1 February

Vet Techs

by Jon Katz
Vet Techs

I write a lot about Dr. Fariello and the other vets I know, but I rarely mention the vet techs, who make practices run and who know and love animals in a very particular way.

I admire these people, mostly women, and many have become friends. They are the people I most want to care for our animals when we are away, they are ferocious advocates for the sick and injured animals that they see. Many are farm girls, they grew up around animals and have chosen a life of working with them.

They work long hours for low pay in intense circumstances. All my dogs love them instantly and intuitively. They are the ones who hold the dogs and do the hard work of assisting in surgeries and  explaining animal pills to frustrated people.

Gus has been getting acupuncture treatments for some weeks now, and while Dr. Fariello puts her needles in Nicole (and Cassandra) hold the dogs in a firm grip. Gus does not care for acupuncture treatments, but he loves Nicole, and while he squirms and sometimes  whines, he makes sure to shower her with kisses and thank her for being alive.

It is always a beautiful thing for me to see, but this photo seemed iconic to me, it captured the bond that  exists between these remarkable woman and the animals they are always helping and comforting.

In recent months – with Red’s illness and now Gus’s – I’ve gotten a long and deep appreciation for them. They are the most devoted, balanced and grounded animal lovers I know.

They are always there to answer questions for me, but they always respect the decisions I make the things I feel.

1 February

Kelly’s Soul

by Jon Katz
Kelly’s Soul

I love portraiture and am always trying to do better with it. They say if you want to capture the soul of a person, do a portrait in black and white, and I have found this to be true.

Kelly is a favorite portrait subject of mine, she is strong, patient, open and has a radiant beauty I am always trying to capture. Today I got hold of a small and inexpensive art lens which uses the Russian glass I have come to love in my art lenses. It is an 80 mm lens, not much in style any longer, and I got a converter for the Canon.

It will take me a long time to figure out how to use this manually-focused lens, especially in a darkened bar with bright neon lights. But I did take the portrait of Kelly from a different angle, and I think I did capture a bit of her strong and generous soul.

I think people are right when they talk about black and white photography. Some day I would love to set up a portrait studio in a barn and do portraits, but I also know it will never happen. I do love capturing the souls of people in my pictures.

1 February

Where There Is Hope: First Months Tuition! “Anything Can Be”

by Jon Katz
Where There Is Hope

I read this quote from Shel Silverstein to some of the refugee children this week. I wanted to share it with you.

Listen to the mustn’ts child, Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me..Anything can happen child. Anything can be.”

It took about 15 minutes.

I am happy to say I just received $1,000 via Paypalfor the first month of tuition for Michelle and Ababele, two recent arrivals in America from Africa. They are in need of help.  We are on the way, thanks to an angel named Rick. Sometimes, I think, dreams are more powerful than facts.

There is much good in this world, and it is worth fighting for.

Thanks Rick. Tuition for these boys is $1,000 a month, any other money that comes in will be applied to succeeding months. And thank  you. You can donate to Jon Katz, Post Office Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12816 or via Paypal, ID is [email protected].

We’ll take it one month at a time. I’ll be sure to get a photo of them in class.

It is a selfish thing, but it feels so much better to me to do good than to hate.

1 February

Windowsill Gallery: Gee’s Bend Quilt. New Art Lens

by Jon Katz
First Photo

This is the first photo I took from a tiny new art lens I got, it uses the Russian glass I  have come to love and is manual, it has no electronics, not image stabilizer, no auto focus. Before the sun set, I just got the lens onto my big Canon and shot the Gee’s Bend quilt Maria brought back from Alabama two years ago and hit the shutter.

I have to learn a lot more before I can use it well, but I love the way it processes color, even in very low light.

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