rubicat design and photography

happy new year!

2010-01-07T19:47:47Z

I'm a bit late with the greeting, but I wish everyone who checks out my blog (or my site) a Happy New Year. Like this little happy person, I'm filled with optimism for the coming year.

Taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 27 December 2009.
"Smiling Figure," Mexico; Remojadas. 7th-8th century, Ceramic.

Many of my photos (like this one) are a bit too candid to be considered portfolio-worthy shots, but a few of my blog-viewers have said that I should incorporate a bit more of my casual photography into my blog. So, without further ado, I bring you a couple shots from my holiday.

The entire set of my holiday photos can be found on Flickr.

Handcrafted jewelry by Anita, AutumnArts.net. I just designed her site, in trade for these gorgeous pieces you see here, along with others!

At my husband's company holiday party: our host lighting the tree in a beautiful Austrian tree-lighting ceremony. All the candles are lit while beautiful music plays in the background. It's stunning.

The Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens. All of the buildings are made of bark, plant, moss, fruit, and leaves. Amazing!

Many more photos are on Flickr.

new article online

2009-11-25T19:37:24Z

Roxanne and Nzingha

2009-11-25T14:17:38Z

Roxanne is a German Shepherd; Nzingha is a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Both girls are beautiful and well-behaved (when they're not playing, of course - Roxie is only a year, so she is a ball of energy!). This is a professional photo shoot (not Underdog).

underdogs

2009-11-23T03:30:41Z

Last Sunday (15 November) I photographed two Underdog ResQ dogs. Both are available for adoption...

Liam is 8-year old German Shepherd mix. He's an easygoing dog who is gentle, sweet, and gives kisses.

Baby Girl is a sweet little 3-5 year old pit bull mix girl who craves attention.

Read their stories at Underdog ResQ's Available Dogs page.

rubicat featured on Examiner.com

2009-11-18T17:57:21Z

Boston Exotic Pet Examiner Ella Zohn interviewed me recently for an Examiner.com article:

read the Examiner.com article here

nom nom nom

2009-11-18T04:33:34Z

I love my job. Sometimes my job loves me back, and I can nom on an ear or two. :) This is from an early November photo shoot; Lolly the Chihuahua kept wanting to snuggle, so I had to nom her ear. Don't you love the WTF expression on her face?

hammy

2009-11-18T03:04:18Z

Hamsters are challenging. Like gerbils, their M.O. is anywhere but here!

sad lolly

2009-11-12T03:47:32Z

She's not sad, of course; Chihuahuas are just highly adept at draining every ounce of pity from humans within a two-mile radius. :)

I'm (slowly) working through the photos from Sunday's shoot; these dogs are killing me with cute!

Tom the guinea pig

2009-11-10T20:53:50Z

On Halloween I brought home my own little treat: Tom and Sally, two guinea pigs rescued by Windham County Humane Society in Brattleboro, Vermont. Tom and Sally are adorable together, but I wanted to make sure that we didn't end up with MORE piggies than we bargained for! So, I raised enough money through CavyMadness to have Tom neutered, thanks to the many CavyAngels who helped out with the cost of the procedure. To express my appreciation, I took some photos of Tom in my front yard.

When I brought him back inside I placed him on the kitchen table while I cut up vegetables for him and Sally. He waddled right over to my fruit bowl and started sniffing apples, so I cut him a piece. He looks like he's enjoying the apple. :)

the pack

2009-11-09T04:47:06Z

Baie, Renny, Miso, Lolly, and Rio. All are adopted dogs from hard lives, now living in a canine Shangri-La with their amazing pup-whisperer mom and loving family. More photos forthcoming, because I must kill you all with cute. :)

new article online

2009-10-28T04:33:24Z

for Laura

2009-10-26T01:44:18Z

since I'm taking forever with your photos: LOLbunnies. :)

Professor Klaus von Cuddlesworth

2009-10-22T12:49:17Z

I'm photographing a pair of jeans this week, and one of the models happened to have her guinea pig, Klaus, with her. She had called ahead to ask if it were OK; I replied, "you know I'm also CavyMadness, right?" :)

Klaus had just been to the vet for "boy problems." He's all handsome and scruffy. I shall be posting more photos soon - right now, I'm quite busy!

Electric Mummy

2009-10-19T19:39:03Z

My friend Amanda (in the photo) is part of a Boston-area rock group called Electric Mummy. I took some (very quick) promo and candid photos of them Sunday night. Electric Mummy will be performing Friday, October 30th at the Paul Green School of Rock Halloween Party (6:00 PM - 9:00 PM)

Visit Electric Mummy's Facebook page or MySpace profilefor more information on the band and upcoming gigs.

To see additional photos of Sunday's rehearsal (all candids), visit my Flickr album.

bunnies!

2009-10-15T01:07:43Z

Some bad days going around, so I bring you bunnies. Meet Snickers (brown) and Fluff (white).

Snicker and Fluff live in a rabbit's paradise: a back yard contained by rustic stone walls and trees, with plenty of room to fully hop and roam. Snickers even evaded capture for a long time, running around bushes and darting back and forth around the garden.

Fluff is more laid-back and wanted to just bask in the fresh air.

"Oh, great el-ahrairah, please grant me more sunshine in which to bask and bushes upon which to nibble...."

Underdog ResQ 2010 calendar

2009-10-02T21:41:48Z

I volunteer my photography and design services for Underdog ResQ, a non-profit foster rescue for pit bulls, elderdogs, and other pups who just can't seem to get a break. They're wonderful dogs, and I spent a few months photographing some of the underdogs for a calendar. Please support Underdog ResQ and buy a 2010 calendar for your dog-loving friends!

azalea caterpillar

2009-09-19T03:13:08Z

The front of my mother's home is filled with azalea bushes. Every year they get munched on relentlessly by azalea caterpillars. They are harmless, but curl outward when they are disturbed, which makes them appear aggressive. I just love how striking their patterns are!

Windham County Humane Society

2009-09-08T13:56:16Z

I visited a friend in Brattleboro, VT this weekend who volunteers for the Windham County Humane Society (www.wchs4pets.org). We visited some of the animals this weekend, and I urge anyone near Brattleboro, Vermont who is looking for a shiny new pet to visit Windham County Humane Society.

First: Just .... aw. :)

Here is Bee, a 7-year old boy who has been at the Humane Society for far too long. He can't be with other kitties nor children, but he is a sweet, loving, adventurous boy who deserves a quiet home. He gets a little stressed around all the vocal kittens and with strangers, so people think he's not nice, but he IS! I cuddled and gave him chin-scrubbies for a while. He loves sinks.

And here's Rocky and Cuddles. These handsome brothers are 6 years old and are practically joined at the hip. They need to be adopted together to a quiet home because they are shy and a bonded pair. Adopting two kitties together really isn't much more trouble than one; just a bit more poop to scoop and double the weight on your lap while you're watching Monday Night Football. Oh! And both are giant double-paw kitties - they're gorgeous!

To view the kitty listings:
http://www.wchs4pets.org/cats.html

foodie

2009-08-28T03:59:31Z

Tonight I made dinner for friends. Since I had fabulous tomatoes from the Arlington Farmer's Market yesterday and a lot of basil in my herb pot, I decided to make a salad of tomato, mozzarella, cucumber (from a friend's garden) and fresh basil pesto (I went overboard on the garlic...).

save the date: House Rabbit Network benefit

2009-08-26T02:43:58Z

I'm donating a portrait package for the Silent Auction. All proceeds will benefit the House Rabbit Network, which specializes in rabbit education and adoption in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. So, save the date: Tuesday, 29 September, and go to Flatbread in Bedford, MA for pizza and helping bunnies! More information about the benefit is available at HRN's site.

Mickey

2009-08-16T18:57:31Z

Yesterday I visited Sweet Meadow Farm to go over final calendar edits with Patty. We re-shot one of the photos for the calendar, and chatted for a while. The farm cats there are not your usual farm kitties; they're gorgeous, foofy Ragdoll (or mixed Ragdoll) kitties that have adorable personalities.

This is not one of the calendar photos, but I love it! Isn't he handsome?

Sweet Meadow Farm

2009-08-15T01:30:41Z

After falling in love with the guinea pig pellets and hay offered by Sweet Meadow Farm, Nhan and I helped them set up a new website, and I've been working with them ever since. This year I have been able to help Patty with their 2010 calendar; since I've been working on a calendar for Underdog ResQ, I already had a template in place! Patty took all the photos for the calendar, and she has some cute images! I'm getting ready to send to print this weekend, and will let you all know when it's ready!

hot little hedgie

2009-08-12T20:34:12Z

Don't you hate those days where you're just so hot and miserable? The A/C isn't working well enough and you just feel prickly all over. Makes you want to ball up and sleep somewhere until it's cool enough to feel human again.

Betty

2009-08-03T19:39:10Z

I met Alyssa and Betty, a Bull Terrier, this morning at Harvard Yard, for another Underdog ResQ calendar photo shoot. Betty was found as a stray, but she had been microchipped. The owners, however, didn't want her, so Underdog took her in.

Betty is such a goofy girl, and so loving. :) She's also quite the loaf.

Jojo, the zaftig Chihuahua

2009-07-28T02:27:17Z

Another Underdog ResQ photo shoot from Sunday: Jojo, a rotund little Chihuahua with a wonderful spirit. She is currently in foster care getting ready for an upcoming knee surgery. She will be available for adoption later this fall, once she's in a bit better health. I photographed her for the 2010 calendar.

To learn more about Underdog ResQ, volunteer, or become a foster home, visit underdogresQ.org