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Fae, Nyx, Quinzel & Slade – and the joy of repeat clients!

Friday, September 17th, 2021

I always love working with my clients, but I have to say – there’s something so special about photographing repeat clients! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Scott & Patrisha’s pack before, so I was THRILLED when they contacted me recently to update their portraits! The first session we ever did included Buster, a wonderful dog who’s unfortunately no longer here. I thought of him during this recent photo session… but somehow this session was SO different than the ones we’ve done before! I got to photograph a mix of the “old” and “new” pack: Fae, Quinzel, and Nyx are the dogs I have photographed at least once in the past. It was so much fun to see how much they’d grown since their original photo sessions back in 2015 and 2016. Quinn and Nyx were just tiny puppies when I first met each of them, and it was so fun to see how much they’ve changed! The newest member of the pack is Slade, who brings an entirely new dynamic to the family. One of my favorite things about being in this business for so long is definitely being able to see families grow over the years. This family has certainly changed since we first met 6 years ago, and I couldn’t be more proud to have documented a few small slices of their lives!

Let me start with introducing Fae. She’s a total sweetheart and mama’s girl! Always happy and up for an adventure, I think she might take the title of “most adorable in the pack”. She also is the eldest now, but you wouldn’t know it: she isn’t bossy, just a sweet, happy-go-lucky girl! (And yes, her fur is just as cotton-candy-soft as it looks.)

repeat clients dog

Quinzel, who is named after Harley Quinn, takes “being part of the pack” to a new level. She is head over heels in love with her parents and siblings! She never wants to be without them; anytime she senses the pack might be leaving the house without her, she lets her opinion be known that that’s not acceptable. Ideally she’s literally touching someone at all times, haha! Quinn is a beautiful girl (with two different-colored eyes) and her brindle fur is gorgeous too.

repeat dog clients

This is Nyx: the guard dog! She has proudly stepped into the role of protector of the family. She takes her job seriously and – might I add – is very good at it! She warned us when other dogs were walking across another part of the park… so what would we have done without her?! She loves her family fiercely and is happy to be out exploring new places, but she never forgets her primary job which is to defend her pack. Fun fact: Nyx is pretty skeptical of you, until you walk her on the leash. Once you do that, her demeanor changes and she realizes that you must be okay after all!

repeat client dog

Last but not least, I get to introduce you to Slade! He is the puppy of the group with those goofy puppy ears to boot. He’s a handsome boy with beautiful, warm brindle coloring – and he has huge paws! Slade is just a total class clown, although you can really tell he looks up to his elder siblings. One of his favorite things to do is play fetch and run around like crazy! While he loves being a goofball, he is always down to snuggle too, especially with his dad. I’m so glad he found his way into this family… he really hit the jackpot!

new puppy

We had a great time during our photo session. I’m glad we had the chance to visit Fiesta Island, because we got to let the dogs run free and off-leash! It was wonderful to see them let loose and have a great time. And even more than that, it was nice to connect with them all again, and have the opportunity to celebrate what their family looks like today!

4 dogs on the beach

I’m looking forward to meeting their biggest dog, Lucca, later this month! (Just kidding… he’s a horse! I’m going out to the stables to photograph him and I can’t wait!) Patrisha and Scott, you two are wonderful, devoted parents to all your pups, and I am so honored to have been able to work with you again. See you soon at the studio very soon!

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Iver, the Silly & Sweet Sheltie Puppy

Thursday, August 26th, 2021

I recently got to photograph the cutest little 5-month-old Sheltie named Iver! I just about fell in love with him during our photo session, and I think you will too. One of my favorite parts about Iver is his backstory, and how his parents came to find him. They knew that they wanted a dog for a long, long time. They looked everywhere in San Diego to find the right fit – but despite how dog-friendly our city is, they realized that it’s actually pretty difficult to find a place in the rental housing market that allows dogs, especially dogs over 25 pounds. (Which I can personally relate to! My Bailey is not a small dog!) So after searching at shelter after shelter, Iver’s parents simply weren’t able to find the right pup. But you know what? I really believe that the right dog will find its way to the right family. And after months of uncertainty, they finally heard from a Sheltie breeder out of the blue – and what do you know, it was finally time for them to meet their dog. Iver and his parents go together like a glove. They’re all so sweet, and they love spending time together! (Which meant that I really loved spending time with them, too!)

We went to Old Poway Park for the first part of Iver’s session, and everything was going great. But this park has a stream running through the middle of it, and on the day we visited, the stream bed was damp with just a little bit of water. Iver, however, took one look and decided he was going to pretend that there was still water in it! He jumped face-first into the mud! It certainly gave us all a scare! It was a big drop, but thankfully he was completely fine (and ready to do it again two minutes later, the little stinker!). But with a long-haired dog like him, a little mud goes a long way. So we paused the photo session, reassessed, and decided to get together for the second half of our session on another day. So I can happily promise that no dogs were harmed in the making of this photo session… but not for lack of trying! Thanks, Iver! ;)

So a few days later, we headed down to the beach in La Jolla, right near where his mom works. He loved running around on the sand – in fact, Iver preferred to stay dry the whole time! (Apparently rivers & streams are interesting, but the ocean? Not to be trusted.) He was not a fan of the water other than dipping his toes in – and that’s totally okay. In fact, it helped us get some great portraits of his beautiful (dry) fur!

I don’t know how Iver’s personality is going to develop as he grows up, since he has so much growing left to do – but I do know that his parents are the perfect fit for him. I’m so glad they all found each other. And I love when people come to me with a puppy, because it’s just the beginning! It’s a true honor each time, because I get a front-row seat to the beginning of an amazing story. I couldn’t be more excited for this sweet family of three!

Did I mention that Iver is a gorgeous dog?!

He also had a BLAST running around at the beach!

But he’s always happiest when he’s with his parents. Sweet boy.

Kate & Erick, thank you so much for introducing me to your wonderful pup! I’m excited to see you again soon! :)

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A Surprise Photo Session for Milbert!

Tuesday, August 10th, 2021

This photo session was a surprise gift for Milbert’s mom! How fun is that?!

(I had to specify “Milbert’s mom” before you think I’m crazy – I mean, I’m pretty sure ALL my photo sessions are a surprise for the dogs being photographed! Ha!)

Milbert is a rescue dog from Tijuana, and he may have recently turned one year old, but I can promise you he’s still 100% puppy. He’s got to be one of the most sociable pups I’ve met in quite a while, too: he’s convinced that everything and everyone is his friend! So when he & his parents walked into my studio for their pre-session consultation, he was all smiles and ready to play. His mom, on the other hand, needed to pause a moment to process what was happening: because Milbert’s dad had planned our photo session as a gift for her, and she had NO idea she’d be meeting a photographer (me) that day! What a fun surprise – and thankfully, I’m happy to report that after she got over the initial shock, she was very excited about it! :)

When I met Milbert’s parents, we found out we have a mutual friend in common: Canine Education! They are a wonderful dog training company here in San Diego, and they do amazing work. So Milbert is a work in progress (aren’t we all?), and his parents are working hard to teach him all of the best manners that a Tijuana street dog didn’t quite grow up with. A high energy labrador can be a challenge to train at times, that’s for sure – but his parents are doing an outstanding job!

His parents wanted views of the beautiful San Diego skyline, so we headed over to Coronado and even got access to a special private dock on the water. Afterwards we headed to Presidio Park, which is a much bigger space than the small grass patch & dock we had just come from. So… we let Milbert have a little freedom off-leash to run around (safely, of course)… and he LET LOOSE with the zoomies! Leaping and bounding all over the place, having the time of his life! I’m telling you, he had the biggest smile on his face! And what impressed me the most was that after that burst of energy, he became the perfect model dog. He would sit and stay for minutes at a time – when back on Coronado he was bursting with wiggles, too excited to pose for more than half a second at a time. It was a great reminder that a little exercise does us good – dogs included! It was also a nice example of my theory that it’s always easier to photograph a dog when they’re tired. Honestly, my philosophy is simply to let the dog do what they want to do. If your dog wants to go crazy and run around during their photo session, let’s do it! It helps me get those fun, action shots AND it makes them tired enough to ensure those “posed”, stationary portraits are a whole lot easier to capture later on. Nothing is worth forcing. Nothing. When you try and go against the dog’s wishes, the photo session doesn’t flow naturally and everything takes longer, not to mention everyone gets frustrated. So why do things that way? When you go with the flow, you’ll have more fun and everything goes more smoothly! This photo session was a great example of that. Milbert is a free spirit, that’s for sure – and I’m so glad we let his personality shine!

Milbert is a lucky dog, he found a happy home with his parents in San Diego. He belongs here!

labrador with san diego

I wasn’t kidding about the zoomies!

labrador dog running

His mom brought a clutch selection of bandanas. Milbert’s “outfits” were on point!

labrador archway photo

I can’t get enough of this face. What a sweet boy.

labrador dog

Vincent & Monica, I loved working with you both for this fun surprise photo session – and I’m excited to see you again soon in the studio!

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Ace, the Happy Golden Retriever

Tuesday, July 27th, 2021

Ace is a golden retriever who is simply a wonderful, happy senior boy! He’s 13 years old and an absolute delight. His mom describes him as “a ball of sunshine” and I couldn’t agree more! He’s a friend to everyone and was not shy at all – not even for a second – when we first met at our pre-session consultation. He made a comfy spot right in my lap and I instantly knew we were going to be best friends. And since he’s very social, I had a hunch that he was going to be easy to photograph… turns out, my instincts were right and Ace did not disappoint!

Did I mention that he’s obsessed with his mom? Because it’s true, and it’s completely adorable! They have such a strong bond, if not one of the strongest bonds between a pet and person that I’ve ever seen. They were pretty much attached at the hip! She gushes over him and he reciprocates the best way a dog can, with his body language. Which means that while he does love meeting new people, he makes it clear that mom is his favorite. :)

His mom’s “must have” location spot was the beach – since it’s Ace’s happy place! Now that it’s July we’re finally getting out of that “June gloom” season here in San Diego, thankfully, and it wound up being a beautiful day in Del Mar. Sadly, Ace & his mom are actually about to move out-of-state, so it couldn’t have been more fitting to do a photo session at the beach before they go. I also suggested that we mix it up a bit by going to the park for a bit of variety, and his mom was up for the adventure. We didn’t spend a ton of time at San Dieguito County Park, but Ace loved it there and we ended up with some really unique portraits (that wouldn’t be possible to create at a beach)!

Unfortunately, Ace has not been without his fair share of challenges in his life. He was diagnosed with spinal cancer, and it was quite serious for a while – but he’s now in remission, yay! Cancer is devastating for many golden retrievers and their families… but I’m SO happy that Ace’s story isn’t over. He has many more adventures to come! This happy-go-lucky, fun-seeking, joyful boy made my job easy, and we really enjoyed ourselves during his photo session.

There’s something special about golden sunlight shining on a golden retriever. I can barely handle it.

golden retriever

He brought his whole bandana wardrobe to our photo session… naturally!

golden retriever dog

Fluffy sand, fluffy dog… I want to jump into this photo, snuggle up and never leave! Haha!

golden retriever at the beach

I know he’ll miss the beach, and his mom will too. But he’ll definitely have fun exploring the rivers around their new house!

golden retriever in del mar

Thank you, Shannon and Ace, for spending your evening with me! I can’t wait for you to see all the finished portraits very soon!

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Levi & Aura, San Diego Border Collies

Wednesday, June 30th, 2021

I’m so excited to share this fun photo session of Levi and Aura with you all!

Levi the border collie was adopted a couple of years ago, back when he was a little puppy. After he & his mom got to know each other, she later learned that he is actually deaf in one of his ears. As some of you may know (I didn’t!) the way that dogs’ ears work is basically by each ear “covering” 180 degrees of where sounds are coming from, so as you can guess, dogs really rely on being able to use each of their ears. Since he wasn’t able to hear that well, as a puppy it often seemed to Levi that people were “sneaking up on him” – poor thing! – which understandably led to some trust issues. And as a puppy he often wasn’t too sure of himself, most likely as a result of his hearing issue, but his mom took the time to really work with him, build trust, and help him flourish! With lots of love and training, he has made TREMENDOUS strides in his journey. He’s a much more confident dog now, I’m told – and he & his mom have a beautiful relationship built on a solid foundation of trust. He absolutely adores her, and it was beautiful to see their bond.

Fast forward two years – and we have an exciting new addition to the family! Levi and his mom recently adopted a border collie puppy named Aura! She is simply precious, and has really brought out the “puppy” in Levi as well. Aura is a silly, squirmy girl and is the confident yin to Levi’s cautious yang. She is SO playful, cute, energetic, spunky…the list goes on! The two pups have an amazing sibling bond as well; Levi has helped teach her things like sit and stay on command. So what’s funny about their relationship is that while Aura has learned tricks and good behavior from her big brother, he has learned how to loosen up and play because of her. Their mom has also spent a lot of time training with Aura, and I was truly impressed with her obedience. (It helps to be on “puppy maternity leave” and be able to truly focus on the two of them!)

Our location of choice was the Spanish Art Village in Balboa Park. The entire time we had people come up and say, “Oh look at those cute dogs!”, etc. – so I’m pretty sure their mom gets stopped alllllllll the time. We then headed to San Dieguito County Park and let the dogs stretch their legs and play fetch. Levi always wants to “work” and have a job to do, but when we got there he couldn’t help himself: he actually ran straight into the pond! He was definitely not supposed to do that, but we couldn’t help but laugh when he let loose! It was so much fun to see them play around, and see two very different personalities. This truly was an awesome photo session with a tight knit little family. They have such a beautiful life ahead of them, and I’m excited to see what’s to come!

This is Levi – isn’t he gorgeous?!

border collie dog walking

And this is little border collie puppy Aura. Such a sweetheart.

border collie puppy sitting

I haven’t had such a hard time picking out images for a sneak peek in a long time! You can’t tell me to just pick 3. I can’t do it!

border collie puppy peeking

Off to the park, to bask in the sunlight and relax…

border collie dog

… and a blooper, just for fun!

border collie with ball

Hannah, thank you so much for introducing me to your wonderful dogs! I’m excited to share the rest of our photos with you very soon!

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