Truly Inspiring

I found these photos absolutely beautiful, and a bit sad, at the same time.

Portraits of Erin

Again, I was flattered to be asked to take senior portraits for one of my beautiful nieces. Erin is such a sweet, lovely girl, and she makes my job easier!!

Colin and Beth

My niece, Beth, was married to her high school sweetheart, Colin this past weekend, and I was there to capture a few memories here and there. It was a wonderful evening and one of the most romantic events I've ever seen. Best of luck to them both!

Glorious Ramble

"Glorious Ramble" came to us after he was retired at the age of two from greyhound racing. Categorized as "special needs" because of his extreme fear of humans, no one adopted the poor boy. One family attempted, but returned him after a few weeks.

After fostering him for a month or so, we decided that Ramble had indeed "chosen" us, and we could not turn our back on him. He spent the first six months with us cowering in a cage, never making eye contact and ducking with any sound or movement near him. The scars from the abuse the suffered during his racing career were apparent, including his "broken ears" from being pulled out of his cage by the ears at race time.

These photos show Ramble's first experience with grass. Before this, he only knew concrete, sand and cement. I'd like to think the joy and peace on his face are obviously apparent. Ramble laid, rolled, slept and walked in the grass for an entire day.

Ramble now plays, chases the sprinkler, goes on walks, and never sets foot in a cage. He's a sweet, loving member of our family that we can't imagine not having with us. We're thankful we were able to help him, but I firmly believe that Ramble changed our lives more than we did his.

New Arrivals

I visited Straight AAAA's Miniature Horse Farm to photograph their two new arrivals this week, "Action Jackson" and "Just Peachy." The new Mommies wouldn't let me get too close to their babies, but they have to be some of the most precious animals I've ever seen. The farm is always a wonderful place to visit for me and my children. If you're so inclined, the rest of the photos can be viewed at: http://gallery.me.com/rzaranko/100146.

Christmas Cookies

Not only celebrating my first successful food shots, but the fact that I managed to produce a dozen cookies that didn't resemble charcoal briquettes. You might see these on our holiday cards this year. To see the rest of the yumminess, visit http://gallery.me.com/rzaranko#100138.

Drawn & Quartered II

This was a wonderful event held at the Asterisk Gallery in Cleveland. Being surrounded by some of the area's best artists and illustrators for an evening was absolutely inspiring. You can see the rest of the photos at http://gallery.me.com/rzaranko#100122.

Lorain County Metroparks

Shots for the Lorain Country Metroparks website and Pulse, the Lorain County Magazine. You can see the rest of the album here.

Crown Hill Cemetery

One of my and my daughter's favorite places.
The rest of the album can be viewed here.