It seems that the styling of this blog is broken when viewed in certain versions of Internet Explorer (thanks, Microsoft, for the crappy browser!). I’m working on resolving this right now. I do not have an ETA on when this will be fixed though, as I do not yet know what is causing it. So if you see the Otis & Lucy logo ABOVE the menu buttons at the top instead of below the buttons and off to the side where it should be, I apologize.
-andy
*Once again, my sincerest gratitude goes to Ms. Hilton for her kind permission to post the photos publicly. Also to her assistant Ms. Jackson for coordinating the shoot and her hospitality throughout the shoot.
Click on any image to view a larger version
Annabelle reaching for a cell phone strap
Cats usually don’t travel as well as dogs, so I don’t get to photograph cats nearly as often as I do dogs in the studio (which is somewhat of a blessing since I’m severely allergic to certain breeds of cats). But whenever I do get an opportunity to photograph cats, they almost always reward me with a session-ful of great display of feline personality. I’ve often heard people telling me that cats are not as easy to photograph as dogs. That certainly hasn’t been the case in my experience. Although most cats don’t listen to verbal commands as well as dogs, their personalities come through the lens perfectly without the aid of verbal cues. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. Nothing wrong with a little luck though, and I’m more than happy to have luck on my side.
Annabelle has the most beautiful, soft coat
Annabelle is a kitten adopted by Paris just a month prior to the shoot. Although new to the Hilton household, Annabelle acted as if she’s lived there all her life, and more than holds her own with all the dogs. It was immediately obvious that she enjoys being part of Paris’ clan and enjoys all the attention. Friendly and playful, she is not at all camera-shy. She loved wrestling with Marilyn the Pomeranian, and loved playing with the strap on Paris’ assistant Taura’s cell phone even more. We were able to easily get some great shots of her doing both.
I thoroughly enjoyed photographing Annabelle. Her beautiful coat and playful personality made her a great subject and I’m very pleased to come away with tons of photos that show off her great energy.
Next up: Harajuku and Prince Baby Bear
-andy
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Curiosity...
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Annabelle fetching a toy
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Swapping at a toy above
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This modeling thing is hard work!
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Annabelle looking at Marilyn off camera
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Cell phone strap. The best cat toy. Ever.
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After reading the last 3 posts, I bet you thought the Otis & Lucy Blog has turned into “All Paris Hilton, All the Time.” Ha! Not so fast! There is much more going on. If you’re disappointed that this post isn’t about Paris’ pooches, fret not. Paris will return shortly after this brief intermission. But if you’re happy that it isn’t about Paris, read on. 
Heidi looks on as Louie tries his best to destroy her favorite Frisbee
I met Diane and Heidi back in April when I invited them to the studio for some “head shots” for Heidi after reading Diane’s Column One article in the LA Times. Since then, I have had the pleasure of meeting Diane and her husband, Alan Feldstein, a few more times and we have become good friends. The “real” reason we stayed in touch though, is of course so our dogs can hang out with each other from time to time. Louie and Heidi get along famously, albeit that Heidi always greets Louie with a low growl which means “Don’t you dare taking my toys.” Louie obviously knows Heidi doesn’t REALLY mean that and takes her toys anyway. Louie is a bit of a brat, you see.
I’m happy to report that, since the photo shoot in April, Heidi has found a few acting gigs for web and TV. Here are a few installments of the Heidi Chronicles by Diane Haithman with funny accounts of Heidi’s Hollywood experience:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/07/dog-actor-webisode.html
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/09/dog-actor-video-pasw.html
and
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/10/dogbackground-actordesperate-housewives.html
Louie happily exploring the backyard deck with Alan
Diane and Alan were kind enough to invite me and Louie over for dinner at their beautiful home a couple weeks ago. Knowing that Louie will steal Heidi’s toys, we brought her a new tug toy as a peace offering. Upon arrival at the house, Louie, using the gift we brought as distraction, dashed straight in, past Diane, past Alan, past Heidi and her growl, and proceeded to find and bring out all of Heidi’s toys. Louie paraded all around the house, inside and out, with the new-found toys. He was happy and amazed at the tri-level deck/backyard/garden. There was so much space he hardly knew what to do! At home and in the studio he couldn’t run more than 10 feet in any direction without hitting a wall. Here he could really stretch his legs. He was also fascinated by the two water features out in the garden/deck. He tried to go swimming in the small planter with a fountain on the deck, but he could only fit 1 paw in at a time. Being the water dog that he is, he still thought that was great.
I enjoyed Diane and Alan’s home just as much myself. In addition to the Heidi Chronicles, Diane also writes arts and entertainment reviews in Culture Monster. Alan is an avid outdoorsman and photographer. So the couple obviously has great tastes in art, and there is no shortage of fantastic sculptures and photographs throughout the house. The house itself is equally fantastic in its design and clever use of existing land features that pays lots of attention to small details with great impacts.
The slanted edge of the second-level deck visually breaks up the parallel lines to great effect
While spending the early evening hours on the deck with a great home-made meal, I found out about Alan’s upcoming trip to West Africa to experience African voodoo culture. Being the photography enthusiast that he is, I’m certain he’ll get lots of great shots on his trip and I cant’ wait to see them. I also found out that Alan, a prominent attorney, used to represent a well-known actor (whose name I will not reveal here for privacy reasons) with whom I went to high school. Such a small world.
Louie to Alan: "May I have some of your gelato, please? I swear I haven't had any yet..."
After dinner, all five of us piled into Diane’s car and took a short drive to the near-by Gelato Bar for some dessert. The dessert and coffee joint is owned by Gail Silverton, sister of Nancy Silverton of La Brea Bakery and Mozza fame. The place serves up freshly made gelato in a great variety of unusual favors. The sidewalk tables and chairs are frequented regularly by dogs and their humans. The barista was kind enough to make up a couple of doggie-sized gelato cones for Heidi and Louie and brought the treats outside for them. Louie, demonstrating how NOT be a gentleman, promptly ate BOTH cones without offering even left-over crumbs to his host, Heidi. Girls still seem to love him though, including Heidi. Go figure.
All in all, our evening with great company and great food couldn’t have ended any better with my pink grapefruit/watermelon/dark chocolate gelato. Louie and I would like to thank Diane and Alan for a most enjoyable trip to Studio City and we look forward to our next gathering!
- andy
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Heidi getting a good scratchin' from Alan
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Louie splashing water all over the deck as Diane, Alan and Heidi look on in bewilderment
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Alan photographing Louie
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*Once again, my sincerest gratitude goes to Ms. Hilton for her kind permission to post the photos publicly. Also to her assistant Ms. Jackson for coordinating the shoot and her hospitality throughout the shoot.
Sorry it took me so long to post the latest update. I got rear-ended on the freeway a week ago and had to take time out to deal with insurance, getting a new car… etc. Thankfully no one was injured. Thanks to everyone who have asked about the accident.
Now back on subject…
Marilyn posing in the club room
Marilyn Monroe, Paris’ beloved blond Pomeranian, is the “girly girl” of the bunch. Her personality is in stark contrast with those of Dolce and Prada, the pair of Mini Pinschers featured in my last post. While Dolce and Prada seemingly never stopped moving, Marilyn, living up to the reputation of her namesake, seemed to never miss an opportunity to stop and pose for the camera. She sat, lied down and rolled over on command, and loved being dressed up. Now those of you who know my photography style would know that I strongly discourage costumes on animals because I feel costumes distracts the viewers from focusing on the animals’ personalities. But in this case, I felt it was entirely appropriate to dress up the animals because it’s important to let Paris’ personality show through her animals, especially since the clothing were of Paris’ own design.
Taking a rest on the dog house balcony
Marilyn also showed us her feisty yet playful side when the kitten Annabelle jumped on set and started a wrestling match. We were not sure whether we should call it a cat fight or a dog fight, but they sure provided us with some comic relief and great action shots.
As with the “real” Marilyn Monroe, people probably care more about the photos than the articles about her. So I’ll end this blog post here and let the photos do the rest of the talking.
Next up: Intermission: Louie and I visit the home of Diane Haithman of the LA Times, her husband Alan, and of course, Heidi the German Shepherd. Stay tuned.
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Marilyn taking a punch from kitten Annabelle
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Belly rub, please!
Marilyn posing on the top step inside the doggie mansion
Hanging out with Prada on the second floor of the doggie mansion
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Marilyn playing with Baby Bear
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*Once again, my sincerest gratitude goes to Ms. Hilton for her kind permission to post the photos publicly. Also to her assistant Ms. Jackson for coordinating the shoot and her hospitality throughout the shoot.
Prada & Dolce
Since Part 1 of this blog post was published last week, I have received several emails from readers and friends informing me that Dolce and Prada are “Miniature Pinschers” and NOT “Miniature Doberman Pinschers”. I apologize for the mistake. Of course all of you were correct, that mini-pins, as they are often affectionately called by those who are familiar with the breed, are related to Pinschers and not Dobermans. More information can be found here.
Dolce & Prada modeling Paris' designer doggie fashion inside their mini mansion
It took me a few minutes of shooting to learn how to tell Prada & Dolce apart. They have very similar markings and very similar energy level/temperament. The two pretty much acted “as a unit”. If you saw Prada, you knew Dolce is not far behind. They are both very busy little dogs and only stopped to rest for a total of maybe 5 minutes throughout the 1/2-day shoot. But they are also both very sweet. They want to just curl up in your lap and kiss you if you give them even the slightest hint that you’re paying attention to them. They spent a lot of time trying to be IN MY LAP while I was shooting. Although that made working difficult, I certainly felt loved. 
They are very smart as well. At one point during the shoot, Dolce disappeared for a minute while everyone was busy concentrating on photographing the other dogs. All the doors were blocked and there was no visible opening for anyone to get out. She managed to find the ONLY place she could possibly get through and got out without leaving any evidence that she had left the room. We found her wondering the hall ways with a big grin on her face minutes later. In the end, Dolce & Prada provided me with some of the most dynamic shots of the day. Their energy shows through well in the photos, and their striking markings provided great contrast against the white background in the studio shots. I loved all the dogs. But as photography subjects, Dolce & Prada turned out to be my favorites of the day by far. And oh, here’s how you tell Dolce and Prada apart: Prada has a slightly larger and rounder head.
The photos here, I think, best captured Dolce & Prada’s personalities. I hope you enjoy them. Next up: Marilyn Monroe. Please check back again next week.
-andy
Fetch!
Prada getting airborne
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Prada
I loved Prada & Dolce's striking markings
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Downward dog!
Prada showing off her ballet moves
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Dolce looking in from the balcony of the mini mansion
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Dolce standing on the balcony of the mini mansion
One of the few moments that either mini-pin actually stopped to rest
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