‘My Friend and Me’ Humane Society fundraiser entering 25th year

ALBANY — For a certain segment of the animal-loving population those furry — and sometimes not so furry — friends are more like members of the family, which is why local photographer Rosemary West says she thinks the “My Friend and Me” fundraiser for the Albany Humane Society has remained so popular.

West, who owns Rosemary West Photography, has been involved with the annual fundraiser for the past 25 years, helping to generate an average of $800 to $1,000 a year for the Humane Society while also creating lasting memories for many area families.

“It’s a really fun event,” said West, herself an avowed animal lover. “People are always so happy doing this. Honestly, pet people are some of the nicest people in the world, and the people that come here for this event are awesome. They’re passionate about their families, and their animals are part of their families. And I like to be close to them. Those are my people.”

What West does for “her people” during the fundraising event is provide professional portraits of people and their pets at her studio on Fifth Avenue the last two Saturdays of September.

For a donation of $20, which goes directly to the Humane Society, West conducts a professional photography session where she will take various posed pictures of people and their pets, and those making the donation get a complimentary 4×5 portrait to keep.

“The $20 covers the session fee, and I give them the complimentary photo of the pose of their choosing,” said West. “They make a donation and they get a photo. They’re not obligated to buy any pictures unless they love them and they want to.”

West isn’t sure how much the event has raised for the organization over the past two-plus decades, but she has no doubt the money has been beneficial to the organization, which she fully supports.

Because the fundraiser is helping an organization that is important to so many people in the area, West says the event is always a success, with roughly 45 sessions over the two weekends each year.

“The community has been very supportive of this,” said West. “The groomers, the vets offices, even PetSmart. Everyone has helped to promote it.”

Perhaps no group, however, has done as much to promote the fundraiser as West’s loyal, animal-centric customers, many of whom return year after year to get updated portraits with their loved ones. West said one local attorney, who’s oldest child is entering college this year, has been doing an annual portrait since that child was a baby.

“I’ve got repeat people that do portraits every year,” she said. “It’s an annual thing. In fact, people are already calling, and I’m booking up now. Sometimes I even extend the event another weekend if I have a waiting list.”

With her expectation of seeing some new faces this year, West said she is trying to emphasize a few things ahead of time to avoid any confusion or unfortunate incidents.

The sessions, which last about half an hour, are scheduled in a manner that should allow pet owners to arrive, have their portraits taken, and then leave without running into anyone else’s pets, which can sometimes cause an issue.

“I want to stress this year that pets don’t meet each other from session to session,” the photographer said. “I’m very keen on knowing when animals are in strange places, away from home, and may be uncomfortable. I’m always real careful to tell people not to plan on arriving early and to please not be late to their session. That’s why I schedule them the way that I do.”

West said the other reason for the 30 minutes, outside of leaving plenty of time for the subjects to come and go, is because after a brief introduction to get settled in the studio, it typically doesn’t take very long for her to get some suitable shots.

“Thirty minutes is what I schedule because that allows time to meet and greet, do what we need to do and typically what I do doesn’t take that long,” she said. “And usually if it takes a long time, it doesn’t get any better. The magic happens pretty quickly.”

West said she’s been fortunate over the years to almost always be able to get at least one good portrait from each session. Part of that is likely because West tries to prep people about what to expect, and she gives as much advice and instruction as possible prior to the session so people are prepared.

“The main thing for me, my focus, is posing people and getting everybody in the dynamic,” she explained. “And guiding them with what to wear. My No. 1 thing is don’t wear something that’s going to blend with the dog. If you have a brown lab, don’t wear brown. If you have a black dog, don’t wear black. I mean, those are basic but people don’t think about it.”

Even though West has taken a lot to portraits of dogs — because dogs are far and away the most common pet she photographs — she has taken portraits of other animals as well, including cats and at least one bird. That said, she does ask that people check with her about bringing any unusual animals to a session so she can be prepared.

“Most people bring dogs,” said West. “I get some cats, but most cat people aren’t bringing in cats because they know cats can freak out about traveling. Now, I have made some gorgeous pictures with cats.”

Even though West takes pride in getting her photography subjects posed properly, her open mind also extends to allowing people to share their ideas about how they want their family posed. West said she’s had plenty of “one person and one animal” portraits, as well as portraits with several people and several animals.

“There’s all kinds of combinations,” she said. “If somebody says ‘Can you photograph eight of my dogs and me?’ I sometimes laugh a little bit, but I say, ‘If you’re game, I’m game.’ Seriously, that’s my quote, ‘If you’re game, I’m game.’ It’s about having fun and doing something special for the family.”

West will be conducting her special “My Friend and Me” portrait sessions Sept. 17, 18, 24 and 25 and still has several appointment slots open. To schedule a portrait session, call West at (229) 439-7799. To see examples of West’s animal portraits, as well as her other photography, visit Rosemary West Photography on Facebook or visit www.rosemarywestphotography.com.