired, crying when needing the toilet, crying in general; teething, puking, poo-ing. Oh, the poo-ing — he’s like a Play-Doh factory machine. At this point, I wish I could say I was exaggerating for comedic effect. Not so, I promise you.

Inline with the puppy/baby comparison, I’m keeping some of Hector’s milk teeth as mementos. I know people do this with their children, but Hector is my puppy.

That’s ok, right?

Keepsakes of a Puppyhood that is currently progressing at 100MPH, right before my very eyes:

Milk Teeth

Featured Photo: Cat Nap

Claire — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:40:54 +0000

Sometimes, I want to post photographs here that don’t fit with Macro Day challenges or the like, but instead standalone and speak for themselves without an accompanying post or story.

This is one of those times and marks the first in my new series of Featured Photos.

Cat Nap — Click to see full-size version(s) at Flickr

Taken during our recent, annual trip to Colchester Zoo.