About

Introducing Murphy & Porkchop, the newest “Spokespets” for Tender & True Pet Food!

January 11th, 2018

Are you ready? Are you sitting down?! This announcement is a big one…

I’m incredibly thrilled to share with you that I’ve accomplished one of my biggest goals for my business – and simultaneously, two of my clients’ pets are FAMOUS!

Several months ago, I was contacted by the marketing team at Tender & True Pet Nutrition. They were looking for fresh, new imagery for their new flavor of dog & cat food, and asked if I had any photos that might fit their specifications. (I practically had to stop myself from laughing – with over 7 years of photography sessions under my belt, there are very few image specifications that I can’t meet!) So after sending them a gallery with dozens of photos to pick from, the people at Tender & True made their selections – and I’m incredibly proud to present you with the newest packaging that will be gracing the shelves of pet food stores in just a few months!

 

pet food picture

pet food photo

 

These pet food photos came from real, unscripted photo sessions here in San Diego. Murphy is the gorgeous golden retriever, whose photo I captured during a mini-session (!!) in Balboa Park. (Yes, the ocean was digitally superimposed into the background. It is a salmon-based food after all, haha!) And Porkchop is the Maine coon, whose photo session took place at his house (alongside his feline brother, Applesauce) in northern San Diego. Unfortunately Porkchop isn’t with us anymore, sadly… but regardless, both of their families are thrilled to see their pets immortalized in print!

You can buy Tender & True at Whole Foods Markets, various local pet boutiques (like Howlistic and Buddies & Babes here in San Diego!) and online at chewy.com. And if you’ve never heard of Tender & True before now, check out their gorgeous new website and get a feel for the care & attention to detail that goes into their products. I’m truly proud that my work is helping advertise their food!

And – if I may – I’d like to point out that this proves what I always say: I don’t work with professional models! I bring out the beauty and “inner model” in regular pets that have zero prior training. Neither Murphy nor Applesauce had any previous experience being in front of a camera, besides their parents’ cell phones. And yet look what we created!! We turned newbies into pro models. And that’s why I believe it’s worth hiring a professional – whether you want photos to hang on your walls or to feature on your company’s dog food – because a professional will be able to bring the best out of any pet.

Anyways… back to popping the champagne! :)

 

Rocky the Labrador Mix at Balboa Park (Photos)

December 11th, 2017

I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to get together with Rocky the labrador mix at Balboa Park the other day! Repeat clients are SO much fun to work with, and since I already know Rocky’s likes/dislikes/personality we were able to jump right into the session without wasting any time. So it was no surprise when, just like in his last session, Rocky posed like a total pro. He’d do anything for his mom – and the laser light she carries around for him! (Yes, I said laser light – maybe Rocky is part labrador, part cat?!)

So we visited all the most scenic parts of Balboa Park for our session – the gardens, the lily pond, the theater, and even the Spanish Village. And we have some gorgeous images as a result!! I’m excited to share these with you, and even more excited to share the rest of the photos with Rocky’s mom!

 

In-between greeting his many admirers, Rocky posed for a few photos near the lily pond… Balboa Park was surprisingly crowded during our session, but he didn’t let the crowds distract him. (Even when a few dozen teenagers came over to “awwwww” at how handsome he is! And I mean, who can blame them, right?!)

labrador mix in balboa park

 

Rocky had a scary visit to the vet recently – I got chills when his mom told me about it. Thankfully, he’s fine now, but for a generally-healthy dog it was a big surprise… because no one likes to be told that their dog needs to spend the night at the vet’s office. But he’s back to his healthy, cheerful self now – thank goodness!!

labrador mix in park

 

Oh Rocky. You’re adorable.

balboa park picture

 

Sara – I still can’t believe December snuck up on us so fast! It was so great to spend time with you & Rocky again – I’ll see you soon! :)

 

Pink, Achilles & Calvin – Pets from La Jolla

November 10th, 2017

Some pets are lucky enough to hit the jackpot in life: they’re adopted by a loving family, have siblings to play with, and have a great place to call home. What more could a dog or cat want, right? I’m happy to report that Pink, Achilles & Calvin have all “won the lottery”, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to them!

These pets all live in beautiful La Jolla with their parents – who are expecting a 2-legged child early next year! So we spent a nice afternoon together in their backyard, and I had a great time getting to know each of the pets’ distinctive personalities.

 

Calvin is thoroughly his dad’s cat. He’s about 7 years old and yes, his green eyes are that stunning in real life, too.

la jolla cat

 

This is Pink! This sweet girl has spent her whole life with her mom, and they’re incredibly closely-bonded. She loves to relax in the grass and sniff around – and she goes absolutely bonkers when you bring out the treats! Her favorite snack is apples… because she’s healthy like that.

dog in la jolla

 

And this gorgeous hunk is Achilles, the goofball of the family. Even after 2 long walks earlier that day, he still had plenty of energy for our session – and we put it all to good use! He’s a sweet boy who came from a not-so-sweet background, so I was especially glad to see that he lucked out and found such a loving family. (Plus, he fits so well into the grey theme that Calvin & Pink started, haha!!)

great dane from la jolla

 

Ashley & Max, thank you so much for introducing me to your family! I’m looking forward to seeing you both again soon! :)

 

Jackie the Poodle Mix – Photos in Old Poway Park

November 3rd, 2017

I’m excited to introduce you to Jackie the poodle mix today – because I think her alter ego is Kelly Clarkson!

That’s right, you heard me. I think the American Idol star is actually Jackie’s idol, because she sings Jackie’s theme song: Miss Independent! If you’re unfamiliar, here are some of the lyrics:

“Miss independent
Miss self-sufficient
Miss unafraid
Miss out of my way

I simply can’t think of a better way to describe Jackie. She spent our session doing exactly what she wanted to do, regardless of what we wanted her to do, haha! It’s not every day that I work with a dog that isn’t motivated by treats or toys, after all. She was perfectly content to wander around Old Poway Park making friends (2-legged and 4-legged) and occasionally chasing the ball or paying attention to a treat, but only when the mood struck her. But we still ended up with plenty of adorable photos – and don’t worry, it’s not like she’s a solitary, antisocial dog: she loves her mom! That much is abundantly clear, to anyone within minutes of meeting them. And it’s no wonder why – turns out, Jackie’s mom was not looking for a dog to adopt the day she found Jackie! But when two paths are meant to cross, they’ll cross, and Jackie changed her mom’s life that day, in a way only a cheeky little poodle mix ever could. (Kelly’s song “You Found Me” comes to mind…) Ever since then, they’ve made each other’s lives immeasurably better, and it was truly an honor to document their beautiful & unique relationship.

 

This is Jackie! With that sweet face, no wonder her mom wasn’t able to resist when they met each other that day!!

poodle mix close-up

 

She was occasionally interested in my tennis ball. I’m so glad I was ready for those brief moments, haha!

poodle mix playing

 

What a cutie pie. Jackie, you make me smile.

poodle mix dog photo

 

Jessica, thank you for braving the insane crowds at Old Poway Park with me! I’m so excited to share the rest of Jackie’s images with you soon! :)

 

Encinitas Photo Session with Connor, Milo & Domino

October 31st, 2017

I’m pretty sure that if I were Connor, Milo & Domino’s parent, I would have rock-hard abs and plenty of wrinkles around my eyes. Why? Because if our session was any indication, these dogs would keep me laughing literally all day long!!

These pups live in San Marcos with their parents, and they’re all incredibly unique: Connor is the long-haired terrier mix who doesn’t look like any dog I’ve ever seen before. Perhaps he’s part spaniel? Or chihuahua? Or… who knows?! He’s a sweet, smart boy and always seems to be completely, contentedly happy. Milo is the amber-colored miniature pinscher mix: he looks tough but couldn’t be more of a softie. (Don’t let the studded collar fool you.) And Domino is the high-strung min pin girl, who “protected” us from every dog who walked by during our session! (Whew – we had a few close calls – thanks for the help Domino, you brave little lady!) Together, they form an adorable troupe of tough-but-sweet teddy bears, and I completely fell in love with them.

Our photo session took place in Encinitas, at the new Encinitas Community Park. The dogs did a great job of focusing on the camera, in between scanning the horizon for other dogs (and treats and toys) of course, and I’m loving the photos from our afternoon together!

 

This is Connor. Clearly, he runs like a total goofball.

encinitas dog running

 

Domino is always on high alert – honestly, I’m not sure if she ever sleeps! It’d be awfully out-of-character.

encinitas photo session example

 

This big smile kills me! Milo, you’re so handsome!

encinitas photo session dog

 

Wright family, thank you for a fun (and hilarious) afternoon at the park! I can’t wait to show you more photos soon!  :)

 

 

All Images Copyright | Blog Theme Created by LJP & SLR Lounge