I lost a family member today and I need to pay homage to her in some way, so this blog post and slideshow is in honor of my dear loving Scout, our Bernese Mountain Dog/Newfie mix who turned 12 years old today- and then passed on to that great Dog Heaven we all know must exist.

She will no longer feel pain, no longer ache from chronic hip problems, or moan because her body is riddled with arthritis, or itch from persistent allergies to EVERYTHING from food to her own saliva. She is now at peace, happily resting on a snow mound somewhere in the spirit world, watching over us.

I want her back. I know it’s selfish, but I miss her so much already and I can’t imagine my life without her. She has been through so much with our family- and has even been immortalized as a cartoon by the great Marc Brown, author of the Arthur and Postcards from Buster series’ and books.

Our three other canine babies, Sadie, Greta and Winnie, will also miss her- miss licking her face, miss nibbling at her ears, miss stealing food from her bowl. Our three grown children- James, Emma and David- will miss her sweet, gentle ways and her insatiable need for loving strokes and tummy rubs. And we will all miss her “Galumph” of a face and her “Eeyore”-like demeanor that made us giggle every day.

Rest in Peace, my dear friend. You have taken a piece of my heart with you- wherever you are.

Gillian and Scout: 5 weeks old:

Postcards from Buster by Marc Brown: 2006

Looking into the eyes of an Angel: May 2013

A video tribute to one of the world’s best dogs (NOTE: This video slideshow is in FLASH so it cannot be viewed on an IPAD or IPHONE. Also, If you cant her the music, you are probably using the latest FLASHPLAYER download and there is a huge bug with the latest FLASH player. Read more if you want to learn how to fix the problem.

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The Pike-Pieper-Brown beloved Brood: Summer 2011

I love to gush about my job and my amazing clients, so I had to post some pictures from a photo shoot I did in Boston last week for a new company I adore called HAPPIER. Yup, Happier is just that–a company about happiness. Their whole philosophy is based on the science of Happines and the research that proves if you just write down a few small things each day that make you happy, you WILL BE HAPPIER.

So, Happier‘s new mobile app is a simple way to collect these happy moments and then share them with friends and family. You create collections, add photos and then encourage your friends to join, so you can both inspire them with your happier moments and be inspired by their happier moments. If you like a moment, send them a smiley face or leave a comment, and then, if you want, go ahead and share it to Facebook or Twitter for all the unenlightened ones who haven’t yet downloaded the free happier app.

Happiness is contagious, you know! A 20-year Harvard study shows that happiness spreads through social networks, sort of like a virus, meaning that your happiness could influence the happiness of someone you’ve never even met. HOW COOL IS THAT??? OK, So I am a little bit obsessed! But I’m not the only one. Read the recent piece in Forbes about Happier, or BostInno. Being “Happier” is good business– and, besides, I was IN as soon as I saw the Happy Face!

So, how did I get connected to this fabulous company??

My dear old friend from Boston, Laura Zigman, just signed on to be Happier’s PR guru. Laura is a super hero in her own right, and the author of several hysterical novels, including Dating Big Bird and Animal Husbandry (made into a pretty funny movie with Ashley Judd years ago called SOMEONE LIKE YOU) She also has a hugely funny blog! But I digress…

Laura asked me to come to Boston and take some new pictures of co-founder and Chief Happiness Officer Nataly Kogan to promote her upcoming appearances at TedX and next month’s Happiness Conference (Uh-Uh! Nataly’s HUGE in the world of Happy technology!) I had such a blast visiting the happier ‘Headquarters”, meeting the staff and doing Nataly’s photo session.

Nataly Kogan: CEO Happier.com

Everything in the Happier office is- you guessed it- Happy. Orange is the primary color (Nataly’s favorite!), the neon “Happier Hour” sign glows from the center of the main wall and there are fun little details throughout the open 5th floor office space to remind both staff and guests to take time to enjoy the small pleasures in life.

Gotta love the ring…

And the shoes…(oh, and check out the wall- those are actually Paint sample cards making up that design!)

After finishing our pictures inside, Nataly took me on a walking tour of Happier’s South Boston neighborhood, introduced me to the most perfect view of the Boston skyline from the pier and then showed me her happier mobile–n Orange MINI COOPER! (I drive a red mini so I LOVED this!). On the way back to the office, we even stumbled on a a huge ORANGE art installation called “THE BRIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD” and I made some really fun portraits of Nataly embraced by her favorite color!

OK, that ends my Happier adventure in Boston. Though I can’t get the song lyrics from Wicked out of my head (“couldnt be happier”) I would still love for this app to really take off, so I hope everyone who reads this post goes directly to the app store and downloads happier. I’ll be waiting to share some of my happier moments with you!

After doing some research, I found out that Adobe has an active bug report listed on their site and they will hopefully fix the issue shortly.

So, while we wait for Adobe to fix Flash Player with a NEW update, the only option, if you are using version 11.7, is to revert to Flash Player 11.6, which you can download HERE.

Since I LOVE all of music I choose for my slideshows and I want everyone visiting my site to enjoy the shows synchronized to the music I pick, I encourage you all to revert to FLASH Player 11.6! The bug is not just messing with my slideshows, by the way. It is a apparently affecting a much larger base of flash users.

Sorry for the inconvenience but, as my daughter likes to say, “Put it in perspective; This is such a 1st world problem!”

Amen. Have a great day!

Iris celebrated her Bat Mitzvah two weeks ago at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, helping to lead the morning Shabbat service and beautifully chanting her haftarah. Her family and friends supported her on this day, by first attending the service and then, later, celebrating with her at a dinner reception held at the Sheraton in South Burlington.

Iris looked poised and beautiful, regardless of the purple cast that accessorized her outfit because of a broken leg. At least the color went nicely with Iris’ Tallit (prayer shawl), which belonged to her late mother, Laura Mann. Laura was warm and generous and loving and also the first nurse midwife in Vermont to assist in home birth deliveries. She was an extraordinary woman who’s life was cut way too short, in 2009, from Breast cancer. And as I photographed Iris on this day celebrating her glorious right of passage into Jewish adulthood, I smiled at the thought of how proud Laura would be of her lovely daughter.

The Saturday night party was a time for love and laughter, music and dancing. And while Iris had some difficulty maneuvering on the dance floor, she had no trouble being raised in a chair during the traditional Hora!

Whats a party without a cake! After the candle lighting ceremony, Iris’ friends (above) helped her blow out the candles.

I hope you enjoy this slideshow recapping Iris‘ celebration, to the song “DREAMS” by the Cranberries. (note: the slideshow is made in FLASH, so you cant see it on your IPHONE or IPAD. Please send all complaints to APPLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.)

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If you’d like to see all of the pictures in Iris’ photo gallery, please click HERE (You’ll need to get the password from Iris or her family to enter).

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Mazel Tov, Iris. I hope you always look back at this day with pride and joy. Your family and friends surely will.

Lyric Theater‘s OLIVER opened last night at the Flynn Theater and it was a truly magical night for both the audience and for the theater company. As the production photographer, it was joy to be in the audience and see the results of months of hard work by both cast and crew. The sets and costumes were gorgeous, hair and make up perfect, and the performances were practically Broadway worthy (in my opinion!)

BRAVO to artistic director Timothy Maynes, choreographer Kim Nowlan and music director Martin Hain for the work they did with this large and predominantly young cast.

Lyric Theatre Company is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization celebrating its 39th season. OLIVER‘s 55-member cast includes 32 local youth and teens from 17 Vermont communities; 26 cast are new to Lyric. Jonny Barden, below, played Oliver and he rocked the house!

Mr Bumble, below, was played by Jonny’s father, Tim Barden. Barden and Margaret Garofalo, as the widow Corney, perform, “I shall Scream”.

Mr and Mrs Sowerberry, played by Don O’Connell and Martha Alexander, take in Oliver to help in their undertaker’s shop. They stole the show with their song, That’s Your Funeral:

16-yr-old Timothy Lewis was the Artful Dodger, and was so good, he has replaced Jack Wild as my favorite little pick pocket!

Fagan’s gang show Oliver how to get the job done.

Below: Fagan (Patrick Clow), Bill Sykes (Mark Cranmer) and Nancy (Serena Magnan O’Connell) were all so powerful, it was hard to believe this was community theater!I’m a huge fan of all of their work!

There are hundreds of pictures to view on my Karen Pike Photography Facebook page, but the following slideshow will give you a taste of the show in just under four minutes, to the memorable act 1 song, “Consider Yourself At Home” (note: the slideshow is made in FLASH, so you cant see it on your IPHONE or IPAD. Please send all complaints to APPLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.)

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I loved working with this amazing team, including Production supervisor Rob Parzych and stage manager Freda Tutt. Thank you all for letting me be a part of the Lyric Theater MAGIC!

If you want to see (or order reprints of) the hundreds of pictures I took of the production since the kickoff meeting last January, please click HERE

Four years ago today, Vermont became the first state in the country to embrace Marriage equality via the legislative process. Since the law past, hundreds of couples have flocked to our Green Mountain state to share their vows and get that all-important marriage license that is still illegal in all but nine states and Washington D.C.

And on Friday, Debra and Michelle celebrated with their own Vermont wedding– on the bank of a stream, near a beautiful covered bridge and just a stone’s throw from Mount Philo. Not a bad setting, even in mud season!

And, even though it was mud season, Debra and Michelle were lucky enough to have the ceremony officiated by the wonderful Kathryn Blume. Kathryn is warm and giving, and she invited the couple to get ready at her Charlotte home and then helped Debra dress, tie and bustle! The creek, the covered bridge and the awesome weathered barn that we used for taking portraits were all part of the scenery near the house and Kathryn’s neighbor, Julie Almond of Caketopia Cakes, even made the AMAZING wedding cake (so YUMMY!). Talk about full service! Kathryn even dresses in the colors that match each couple she marries, so that she doesnt clash in pictures. I love that!

I really enjoyed the time I spent with Debra and Michelle, who were actually a referral from another of my favorite Texas couples, Brandi and Jennifer, married in Vermont last Fall. I’m thinking that Texas definitely has an active gay community and some very cool women. I’ve never been, but I guess I need to visit (during bluebonnet season, for sure!)

So beautiful.

So in love.

So fun,

and playful with each other.

And finally, the cutting of the cake,

and a toast to the happy couple.

“I do” really love my job.

Congratulations, Debra and Michelle, on your most cherished and very legal Vermont marriage. Now, let’s just wait and see what happens with DOMA.

Eight young female members of the cast of Lyric Theater‘s production of OLIVER, had their hair cut short Saturday, for their roles as boys from the workhouse and Fagin’s gang. They waited as long as possible, but with the show opening at the Flynn Theater Thursday night, it was time for them to begin their (theatrical) gender bending.

So, with family, friends and members of the production team cheering them on, the group arrived together at O’M Salon (owned by cast members Don Patrick O’Connell and Serena Magnan O’Connell) to meet the group of talented stylists who would help them transform into their male characters. They each decided to donate their “locks” to one of a handful of organizations: Locks of Love, Matter of Trust, Wigs for Kids, or Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

There was a lot of nervous laughter, a few tears, supportive hand-holding and group hugs, and in the end, the girls were all pleasantly pleased with their new moptops, pageboys and pixies.

Oliver runs from Thursday, April 11 through Sunday April 14 and tickets are on sale at the Flynn Box Office.

Families come in all flavors and this family is DELICIOUS! I don’t have the time to do blog posts from all of the family portrait sessions I shoot, but given that DOMA and PROP 8 went to the Supreme Court last week, it seems like a good opportunity to display these beautiful, loving portraits of a two-mom family.

I am fortunate to live in Vermont, a state that recognizes Marriage Equality and seems to really honor it. My wife and I were married in 2009, “upgraded”, as we like to say, from our “civil union” in 2002.

Of course, as a same-sex couple, we are still denied the 1,100 federal marriage benefits that our straight counterparts enjoy. DOMA clearly violates our “equal protection”, so the Supreme Court’s ruling on this issue is a hugely personal to me.

I can only hope that when you look at these portraits, you see a loving family– no different than any other family trying to do the best they can for each other, their child, their community and their country. love is love is love is love is love. (OK, soap box over)…

NOTE: If you want to learn more about the arguments presented to the Supreme Court on DOMA and PROP 8, I encourage you to read Paul Hogarth’s article on www.Huffington Post.com . It’s so clearly written and lays everything out in an easy to read way. Well worth the look.

Peter and Lisa cozy up for a portrait session at Oakledge Beach in BUrlington, Vermont

Lisa and Peter are gearing up for their wedding in June, being held at one of my most favorite places in the world for an event, Mountain Meadows Lodge in Killington. I have blogged before about the super adorable Alice the pot-bellied pig, and how she and her fellow farm animals wander around the property during the cocktail hour at weddings so they can visit with guests.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to photographing Lisa and Peter’s upcoming nuptials and all the fun that is sure to be included in the celebration. This beautiful couple has been planning their Vermont destination wedding from their home in Bermuda. Actually, Peter is English and Lisa is from Texas, and their guests are coming from every direction to attend the ceremony. A highlight for me will be making pictures of Lisa and Peter on their wedding day, surrounded by their children, Lisa’s mother and Lisa’s 1-hr-old grand daughter- Four generations all together. Really, This is the kind of event that already has me grinning ear to ear, and it’s still two months away.

I was able to spend some time with Peter and Lisa on their recent trip to Vermont to meet with vendors. It was one of those rainy, but warm March days and after doing some portraits in the studio, the skies cleared so we headed down to the Burlington waterfront to do some gorgeous, romantic pictures.

The couple enjoys a warm March day at the Burlington Waterfront

On the way back to the studio, we stopped at one of my favorite haunts, Vintage Inspired Lifestyle Marketplace, one of the coolest of cool antique warehouses in Vermont. After poking around and exploring some great things, Peter presented his bride-to-be with the best souvenir! It perfectly completed the afternoon and we went back to the studio so Peter and Lisa could get on their way.

What an awesome find at Vintage Inspired near Karen’s studio.

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I hope you enjoy Lisa and Peter‘s slideshow, accompanied by the sexy Lou Rawls and Dianne Reeves rendition of “At Last“: (note: the slideshow is made in FLASH, so you cant see it on your IPHONE or IPAD. Please send all complaints to APPLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.)

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If you’d like to see all of the pictures from Peter and Lisa’s engagement portrait session, ask the couple for the secret gallery password and then click HERE

After almost two years engaged, Jake and Allie are finally getting married this May and I am thrilled to be the lucky photographer for this awesome and long awaited celebration.

I first met this super sweet couple in my role as “chick clicker”, photographing for the Green Mountain Derby Dames. Their neighbors “Bruise and Bot” were both Derby skaters and Jake and Allie were supportive fans, so I’d see them at every bout.

Recently, on a kinda-sorta-cold March Saturday, we spent a few hours together, and I got to know them better as a couple. We started at their apartment in Burlington, where they live with their dog and 2 cats and hundreds of books ( so many that their main book shelf reminded me of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!)

Animal crazy as I am, I had to keep my attention on the engaged couple, but I couldn’t help incorporating the furry babies into at least a few pictures…

We later visited a few of their favorite haunts–the waterfront, Fletcher Free library and Speeder and Earl’s on Pine Street, and I love the pictures I took of them along the way.

Here’s a totally fun slideshow recapping my afternoon with Jake and Allie, accompanied by the equally-as-fun tune, Uh Oh, I’m Falling , by Shelley Fraley. Since the slideshow is in FLASH, you’ll need to leave your IPAD and find a laptop so you can view it (sorry! Im working on it!!)
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If you’d like to see all of the photos from Jake and Allie‘s E session, grab the secret password from the couple and THEN you can just click HERE