I’m often asked if I own a golden retriever – probably because, let’s be honest, this breed is all over my website! I show canvas gallery wraps of golden retrievers at events, I have a sample coffee table book featuring golden retrievers, and they’re in each of the photo galleries on my website – well, except the feline gallery, of course! But the truth is, I don’t have a golden retriever. I just have my Bailey, and I’m sure she doesn’t have any golden mixed in her heritage. However, I loooooove to admire goldens from a distance! They’re indescribably beautiful; I just think they’re the supermodels of the dog world! I’d happily adopt a golden retriever in the future; they’re happy-go-lucky dogs with a fabulous temperament, and this family of goldens I photographed recently is no exception! Let me introduce you to Lucy, Gracie & Scarlett!

This is Scarlett, the youngest of the pack at only six months. And let me tell you – she’s a fireball, but I’ve worked with older & more mature dogs that didn’t have half the obedience she knows at such a young age!  To get a puppy to sit, lay down, and then stay long enough for her mom to inch out of the frame… now that’s a challenge! Good girl, Scarlett!

 This is Gracie, the blondie! Her gorgeous light fur is vastly different from her sisters’ rich red coloring, but her personality is just as sweet. The only times she didn’t have a big goofy golden smile on her face was when she was chasing down her ball, like in this photo! The girl is an athlete, for sure!

And last but certainly not least, this is Lucy, the oldest and noblest of the pack. With age comes experience, and she’s impeccably trained. A photographer’s dream to work with! Plus, I love white faces like hers. :)

 And finally, here are all three golden girls together! (Don’t you love how the orange in the trees matches Lucy & Scarlett’s fur?)

Bobbi & Teri, thank you so much for an absolutely marvelous session. We have sooo many photos, thanks to all the adorable poses your girls struck for me… thank you for training them so incredibly well!  :)

The American Staffordshire Terrier is one of those breeds that people aren’t always sure about. Is it a terrier, even though it’s so big? Is it a pit bull, even though it has a different name? Well, if I learned anything from my recent photo session with Marley the American Staffordshire Terrier, I can tell you this much: they’re beautiful, patient, sweet dogs that are completely dedicated to their owners! Marley is a 9-year-old Amstaff mix here in San Diego, and I absolutely loved photographing her because she was up for anything! She’s incredibly calm, just content to be close to her mom – and by “close” I mean “right next to and literally on top of her if at all possible”! She kept me laughing, every time she crawled into her mom’s lap and did her best to take off alllllll her makeup with licks & kisses. It was absolutely adorable!

We started our session in the studio – and I’m loving Marley’s deep brindle color against the black background! Not to mention her inquisitive look, as if she’s saying “Mom? Am I doing this right?”

Then we visited Marley’s house, where it was promptly time for belly rubs on the bed. Obviously.

… and belly rubs were soon followed by snuggles on the couch. I’m telling you, this is one snuggly dog! (Is that an American Staffordshire Terrier trait too?) And doesn’t she look pleased with herself?

Later that afternoon, though, the clouds rolled in and things weren’t looking too pretty outside. But Marley loves the beach, and we knew a few photos in the sand would be the perfect way to finish our session – so we waited a couple of days until the sky cleared up and gave us a pretty, sunny background! It was definitely worth the wait! (This is one of several reasons why I limit the number of sessions I book per month… because being flexible according to the weather is so important to make sure my clients get the best-looking photos possible! This image just wouldn’t be the same with gray sky & gray water.)

Yeah…  worth. the. wait.

Sarah, I’m so excited to show you the rest of our photos! Give Marley a hug for me in the meantime, and I’ll talk to you soon! :)