Barbara O'Brien Photography News

Did you see Target's Sunday Circular Ad this Week?

2012-02-21T22:12:00.002-06:00

It was so much fun to reach for the Sunday paper and see the Target circular insert. For many years I have been providing animal actors for Target (and still do) but this is the first time I actually was the photographer for an ad. I did not shoot the product just the dogs and cat but I am pretty happy with results.

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography We are located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin but have camera and will travel. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

Kevin's Kitty Kare

2012-02-15T13:18:00.003-06:00

Kevin's Kitty Kare is a spoof on the recent phenomena of Doggie Daycare. A total of 17 cats, two trainers and assorted crew, (who proved to be surprisingly good at cat herding) were used to create this series of images. The morning drop off, feeding time, grooming time, playtime and nap time, are meant to mimic what happens at Doggie Daycares around the country.

The most difficult part of the shoot was keeping the cats interested and engaged on set. Ok, I admit it, the most difficult part of the shoot was keeping the cats on the set.

Through this series, I am hoping to showcase my ability to photograph numerous animals at once while showing a fun playful side to my work. Big thanks to my awesome crew and out location, Shelter Studios, Minneapolis, Minnesota for their help with this shoot,

Morning Reception Time

Feeding Time

Play Time

Bath Time

Nap Time

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography. We are located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin but have camera and will travel. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

Woman and Her Dog both Wearing Coats

2012-02-12T18:27:00.001-06:00

Here is another image from my recent open call audition. This lovely woman came in with her little dog and I couldn't get over how much their interesting coats and the woman's amazing hat. I asked if it was an ushanka ( a russian hat usually made of fur) and she expressed amazement that I knew what it was. She said it was very old and starting to wear out, but I think that it what made it so wonderful. She graciously agreed to let me photograph her and her dog together. I am really drawn to her enigmatic smile and I think it makes the shot.

Fashion on the Farm gets Another Nice Mention.

2012-02-12T16:38:00.000-06:00

Click on the image to see the story. It looks so much better properly scaled. So much fun to see Hollie Mae Schultz and my project moving around the internet.

Girl and Corgi Dog From my Last Open Call Audition

2012-02-11T21:40:00.001-06:00

I held an open call audition in last month in Minneapolis, Minnesota. People who live in the area and can bring their dogs to be photographed and tested on the set to see if they like the experience well enough to become animal actor through my agency, The Animal Connection. I photographed over 50 dogs that day, some of whom will grace this blog in later posts and some who will surely go on to be featured in ads for companies like Target and Purina and the like.

When a young girl accompanied by father brought in a wonderful little Corgi named Ziggy I took one look at her stylish jeans and Converse tennies I just knew I had to get a shot them together.

I love how she is just starting to walk and he is standing still entranced by something off set.

Here is another shot so you can see just how darn cute he is!

New Sheep Tee Featuring one of my Images

2012-02-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

Farm Boy Farm Girl Brand is using one of my sheep images on their new line of tees. So fun! Farm Boy Farm Girl Brand is owned by Dan Adamson and Brian Goldman and is based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Their clothing lines are so fresh and fun!

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography We are located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin but have camera and will travel. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

Happy to be Included in Wonderful Machine's Recent Email Promotion

2012-02-10T13:19:00.000-06:00

Was happy to see that I had been included in Wonderful Machine's most recent email promotion.
Wonderful Machine is a group of dedicated people who are helping me and many other photographers promote our work and find new clients.

See the Wonderful Machine email blast here.

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography We are located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin but have camera and will travel. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

Barbara O'Brien Shoots Fashion?

2012-02-10T11:34:00.000-06:00

I am excited to share that project I did with creative art director/stylist extraordinaire Hollie Mae Shultz of HMS Styling is being featured in the February 2012 issue of VECU Magazine.

It was amazing day last October when Hollie Mae and her crew of models, stylists, hair and makeup people and my crew of photo assistants, digital techs and animal wranglers all met for a day of high fashion shooting down on the farm.

Our first shot was with our lovely model, Kelly was with six Irish Wolfhounds that were provided by my good friend, Beth Renstrom. Our poor model was outweighed by at least 6 times by the 4 dogs she was holding. It is amazing she was able to hang on! Although it didn't make it into the spread, I still really like it.

We next moved to the cornfield for the beauty close up. I discovered photographing people alone is much easier than photographing them with animals. At least people understand what you are trying to do.

We next went to the barn where Kelly our model posed with Hank, my Cheviot sheep. We had to keep shooing my many cats away as they wanted to be in the shot as well.

We moved to the interior of my 100+ year old barn and shot Kelly with a beautiful swan named Sundra.
Sundra was an old pro at his as she had recently modeled for Hotel Bel Air - Los Angeles photo shoot.

By then, our star animal model had arrived. An incredible Friesian horse named Jupiter who is owned by my friend, Andi Carter. Everyone was amazed at how this very big and spirited horse behaved like a perfect gentleman for Kelly our model.

We then did some shots of Kelly walking down the road with Louis, our sweet elderly Morgan horse. I love how the fringe on Kelly's clothes mimics the horses mane.

By now we were losing light and we quickly grabbed our pony Dixie to pose with Kelly for our last shot.

All in all it was an amazing day and I am thankful to Holly Mae and her crew and to mine, Larry Hunt, Heather Byington, Michael Karns, Kevin O'Brien, Suzie and Molly Goossens, Elizabeth Hoey, Hannah Rivard, Sarah Slater and Cory Avery for all their hard work in making this happen.

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography We are located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin but have camera and will travel. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

Nice Shout Out From COMMUNICATIONS ARTS MAGAZINE.

2012-02-09T16:14:00.003-06:00

Nice Shout out from Communications Arts Magazine.

Last year I had the pleasure of working with KICK!, (formally Hartung Kemp) of Minneapolis, Minnesota on their new line of packaging for Blackwood Pet Foods.

The article can be found here:

http://www.commarts.com/exhibit/blackwood-pet-food.html

THE GOODNESS OF GOATS

2012-02-03T07:46:00.000-06:00

A few years back I had an assignment to photograph a small goat dairy near Winona, Minnesota. I happily documented the owner and family with the milk goats and even managed to get some nice images of their massive billy goat who was the undisputed leader of the herd.

They also had many adorable baby goats and I had fun feeding them bottles and watching them play. I noticed that three little white goat kids had escaped from their pen and mentioned this to the owner. She laughed and told me not to worry; those three are always getting out. I finished shooting and was beginning to load up my gear when a small white kid goat jumped into the back of my open mini van.

“Hey!” I shouted, and was reaching towards him to pull him out, when the other two kids goats jumped in one right after another. They were duplicates of the first goat. All white with big perky ears, and short wagglely tails. “Hey!” I said again, laughing. The owner came over and stated, “You may as well take them. They are too small for the butcher. “

She explained that they were triplets, and although weaned and ready to go, they weren’t worth anything at the sales barn because they were on the small side. They were males and although she’d like to, she can only keep the females or does for her dairy.

I remembered my husband, Kevin’ s prior agreement with me that sheep were ok, but no goats! Goats, from our experience, were nothing but trouble. You can’t keep them in their pen, they like to jump on cars (at least the pygmy goats do) and they eat everything in sight.

But when their three little faces peered out at me as if to say. “Well? Let’s get going,” I knew I was done. Being an animal person, I always have an empty crate in the back of my van, so I loaded the goats in it.

My four sons were thrilled when the goat kids jumped out of the crate and ran right up to them to be petted. Kevin… not so much. “Goats,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I thought we agreed. “

“They were going to be butchered.” I told him. “I couldn’t let that happen.” As if on cue, the goat kids ran to Kevin, pushing on him with their heads and wagging their short tails. “Ok.” he said to them, while he scratched their heads. “You’re here. You may as well stay.”

The younger boys promptly named them Marcus, Aralias, and Tiberius. They tend to name animals after what they are reading and it happened to be about the Romans at the time.

I set the goat kids up in a horse stall with an old calf hut for even more shelter. It wasn’t long before they figured out that they could crawl under the bars of the gate to freedom.

They became our constant companions. Whether it was chore time, where they insisted on stealing corn from the chicken feeders, or haying time, where they jumped on and off the bales as I tried to move them around, or just hang out in the yard time, where they tried to nibble on the book I reading, they were always part of what we were doing. When a crew came to insulate the house, the goats managed to sneak into the back of their open truck and had to be locked up for the duration.

We have learned that we can forget about trying to keep them in their pen. There is an old saying, that if your fence can hold water it can hold a goat. We have found this to be true.

Just when I thought I had closed all the gaps large enough for a small goat to crawl under, they learned to jump right over it. I watched in amazement as they jumped straight up and over, one right after another, like small deer. I wonder why nobody has started the sport of goat agility like they do for dogs. I think goats would be excellent at it.

And forget about having a garden; although the goats do eat weeds, they also eat all the good plants and shrubbery as well. I remember the first spring we had them, I had a lovely plot of tulips that were just about ready to bloom. The goats had escaped again, and it only took them moments to eat the tops off of every tulip.

I won’t say they’re all bad though. Now that they are full grown, topping out at 75 pound each, they protect the sheep and will drive away dogs they don’t know. They are good company and are always curious about what we are doing. Being white, they photograph well, and are easy to find in the dark. And finally, they are always guaranteed to make me smile.

Of Geese and Men

2011-12-15T09:10:00.000-06:00

Regular readers of my column know that my husband Kevin really loves his animals. The horses, sheep, goats, ducks, cats, and dogs all thrive under his watchful eye and tender care. He calls them by name and they respond eagerly. The horses hope for the apple treats in his pocket, the goats and sheep hope for the pen gate to swing open, the chickens and ducks hope for some kitchen scraps, the cats hope for an early dinner, the Border Collie and the German Shepherd hope for a stick to be tossed, and the Aussie hopes for the magic word: “Sheep”. And they all hope that Kevin can be convinced to turn their hopes into reality.So it’s no surprise that the latest additions to the farm have fallen for Kevin.

A few months ago we were asked to provide some Canada Geese for a commercial. They had to walk back and forth across a golf course putting green and look as destructive as possible.

I located a breeder in the SE corner of Minnesota. Kevin and I drove down to buy the geese. We pulled into a beautifully kept farm with a century old barn that gleamed in the late afternoon sun. The elderly owner and his son came out to greet us. The geese, over one hundred of them, were in a penned area that spanned two acres and had a big pond in the middle. As soon as they saw the owner many of the geese ran over to him with beaks open and heads bowing up and down. The owner spoke quietly to them and they followed him around. The owner and his son selected two pairs of geese, caught them, and loaded them into the crates in the back of our van.Everything was done with great gentleness and patience and I was impressed with how tame the geese were. The owner and his son had taken great pains not to stress the birds and they seemed to respond by staying calm and undisturbed.

The geese did well in the commercial. We fenced off the perimeter of the shot and used corn to keep the geese located in one place. Gently, we encouraged them to walk where we needed for the shot. Their wings had been clipped shortly after hatching, so they were unable to fly and we did not have to worry about losing them. Hand-raised and bred from a long line of hatchery Canada Geese, they would not have fared very well in the wild.

After the commercial was over Kevin and I took them home to our farm. We turned them into a pen to keep them safe and help them understand that this was their new home. Kevin spoke gently to them as he fed them. “This is a good place,” he told them. “We have corn for you and there is plenty of grass to eat. You can make friends with the ducks…I think you will like it here.” The four geese were promptly given names by my sons that honored their country of origin: Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, and Nova Scotia. They are impressive creatures with gray backs, long black necks, and thoughtful but sharp dark eyes.

Since I usually do the chicken chores, I was the one who fed them and filled their water. They soon learned to defend themselves from the chickens who tried to steal their corn. The geese always regarded me with suspicion. They eyed me cautiously as they came up to drink and made certain not to get too close to me.But all that changed one day when Kevin came to help me. They made a bee line to him and stood about only a foot or two away. “Why, hello, goose grease,” he said in a friendly tone. “How are you ladies and gentleman today?” The lead goose nodded his head up and down and bowed low for a moment and back up again. Kevin mirrored the goose, and then the goose did it again. “Well, hello,” Kevin said again. The other geese also waggled their heads up and down to greet Kevin. He laughed. “Look,” he said to me. “They like me.” “I don’t know why they should,” I replied, a little put out. “I’m the one who feeds them.” Kevin laughed again. “Maybe you don’t know how to talk to them like I do,” he said teasingly.

After a few days we let them out of the pen so they could walk the farmyard and eat all of the bugs and grass they wanted. They stayed pretty close to the barns and didn’t venture up near the farmhouse.

The next morning Kevin was near the farmhouse working on the tractor when he heard the loud honk of a Canada goose. All four had made their way up from the barn and were standing behind him bowing and waggling their heads. He greeted them, and then tried to shoo them away. But no, they had decided that he was their leader and that was that. Whenever Kevin went outside they would meet him and watch patiently while he completed whatever it was he working on. Even when Kevin walked out to check the fields, the four geese marched happily along behind him.

A few weeks ago I was the photographer on a large fashion shoot. My farm was the location for the shoot. There were models, stylists, hair and makeup people, and a large crew. Our geese, I assumed, would keep their distance from the visitors and commotion, not to mention the six Irish wolfhounds we were using in the shot. Guess again. While Kevin helped to set up the lights, the geese were by his side. When any female member of the crew tried to approach them, the geese quickly backed away, feathers ruffled and wings outstretched. But they came right up to Cowboy, our digital tech, when he bent down to snap their picture.

It was then that I remembered that the geese had been raised by quiet gentle men who were careful not to upset them. Their affection for Kevin and preference for men over women made sense to me.

Our Canada Geese still do not think much of me. They will come a lot closer to me now that some time has passed and they recognize me as the giver of things good, corn included. But it is Kevin they adore. As I write this column, I can see the four of them clustered just outside the open window of our farmhouse. They are waiting for Kevin to come out. Every so often the lead goose honks loudly to remind Kevin that his geese are waiting for him.

2012 Horse, Chicken and Barn Cat Calendars are Here!

2011-09-28T12:17:00.001-05:00

I am so excited. Just picked up the first run of 2012 Large Wall sized calendars from my printer in Menomonie, Wisconsin. They are all crisp and have that new paper smell.

This years offerings are HORSEPLAY, BARN CATS, and CHICKENS-LIGHT AND DARK.

You can find them on my Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/barbaraobrienphoto or if you are close by I will hand deliver them to you just so we can have a cup of coffee and catch up with each other.

It was so much fun deciding what to shoot and what to put into the calendars this year. The little yellow chicks in the Chickens - Light and Dark calendar almost didn't make it. Lucky for me they were hatched the day I had to turn the artwork over to the printer. Kevin was outside doing chores when he spotted the mother hen with her brood and told me to come quick. We quickly locked up the cats, (who would happily had the chicks for lunch) grabbed the baby chicks, set them on the hay bale, and got the shot. We then put the Momma hen and her babies in an old calf hut with a gate across the front so they could grow a bit bigger before turning them out with the cats.

FUN!

Wild Bill, Rudolph Valentino and Mr. Fugley

2011-08-22T10:30:00.001-05:00

This fellow's name is Wild Bill. He gets that name as he has quite the way with the ladies. He is a white Leghorn Rooster. He would like to think that he is top dog, but he is not.

That honor goes to this fellow. Mr. Fugley. We don't know what he is. His mother hatched him out and his dad could have been any number of roosters we had at the time. Poor Mr, Fugly, He may not be much to look at, but the ladies love him and he is ruler of the roost. Even the dogs leave him alone.

A few more of Wild Bill. He spends a lot of time talking the big talk but is nowhere to be seen when Mr. Fugley comes around.

This is Rudolph Valentino, he is named after the famous Latin lover from Hollywood’s early years. Quite the handsome fellow don’t you think?

He is even brave enough to take on the cats.

But this is what happens when he sees Mr. Fugley.

Now this is what the roosters spend so much time fussing over.

Girls.

This is one of the ladies they endlessly pursue. Her name is Grace. All of the speckled hens like her are named Grace.

All of the red ones are named Ruth.

All the white ones are named Gladys.

And all the ducks are named Richard. Don't laugh, It just makes thing easier.

And here is why we keep Mr. Bill, Rudolph Valentino and Mr. Fugley around at all. They keep the hens happy. Happy hens make more eggs and more eggs make a happy me!

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography We are located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin but have camera and will travel. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

Hawkeye is the King of All He Sees.

2011-08-01T09:46:00.000-05:00

Hawkeye, our Border Collie, is the King of all he sees.

Except of course, the cats. Who do not consider him the king of anything.

ALL THE COWS ARE COOL AND THE WOMEN ARE BEAUTIFUL

2011-07-28T16:39:00.000-05:00

Making movies is a little bit like making magic. It may look real on film but, of course, it is all an illusion. I was reminded of this a few weeks back when a good part of the country including western Wisconsin, where I live, was in the grips of a dangerous heat wave. Temperatures soared and heat indexes were at 115˚ F plus.

As I sat working in my home office, sweat dripping off my brow in spite of the two fans positioned on either side of me, I was reminded of when I was working on a feature film called Here on Earth. It starred a young Chris Kline, an equally young Josh Hartnett, and a lovely young actress named Lee Lee Sobieski. We had been contracted to provide a herd of dairy cows to give reality and atmosphere to the dairy farm location.

We dutifully hauled the six Holstein cows to the set every morning and once they were unloaded, cleaned up and made comfortable we waited around for their inclusion in a scene.

Movie work is a classic case of hurry up and wait which means everyone must show up at 6:00 am because they just might change the shooting schedule in which case you better be ready when the first assistant director runs up to you, walkie-talkie in hand, and says breathlessly, “The director would like to use the cows now.”

This in itself is not so bad, but shooting happened to be taking place in a record heat wave not unlike the one we all just experienced.

We had a place in the shade, and plenty of water for the cows so they were ok when we were not working but once we moved into the lower level of the barn it was stifling hot and we felt the cows were at risk.

I mentioned this to the first assistant director who expressed our concerns to the director. The order was then given, “Cool the cows!” and a large plastic duct was pushed through a window and cool, clean conditioned air began to pour into the barn. It was heavenly if you were a cow. But if you were a trainer or just about any one else, you had to stay back out of frame and almost die as the barn heated up even more because of the monstrously huge movie lights and close pressed bodies of the crew.

The actors were treated well, also. The crew had broken for lunch in a large event tent, which offered shade, but there was still no breeze and the heat and humidity was oppressive. I was watching as everyone moved as slowly as possible to avoid any extra exertion when I noticed Leelee Sobieski exiting her trailer. She looked liked an angel just stepped down from the clouds as she approached, every hair on her head in place, her makeup perfect and completely sweat free, as if she was immune to the weather. She came with her plate and sat at our table, which was unusual, as animal trainers are pretty low on the film crew totem pole. She happened to be an animal lover and wanted to know more about the cows. So we enjoyed a brief, if hot, lunch break with her. Then she floated back to her air-conditioned trailer and we went back to the cows.

In my next life, I am either going to be a beautiful young actress or a beautiful young acting cow. In either case, I will be cool.

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography We are located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin but have camera and will travel. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

Puppies!

2011-07-28T16:26:00.000-05:00

Had the chance to photograph a litter of American Eskimo Puppies the other day. Oh my goodness, can you say the the cutest puppies ever! Big balls of fluffy white fur, full of energy and happiness. Makes a girl want to save it up for gloomy rainy day.

We always start out with one.

Then we try adding another.

And another....

But sometimes, they just don't listen. Hey, get back here!

Until we get them all lined up. (For a moment anyway.)

Who has more fun?!

Wild Bill and Mr. Fugly.

2011-07-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

This fellow's name is Wild Bill. He gets that name as he has quite the way with the ladies. He is a white Leghorn Rooster. He would like to think that he is top dog as it were, but he is not.

That honor goes to his fellow. Mr. Fugly. We don't know what he is. His mother hatched him out and his dad could have been any number of roosters we had at the time. Poor Mr, Fugly, He may not be much to look at, but the ladies love him and he is the king of all he sees. Even the dogs leave him alone.

A few more of Wild Bill. He spends a lot of time talking the big talk, but will run away if Mr. Fugly comes around.

One of the ladies they spend so much time fighting over. Her name is Grace. All of the speckled hens like her are named Grace. All of the red ones are named Ruth. All the white ones are named Gladys. And all the ducks are named Richard. Don't laugh, It just makes thing easier.

Cats in the Garden and One Pup.

2011-07-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

It was too hot to much outside the week before last. Temps were in the high 90's and heat indices were at 115+. The cats took it upon themselves to keep cool by lying in the shade of the tiger lilies. Smart cats. The pup on the end is a mini Aussie that belongs to my friend, Sue. Quite the sweetie pie and I think his colors went well with the flowers.

Some Happy Faces that came to our Open Call Audition.

2011-07-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

Here are a few happy faces that came to our open call auditions a few weeks ago. We saw over 50 wonderful dogs. I love shoots like this! How else can one get so many doggie kisses in one day?

To see the full gallery, click here http://obrienphotofarm.photoshelter.com/gallery/20110709-Open-Call-Two-Pages/G00007Dw0TKKOM9c/P0000d0NW.1yNnTM

SWAN SONG

2011-07-21T17:39:00.003-05:00

Had the most amazing time photographing this beautiful swan for a hospitality client based in London.

I couldn't get over how quiet and tame and cooperative she was. I do not like to stress animals and so I am always careful to make sure they are chosen for their easy going temperament and handled properly on set.

As you can see she didn't mind being touched and was even happier with the wading pool we provided for her just off set. I can't wait to see the finished product. I think it will be a beautiful campaign.

all images © Barbara O'Brien PhotographyBarbara O'Brien Photography is located at White Robin Farm in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

A WOLF AT EVERY DOOR

2011-07-05T18:21:00.000-05:00

A WOLF AT EVERY DOOR

Early on in my career as a trainer of animal actors I had the chance to work with a wolf on a TV commercial. A hot shot director flew in from Chicago. I located a wolf owner through another animal trainer, and Steve, a man with many years of experience in handling wildlife for film, brought two beautiful wolves. The set was an abandoned farmhouse out in the middle of a recently vacated cow pasture. We did the filming at night. The wolf’s job was to run up to the door and scratch at it as if trying to get in. My job was to entice the wolf.

Steve and my helper, my husband Kevin, met at the back of Steve’s SUV and opened the hatch. Inside there was a large dog crate. Inside the crate was a wolf who initially pulled back and then came forward to check us out. Steve opened the crate and took the wolf’s heavy lead in his hands. He gently coaxed the wolf out. The wolf was a beautiful animal and much larger than I had expected. His head and jaws were powerful enough to cause serious damage if he was so inclined. His coat was silver gray and glinted under the temporary lights the crew had set up at base camp. The wolf, his head held low, eyed us suspiciously.

“He likes woman better than men,” Steve said. “You need to get low and speak to him quietly to show you are not a threat.” Steve then stooped and talked to the wolf in a sweet singsong voice, all the while stroking his head and back. I lowered myself and did the same. The wolf came forward and licked my hand. I was amazed to see such strength and power quietly submissive under my hand.

Steve told us that this wolf had been handled from birth. Although it appeared tame it was nowhere near tame. If provoked, the wolf could attack out of fear. If startled, the wolf might run off the set into the countryside.

There were the usual delays on the set. Spending a lot of time standing around and waiting is the not-so-glamorous part of show business. Finally, the producer came over to us and explained what he wanted the wolf to do. It’s funny how the instructions I receive on the set always involve more or different work than what I agreed to initially. In my initial conversation with the TV people, the wolf was to stand next to the farmhouse door, jump up, and scratch at the door. Now they wanted the wolf to be placed some distance away from the door, to run up to the door, and then scratch at it. For all of this the wolf would need to be off-leash with no handler visible on camera. Then the camera would pan past the wolf to the side to the open field that bordered the cow pasture.

I was skeptical. To my surprise, Steve agreed that he could get the wolf to do it. My husband Kevin was stashed out in the field beyond the farmhouse set. If the wolf was startled or frightened, he would most likely run for the field.

I stood inside the farmhouse door with my hands full of strips of raw chicken. My plan was that the wolf would smell me and my chicken inside the door and then he would jump up on the outside of the door in hopes of getting some chicken. We did a few practice runs, off-leash. The wolf did not run away and he came to the door as hoped, but he didn’t jump up on the door and scratch at it. I guess my strips of raw chicken were not sufficiently enticing.

Steve put the wolf back on his heavy leash and we discussed what to try next. The wolf then pulled Steve to the side of the house where he began to scratch and dig at the ground.

Meanwhile, the director, well known for displays of temper, was growing impatient. His assistant, walkie-talkie in hand, repeatedly came up to us to say nervously, “We really have to get this shot now. We really do.” Steve, having been in the business longer than I, took this in stride. He said the wolf would do the shot when he was ready and not a moment sooner.

The wolf continued to dig for a bit longer and happily pulled a dark slimy object from the ground. I could smell it before I saw it. Steve laughed and said, “This will work.” With his gloved hand, he handed me the putrid object. “What is this?” I asked, quickly pulling on my own leather gloves. “It's a dead raccoon,” he said. “Long dead.” Long dead was right. Its decomposing flesh barely clung to its long skeleton. It was a disgusting object but the wolf wanted it badly.

The nervous assistant popped up again, keeping a safe distance from the wolf, and said again, “We have to get this shot now.”

I, carrying the raccoon carcass, resumed my position behind the door. Steve took the wolf some 25 yards away from the farmhouse door. Inside the dark farmhouse, I could see a grip (one of the fellows that do all the electrical for the lights on the set) standing just outside a window to my right. “Be careful,” he warned. “There is no floor behind you. The cattle broke it all up by using the house as a barn.” I had only a small ledge to stand on. If I moved backwards off it, I would fall into a basement full of cow manure. It was dark inside the house but I didn’t need to be able to see to know that lots of cows had only recently left this house. I clung to the frame of the door, clutching the rotting raccoon.

The assistant whispered “Action!” to me, signaling that the wolf had been released. I held on to the frame of the door and held up the rotting raccoon. I could hear and feel the wolf slam against the door feet first as he scratched and pawed and tried to get to the dead raccoon. Steve was able to collect the wolf and gave him some raw chicken as a reward for being caught. Of course, the director wanted as many takes as the wolf could do and so we did it few more times. Each time I held on to the door frame for dear life so as not to fall backwards into the cow manure. My eyes began to burn from the smell of the raccoon and the manure. I wondered if my chosen career was so fun after all.

Then I heard the director bellow from his seat on the crane: “Who the [insert very bad word here] are you!” I heard my husband’s startled voice call a reply from across the field, “Uh…I’m here…for the wolf.” The director yelled, “Get the [insert another very bad word] out of my shot.” Although I couldn’t see his face, I was sure poor Kevin scrambled out of the field vowing never to work on a commercial with me again.

We did one more take and Steve decided that the wolf had had enough. We were done. The director was none too happy about this, but I deferred to Steve’s expertise. This was his wolf and he knew its limits. “You don’t want us to be chasing this wolf all over the countryside, do you?” he said to the producer. I envisioned a large wolf running down the nearby road surprising the drivers on their early morning commute.

Kevin joined us and moved to give me a congratulatory hug. “What is that smell?” he said, recoiling. “Oh, just a rotting raccoon carcass,” I said blithely, as I tossed a pair of good leather gloves into the trash bin.

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography Barbara O'Brien Photography is located at White Robin Farm in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.net

A RAT IN EVERY ROOM

2011-05-31T13:12:00.000-05:00

You have all heard of celebrities or rock stars that trash their hotel rooms. They break guitars, smash TV sets and leave big mess behind. And although I do not do anything like that, I have been known to break a few rules when it comes to hotels. My work as an animal actor trainer has occasionally forced me to take drastic measures to keep the animals safe and with me at all times.

We were once hired to train some rats for a television commercial about the plague. We had to train the rats to run up and down a table on a mock pirate ship, nibble food, and well, act like rats.

That part was easy. Rats like to explore new places and they like to nibble on food even more. Getting there was no problem. We were living in South St. Paul, Minnesota at the time and the job was in Cedar Rapids Iowa, only about 250 miles away. We had talked about leaving the rats in the studio but because of a snowstorm, which slowed us down, we didn’t arrive until evening and the studio was closed. I didn’t feel too bad, as I was worried about leaving the rats there overnight anyway. What if they escaped? There would be no finding them in a massive studio with 1000’s of places a rat could hide.

Our big problem was that it was now –15 below and we knew that we could not leave them in the car overnight. We had no choice but to bring them into the hotel. Kevin, my husband, checked us in and we smuggled the rat’s carriers up the side stairs and into our room. We fed and watered the rats and then I took them out individually to continue their training. Rats are highly intelligent animals and of course, food motivated so they are easy to train. These were friendly domesticated rats with cute little pink noses and long gray tails.

The next morning using animal safe food dyes and vegetable oil we colored their coats to resemble brown Norway rats, the scourge of all ships at sea. I have to admit the transformation was amazing. What was once a cute little rat with a soft white coat turned into a grayish brown, somewhat fiendish looking animal that seemed fully capable of carrying diseases that could wipe out an entire population.

Once we were done, I put the rats into the bathtub to dry. I knew they couldn’t climb the slick walls to escape.

We went downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant to have breakfast. We had a nice young man as our server. He was cheerful in spite of the early hour and asked all the usual touristry questions.

“So, where are you folks from?” he asked, smiling broadly as he poured our coffee.

“We are from St. Paul.” I said, smiling back.

“And what brings you to Cedar Rapids?’ he asked.

“We are here shooting a commercial.”

“Wow, really, what for?” he said, intrigued.

“It’s for a pharmaceutical company.”

“And,” he said, nodding, “what is your part in it?”

“Oh we are not in it.” I laughed. “We are the animal trainers, we brought the rats for it.”

“Rats?” he gasped. He then quickly covered his mouth, as he didn’t want to draw the attention of nearby patrons

“Oh yes, rats. A dozen of them,” I smiled again. “They are in the commercial.”

I could see him taking this in and then he leaned conspiratorially over the table and whispered. “They are not in the hotel, are they?”

I paused, thinking about the consequences of my answer. What would they do if the maid found 12 fiendish looking brown rats playing in the bathtub when she went to clean the room? Could be part of a new ad campaign, I mused, perhaps a new slogan for the hotel chain. A Rat in Every Room.

I quickly I came to my senses and laughed heartily “Oh, no, no, no, noooo, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. The rats are at the studio. We would never bring them into the hotel.” The server gave visible sigh of relief and clutching his coffeepot, made his way back to the kitchen.

Kevin looked at me curiously, as he knows I do not, as a general rule, out and out lie to people. “I guess we couldn’t tell him.” he said finally. “No, I guess not,” I agreed. I chuckled a little at the thought.

We began to dig into our meals when Kevin asked suddenly. “You did hang the Do Not Disturb sign didn’t you?”

“No,” I said surprised and shocked. “I thought you did….”

We both jumped up, leaving our breakfast behind as we raced to our room. As we tumbled out of the stair way and onto our floor I could see the maid beginning to swipe the card to our room.

“Stop! Wait!” I called out, as I ran towards her. She pulled back, startled. “Excuse me, maid service,” she said, glancing at her cart. I quickly put myself between her and the door. “Maid service,” she said again. “I am here to clean the room.”

“No, no thank you.” Kevin said calmly, trying to look cool “Please come back later.”

“Yes.” I said too quickly. “We are very clean. We do not need our room done.”

She gave us a look that read, “All right, have it your way” and went on to the next room.

We couldn’t stop laughing as we watched the rats crawl around the tub, wondering what would have happened if we had been caught. We thoroughly scrubbed the bathtub, packed up the rats, and unlike rock stars and celebrities, we hoped we left no evidence of our little rat adventure.

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography Barbara O'Brien Photography is located in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 farm barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

I MUST BE FAMOUS

2011-05-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

I must be famous. How can I tell? Well, I have an entourage.

My entourage is with me morning, noon, and night. They accompany me while I eat and while I work. I am never alone. I am fascinating to them. They love me, they protect me, they compete with each other for my attention. They argue amongst themselves and jockey for the coveted position nearest to me. When I stand up, they stand up. When I sit down, they sit down. If I go upstairs, they come, too. When I come down again, they come down, too. When I go in the bathroom, they come in, too.

This isn’t my first entourage. I am the mother of four boys, after all. But now the two oldest are on their own out in the world and the younger two are teenagers with friends and activities of their own. I had to get a new entourage.

Each member of my entourage has his or her specific role to play.Apple the Aussie cross is my personal assistant. She wakes me in the morning and lets me know when it’s time to do chores. She monitors my health and nutrition: She never fails to remind me of mealtimes.

Liesl the German Shepherd Dog is my bodyguard. Ever vigilant, she keeps constant watch on me. And on everyone around me. When I step outside the farmhouse, she makes a sweep of the perimeter and checks for suspicious activity. Like a true fan, she is devoted only to me. My husband Kevin could fall in the well and Liesl would never say a word. But let a strange car come down the driveway or naughty horses break out of the fence, and Liesl will let me know.

Hawkeye the Border Collie is my fan club. His role is to look adoringly at me to let me know that I am the coolest, most wonderful person on earth. No matter what I wear, or say, or do, Hawkeye gazes at me with admiration in his eyes.

I not only have an entourage, I have groupies, too. To behonest, my groupies are only part-time groupies. They only show up when I sit down to work at my computer and then they’re out of control. They jump on my desk and walk across my keyboard. They block my computer monitor with their bodies, flick their tails across my papers, and say “We love you. We love you…a little bit.” Sometimes I have to shut my groupies outside the office door in order to get any work done.

My entourage and my groupies are not the only proof of my fame. Outside the farmhouse door, the paparazzi lay in wait for me. I have only to step outside and they mob me, all shouting out their questions at the same time. Really, I wonder if the paparazzi have any idea how much they sound like a flock of squawking chickens? Even their camera shutters sound like the flapping of wings.

So, I have the fame, the next step is the fortune. They go together, right?

all images © Barbara O'Brien Photography. We are located at White Robin Farm in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution.

Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com

DOGS KNOW

2011-03-23T22:03:00.000-05:00

Dogs know more than we think.

Kylie is a good dog. She is a tri-colored Australian Shepherd and is owned by my good friend Kathy. Kylie is an obedience and breed champion with a room full of ribbons and trophies to show for it. This is a dog that would never dream of being naughty and not doing what is asked of her.

I have had the honor of hiring her many times for print ads and commercials. Kylie always did a great job for me. She followed my commands and was always cheerful with a joyful expression on her face. She loved to work and she loved being the center of attention. In the show ring and on the set Kylie was a star.

Then Kathy was diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember crying with her when she told me and I hoped and prayed for a quick recovery. Kathy is a fighter and underwent aggressive chemo treatments and then surgery to fight her disease.

Months passed as Kathy went through her treatment, fighting fatigue nausea and tolerating the loss of her hair as her body struggled to beat the cancer that had taken hold. Her friends continue to pray and care for her. Kylie the Aussie never left her side.

We were all overjoyed when Kathy eventually was declared cancer free. I knew Kathy enjoyed having Kylie perform for the camera so I waited for her to tell me when she was well enough to begin bringing Kylie the Aussie to photo shoots again.

After I was sure that Kathy felt well enough to give it a try I booked Kylie for a shoot for a major retailer. Kylie was to pose with a human model who would brush her with a special grooming tool to remove fur.

When Kathy came in with Kylie, I hugged Kathy and asked how she was feeling. Kylie the Aussie had always pulled on her leash when she saw me and wriggled her whole body in anticipation. This time when I greeted her and her owner, Kylie the Aussie was oddly restrained in her manner towards me.

It is my usual practice to leave the owner in the waiting room and take the dog from the owner to work them on the set myself as most dogs work better when not distracted by their owner. Kylie was no exception to that rule. Although Kathy is an excellent trainer, in the past Kylie seemed to focus better when I worked her on the set without her owner in the room.

I started to escort Kylie away from her owner and towards the set but she sat down and refused to leave Kathy’s side.

“Come on, girl,” I said, slightly surprised. This was not normal behavior for Kylie the Aussie at all. Where was the dog that practically dragged me to the set and was so happy to show off her skills and tricks?

“Go on,” said Kathy to her dog. “Go with Barbara. You’ll be fine,” she said.

Kylie the Aussie was obviously reluctant to obey. She slowly got up and went with me, but looked over her shoulder at her owner.

“Come on, girl,” I said in my cheeriest voice. “I’ve got cheese,” I said. Usually, the word cheese is the magic word to focus Kylie’s razor sharp attention. This time I said the magic word, she glanced my way for a moment, then looked back to the door of the room in which Kathy her owner was waiting.

Why was Kylie the Aussie acting so strangely? This was not like her at all. This dog loved me and usually pranced and danced on camera happily sitting and cocking her head for the camera.

The human model came in and I put Kylie the Aussie in position. I stepped back and began to cue her, looking for the sweet expression and happy ears that she always offered me. Kylie did her best to be obedient. She is a good dog and knows that Stay means Stay, but there’s a big difference between a dog who is focused on the work and a dog who is just going through the motions. Kylie was just not with me. I told her Stay and she would Stay but only for a moment or two and then she would break her Stay. This is unusual for such a well-trained dog and experienced animal model. “Oh, no! What did you do?” I said (my traditional speech when a dog breaks a Stay). I tried again. I gave her the hand signal and said “Kylie, Stay!” She paused for only a moment this time before breaking her Stay again. I was shocked. This is an obedient dog. She always listened to my commands and performed them cheerfully and happily for the cheese reward. What could possibly be wrong? I watched Kylie the Aussie as her gaze continued to go to the door. And then I understood. Kylie the Aussie’s mind was with her owner Kathy in the waiting room.

I apologized to the photographer for the delay and took Kylie off the set. “Okay!” I said to Kylie. She bolted out the door and down towards the hall to be with Kathy. I could hear Kathy laughing as I headed towards them. “What is it, girl?” Kathy asked as Kylie stood on her hind legs and washed Kathy’s face with her tongue.

“She can’t leave your side right now,” I said. She knows that you haven’t been well and that her place is with you.”

Kathy held Kylie’s head in her hands. “Is that true, Kylie?” She said “Don’t you know that I am okay now?” Kylie looked back at her with the intelligent brown eyes of an Australian Shepherd, one of the smartest of all dog breeds.

I think Kylie the Aussie felt the need to protect her owner Kathy and be with her. Kathy had beaten the breast cancer, but perhaps her dog still thought she still needed special care and attention. Although Kylie the Aussie shows every sign of enjoying being an acting dog, perhaps she thought she had a more important job right then: Being with Kathy.

“Please come to the set with us?” said Kathy to me, and we went back. I said to Kathy: “You work with her. She usually works better with me, but she needs you this time.” Kathy put Kylie in position, the human model readied the grooming tool, and the photographer began to shoot. It was like a different dog was there. Kylie posed and perked her ears. She put her paw up and then down on command and she spun around in a circle when asked. She even kissed the model’s face on cue. Here was the Kylie I knew.

The rest of the shoot went perfectly and the client was happy with the results.

Another six months went by before I needed to use Kylie on a shoot. I had been in touch with Kathy and knew that she was getting stronger and feeling better every day.

This time when she came to the studio Kylie was overjoyed to see me, almost leaping into my arms as I said hello. And when I took her leash to lead her to the set she went with me without a backward glance.

On set she was once again a pro, offering all of her endearing behaviors like tilting her head and grinning for the camera. When we finished and I returned her to Kathy in the waiting room, I marveled at how different Kylie the Aussie was from the last time I worked her.

It’s amazing to me how dogs sometimes just know. Apparently, even though Kathy thought she was back to her old self, Kylie the dog did not agree and thought she needed to stay by Kathy’s side. Now that Kathy was fully recovered and cancer free, Kylie the Aussie also was back to her old self and ready to perform.

Cover of Redoux Magazine. Nice Feature Article inside, also.

2011-03-08T11:34:00.000-06:00

http://issuu.com/redoux-home/docs/redoux_home_south_mar-apr_2011/1

all images © Barbara O'Brien PhotographyBarbara O'Brien Photography is located at White Robin Farm in the beautiful rolling hills of western Wisconsin. Images are available for reproduction. Please e-mail or call with intended usage, size of print run, distribution. Barbara O'Brien Photography 612 812 8788 cell 715 448 3456 home barbara@barbaraobrienphoto.com