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Areli & Ghost, Canine Brothers in the Studio

Friday, September 28th, 2018

This was a very special session for me – because I knew this family before they were a family!!

Yep, I met brothers Areli & Ghost and their parents Courtney & Travis in Pensacola, Florida, back when they were stationed there (while Mr. Shamrell was still in flight school). We had a wonderful session together, and longtime blog followers might even remember seeing these gorgeous dogs’ faces back then! What made that first session even more special than I anticipated was the moment when Travis proposed to Courtney! On the beach! It was absolutely beautiful and I was so honored to capture the moment it happened. Fast forward a few years, and honestly I never thought I’d get to work with them again… until I heard from their mom with the happy news that they had been stationed in San Diego! Yay!! Not to mention, there’s another member of the family now – a baby daughter!! Usually when my clients’ families grow, it’s 4 legs at a time, not 2, haha – but we were able to get together for some family portraits with all 5 of these beautiful souls, and even a photo of the two older brothers with their new little sister. What an incredible “full-circle” moment! :)  I’m going to remember this session for a very long time!

 

This is Areli! He’s a Canaan dog, incredibly special to his mama and an all-around good boy. Just look at that handsome smile!

studio portrait of a canaan dog

 

And this gorgeous beast is Ghost, a white German shepherd and goofball to the core. For as stunning as he looks, he’s equally silly. Trust me. ;)

studio picture white german shepherd

 

The last time I saw Ghost, he was about the same size as Areli – but not anymore!! This boy has gotten BIG since he’s not a puppy anymore. he’s fully grown – while Areli has stayed his same handsome, trim self. But I love how they’re still a strikingly-good-looking pair as they were 5 years ago.

two dogs in studio

 

Courtney & Travis, thank you so much for a fun afternoon/reunion, haha! I’m excited to show you the rest of our images soon!

 

Ben & Sofie, Doggie Siblings from Imperial Beach!

Tuesday, September 25th, 2018

I always love photographing dog siblings – mostly because it’s so much fun to see the unique traits in their personalities, despite being brought up in the same environment by the same family. Dogs are just as unique as people, and it really shows when you’re working with a brother & sister!

And this time, I didn’t have to look hard for the differences between siblings Ben & Sofie – because I’m not sure if they could possibly be any more different! Ben is 10, a Bernese Mountain Dog/Aussie mix, and incredibly expressive in every way. Sofie is only a few months old, a Newfoundland puppy, and at this point she pretty much just trundles through life the way most Newfie puppies do, charming everyone in her path. Her personality is still developing, so all I can tell you for now is that she LOVES her brother. Really, really loves him. I’m talking o-b-s-s-e-s-s-e-d. And even though she hasn’t won him over completely yet (despite the way she “walks” him by grabbing his leash as they walk together), she’s winning the hearts of other dogs (like her parents’ parents’ pittie, who adores her right back) and people all over Imperial Beach. Once you see her photos, I think you’ll fall in love with her fluffy little face too! But if I’m being completely honest, despite all the “awwwww”s that come along with a puppy like Sofie, I enjoyed photographing Ben just as much, since he was so wonderfully expressive & opinionated. Not to mention handsome! This pair is definitely a sight to see – and I’m so thrilled I had the chance to work with both of them!

 

This is Sofie – during a rare moment of alertness between attempted naps throughout our session, haha!

puppy sibling in grass

 

Did I mention that Ben is one gorgeous dog?!

cute picture of a sibling dog

 

Together they make the fluffiest pair. And I can’t wait to see how big Sofie’s going to get – these photos are going to be even more priceless as she grows up!

dog siblings silhouette

 

Kate & Brett, thank you for a fun afternoon and for introducing me to your awesome dogs! I can’t wait to see you both again soon!

 

Maple & Daisy at Balboa Park

Thursday, September 13th, 2018

Maple and Daisy’s parents just moved to San Diego – so I thought it was absolutely perfect that they chose Balboa Park and the beach as the two locations for their photo session!! What could possibly be a better introduction to all the beauty of San Diego, right?! (At least it’s a great start – I’m so excited for them to settle in and discover all the great places around town. Including the dog parks and dog beaches, haha!)

Maple & Daisy are two dogs who absolutely love to have fun. For Maple the Weimaraner mix, that means playing with her parents, exploring new places and generally being a goofball. For Daisy the who-knows-what mix, that means hunting small creatures and playing fetch at the beach! They each have their own preferences & drives, and they were adopted by each of their parents individually, but these sisters somehow fit together so well I would have guessed that they were separated at birth. (If they didn’t look so starkly different or have a multiple-year age gap, that is.) I absolutely loved working with both of them, and I’m pretty sure they had a lot of fun during our session too! And guess what: their mom is an emergency vet, so if playtime ever takes an unexpected turn, they’re already in the best possible hands. How cool is that?

 

This is Maple! She loved seeing the sights at Balboa Park, and was more than willing to jump up on benches/into flowers/wherever I asked her to go! What a good model. (And I loved watching her stretch those long legs as she ran around at the beach!)

balboa park dog picture

 

And this sweet face is Daisy. Don’t let the cuteness fool you though – she’s an absolute BEAST when you show her a tennis ball!

balboa park dog flowers

 

Did I mention that Maple & Daisy’s parents are getting married?!

balboa park picture with dogs

 

Anri & Daniel, I’m so excited to show you the rest of our images soon! Thank you so much for letting me introduce you to two of my favorite places in San Diego! :)

 

Huxley is Not Your Average Toy Poodle – San Diego, CA

Thursday, August 30th, 2018

Aren’t breed stereotypes silly?

I think it’s crazy when people say things like “all labradors love water”, “chihuahuas bark all the time” or even “corgis can’t swim”. There are always exceptions to the rules, and even though breeding for centuries has imprinted some pretty strong instincts on most dogs, I’m reminded how unique each pet’s personality truly is when I meet individuals like Huxley.

Huxley is a toy poodle – so you’d think he just wants to be carried around in a purse, right? Don’t lie, I bet that image flashed into your mind!! Haha – and it’s okay if it did, since toy poodles are phenomenal companion dogs that don’t need tons of exercise, so there are plenty of toy poodles who love that kind of thing. But Huxley, on the other hand, seems to have the body of a toy poodle and the spirit of a rugged outdoorsman! His favorite thing in the world (besides his mom, of course) is hiking. This adorable little guy is happiest on the trail, out in nature, where he can explore the wilderness and breathe the mountain air. And no matter what your preconceived notions are, I know that’s not what you expected when I said “toy poodle”!  :)

So we spent our session at my two most-favorite rustic locations in San Diego, Mission Trails Regional Park and Old Poway Park. We incorporated plenty of outdoorsy elements that Huxley loved, and we had a great time! Plus, he wore his signature red bandana, and I’m pretty sure I’m not as good at fashion as this little poodle is… does that mean I’m stereotyping him after all?! ;)

 

This is Huxley! He smiles when he runs!!

toy poodle running

 

Okay, to be fair, he smiles all the time.

toy poodle dog

 

Are toy poodles especially good at smiling?! Because Huxley always looks so happy! Oh I just love this little boy’s spirit.

toy poodle san diego

 

Jina and Garrett, it was so great to meet you both & spend the afternoon with Huxley! Can’t wait to get together with you again soon!

 

Juneau, Ella & Roxy – A Family of San Diego Dogs

Monday, August 27th, 2018

I absolutely love photo sessions that take place during a time of transition: sometimes it’s for a family who just moved to San Diego, or is just about to move away… or a family that already has 4-legged children and is about to add their first 2-legged child to the family… or perhaps those 2-legged kids are headed off to college and we’re capturing how life has always been before things change. In the case of Ella, Juneau & Roxy, we were celebrating a very happy occasion: Roxy is a brand new member of the family! She’s seriously spicing things up in her new home, too; Ella & Juneau are older pups who’ve been loyal members of the family for many years, and I have a feeling their routine has changed (just a little!) since Roxy came home. But they love their new little sister, especially Juneau; he’s such a great big brother and it’s already clear that he & Roxy have formed a special bond. (And it’s adorable!)

Our photo session took place at Mission Trails Regional Park, as well as at a nearby grassy park for a slight change of scenery. And even though things started out with a bit of chaos, the dogs soon settled into a rhythm of posing for me beautifully. Plus, it helped that we had some yummy treats for them on hand! I have a feeling that the photos from our session will be a fresh, gorgeous complement to the portraits they’ve taken in the past… and I’m so excited to share them with you!

 

This is Ella! She LOVES treats and has the most beautiful lab smile… one of my favorite moments of our session was when she spontaneously started crawling toward me (okay, let’s be honest, she was probably headed for the treat bag) near the end of our session!

chocolate lab

 

This handsome hunk-a-lunk is Juneau, the golden retriever and mama’s boy of the bunch. Whenever his mom & I stepped more than a few feet away from him, he would whine and fidget – he just looooooves his mom! And he’s such a sweetheart, I practically fell in love with him too.

golden retriever on grass

 

This little spitfire is Roxy! She’s part chihuahua, dachshund and about 5 other breeds, with an insatiable zest for life. She certainly keeps her new family on their toes!

chihuahua mix dog on hiking trail

 

One more photo of Roxy, just because this head tilt is too cute to resist. I mean COME ON.

chihuahua mix dog

 

Cinda, thank you for introducing me to your gorgeous dogs! I’m excited to see you again soon! :)

 

 

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