From Our Neck of the Woods

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. Photo opportunities abound. Newly leafed woodlands, colorful flowers, and wild baby animals are just a few of the subjects that cause us to reach for our cameras as we venture into nature in the spring.

While the driving force behind creating an image may be to win a photo competition or attract a prospective buyer, an equally important reason to make a photograph is to capture a memory. Whenever I view an image I have made, I return to the moment the photograph was taken and I smile. Marty and I have made tens of thousands of nature images over the years, but we also photograph our daily lives. For instance, we often pick up our cameras to capture images of our dogs.

Being a photographer is a special gift. Our craft enables us to capture a moment in time, such as the moment captured in the image of Jungle. On the day I took this picture, Marty, Jungle, and I were on a four-mile hike to a beautiful section of the rocky coastal ledges near our home. It was a wonderful summer day and this image brings back so many memories, such as burying my face in Jungle’s fur and the scent of the salt air. This photograph, and all the others we have of Jungle are now invaluable to us, not as marketable images, but as treasured memories of an incredible companion.

On November 5, 2007, at 11-1/2 years old, Jungle crossed over into Spirit Land. Since moving to Maine in 2002 we were fortunate to have two dedicated veterinarians in Jungle’s life—Trevor Hall and Lee J. Herzig. At eight years old Jungle developed a life-threatening condition and Trevor’s expertise as a surgeon was responsible for giving us three and a half additional years with our special companion. Later when Jungle became a senior dog he was blessed to have the loving care of a holistic veterinarian, Lee J. Herzig. The treatments which Lee administered enabled Jungle to be vital to the end. Just hours before his heart failed, he was running around our property playing with Phyllis and me. While Marty, Phyllis, and I have grieved the loss of our irreplaceable companion, we are deeply grateful to both Trevor and Lee for the quality of care they provided for Jungle.

Jungle was a skinny, frightened, puppy-mill dog when I first met him. He had spent the first four months of his life in a cage, and I was lucky to have rescued him. He called me to him and taught me about gentleness and love. Tundra, my German shepherd-mix companion, was with me when Jungle became part of our life. On the ride home, she lay in the back seat with Jungle nestled against her. The three of us spent many hours together in nature, and I have wonderful pictures of the two of them. Each image takes me back to those treasured times.

A couple of years after Tundra died, we began to take care of Phyllis for our friend, Deanna Francis. Her arrival was a blessing—Jungle once again had a four-legged companion and we had a second dog sharing our home. Jungle, with his gentle spirit, fell in love with Phyllis and she with him. Jungle would lie close to Phyllis, just as Tundra had done with him, and we never had to worry that he might hurt her, even though he weighed 85 pounds and she just 13. We documented their activities, and the images we captured then enable us to return to those many special moments now. We are thankful we are photographers and will cherish these memories of our dear friends forever.

May your images—the marketable ones as well as those that are made for memories—bring you smiles and much happiness.

Love & Namaste, Helen

P.S. I’d like to share a Mayan saying which I find impressive—“I am another one of yourself.”

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