During the fall of 2022, I was approached by SHAID rescue and asked if I’d like to help them with their yearly calendar. The funds raised by this project go to supporting the shelter animals with food and medical expenses. When I was first speaking to Jenn (one of the amazing shelter workers) about the calendar, she mentioned the idea of working with local fire departments which had always been a dream of mine. I was immediately intrigued and thrilled to hear from Jenn a few months later when we were ready to begin shooting.
2023 turned out to be a terrible year for fires in Nova Scotia. Over 25,000 hectares of land were scorched and 200 homes were lost. Several of our photo sessions had to be rescheduled due to emergency calls and last minute evacuations. The skies were hazy for most of the summer and the smell of smoke lingered long after the sun set each day.
Despite the harsh conditions, the fire departments were a joy to work with. One of my favourite parts of this whole project was watching their eyes light up when Jenn and Melissa passed out the kittens at the beginning of each session. There was always only one rule, “Don’t let go of your kitten!”. Luckily, this rule was easy enough to follow as most of the kittens enjoyed the warmth of the large fireproof jackets. The firefighters always had a hard time giving the kittens back to us once the photos were done and some fell so hard that they decided to fill out an adoption form and make their kitten a permanent member of their family.
Jenn, Melissa and I quickly found a system that worked nearly flawlessly. The kittens would be handed out at the start of each session and then each firefighter would stand in front of a truck for their shots which typically took less than two minutes. Jenn would dance around with crinkly toys while I prepared for the moment they made eye contact with the camera. If there’s one thing I’ve learned after years of photographing pets, it's that time is of the essence... especially with curious kittens!
Since 2023, we’ve completed a total of 18 sessions and met some incredible people (and kittens) along the way. I want to give a huge shoutout to all the fire departments who set time aside to meet with us and of course SHAID for the incredible work they do every day. The 2025 calendar will soon be available for pre-order through SHAID’s website and we would love your support!
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