Great leaders and thinkers have offered same message in their own words:

“To educate our people, and especially our children, to humane attitudes and actions toward living things is to preserve and strengthen our national heritage and the moral values we champion in the world.”  ~John F. Kennedy

“Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human life.”  ~Albert Schweitzer

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  ~Mahatma Ghandi

Yet our actions as a society don’t seem to indicate that we are hearing the message.

Perhaps the best known animal rights issue is overpopulation.  There are 3.7 million dogs and cats euthanized in the United States every year.  That’s one animal every eight seconds.  Yes, we are making progress in this issue.  In recent years the problem of overpopulation of cats and dogs has risen higher in our collective consciousness.  More and more people are choosing to adopt their new pet from rescues and shelters rather than purchasing them from pet stores.  Those who do choose purebred animals are more selective about finding a reputable breeder.  Several states have enacted laws that ban “puppy mills” and provide law enforcement with tools to shut them down.  And spay/neuter programs are reducing the number of homeless animals.  We have a long way to go, but there is hope that the attitudes and actions of so many may one day wrestle the problem of overpopulation to a much smaller issue.

The abuse of animals is another matter entirely.

In the last decade television shows like Animal Cops and Hoarders as well as high profile abuse cases like Michael Vick’s pit bulls have caught the attention of the American public.  A cursory glance at media coverage might lead one to believe that our laws protect innocent animals, and when people mistreat dogs and cats they suffer serious consequences.  This is not the case.

In New Jersey where I live, the laws are more favorable to animals than in many states.  According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, New Jersey cruelty prevention statutes can be summarized as follows: “A person who shall overdrive, overload, overwork, deprive of necessary sustenance, abuse, or needlessly kill a living animal or creature, or inflict unnecessary cruelty upon a living animal or creature, or unnecessarily fail to provide a living animal or creature of which the person has charge either as an owner or otherwise with proper food, drink, shelter or protection from the weather, or leave it unattended in a vehicle under inhumane conditions adverse to the health or welfare of the living animal or creature is guilty of a disorderly persons offense and shall be fined not less than $250 nor more than $1,000, or be imprisoned for a term of not more than six months, or both.  In addition, the court shall impose a term of community service of up to 30 days, and may direct that the term of community service be served in providing assistance to the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or other such organization.  A person who shall purposely, knowingly, or recklessly torment, torture, maim, hang, poison, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, or needlessly mutilate a living animal or creature shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.  If the animal or creature is cruelly killed or dies as a result of a violation of this subsection, or the person has a prior conviction for a violation of this subsection, the person shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree with community service.”

To summarize even further, neglect an animal – for example, leave your dog chained outside in sub-freezing temperatures without food and water for days at a time until your neighbor decides to call the SPCA – and the worst thing you can expect from the courts is a disorderly persons charge and a $1,000 fine.  More likely, you’ll be fined less than a speeding ticket and told not to do it again.  If the judge is in a really bad mood you might have to do a couple of hours of community service at the local animal shelter.  Become a repeat offender and the judge might then think about giving you a month in jail.   Purposefully torture, beat or kill an animal and you can be charged with a fourth degree crime.  What are other crimes of the fourth degree in New Jersey?  Theft of property valued under $500.  Joy riding.  Shoplifting.

That’s right.  The torture and death of a dog or cat is equal to the horror of…joy riding???  Really?  And this is in New Jersey which is ranked by the Humane Society of the United States as having the best animal cruelty laws in the nation.  Joy riding.

For the last year I have had the pleasure of volunteering at my local county-run animal shelter.  By any standard the Southern Ocean County Animal Facility (SOCAF) is a first-rate shelter – it is clean, has a caring staff and is teeming with volunteers who play with cats and walk dogs.  Every week there are great adoption stories as animals find their perfect people.  Last summer I published a book about some of these success stories to celebrate the happy endings.

No matter how good the shelter is, though, if you spend time there you can not escape seeing the effects of the horrible neglect and abuse that humans visit on dogs and cats everyday.  A dog will arrive covered with nothing but skin on his bones.  Cats come in groups that have been seized from hoarders.  A dog will come in with scars from fights or abuse.  And so on.  What is most amazing to see, and will come as no surprise to animal lovers, is that these dogs and cats who have been neglected and tortured and beaten and abused have the ability to forgive and love and bond with the same species that abused on them.  It is a lesson our species could learn a great deal from.

Sadly, not all shelter stories have happy endings.  And in recent months there have been two cases in particular that have spotlighted how weak our animal protection laws are in relation to the treatment that abusers visit on dogs and cats.

Angelo was a victim of abuse and then victimized again by our legal system. He was seized by the ASPCA with 11 other dogs, and was brought to the shelter.  Because he he has been siezed his “ownership” was in limbo.  The shelter had custody of him, but could not put him out for adoption until the court issues were resolved.  The abuser owned Angelo, but could not care for him because he was seized.  So Angelo was quarantined.   Locked in a kennel.  Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  For four months.  Slowly but surely the stress began to affect him.  The staff and volunteers at SOCAF tried to find things to relieve his stress such as bones to chew, toys, frozen treats, anything to keep him occupied and busy. In the beginning this worked to brighten his spirits a bit, but after all the months locked in a cage with no sunlight or fresh air, nothing could brighten his spirits.  Angelo became inconsolable. There was nothing you could do to make him happy. If you sat in front of his cage to try to visit with him, he just cried. He had the most desperate look in his eyes , as if he was saying “Please help me.”  The most frustrating thing is we could not help him.  Angelo was seized because he was being neglected and abused. It was the humane thing to do. Since the day he was “liberated” from his inhumane conditions he had to endure months of loneliness and despair in a cage because of our court system.

Finally, on November 28 after over four months of confinement, the court ruled that the county could take possession of Angelo.  By then it was too late to save him.  When the ruling was handed down the shelter staff took Angelo for one final walk, allowing him to smell the air and feel the grass for the first time since July.  They hugged him and reminded him that many people loved him.  And then Angelo was put to sleep, his suffering finally relieved.  He was an otherwise healthy dog.  And he was killed because of an owner who was inhumane and system that did not act in the dog’s best interest.

Last week we met Sapphire.  She was a beautiful blue-gray Pit Bull with stunning eyes and a sweet soul.  She was a challenging portrait subject because of her insistence on curling up in a lap.  Full of kisses and tail wags, Sapphire could not get enough human affection.  Her sweet soul was apparent.  On our way back inside the shelter, though, Sapphire showed another side.  As she neared the dogs in the outside runs she became alert and tense.  She growled and barked at any dog that would look her way, and her posture showed clearly that she was ready for a fight.  This dog had been trained.  Her nature, kind and loving, had been overtaken by her nurture, aggressive and violent.  The contrast was stark.  This girl, who moments earlier had been laying contentedly in a lap and overflowing with kisses, had turned into a rage machine.  Her true self had been trained into a fighter.

Two days later Sapphire was given the temperament test that is given to all dogs to determine their suitability for adoption.  She failed miserably on all counts.  Hours later she was euthanized.  Yet another dog who suffered the ultimate consequence of human mistreatment.

I don’t know what, if any, legal penalties the perpetrators of these abuses experienced.  I do know that they were mild, because our laws don’t allow courts to mete out stiff sentences.  It is the animals who suffer the most severe penalties despite the fact that they are the victims.  Today, thousands of “aggressive” dogs will be killed in shelters.  And their abusers – the real aggressor – will live his or her life unfettered by legal consequences.

It seems ironic.  As a nation we spend $41 billion on our pets – more than the GDP of 64 countries, according to BusinessWeek magazine.  And yet we destroy four million animals and  allow countless others to suffer.  Besides wringing our hands, what can we do about this?

Help change laws that will change our culture.  Increasing penalties for abusing dogs and cats and providing law enforcement with the resources to pursue and prosecute offenders abusers will be a deterrent.  Reach out to your county and state legislators and your governor and let them know the time has come to speak up and protect our animals.  Ask them to support legislation that will show that we are making moral progress.

Get involved.  There are several excellent organizations who work tirelessly to alleviate this problem.  Check out the ASPCA, Humane Society of the United States, and the Best Friends Animal Society for starters.  Donate money, attend a rally, or sign a petition.

Volunteer at your local shelter or open up your home to a foster.  The innocents who are saved from bad situations land here, and your time and energy and compassion can help transform them from scared, abused animals to healthy, balanced pets.

If we are to evolve as a society we must do better by our animals.  Not only for them, but for us too.

‘Tis the season to…stress out trying to meaningful gifts for the special people in our lives!  If you’re looking for something unique and meaningful for an “animal person” in your life I have two suggestions.

Idea #1: Because Someone Rescued Me… is filled with photographs of cats and dogs and their humans and tells the story of life after the animal shelter.  Animals who were strays, feral, abandoned and surrendered are now living the good life, and the images speak to the joy, peace and contentment they have found.  Though not intentional in the design, every human face in the book shares the same expression of love and joy.  If you care about someone who loves animals, is involved in rescue work, or just likes warm and fuzzy stories, Because Someone Rescued Me… will make a great holiday gift.  To make the gift go further, all profits from the sale of the book (about $10/copy) go directly to the Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter, a nonprofit group that provides volunteer and capital support to the county-run facility from which all of the animals in the book were adopted.  So your purchase of the book will make a difference in the lives of more animals.  You can order up to December 18 to have the book in time for Christmas, but the earlier your order the more you save on shipping.  Preview the book below and follow the link to order.

Idea #2: Pet Portraits are a timeless gift, and a portrait session with Michael Bagley Photography will enable your loved one, friend or colleague to enjoy your gift to them for years to come.  Our sessions are affordable and flexible – come to us or we’ll come to you.  You can see how much fun Jack and Kate had when they modeled together!!  Purchase a gift certificate before December 24 we’ll throw in $25 in prints FREE!  For more information about our Pet Portraits and to check out some of our work click here.  To purchase a session for you or as a gift please email us or call 732-889-6769.

Jack and Kate enjoy their portrait session

Want to send the best holiday card ever?  Looking for a unique gift for the pet lover in your life?  Our photographs are a great way to capture your pet’s personality and spirit, and you will cherish the images forever.  It’s not too early to book your holiday photo session with Michael Bagley Photography.

The photo session can take place at your home, in a nearby park or beach, or anywhere your dog or cat loves to be.  We can shoot environmental portraits or we can bring our full studio and set it up in your home.  Regardless of the location, we capture as many looks and moods and perspectives as we can and we work hard to create one-of-a-kind photos.

Our regular fee is $200 for up to two hours at your location.  During the holidays we are offering an abbreviated one hour session for $100.  We offer a discount if your pet was adopted from an animal shelter or rescue, if he/she is a service dog, or if you are presently serving in the military.  If you complete your photo session before Monday, December 5 we will take 10% off your sitting fee.

Within a few days of your session we will provide you with a link to our online gallery where you can purchase prints and digital files for your personal use.  Our print prices are very reasonable, and begin at $2 for a greeting card and $3 for a 4×6 inch photo.  Our lab offers a variety of holiday cards to choose from, so if you are looking to create a special greeting you can do so easily and quickly.  We also offer a variety of gift items, including calendars, holiday ornaments, coffee mugs, and more!  Click here to view our price list and see the items we can produce from your photos.

For more detailed information visit our Pet Portraits page.  To schedule your holiday photo session please email us or call 732-889-6769.  We look forward to working with you and your pet!

Spirit of Massachusetts sailing into the sunset

I had a great string of days recently.  Schooner days, to be specific.

They began with the opportunity to sail with the good captain and crew of the 125′ schooner Spirit of Massachusetts.  Owned and operated by Ocean Classrooms Foundation, Spirit provides educational programs to universities, high schools and community organizations.  This fall her mission is a semester at sea, sailing from Gloucester, MA to San Juan, PR.  While on board the college-age participants engage in academic classes including oceanography and ichthyology, stand watch, learn navigation and seamanship, and discover history and culture as they visit a number of ports-of-call along the way.  I was fortunate to enjoy four days aboard Spirit, sailing from Mystic, CT around Montauk Point to Sandy Hook, NJ.  The forecast called for calm winds, but the weather gods provided a beautiful sailing experience.  Clear skies, a waxing gibbous moon, and 10-15 knot west winds made for a couple of excellent days of tacking our way to New Jersey.  Captain Christopher Flansburg and his outstanding crew were impressive – their skills and professionalism were matched only by their hospitality.  It was an honor to sail with them, and my time aboard Spirit is a fond memory.

After a night or two at home it was time to hook up Viewfinder and head south to Maryland to photograph the 2011 Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race.  Normally I have photographed the Parade of Sail in Baltimore Harbor on Wednesday afternoon, but this year the weather was nasty on that day.  East winds at 20+ knots and a driving rain = no parade.  Thursday morning the wind had subsided a bit, but the rain and clouds were still hovering.  As I saw old friends before casting off the question was “Are you still going out?  Can you get good photos today?”  My response: “They’ll be moody.”  Teaming up with my friend Capt. Chase Coale we headed out into the Bay and ran north to Sandy Point Lighthouse to intercept the southbound fleet en route to the starting line.  In my option, The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race is one of the greatest sailing events on the east coast.  No matter the year, no matter the conditions, no matter the size and scope of the fleet, putting 40+ schooners on a starting line is a beautiful thing to see.  This year was no exception.  And yes, the images were moody.

There are a lot of beautiful boats on the sea.  None, I suggest, quite so beautiful as a schooner.  I was fortunate to continue my love affair with them this month.

On Saturday afternoon, October 22nd from 2 – 4 PM, Wildflowers Too gallery in Barnegat Light will host a “Don’t Shop, Adopt” Wine and Cheese Reception to honor and raise money for the Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter in Manahawkin.

Cricket Luker, owner of Wildflowers Too and a member of the Friends of the SOCAS, is so excited about the afternoon. “We hope lots of people will come — folks who work and volunteer at the shelter, people who have adopted pets there, people who just love animals and want to learn more about what we do.  We are so proud of the shelter, we want everyone to know what special work we’re doing and how much we appreciate everyone’s contribution.”

The event will feature a book signing of “Because Someone Rescued Me” by accomplished professional photographer Michael Bagley.  Michael will also present a portrait gallery of dog and cats currently at the shelter awaiting adoption, allowing those who attend a “sneak peek” at what they may find when they visit the shelter.

Wildflowers Too is located at 506 Broadway in Barnegat Light.  For further information, call 609-361-8191.

If you’ve been following this blog in 2011 you know that we have been frequent flyers at the Southern Ocean County Animal Facility in Manahawkin.  The local shelter is where stray and surrendered animals land and are evaluated and put up for adoption.  Since February we have made weekly visits to photograph the available dogs (and a few cats now and again) and those photos have been used on Petfinder, Facebook, and other networking websites to help find forever homes for the pets.  Each week a few familiar dogs and cats would be adopted, and typically there would be a story behind the adoption – a nice family looking for their first pet; an older couple just getting over the loss of their senior dog; a single person looking for a companion.  They are wonderful stories and needed to be told.

Because Someone Rescued Me… is our latest book and it tells some of those stories.  Between May and July we visited and photographed 17 rescued dogs and cats with their new families.  The 80-page book portrays the benefits of adopting a pet, both to the pet and the humans, and is filled with photographs that show the joy, happiness, friendship, love and peace that came from the adoptions.

Because Someone Rescued Me… will be released this Sunday, August 28 at the shelter’s Annual Summer Fundraiser at the Surf City Firehouse on Long Beach Island.  The cost is $40, and all proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Friends of Southern Ocean County Animal Shelter (FOSOCAS), a nonprofit organization that provides support to the shelter via volunteerism, education and programs.  We’re happy to present a brief preview of the book here.  We hope you’ll join us on Sunday at the Fundraiser.  If you can’t be there, we hope you will consider purchasing a book for yourself or an animal lover close to you (you can do so online via the preview).  It will make a great gift, and your purchase will help many more animals find happiness and joy – because someone rescued them!

Because Someone Rescued Me… by Michael Bagley Photography | Make Your Own Book

Sit back and enjoy the exciting action from the 2011 Barnegat Breezer!

When Link Community School, a 42 year old independent school in Newark, decided to change locations after four decades, they used the transition as an opportunity to freshen up their marketing materials.  They brought on the great designer Mary Wagner of Verdant Studios to overhaul their website as well as print and collateral pieces.  Mary hired MBP to create the photographic images to be used in the new marketing effort.

One of the challenges photographically was that the school was still housed in its old building, meaning imagery shot there would quickly be outdated.  To deal with this we suggested shooting the majority of the photos with high-key lighting – nice bright images in front of a white background.  That way Mary could drop the images into any background she chose and have maximum flexibility.

A second challenge was the shooting schedule.  On a day in early April Mary and I had just five hours to shoot all of the required work.  In addition, we had to work around student schedules, classroom needs, and all the other logistics of a typical school day.  Generally, with each set up we had 15 minutes to test, prepare the student talent, and shoot.  It was a frenetic pace, to say the least.

In the end we created some great shots, and Mary built an outstanding website using those images to showcase the mission, values, and results that Link Community School is famous for.  The website was launched last Thursday, and MBP is proud to be a part of the creative team that made it happen!  Check out the site here.

Barnegat Bay lived up to its reputation as a great sailing venue as almost 50 Hobies descended on Trixie’s Landing and raced in the Barnegat Breezer Regatta. Saturday morning the wind was light and variable, and the fleet had to wait until noon to begin competing. On cue, however, the afternoon sea breeze that makes the Bay an excellent regatta location began to increase. Wind speeds rose from 5 knots to 10 to over 20 by the end of racing, and the Hobies and their crews were working hard and sailing fast. The committee did a great job and was able to get in four races on Saturday, and everyone enjoyed the terrific festivities that evening.

Sunday morning provided a nice west-southwest breeze hovering around 10 knots, and the fleet was able to get underway on time for their scheduled 10:30 a.m. start. Like Saturday, the mid-day wind slowly but surely backed and rose, and by mid-afternoon the southeast wind was rising near 20 knots again. The sailors were showing their skills as they screamed around the course at nearly 20 knots, almost always on the fine line between control and a story. It was impressive.

We were on the course both days and caught a lot of the action. To see all of our photos visit click here.

In the previous post we began a list of suggestions for making dog photos that you will love.  If you missed that post, you can check it out here.  The list continues here!

Tip #6 – Change Your Viewpoint.  One of the ways to add interest to any photograph is by changing the perspective of the picture.  Often we can add interest to the image by showing the viewer a scene he or she has not seen before.  Get on a chair and shoot down.  Lay on the ground and shoot up.  Use a wide angle and come in close.  Hold your camera close to the ground for a “snout’s eye” view.  Capturing a new, interesting perspective will draw your viewers into the photo and invite them to spend some time exploring what you have created.

Tip #7 – Enlist A Helper. It’s hard to go it alone.  Especially when trying to photograph a dog (or dogs!).  You see the shot, you kneel down, you put your finger on the button, Fluffy looks just right, and just as you press the shutter release Fluffy remembers he has an itch he needs to scratch.  Drat!  A second set of hands can make all the difference between getting the shot you want and getting completely frustrated.   Enlisting the help of a friend or family member or the dog owner or whomever you can to “manage” your model is good for everyone.  The dog will respond to the handler who is primarily responsible for making it fun and interesting for the dog (see Tip #3).  Your assistant can hold a leash, dispense treats, keep distance between you and your subject, and make funny noises.  You can concentrate on composing a beautiful photograph and snapping the picture.  It’s important to keep all the humans involved calm and positive.  Beware of too many people giving Fluffy commands!  “Sit!  Stay!  Fluffy look!  Stay!  No!  Look!  Fluffy stay!” coming from several directions and voices is just going to make Fluffy – and you – a nervous wreck.  But if you can work with a good team who can help Fluffy become the best model she can be you will create some great photographs.

Tip #8 – Use Your Flash. Admittedly, on-camera flash can create abominable photos.  We’ve all seen images that look like they were taken at the same moment of a nuclear explosion.  However, flash is often misunderstood, and when used well can make a mediocre picture look great.  When is the BEST time to use on-camera flash?  Believe it or not, it is in bright sunlight!  The sun, especially in the middle of the day, will cause harsh shadows anywhere there are contours or textures.  Using flash to add a little light to those shadow areas will help make a subject more interesting.  Also, your flash will add a speck of light to the eyeballs (called a “catch light”) that will help dark eyes look lively.  This is very useful with dogs, who often have deep brown or black eyes.  Almost every image of a dog we shoot has at least some flash in it.

Tip #9 – Watch Out For Flash! Using a point-and-shoot camera with flash indoors can be frustrating, but there are a few ways to make that better.  The concept to keep in mind is that you want to make your flash as “big” as possible.  One of the reasons that a point-and-shoot flash is so harsh is that is a very small light source and, as such, will create a lot of contrast between bright spots and dark spots.  There are commercial products on the market that can help make that small light source bigger and, hence, soften the shadows that it creates.  For example, Gary Fong has created his Delta Diffuser that covers the tiny flash bulb and will make the light from your camera more pleasing.  If you’re into arts and crafts you can make the same effect with vellum paper and tape or a rubber band.  In either case, the moral of the story is that you want to have as big a light coming from the camera which will reduce the hardness of the shadows caused by your flash.  You may also find that your camera has settings in the menu that can help you power down or up the flash to create the effect you want.  Bear in mind that a leopard can’t change its spots, and you are not going to be able to create beautiful, soft, creamy light with a point-and-shoot camera.  But you can do a few things to make photos more pleasing.

Tip #10 – When All Else Fails…Hire A Pro! If you’re not getting the results you want, hiring a professional photographer who has the experience, know-how and equipment to create great images might be the best way to get that portrait of Fluffy that you have always wanted.  For information about our dog photography services check out our website.

We hope this information is useful to you and that it helps you create great images of your furry friends.  If you have tips of your own we’d love to hear them!