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Brando the Gorgeous German Shepherd

October 12th, 2018

Some days I work with dogs that have no boundaries, no obedience, no manners – and while it’s not exactly ideal, we can still have a great session. Things just tend to move a little slower when dogs don’t have a sense of obedience.

Brando is NOT one of those dogs!!

Brando is probably the most well-trained German shepherd dog that I’ve ever worked with! He’s an accomplished Schutzhund athlete, and if you’re not familiar with the sport, it’s an incredibly involved & complex activity that requires various levels of cognition, skill & self-control. And something tells me Brando is going to be a champion one day – he’s incredible! He did a few Schutzhund tricks for me during our session, and quite frankly, it was downright amazing to see the way he works with his mom. She’s his handler for all his Schutzhund activities and clearly all the tricks and skills they’ve worked on together have helped form a beautiful bond between them. And then – it’s the cutest thing – once he’s done “working” with mom, he switches to playtime mode when he’s with dad! The frisbee comes out and they have a ball playing fetch and letting Brando run around Mission Bay Park. Seeing the strong, unique relationships Brando has with both of his parents was simply awesome!

 

What did I tell you?! Gorgeous.

german shepherd dog

 

We definitely let loose once the frisbee came out!

german shepherd catching frisbee

 

(I’m going to steal Brando. Don’t tell his parents.)

german shepherd

 

 

Linda & Brian, thank you for introducing me to your incredible dog! I had such a great time with all of you! :)

 

Pepper & Angus, a San Diego Poodle & Goldendoodle!

October 5th, 2018

“Are they brother & sister?” “Are they the same age?” Pepper & Angus get all kinds of questions from curious people who see them around town… because maybe at first glance, they appear awfully similar! It’s only once you look a little closer and get to know them that you realize they could hardly be more different.

Pepper is a standard poodle, 10 years old and quite the refined little lady. She crosses her paws when she lays down, generally steers clear of her brother’s silly antics, thrives on her independent spirit, and simply has that stately air of a standard poodle that makes you wonder for the quickest moment: is there a human in there? I’m just not convinced that Pepper sees herself as a dog…!

Angus, on the other hand, is a 3-year-old goldendoodle who suffers from “little brother syndrome” to his core, haha! He’s energetic, cheerful, loves to snuggle and make friends, and is simply a happy-go-lucky boy. He was a joy (if somewhat of a challenge) to photograph, and the cherry on top was his bow tie – almost too much cuteness to handle.

For our session, we started with some classic studio portraits and then headed to Balboa Park for a splash of color!

 

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Angus (left) and Pepper (right)!

photo of two dogs in studio

 

I love Pepper’s sweet smile.

poodle in balboa park

 

Angus wanted to explore every inch of Balboa Park, haha – he’s such a happy pup!

goldendoodle in balboa park

 

I’m so excited to see their parents back in the studio soon to review all of our images – this was just a “sneak peek” at all the cuteness! Thanks for being such good dogs during your session, Pepper & Angus! :)

 

Areli & Ghost, Canine Brothers in the Studio

September 28th, 2018

This was a very special session for me – because I knew this family before they were a family!!

Yep, I met brothers Areli & Ghost and their parents Courtney & Travis in Pensacola, Florida, back when they were stationed there (while Mr. Shamrell was still in flight school). We had a wonderful session together, and longtime blog followers might even remember seeing these gorgeous dogs’ faces back then! What made that first session even more special than I anticipated was the moment when Travis proposed to Courtney! On the beach! It was absolutely beautiful and I was so honored to capture the moment it happened. Fast forward a few years, and honestly I never thought I’d get to work with them again… until I heard from their mom with the happy news that they had been stationed in San Diego! Yay!! Not to mention, there’s another member of the family now – a baby daughter!! Usually when my clients’ families grow, it’s 4 legs at a time, not 2, haha – but we were able to get together for some family portraits with all 5 of these beautiful souls, and even a photo of the two older brothers with their new little sister. What an incredible “full-circle” moment! :)  I’m going to remember this session for a very long time!

 

This is Areli! He’s a Canaan dog, incredibly special to his mama and an all-around good boy. Just look at that handsome smile!

studio portrait of a canaan dog

 

And this gorgeous beast is Ghost, a white German shepherd and goofball to the core. For as stunning as he looks, he’s equally silly. Trust me. ;)

studio picture white german shepherd

 

The last time I saw Ghost, he was about the same size as Areli – but not anymore!! This boy has gotten BIG since he’s not a puppy anymore. he’s fully grown – while Areli has stayed his same handsome, trim self. But I love how they’re still a strikingly-good-looking pair as they were 5 years ago.

two dogs in studio

 

Courtney & Travis, thank you so much for a fun afternoon/reunion, haha! I’m excited to show you the rest of our images soon!

 

Ben & Sofie, Doggie Siblings from Imperial Beach!

September 25th, 2018

I always love photographing dog siblings – mostly because it’s so much fun to see the unique traits in their personalities, despite being brought up in the same environment by the same family. Dogs are just as unique as people, and it really shows when you’re working with a brother & sister!

And this time, I didn’t have to look hard for the differences between siblings Ben & Sofie – because I’m not sure if they could possibly be any more different! Ben is 10, a Bernese Mountain Dog/Aussie mix, and incredibly expressive in every way. Sofie is only a few months old, a Newfoundland puppy, and at this point she pretty much just trundles through life the way most Newfie puppies do, charming everyone in her path. Her personality is still developing, so all I can tell you for now is that she LOVES her brother. Really, really loves him. I’m talking o-b-s-s-e-s-s-e-d. And even though she hasn’t won him over completely yet (despite the way she “walks” him by grabbing his leash as they walk together), she’s winning the hearts of other dogs (like her parents’ parents’ pittie, who adores her right back) and people all over Imperial Beach. Once you see her photos, I think you’ll fall in love with her fluffy little face too! But if I’m being completely honest, despite all the “awwwww”s that come along with a puppy like Sofie, I enjoyed photographing Ben just as much, since he was so wonderfully expressive & opinionated. Not to mention handsome! This pair is definitely a sight to see – and I’m so thrilled I had the chance to work with both of them!

 

This is Sofie – during a rare moment of alertness between attempted naps throughout our session, haha!

puppy sibling in grass

 

Did I mention that Ben is one gorgeous dog?!

cute picture of a sibling dog

 

Together they make the fluffiest pair. And I can’t wait to see how big Sofie’s going to get – these photos are going to be even more priceless as she grows up!

dog siblings silhouette

 

Kate & Brett, thank you for a fun afternoon and for introducing me to your awesome dogs! I can’t wait to see you both again soon!

 

Maple & Daisy at Balboa Park

September 13th, 2018

Maple and Daisy’s parents just moved to San Diego – so I thought it was absolutely perfect that they chose Balboa Park and the beach as the two locations for their photo session!! What could possibly be a better introduction to all the beauty of San Diego, right?! (At least it’s a great start – I’m so excited for them to settle in and discover all the great places around town. Including the dog parks and dog beaches, haha!)

Maple & Daisy are two dogs who absolutely love to have fun. For Maple the Weimaraner mix, that means playing with her parents, exploring new places and generally being a goofball. For Daisy the who-knows-what mix, that means hunting small creatures and playing fetch at the beach! They each have their own preferences & drives, and they were adopted by each of their parents individually, but these sisters somehow fit together so well I would have guessed that they were separated at birth. (If they didn’t look so starkly different or have a multiple-year age gap, that is.) I absolutely loved working with both of them, and I’m pretty sure they had a lot of fun during our session too! And guess what: their mom is an emergency vet, so if playtime ever takes an unexpected turn, they’re already in the best possible hands. How cool is that?

 

This is Maple! She loved seeing the sights at Balboa Park, and was more than willing to jump up on benches/into flowers/wherever I asked her to go! What a good model. (And I loved watching her stretch those long legs as she ran around at the beach!)

balboa park dog picture

 

And this sweet face is Daisy. Don’t let the cuteness fool you though – she’s an absolute BEAST when you show her a tennis ball!

balboa park dog flowers

 

Did I mention that Maple & Daisy’s parents are getting married?!

balboa park picture with dogs

 

Anri & Daniel, I’m so excited to show you the rest of our images soon! Thank you so much for letting me introduce you to two of my favorite places in San Diego! :)

 

 

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