Here's a life lesson for you: Moving into a house is a lot of work, but building a photo studio while you're at it is exhausting. But everything - from doors to lighting systems - are ordered, paid for, and on the way. Whew. Maybe four more weeks, and I'll be popping away. Very cool.

It would have been great to have the studio together when we had the actual print shown here in front of my lenses. This is an early Kees van Dongen, found at a curbside sale in Chelsea many years ago. The gentleman who is putting it to auction in Paris needed some smart images of it (on Kodachrome slide film, no less!) for the catalog. Wonderous to be in the same room with it, but atounding to watch it be removed from the frame it called home for so many decades and display the colors that lurked beneath the glass. What a privilege...

I was recently proud to be a part of America's VetDogs recent celebration with Novartis Animal Health US, Inc., which is providing a one-year supply of Sentinel Flavor Tabs for the more than 1,100 canine graduates, dogs in training, and puppies of both VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. Events often offer one challenge or another with lighting, but this time we had a breeze making images of the daytime event when all were in good cheer. Way to go to all involved for the difference you're making.

And last but by no means least, here's a shot of the lovely and generous Beth Stern, spokesperson for North Shore Animal League America. Beth's efforts with the League to raise awareness of pets in need of adoption led to her newly adopted cat, which I'd love to tell you about, but she does it better than I ever could HERE.