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Archive: ‘pet photography’



Ruby & Gladstone, English Bulldogs in the Studio

Wednesday, August 12th, 2015

Although I love wedding celebrations, it’s not often that I get to join in the fun of providing images that help a couple remember the biggest day of their lives. That’s because I’m not a wedding photographer, of course! And while I’ve photographed a handful of weddings, working with pets is where I’m happiest – so imagine my joy when Ruby & Gladstone’s mom wanted to schedule a photo session for their save-the-date cards! Yay! Ruby & Gladstone are English bulldog puppies (each about a year old) and even though they won’t be formally participating in their parents’ wedding, their lovable, smushy faces will grace their save-the-date announcements! I can’t imagine a more perfect idea! So without further ado, let me introduce you to this adorable duo of English bulldogs!

 

This sweetheart is Ruby! She’s a happy, confident girl with plenty of bulldog-attitude to spare! I just love her pretty coloring and big, sweet eyes.

english bulldog san diego

 

 

And this is Gladstone! (Yes, named after the Sherlock Holmes bulldog!) He wasn’t too sure about my studio backdrops, so most of his photos feature him “on the move” in some way, haha! Don’t worry, Gladstone – you gave me just enough time to capture your cuteness, mid-escape. :)

english bulldog photo

 

And here’s an early favorite of mine with both dogs in their “wedding dress” and “tuxedo”… does it get any cuter?!

english bulldogs wedding

 

Shannon & Matt, thank you for being such active participants in our photo session! I can’t wait to share the rest of our images with you soon! :)

 

Sid the French Mastiff / Catahoula Mix Dog, in San Diego!

Saturday, August 8th, 2015

Are you ready to meet one of the most unique-looking dogs to ever grace this blog? It doesn’t get much better than a French Mastiff & Catahoula mix dog, and those two (very different) breeds come together beautifully in Sid, the 9-month-old puppy from San Marcos!

Sid’s mom saw my work hanging in Dogs Abound, the premier boarding/daycare/training facility in San Marcos, and as soon as she described Sid to me I knew I was in for a treat! This handsome boy is still puppy, but he’s already well-trained and eager to please. (Well, when he’s in the mood, at least… he tends to act like a teenager some of the time)! And although we quickly learned that the camera is NOT Sid’s favorite thing, haha, I think this session was a great example of taking our time & working at the dog’s comfort level to create beautiful images, even with a few initial signs of fear/uncertainty. Dogs definitely don’t have to be trained models to have a successful photo session! It just takes a little bit of patience. :)

 

Here’s the handsome guy, in the studio!

catahoula mix dog san diego

 

We tried out the dramatic black backdrop, too! Doesn’t he look stunning?

catahoula_mix

 

And we finished up in soft sunlight at the park.

catahoula mix san diego

 

Thanks, Christine & Chris, for introducing me to your handsome boy! I’m so excited to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)

 

Rancho Santa Fe Horse Photography, with Trea!

Wednesday, August 5th, 2015

Oh my goodness – I cannot POSSIBLY tell you how excited I’ve been for this photo session, and how long we’ve waited for it to happen! Jen (Trea & Bailey’s mom) is a friend of Tate & Skyler‘s mom, and she booked her session immediately after seeing their photos – so you’d think it wouldn’t have taken more than two months to finally get together! But the severity of May Gray & June Gloom interfered, and we were left waiting for a sunny (or at least not a rainy!) day. And finally, the morning we met up at Trea’s stable in Rancho Santa Fe, the weather was near-perfect: a bright sun coming through a thin layer of overcast clouds. I love that kind of weather; it’s enough light to capture high-speed action photos, while not creating any harsh shadows. Simply wonderful! :)

 

This is Trea (short for Mr. Bailey’s Treasure), a downright gorgeous American quarter horse. We took him on a walk through the neighborhood, stopping at the bougainvillea bushes along the way.

rancho santa fe horse photography

 

I don’t get the chance to work with horses too often, but gosh I love having the opportunity! He is so regal! This Rancho Santa Fe horse photography session was definitely one for the books.

rancho santa fe horse photography

 

Jen, I hope you don’t mind me including a photo of you in this sneak peek… I just love this moment with you two! :)

rancho santa fe horse photography

 

And after our fun with Trea, we came back to Jen’s house for the second half of our session – photos with Bailey the German shepherd! Now you KNOW I love dogs named Bailey – since that’s my dog’s name too – and this happy, loving boy was a delight to work with!

rancho santa fe pet photography

 

We also visited Encinitas Community Park, where we ran around the grass and barked at a few other dogs. What a sweet boy Bailey is… how could you ever say no to that face?! (But who knows… maybe he’s just happy remembering that box of a dozen donuts that he ate all by himself recently! Haha!)

rancho santa fe photography

 

Jen, I can’t thank you enough for your patience with my weather pickiness… the good news is that I know for a fact our waiting paid off! I’m so excited to see you (and the whole gang) again soon! :)

 

Photo Session with San Diego Boxers Howie & Bernie!

Monday, August 3rd, 2015

My photo session with Howie & Bernie, the San Diego boxers, was so much fun! I absolutely loved working with these two dogs – perhaps because they’re near two different ends of the age spectrum (Howie is 8 years and Bernie is 5 months), and it was a fun challenge to work with an older dog at the same time as a puppy. I think their parents feel a bit like they’re in a time warp, of sorts; it’s been so long since Howie was a puppy, but now Bernie is testing their patience all over again with her classic puppy behavior! As all puppy owners know, silence is not golden, it means someone is getting into trouble, haha… and while they say they don’t remember Howie being such a troublemaker, I’m sure it’s a fun (if exhausting!) experience to relive those days! I’m betting Howie will teach Bernie all the ways of the world, with his 8 years of wisdom, as she gets older (and calmer). But in the meantime, our photo session was a blast – dogs never stay small for very long, and I love having the opportunity to capture puppies and their spunky young spirits!

 

I think I’ll always remember Howie as one of the most-easy-to-photograph dogs I’ve ever worked with. (Thanks, buddy!) I say this because his favorite thing to do was simply lay in the grass! I think in another life, Howie could have been Jimmy Buffett… this dog loves to relax!

san diego boxers

 

Bernie, on the other hand… :)

san diego boxer dog

 

These two would play-fight all day long, if they could! They’ve (mostly) learned each other’s boundaries, so it was pretty funny to hear them growling & barking at one another as they ran all over the park!

san diego boxers

 

And one more photo, just because I can’t resist… those puppy wrinkles are killing me.

san diego boxer wrinkles

 

Debbra & Chuck, thank you for a fun-filled afternoon! I had a great time with all four of you, and I’m excited to show you all of our photos soon! :)

 

Photo Session with San Diego Maltipoos, Myers & Morgan!

Saturday, August 1st, 2015

In my very first conversation with Myers & Morgan’s mom, she told me that these San Diego maltipoos are 9 & 10 years old, but they act like two-year-olds. I laughed and figured they had a bit more energy than the average 10-year-old dog… but I didn’t realize how accurate her statement really was! These dogs are seriously puppies at heart! By the end of our session, I could hardly believe they’re both a decade old… Myers & Morgan have so much spunky, puppy-like personality! Myers (the smaller one) is the elder of the two, by a few months, and he’s an adorably anxious little guy. He always has something to “talk” about, and I just adore his cute little face. Morgan is the bigger pup – we’re not sure if he’s 100% maltipoo, but he is 100% attention-seeking! Whenever his brother is getting attention from someone, Morgan barges in and makes sure he gets just as much love! It’s the funniest thing – so of course Morgan loved his time in the spotlight, haha! And his one floppy ear is so reminiscent of my own dog’s ear that I immediately loved him… seriously, these dogs were a dream to work with!

 

We started with a few white-on-white photos… and surprisingly, the dogs didn’t need any time to “warm-up”! They were ready to pose from the very beginning of our photo session!

maltipoos san diego

 

Of course we had a few yummy treats on hand!

san diego maltipoo

 

Morgan was more than happy to show me his “roll-over” command! Haha!

maltipoo san diego

 

And at the end of our session, we brought out the toys! Let the tug-of-war begin!

san diego maltipoos

 

Laraine, thank you so much for a wonderful session! I’m excited to see you & Joe again soon! :)

 

 

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