Let me introduce you to two dogs who are total opposites – around strangers, at least. Marlee is a bouncy 8-month-old golden retriever and couldn’t be more friendly! She’ll “attack” anyone who comes to the door with kisses and tail wags. Amia, on the other hand, is a much more reserved Boston terrier. She’d prefer to keep her distance, and it’s a little more difficult to gain her trust.

I absolutely love it when dogs open up to me, and with dogs like Marlee it’s incredibly easy, but with Amia it can be more challenging. So I’m always thrilled when I walk away with images like the ones below, because it means all the steps and precautions I take to let dogs get comfortable with me, really work! (I study dog behavior, I meet dogs before their session, I warm them up to the camera slowly, etc.) I hope their mom Jane sees her dogs in these photos not as through the lens of a different person, but simply as she sees her dogs every day. Enjoy the photos!

Thanks again Jane – I’ll talk to you soon! (and don’t worry – I have plenty more photos of Marlee positioned more than just a few inches away from the camera!)

Tags: backyard, Boston terrier, dogs, golden retriever, Pensacola, pet photography, pets