Ginger Monteleone Photo Blog

Article in the Huffington Post.

2011-04-19T11:01:00.005-04:00

The Huffington Post
By:Melinda Clark 04/ 4/11 01:32 AM
Photo by Ginger Monteleone

Real estate photographer Ginger Monteleone has been making headlines recently -- but not for her pictures of dining rooms and yachts. Monteleone has been photographing a much cuddlier set: dogs in need of rescue. And she's taken her love for four-legged friends even further by starting her own rescue group, Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue.
Cali, Monteleone's first foster dog, is to blame. After learning of the dog's mistreatment by its previous owners, Monteleone knew she needed to help. She began fostering Cali, and posted photos of her on Facebook to entice potential adopters. But when they came to pick her up, Monteleone had a hard time letting go.

"With Cali, I got so much fulfillment from it that, even when I struggled, I wanted to keep her. When the Smiths came to pick her up, I was crying. My husband said, 'let them take her now or you never will.'"

Monteleone realized that she needed to complete her mission -- not only to rescue Cali and foster her, but to find her a home.

"I needed to complete the cycle," says Montelone. "Finding her a home left a space open in my home."

Monteleone decided to offer up her skills as a photographer to animal rescue groups, taking color shots of dogs that allowed their personalities to shine through -- and helping hundreds of pets find good homes. She also began volunteering at Miami-Dade County Animal Services, helping individuals and families find the right dog for their situation, in addition to taking and marketing photos of the dogs on her own site.

In November 2010, she took her mission of getting dogs adopted a step further: she created her own rescue group focused on caring for larger breed dogs that are normally overlooked.

"I guess I did it so that I could help specific breeds of dogs that other people don't normally take in," says Monteleone. "Smaller dogs were being rescued more often, adopted faster. Big dogs were always left." She says that even donations to the shelter, like blankets for the winter, were geared at small dogs. Large black dogs, in particular, are repeatedly passed over for adoption; there's even a name for the phenomenon -- black dog syndrome.

That being said, Monteleone will help any dog that needs it.

"We've had some small dogs, we always joke, 'sneak' into our rescue somehow," she said. "We'll take them in. We are a big dog rescue but we wouldn't turn our back on small dogs in need."

Since the group's inception, it has saved 30 dogs and adopted out 19. Many have been pit bulls, which are banned in Miami.

Monteleone's rescue group is foster-based, with no shelter or facility. Their small network of foster homes varies in size, but always includes Monteleone's house, a satellite office in Fort Meyers and one in West Palm, and a select few others.

Big Hearts recently took in one very ill dog after the Miami-Dade shelter was hit by a storm of infectious diseases and forced to get rid of all their dogs. The pit bull, who had been confiscated from a fight ring, was so sick Monteleone wasn't sure he was going to make it. But he's now recovering at a vet's in Fort Lauderdale, and Monteleone says he was a "pile of love" when she went to walk him last week.

NBC News recently covered Monteleone's efforts to get dogs adopted through photographs. She says that since it aired, she's received a barrage of communications from photographers who want to do their own version of her photo project.

"This week, I've been contacted by several photographers, professional and novice, who want to help in their communities. One photographer, a real estate photographer like me, emailed me to tell me that he wanted to do it; then he actually called me after his first photo shoot and said 'I just did it!' When he first contacted the shelter, they weren't interested. He forwarded them the NBC video, and after they watched, they said 'Absolutely! Please come in."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

How You Can Help

So what does Monteleone tell fellow photographers that want to follow in her footsteps? That the most important thing is just getting photos of the animals out there.

"It's going to be harder for people that don't have a background in marketing to market their images for the pets, but a picture really is worth a thousand words. It generates a response, it generates an emotion. People will go down to a shelter because they saw one picture of an animal and just fell in love." (See below for more tips on how photographers can start their own photo pages.)

As for the non-photographers that want to help? Though she says it's become cliché, Monteleone reiterates that getting pets fixed is still the best way to cut down on the number of pets in a shelter, because animals that haven't been fixed are the often the ones escaping from yards to follow their urges.

"The number one thing is to spay or neuter. We've all heard it a thousand times, but I don't think anyone really realizes the seriousness until they go into a shelter and see how many dogs are dying."

Monteleone's 12-year-old autistic son, Sebastian, has been a huge help with the rescue dogs; she refers to him as her "junior rescue super hero." Now, when he tells her, "Mommy, every dog should have their own home," Monteleone tells him, "we're working on it."

Fellow photographers can share their favorite rescue photos, offer advice, and network on Monteleone's Flickr Group page.

Donate to Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue.

Buy a dog a toy or donate dog food from Big Hearts's wish list. It will be shipped directly to them.

Want to act now? Check out dogs currently available for adoption and Monteleone's tips for volunteering your photographic services.

My article in The Miami Herald.

2011-04-19T10:52:00.003-04:00

By Lauren Fischer

Photo by Allison Diaz Miami Herald
South Florida News Service

Cali, a 2-year-old female American bulldog mix, had hookworms, ear infections and weak back legs when Ginger Monteleone met her last August.

The real estate photographer from Kendall said Cali had been adopted and wasn’t being properly taken care of. She said Cali was being muzzled for approximately 12 hours a day because she didn’t get along with the owner’s other dog.

“I immediately felt compelled to go get this dog, so I went and got her that night,” said Monteleone, 36.

After a rescue group called the Homeless Pet Advocates agreed to help with any veterinary bills, Monteleone fostered Cali and treated her with prescribed medication . The she started photographing the dog, intending to use the pictures to find her a home.

Monteleone was used to photographing mansions, condos and yachts for a living. But since becoming a pet owner a year ago, she has taken her professional experience to a new level. She now voluntarily photographs homeless dogs from rescue groups and from the Miami-Dade County animal shelter in Medley in an effort to help them find homes.

Shana and Kevin Smith of Sunrise said they had no intention of adopting a dog until they saw Monteleone’s pictures of Cali on Facebook.

“Ginger is a really wonderful photographer,” Mrs. Smith said. “She really captures the dogs’ personalities.”

The couple wanted to take Cali home the same day they met her at Monteleone’s house, but the photographer was hesitant since she was still administering the dog’s medications and wanted to drive her to their place for a better transition.

Yet the couple challenged Monteleone.

“Kevin and Shana called her [Cali] from my front door saying, ‘oh let’s see if she comes,’ and Cali went, followed them into their car, and sat in the front seat,” said Monteleone, who started photographing dogs last year after adopting Peanut, whom she describes as “half Chihuahua, half beagle and all attitude.”

Monteleone became friends with several dog advocates through Facebook and would see pleas for help from rescue shelters and individuals, ads or links for dogs up for adoption.

“Because I wanted to do something, I offered several rescue groups to take photos for any adoptable dogs,” she said.

They accepted the offer.

For the past six months, Monteleone has been photographing dogs for the Homeless Pet Advocates.

Karolyn Rico, of the rescue group, said Monteleone’s dog pictures help many dogs.

“Without a good picture, it’s not the same,” Rico, 24, said. “That’s why they get adopted so fast.”

That kind of positive response made Monteleone extend her work to the Miami-Dade Animal Services where she started taking pictures of the dogs as well. She said the shelter’s website pictures were not clear enough for people to even notice how big the dogs are.

“Nobody wants to bring home a dog that looks grainy and you can’t tell what it looks like,” Monteleone said. “But when they see a dog smiling up at them in a beautiful photo, it’s exciting, and I think it’s getting a response.”

She then also became a volunteer at Miami-Dade Animal Services, where she now assists walk-in customers in finding a dog that best suits their personality and lifestyle according to breed and size.

Heather LeBoeuf, who lives in Canada, has benefited from Monteleone’s dedication.

She adopted her female American bulldog at the Miami Dade Animal Services shelter with Monteleone’s help.

Monteleone pulled the dog from the shelter, fostered her and took her to the vet, and then shipped her to LeBoeuf in Canada.

“I named her after Ginger because if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own,” said LeBoeuf, 60.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/11/2062509/photographer-helps-homeless-dogs.html#ixzz1JyuEM9YR

Ruby, The Pit Bull Service dog, visits Miami.

2010-07-11T10:00:00.002-04:00

*From Press Release* In honor of Animal Week, Hialeah Hospital is opening its doors to welcome “Ruby” the Service and Therapy Dog to visit patients. Her breed, Pitbull, is currently banned in Miami- Dade County. She will be making history as well as therapeutic strides for patients at Hialeah Hospital.

Ruby was found when she was a puppy starving and abandoned. Her owner, who was originally asked to simply foster her, adopted her three months after Ruby joined the family. She has been certified by Therapy Dog International and volunteering since 2005.

Ruby was a recipient of the Companion Animal of the Year Award in 2007 presented by the Minnesota Animal Hall of Fame. For more information about Ruby and her new book coming out soon go to www.rubystale.com

I was thrilled at the opportunity to meet Ruby and cover the media event. Pat, Rubys owner set aside time in his visit to meet with my autistic son. Ruby was so sweet and gentle. I have donated images from the event that will soon be published in her book!

2010-04-06T09:27:00.001-04:00

In February I posted an article I found regarding a stock photo on the cover of Time Magazine. Found one of my stock photos on the cover of this magazine. Its pretty rare to find where one will end up. Too bad they are depicting MMA in a negative way. My photo is of the two women in the cage to the left. They are just posing. It was taken inside my husbands gym here in Miami. http://www.mmamiami.com/

Miami Dolphin training camp comes to Atlantis Academy.

2010-03-12T09:43:00.005-05:00

My Son, Sebastian, attends Atlantis Academy here in Kendall. His school was lucky enough to have the Dolphin Junior Training Camp come for a day. I have never seen the kids so excited. I think the teachers and parents were too! Channel 4 news was there and Sebastian and I were both interviewed. Here's a link the the news video.

If you would like to view all photos from this event go to my site.

Keys Woofstock a big success.

2010-03-11T14:56:00.004-05:00

Woofstock, A Day of Peace, Paws & Music is an all day musical mutt mingle that took place on March 6, 2010 at Founders Park in Islamorada, Florida in the beautiful Florida Keys.

You couldn't ask for a more beautiful day in the keys.

The sun was shining and the dogs were barking. Little and big dogs alike all came to enjoy Woofstock in Islamorada, Florida. I volunteered to take photos for Marvelous Pet Rescue who organizes the event each year. Many lucky pooches got adopted that day. There were dog treats around every corner, and fun food for the humans too. Also, our pride and joy, King, got to meet Carmel Cafiero from Channel 7.

View all pictures from event here.

Forbidden Love.

2010-03-04T10:58:00.001-05:00

The Scary Realities of Supply and Demand

2010-02-17T08:33:00.003-05:00

Time’s $30 Cover Photo: The Scary Realities of Supply and Demand
by Rachel Sklar 10:38 am, July 30th, 2009» 8 comments

The latest “Destruction of Journalism” debate centers on a Time magazine cover from April announcing “The New Frugality” — a rather meta choice, considering the flap emerging online about the fee Time paid for for the stock photo used: $30.
The photo was taken by one Robert Lam, who goes by “R Studios” on the website Model Mayhem — and that’s exactly what he caused by posting of his cover-shot glory. He says he’s happy — after all, his last paycheck was for $31.50 — but another photog busts the bubble a bit by telling him the going rate for a Time editorial photo:

“…easily $10,000. It may be different now that the economy is in the gutter but Time has a circulation of 3.4 million. Shit, I got paid $500 plus another 10% for a tiny web thumbnail for a single run on the cover of a local rag with a distribution of 70K. My web thumbnail rate was more than your entire 3.4 million cover run which may include foreign editions, reprints, subscriptions cards, and future reproductions. Something is not right about that picture.”

Is $10K really the going rate for a Time cover? Probably not; another photo blog suggested $3,000 and in any case, we’re in leaner times now (alas, a Time spokesperson declined to confirm or deny, saying “we don’t comment on what we pay photographers”). Clearly, $30 is on the, er, lowish end. For an industry used to spending so much on covers that even the focus-group meetings were catered, what does that mean for…now?

Over at Lightstalkers, an online resource site/bulletin board for journalists, photographers, filmmakers, and “professional travelers,” it means be afraid – be very, very afraid. A furious debate is raging over the pittance Time paid for this photo and how that’s a short-term decision undermining the ability of content-providers as a whole to produce — and be paid for — good work.

From the comments:

“Who is the IDIOT that is happy he got paid $30 for a TIME cover? I have had TWO EDITORIAL TIME FRONT COVER STORIES and I can tell you that once the money runs out YOU CAN”T BLOODY EAT THE MAGAZINE! I am sorry but anyone that accepts this kind of payment has absolutely destroyed the viability of this industry.”

…and here, from Photo Business News & Forum:

“Congratulations Robert, you’ve just become the poster-boy for exactly what is wrong about iStockphoto. A stock rate previously known to be $3,000 for the cover of Time Magazine you just sold for $30 – a 99% discount. After all big “wins”, the winner usually gets asked where they’ll go to celebrate. I’d ask you where you’re going with that dough, but you can’t even go to Disneyland, like winners in the past. I know, as I was just in the Disney Store an hour ago buying tickets for the trip I can afford to Disneyland because I don’t make the dream of the profession of stock photography into a nightmare as you have done.

But: Robert pointed out in his initial post that the benefits of a Time cover tearsheet had immense value to him quite apart from a higher payday (even, say, double!). Which is true — the benefits of having a great clip or tearsheet or ongoing platform for visibility are hard to dismiss. More and more, this is becoming institutionalized: On sites like the Huffington Post, Guest of a Guest, Gawker, the Awl (and, yes, this one), certain contributors will gladly offer their content for free in exchange for the platform it gives them (for the eye-rollers out there, NB: Even the New York Times is doing it, via the “Virtual Assignment Desk” for their “The Local” blog). The new realities are different: Barriers to entry are lower, and competition is stiffer in a more crowded field, often with a less-discerning audience. Quality takes money and time; in some cases, it’s just not worth it.

In truth, the new realities in this case aren’t that different than the old realities: It’s not like stock photos have never been used before. That’s why stock photo agencies exist. This photo of a jar full of coins is different than, say, that cover shot of Ann Coulter from a few years back that got almost as much attention as the article. Also, recall that it’s but one element of the cover; as another poster on Lightstalkers says: “This really isn’t a fair discussion unless we know how much Arthur Hochstein, the illustrator who used the stock photo, took home for the cover. I’m guessing it was more than $30.”

Is Time devaluing the worth of photographers? Or is it, like everyone else, straining to find creative ways to maximize budgets that have been slashed to bits? And is this “wrong” or just part of the natural order of things? (Don’t laugh: I remember a similar debate a number of years ago with models griping about the preponderance of celebrity cover girls. They may come with an entourage and an enormous rider, but they don’t cost $10,000 a day. This, according to the NYT just a few weeks ago, is still a big deal.) In the case of a premium model or a premium photograph — or investigative reporting or finely-crafted prose — you’re getting that top-grade quality, but it’s only worth it to you if you want it in the first place. It hurts to hear it, but it’s true, especially these days: sometimes, good enough is…good enough.

This is not to say that it’s acceptable to squeeze content providers just because you can. “Sorry, we just laid off half your co-workers, you’ll have to pick up the slack – if you want to keep your jobs.” I feel like a lot of that went on, especially during that rash of Black Fridays back in the fall (what do you think, Denton?). But – that’s different from being squeezed yourself, or adopting a business model that offers value to contributors apart from money (remember, people upload their videos to YouTube for free, too. It’s a sliding scale from that to video content you’d actually want to pay for).

More to the point, let’s look at who is doing the squeezing here: $30 is an appalling amount for this photo, but that’s an agreement between the photographer and the stock photo agency. (Presumably they charged Time slightly more than that for the shot.) This is not a new business model – marking up your labor is a temp-firm staple – but if there are fingers to be pointed here, they should at least be pointed in the right direction. After that, the question becomes, “should Time be using cheap stock photo images? And how can photographers address that?”

That’s the money question right now: How to find that sweet spot on the supply-and-demand graph between the content you produce and the value it has on the market. There’s a fine – and blurry! – line between paying less for something of lesser value to you, and paying unconscionably low just because you can. In this case, I don’t think Time has crossed it. But hopefully, for his sake, Robert Lam will sign up with stock photo agency that pays a little better.

Time pays $30.00 for cover – Photographer Ecstatic! [Lightstalkers] (via Mike Hudack)
My stock photo on Time magazine cover [Model Mayhem]

2010-02-10T17:38:00.005-05:00

The Evolution fight team has its first MMA fight scheduled for February 25th in Charleston, SC. These guys are training hard! They're pumped up and very excited. I'm expecting my husband, Dan, to start getting nervous any day now....

Evolution Martial Arts & Fitness also has women's fitness classes and Kids Martial arts classes.

Please sign this important petition.

2010-02-02T11:07:00.001-05:00

HB 543 ALERT! Help fight BSL in Florida! - The Petition Site

Please take the time to sign this important petition. To learn more about BSL in Miami-Dade county please go to MCABSL.

My family has joined the MCABSL!

2010-02-02T10:51:00.003-05:00

We recently joined the MCABSL group to help fight against breed specific legislation. To Learn more please visit their website.

New Britto sculpture on South Beach.

2009-09-17T15:46:00.003-04:00

New Britto Sculture being installed in front of the new building on Fifth & Alton.

Evolution MMA Fighter Tryouts

2009-09-12T18:45:00.004-04:00

What a rush. The gym was packed and the music was pumpimg. You could feel the energy in the air. 12 brave souls gave it their all in todays Fight Team Tryouts. How exciting it was to get some shots from on top of the cage. I think Dan was nervous I would fall. MmaMiami.com

September 11, 2009 8 Years later.

2009-09-11T09:31:00.003-04:00

Here are two iconic images that have a scary resemblance. Today we remember those who lost there lives 8 years ago.

The first photo, the flag-raising on Iwo Jima is an icon: a photograph instantly recognizable and forever associated with World War II. This was by photographer Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945.

The right photo is compliments of New Jersey newspaper photographer Thomas E. Franklin, and the three firefighters in the photo are William Eisengrein, George Johnson and Daniel McWilliams.

Magazine Shoot

2009-09-11T08:57:00.005-04:00

Last month I was thrilled to see some of my work in the August 2009 issue of 8 Lug Truck Magazine. Big monster trucks arent usually my thing but the people at American Force Wheels are just a couple bays down from where our MMA Gym is. So, as luck would have it, I was given the chance to shoot this amazing truck. I almost needed a step stool to get in it.

Happy Birthday Photo Blog

2009-09-10T10:46:00.001-04:00

Today I give Birth to the Ginger Monteleone Photo Blog. I'm still working on my new site, InteriorsofMiami.com, which is devoted to my real estate photography work. More links to go up soon.