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Coco the Yorkie, from Escondido

January 31st, 2019

During our photo session, I learned something very important about Coco the yorkie, and I learned it very quickly: Coco has opinions. And he isn’t shy about sharing them with you!

We spent Coco’s photo session at his home in Escondido, and I have to admit, this was a pretty unique session for me. Not because I haven’t photographed a yorkie before (I have) or because I haven’t photographed families at their houses before (I definitely have), but because this was a rare instance in which I never truly gained Coco’s trust! Usually, in the first 5 minutes of a photo session, the dogs figure out that I have treats and I’m there to make sure they have a ridiculously fun time, and by the time I walk away we’re best friends. I’d say that’s the case about 95% of the time. But not Coco; no, he’s not fitting into any typical molds. Coco is absolutely in love with his parents – especially his “mommy” – and I think he figures that he doesn’t need any other humans in his life! With all the work his parents have done on their house, Coco has seen his fair share of contractors, construction workers, and visitors, and he’s over it! (I was even under strict instruction not to ring the doorbell when I arrived, in the hopes of avoiding Coco’s usual distate for visitors!) So we had the interesting experience of doing a photo session with a subject that didn’t care for his photographer whatsoever…!

But thankfully, that didn’t stop us from having a surprisingly great time! We still did all the activities we planned on: snuggling on the couch, running around the backyard, and posing for a few family photos. I’m happy to say that our photos convey what a cute, unique dog Coco is – and they certainly don’t look like a dog that would have chosen a different way to spend the afternoon, haha! I was happy to work according to Coco’s comfort level, so we kept him happy while still creating images that his parents are going to love. Sure, it was a slightly different pace than some photo sessions – but it was a great challenge for me to keep Coco happy while making great portraits at the same time! So here’s to the one and only Coco, who reminded me that every dog is an individual – and that I can always carry more treats with me!!


Oh Coco… you’re dripping with attitude. And I love you for it.

yorkie photo

Chasing the ball is one of Coco’s favorite things to do – almost as much fun as biting his mommy’s ankles and shoelaces!

yorkie action photo

Come on – that face!! Coco, you’re adorable.

yorkie pic

Elmer & Johnny, thank you so much for introducing me to Coco! I had a great time with all 3 of you!

Archie the Australian Westie, from La Jolla!

January 7th, 2019

Archie is an incredible dog. I’m excited to introduce you to him for various reasons, not least of all because he’s beaten the odds so many times! I would say he’s part cat, but I’m pretty sure we’re well past 9 lives by now. Archie has survived near-death experiences, multiple attacks from other dogs, and just about every other harrowing close call you can imagine. (I seem to recall his mom telling me a story about Archie being swarmed by poisonous frogs…?) Honestly I don’t know how his mom isn’t entirely white-haired by now. Archie is from Australia – I think they make dogs tougher “down under” than they do here, because HELLO, the outback!! – and he brought his tough Aussie spirit to live in La Jolla with his sweet family. He’s the oldest child of the family, and to be honest it was a little hard to pick photos of just Archie for this sneak peek since most of the photos from our session also feature his two human brothers! Archie adores them both, and did his best to “protect” them from all the dogs & passers-by in the park during our photo session. But despite his guard dog instincts, all in all he’s a remarkably easygoing dog, and an adorable part of his family. Spending the afternoon with Archie was lovely, so it’s my honor to introduce him to you today!


Honestly, who can resist that little westie face?! He’s such a cutie!

westie


I’m pretty sure he’s contemplating his next adventure… which he promptly went on seconds after I took this photo! He had our hearts racing as he explored a little too close to the edge of the rocks… but then he came happily trotting back, content & unbothered as could be. Archie, thanks for the glimpse of what life with you is really like… but can you please give the close calls a rest?!

westie dog in la jolla


At the end of the day, it’s clear that he always beats the odds so he can come back to his mama. He loves her so much.

westie snuggling

Susie & Sam, thank you for introducing me to your daredevil dog! I’m so excited to get together with you again soon!

Frank & Ollie, the pug puppy & tabby kitten from San Diego!

November 26th, 2018

Should I pinch myself? Am I dreaming?

Nope: I truly had the chance to work with the most adorable animals!! Frank the pug puppy was only 11 weeks old at the time of our session, which is quite frankly an incredible time to have a photo session. Seriously – I am SO happy his parents gave me a call well in advance of when they wanted their session to take place. It gave us all the time we needed to plan the perfect experience, and Frank was at the perfect age! Ollie, his brother, is a rescue kitten from a litter in which he was (very sadly) the only survivor. He & his siblings were all diagnosed with panleukopenia (which is the feline version of parvovirus), so it was truly a miracle that Ollie’s foster family helped him make it through. But now he’s about 6 months old, and is one of the most inquisitive, happy, intelligent cats I’ve ever met! He comes when you call his name, and will do just about anything for a treat (including, I learned, let his parents put a harness on him so we could go outside). Today, Frank & Ollie live happily in central San Diego, doing their best impression of Milo & Otis. :)

And I have to admit, I was impressed with how these brothers get along – their parents definitely made the right move in adopting them both at around the same time, so they could grow up together and bond from an early age. Plus, they’re both already so well-trained! Do you know any other 11-week-old puppies who can hold a sit-stay, or toilet-trained 6-month-old kittens? I don’t!! Many first-time pet parents just “wing it” and figure things out as they go, and while that can often work out just fine, Frank & Ollie’s parents have taken the opposite approach, and have invested plenty of time educating themselves on all the best things they can do for their new animals. It really shows; these two are already such happy, confident kiddos. They have the cutest little friendship, and I really loved photographing them both!

 

This, of course, is Frank! With the biggest little head tilt I’ve ever seen. Come on, can you even stand how cute he is?!

pup head tilt

 

Ollie the cat is a gorgeous little kitten; I already know he’s going to grow up into a strikingly handsome orange tabby!

orange tabby kitten

 

We also visited a place in San Diego that most animals aren’t allowed to see… I’ll keep the location quiet since we only got in thanks to their dad’s work. But let’s just say it was somewhere I never thought I’d get to experience the inside of! (Yes, that’s a remnant of a plant on Frank’s face… something tells me he was “sampling” his surroundings!)

put puppy photo

 

Ollie, on the other hand, used the outing as an opportunity to keep a lookout for small animals & anything else to chase, smell and/or play with.

orange cat photo

 

 

Rachel & Mike, thank you so much for introducing me to your new additions! I can’t wait to get together again soon!!

 

Bella, Sidecar & Auggie – Two Australian Labradoodles & a Sphynx Cat!

November 13th, 2018

It’s not very often that I get to work with cats and dogs in the same photo session – and it’s even rarer for them to all visit my studio together! So I was absolutely thrilled to meet Bella, Sidecar & Auggie recently, because they travel as a family! :)

Bella & Sidecar are Australian Labradoodles, and Auggie is a sphynx cat – so cue the extra excitement I had for this photo session, because I absolutely love working with breeds that you simply don’t meet every day! And these animals didn’t disappoint; they all had distinct personalities & unique quirks that became clear during our session… they may all belong to the same family, but they’re each so different!! So let me introduce you to them, one by one…

 

This, of course, is Auggie! He’s a confident young boy, and he loved exploring every square inch of my studio. We convinced him to hang out on the backdrop with a few toys – thank goodness his hunting instinct is so strong, haha! As a result we ended up with a few action photos that I’m pretty excited about, but at the end of the day, some of my favorite portraits we captured are of his calmer moments. He’s absolutely stunning!!

sphynx cat studio photo

 

Then we visited Old Poway Park! (Auggie came too, but he preferred to hang out in his carrier while we explored the park.) This is Bella, the more confident of the two Australian Labradoodles. She was camera-ready within minutes of starting our session, and I simply loved all the unique expressions she sent my way! She’s a cute little lovebug and the camera absolutely loved her (I did too, let’s be honest).

australian labradoodle photo

 

And this is Sidecar, Bella’s brother! Unlike his siblings, he made sure that we took our sweet time when it came to his solo portraits… the camera was NOT his favorite thing. (And by “not his favorite thing” I mean he was terrified of it.) Regardless, I have a few tricks up my sleeve – so I was thrilled when Sidecar eventually relaxed and revealed his happy smile!

australian labradoodle picture

 

Brother and sister. They’re so adorable.

Australian Labradoodles

 

Jinhee, thank you so much for introducing me to your family! I’m so excited to get together again soon & show you the rest of our images!!

 

Tillie the Golden Retriever, at the Park in San Diego

October 31st, 2018

New plan:

  1. Invent a cloning machine.
  2. Clone Tillie.
  3. Photograph her every day.

Sounds like a great plan to me! ;)

Tille the 1-year-old red golden retriever is an absolute sweetheart, a mama’s girl and a dream to photograph. Like any good golden, she loves her parents, her tennis ball and treats – and happily enjoyed plenty of all 3 “rewards” during our photo session! We started at San Dieguito County Park in Del Mar, where fetch was first on Tillie’s list. And Tillie doesn’t play fetch like most other dogs: she brings the ball back about halfway to the person who threw it. Not the whole way – so fetch is truly a “team sport”, haha! We even decided to take her off-leash as we played, to really allow her to let loose and run with abandon… and she was mostly a good girl with her newfound freedom! Although the park was a big & interesting place, her attachment to her parents (and also maybe her love of treats) brought her back to us every time. Good girl, Tillie. We spent the rest of the sun-drenched afternoon in the grass, relaxing and snuggling, and Tillie posed like a total pro. (Was she a model in a past life?)

 

She loves fetch!

red golden retriever playing fetch

 

I’m absolutely loving the backlighting on her coat… I know that’s a nerdy photographer thing to say, but I think it lights her up like a full-body halo! So pretty!

red golden retriever sitting

 

I think a smile is her natural, resting expression. Even when we ask her to sit in weird, thick succulent-esque bushes.

happy red golden retriever

 

We eventually headed to a different park for a completely different look – Old Poway Park has railroad cars, old wooden doorways and all kinds of fun things to explore. Tillie hopped right up on this rock and took in the view, as if she was princess of the park!

red golden retriever

 

Nicole & Jerad, thank you for introducing me to your sweet girl! I can’t wait to show you the rest of our portraits soon – Tillie did a great job! :)

 

 

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