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Posts by portia

Portrait with your cats as part of your family

Portraits with your Cats?

If cats are in your life, then you probably have taken many photos of your cats. But how about a photo with your cat? I do a lot of pet photography, most them are of dogs, but there are some cats and even other unique pets people have, like rabbits, chicken and even a rat.

It is definitely not an easy thing to do to take portraits of you and your cats in the studio. Most cats hate to ride in cars, the first step is to transport the cats to the studio, then we have to make sure the cats are not freaked out, which they are sometimes when they get to the studio.

The latest session with a cat named Happy who was definitely not too happy to be crated and taken to the studio, both me and the owner got scratched by the cat! but the kitten Maze was amazing, with a coat like a leopard!

photo of kitten

Cats don’t really follow directions unless your cat is an exception! I don’t use the tricks I did for the SPCA in this video  for cats in the studio, because the owner can usually hold the cats without too much problem. Most owners want to hold their cats in the portraits with their cats.

There is a story for every cat in these photos. One of them did not get along with the other 2, so we had to do some tricks to make them appear in the same photo. Another got along fabulously with the 4 dogs in the household. One was even fine with the chickens! There is more than one animal in these photos who are no longer with us. As much as we love them, and most cats live a long life, they will eventually leave us behind. Wouldn’t it be great to have a portrait with your cats (or dogs!) when it is still possible?

Portraits with cats

It’s also possible to have the portrait taken at home, where the cats are more at ease, like this one.

portrait-with-cat

Santa Cruz pet photography

Santa Cruz pet photographer takes pet photos at the SPCA

Pet photography, especially at the Santa Cruz SPCA is not always easy, some of the animals have pretty bad history of being abused and are extremely shy or nervous, but sometimes we get surprised, a dog may pose perfectly! It’s a good thing that I am very patient and calm and get along with animals. Here are the latest photos from this week’s Santa Cruz pet photo shoot at the SPCA.

It’s always amazing to see how the SPCA in its tiny facility is able to help and save so many animals. Of course all the volunteers help make this possible. I have been volunteering as a photographer since 2008 and have photographed more than 1500 pets. The wall in the SPCA store in Capitola Mall has a small collection of them. It is a low budget photo wall, but it has some twists and surprises. Have you seen this video of how it was installed?

 

Each of the animals in the mosaic is a dog at the SPCA who have been adopted! This is a close-up of the wall at the SPCA store in Capitola Mall. Is your pet one of them?

mosaic dog head photo

The dog head is composed of a mosaic of photos!

Glamour makeover portrait experience

What is it like to have a glamour makeover portrait experience at the studio? A photo shoot which uncovers the beauty within.

Recently we had just such and experience to photograph a beautiful mom of 3 little girls. Jennalee had just given birth to her 3rd daughter at the beginning of the year and with all the tasks related to being a mom and also running her business (Santa Cruz Skin Solutions, she is a wonderful esthetician!) she was feeling very unattractive. It was just the right time for a beauty, glamour, makeover portrait session! See what happened at the studio when she came in that day!

dog doing yoga

Santa Cruz pet photographer at the SPCA

Santa Cruz pet photographer at the SPCA

When this dog is not doing yogaI try to go about once a month to the Santa Cruz SPCA to photograph the animals. Pet photography can be very rewarding and fun. The dogs (and cats) who have a good photo are more likely to attract people to come visit them and to adopt them. Here are some fun photos from today’s photo shoot.

There were 5 in this litter, named after tropical islands, we only managed to get 4 in the group shot. The leftmost one was the smallest of the litter, her name is “Maui”, she is super cute, and did a lot of singing! When I talked to her, she tilted her head for the last photo here. I am sure she will get a home real soon.

See more pet photographs at the gallery.

littermates littermates puppy singing puppy tilting her head

What happened to my business reviews on Yahoo local?

About a month ago, Yahoo Local listing starting serving up Yelp reviews for businesses. This may or may not a good thing. If you have never had  or not have many reviews on Yahoo for your business, but a lot on Yelp, this is great, because now you have more reviews showing up when people search for you on Yahoo. But what happens when you have more reviews on Yahoo? I actually had more reviews on Yahoo of my photography business than Yelp. I did not like Yelp’s policy of arbitrarily hiding reviews so I have told people that and I always preferred seeing reviews on Yahoo Local. In years past, when Google+ did not exist, Google used to serve up Yahoo reviews, but things have changed since.

I have always had positive business reviews of my studio because I always make sure clients are completely thrilled and happy with what they got and experienced at my studio, that’s part of my “be thrilled or bust” guarantee. When people take the time to write me a review, I not only appreciate the feedback, I also save a copy of the review to keep on my computer, that’s a good thing because now I found no way to see the 21 reviews my clients have written for me on Yahoo listings and the reviews would have been lost if I had not saved them. I think Yahoo really did a disservice to their business listing customers, there should be a way to still see these reviews! So is the web forever? Not exactly.

For now, I am just going to repost some of them here, so at least the effort and feelings my clients have expressed are not lost. To all of you who have written reviews of your experience at my studio at Yahoo, Yelp or Google, THANK YOU! I enjoyed meeting you and photographing you and your family, and have fun!

family photography Santa CruzDANA Created on 05/11/13

I had been wanting to do a family photo for quite a while but never took the time to get it together until I saw a Groupon for Positive Vista. I had never heard of Portia Shao, but then, I didn’t know any photographers so I just went for it. It ended up being a great choice for me! My daughter lives out of town and it was a little difficult to find a time when all four of us could be together to even take a picture. Portia was wonderful in helping with offering to work when she normally wouldn’t to accommodate my needs. The photo shoot was amazing, not only did she spend more time than I would have expected, it was a blast! We all were laughing and having a great time. Portia took probably hundreds of shots, in all different combinations of the four of us. I ended up with exactly what I originally wanted and more, I now have a beautiful collage of my two young adult children and the best picture of myself ever taken! Thank you Portia for capturing my family in time that we will all enjoy for many years into the future!

 

Theresa Created on 07/18/12 portrait-by-portia-shao-01

Coming for overseas to do a photo shoot with my boyfriend, what i liked most about Portia was her efficiency and willingness to be creative and flexible with us! Also very professional and fast results. never left you lingering!

portrait-by-portia-shao-02Jessica
 Posted on 06/01/12

I had a wonderful experience at Portia Shao’s studio. I originally went to get a few portraits of myself dressed in my military uniform for a Father’s Day gift. She was very accommodating and flexible. I ended up bringing my dog, Jazz, along and Portia even took a few shots of us together- which turned out to be some of the cutest shots I have of her. My dog was actually smiling! Portia made me feel completely at ease during the photo shoot and had many creative ideas. You can tell photography is not just a job to her, but also a passion.

Zoe Posted on 02/28/12


 portrait-by-portia-shao-03
Wonderful experience! My daughter had been looking to do head shots, performing on stage as well as in front of a camera. I have never done anything like this before and Portia was able to walk us through the process. What a treat for both my daughter and myself. Portia knows exactly what she is doing and does it very well. The portraits were amazing and exactly what we were looking for. Now its up to my daughter to do the rest, but those photos sure won’t go unnoticed. Thank you Portia, it was very enjoyable and relaxing

jaynorry 10/31/2011 portrait-by-portia-shao-04
I needed a photo of myself for a book I had written and was ready to publish. I found Portia Shao online, and was impressed with her comprehensive website and her perspective on her art. Then I met her, and I was even more impressed. She is awesome! I have never felt comfortable having pictures taken of me, and have seldom been happy with them. I was apprehensive about the session. Portia put me immediately at ease; I was amazed at how happy I was with the shots she took, and the work she did on them. She delivered like a true professional and a talented artist. I would recommend Positive Vista Photography and Art to anyone looking for the perfect photo or set of photos for any occasion.
portrait-by-portia-shao-05Edna Vilozny 10/21/2011
I recently came to see Portia Shao at Positive Vista Photography and Art for a mother/son portrait with my little boy, Brody. I wanted a loving, intimate and somewhat candid-looking photo spread to display in my new apartment. Portia helped me achieve exactly what I wanted, and Brody and I had a great time during the shoot (3 year old boys don’t always love having their picture taken!). Portia helped me every step of the way, from deciding on poses, choosing the layout and what kind of frame setting I wanted. I love my portrait and will continue to use Positive Vista in the future.

ihollenberg 09/09/201 portrait-by-portia-shao-06
I needed a head shot for a professional profile, and felt a little bit nervous because I think of myself as not photogenic. Portia’s photograph of me is better than I would have believed possible! It was fun working with her, and I would recommend her highly to any one, whether for a professional or a personal portrait.

portrait-by-portia-shao-07Lisa 08/11/2011
Portia Shao is amazing! I recently had her take family portraits when my father, who is now 81, was visiting us from Florida. I have very few photos of my father and me together (one of us is always on the other end of the camera! :), so the resulting photos are very precious to me. They came out beautifully — even my children each wanted their own copy of the family picture (and that’s saying alot coming from teenagers!) — and I am thrilled! She also took professional head shots for me for both my website and my social media sites and I love the way they came out as well. As a financial professional, people want to get to know me and my work; having a professional image is very important, and Portia has definitely captured that in my photo. If you need to upgrade your professional image, Portia and Positive Vista should be the next appointment you put on your calendar!

 

Celebration of Smiles Day is April 6

Photographer can actually create smiles

I do not mean I say “cheese” to make you smile in front of my camera. The smiles I am talking about are life-changing ones through surgery by doctors and volunteers of Operation Smile with donations from people everywhere, including PPA (Professional Photographers of America) Charities. Last year I was a 2013 Operation Smile Studio, and this year will be the 7th year I am celebrating smiles with PPA Charities.

Danila-before

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is your reaction when you see a photo of a child with cleft lips or palate? Do you turn away in horror and avert your eyes like I did years ago? I have now seen the transformation which can take place and the real and happy smiles and lives they and their family can enjoy.  Join me this year to help a few more children through the national fundraising event Celebration of Smiles Day. It will be on Sunday April 6 in my studio.

Danila-after

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here in USA, children who are born with cleft lips or palete can pretty easily get surgery and live a normal life with a real smile. Katy is a mom and a photographer in Nashville whose son was born with cleft lips, watch her video to see why she supports Operation Smile to help other children.

One of the rewards of being a professional photographer is to help bring families together, to create great memories to cherish forever, and to change lives!

Join me on Celebration of Smiles Day April 6 to capture smiles of your child and help to create smiles with a minimum $24 donation per child in a mini session (10 minutes) and a 5×7 print of your child. The $24 goes to Operation Smile to create a smile and change life of another child. Email me or call 831-426-1400 to be part of Celebration of Smiles Day on April 6, 2014. Here is FAQ and details about Celebration of Smiles Day.

 

Portrait experience captures essence of relationships

A repeat client of mine recently updated her review of my studio on Yelp, describing the two portrait experiences she had with me.

Here is what she said after the first session:

“Portia did a professional head shot for me and I was thrilled. I have received lots of positive feedback. She brought out the best in me and truly captured my essence with an authentic shot. I also had a lot of fun with the photo shoot experience itself. She helped me to relax and have fun while getting a wonderful head shot. Her professionalism, integrity and expertise combined with her eye made me look great in front a camera. That is no easy task.”

Then she finally convinced her partner to come in for a portrait, and had this to say about that portrait experience:

“She also did a special session with me and my partner and it was a fantastic experience. We were both very nervous about doing the shot together. By the end of the session, we were very happy with the shots she took and the best part was that my partner and I had a great time and felt so comfortable with Portia that we left the studio feeling more connected as a couple and very happy with the whole experience! Portia’s professionalism and creativity brought not only the best shots possible, she captured the essence of our connection with each other. I highly recommend her.”

I always know and strive to provide a professional and fun experience for people, but I did not truly realize the portrait experience can make people feel more connected with each other. I should have known of course, a portrait session can be such a positive experience, you don’t just get a photo out of it, the “living” part of the experience has to be great too. I am so happy that Terry had such an experience at my studio! Thank you!

Working on new Polaroid photos in Santa Cruz

I have been out and about taking more Polaroid photos in Santa Cruz. Yesterday I walked down Pacific Avenue with my Polaroid camera and took some photos of the local book store, Bookshop Santa Cruz. Although my time-zero Santa Cruz is in the book store, the book did not have a photo of the book store, even though it contained many other photos of stores on Pacific Avenue. So here it is, a photo of the book store!

Polaroid-Bookshop-Santa-Cruz-photo-by-Portia Shao-800x

Santa Cruz Photographer has created 10 smiles

Photographer can actually create smiles, not by saying “cheese”.

One of the rewards of being a professional photographer is to help bring families together, to create great memories to cherish forever, and to change lives! As I wrapped up Family Portrait Month in association with PPA charities this year, I was a little surprised to find out that I have donated enough through the 7 years in business to pay for 10 surgeries! That means 10 kids somewhere have their smiles restored to them, their mothers and family are happy, and they have a chance to live a normal life. Even though I have never met these children in person, I feel gratified to know that I am able to change their lives for the better. For only $240 per surgery, the doctors and volunteers of Operation Smile have been creating smiles since. My studio is an Operation Smiles studio in 2013, I thank you for making it possible. If you were one of the clients who came to me in Oct-Nov, your contribution made a difference!

Operation Smile restored smiles to these children

Operation Smile restored smiles to these children

My Santa Cruz photography book now in local book store

My first photography book of Santa Cruz photography, done using Polaroid time-zero film, manipulated, painterly and unique was published last month. Now you can find it in a local book store. Specifically, we have a wonderful local book store here in Santa Cruz called Bookshop Santa Cruz, it is right downtown on Pacific Avenue. If you go in the store, check out the local authors section, you will find my new book “time-zero Santa Cruz” there! The book has been available on Amazon, but some of my friends are interested in getting the book locally, and now you can too. Please check it out in person at the store, and let me know how you like the book!

Time-zero-santa-cruz-on-bookshelf-by-portia-shao

Time-zero-santa-cruz-book-by-portia-shao

p.s. you can also order it from Bookshop Santa Cruz web site.

time-zero Santa Cruz, a photography book is now in local book store

time-zero Santa Cruz, a photography book is now in local book store