San Diego Pet Photographer Allison Shamrell ~ The Blog

Cooper the St. Bernard, Riley’s New Puppy Sibling!

April 29th, 2016

Eeeeeeek! I’m so excited to share this cute little fluffer-butt with you!! Are you ready for this blog post to make your day? ;)

You might remember Riley the border collie/husky mix from his session several months ago. I absolutely loved working with him – he’s a gorgeous dog – and I figured he’d never have any competition for the title of “most adorable” member of his family. Turns out, I thought wrong. He has serious competition… because his parents just adopted a St. Bernard puppy.

Cooper is the new puppy in the family, a too-cute-for-words ball of pure fluff! He’s already 40 pounds, at only a few months old, and he’s expected to tip the scales at 130-150 lbs when fully grown. He’ll be BIG – but I’m excited to watch him grow, since his parents are Clients for Life – which means I’ll get to see Cooper on a (somewhat) regular basis! I have a feeling he’s just going to get more & more handsome as he grows up, too… he has the sweetest demeanor, he just wants to snuggle and lay down all the time. He doesn’t run around like crazy, he doesn’t chew on things or bark; he’s just a well-behaved, calm puppy, and I’m pretty sure he spoiled me for working with any more puppies in the future since he was sooooo easygoing! Haha!

This photo is proof that A) Cooper is ridiculously adorable, and B) I have the best job in the world. Seriously.

We spent a lot of time sniffing & exploring. He’s a curious boy, but very content to just “be”, and he’s never far from his parents & brother. Cooper’s just happy to stay close and relax with his family!

Okay, okay, I couldn’t let Cooper have the whole spotlight today! Riley is such a beautiful boy. And he’s taken to being a caring, protective big brother for Cooper – they get along great and I even saw a flash of Riley’s protective instincts during our session when we passed by another dog. These two are going to grow up to be best friends. (Extremely fluffy best friends.)

Oh Cooper. You are too cute for words.

Mackenzie & Jonas, I had a blast at our session! It’s an honor to document your growing family, and I’m so excited to watch your little new puppy get really big! :)

Tags: dogs, park, pet photography, pets, photography, puppy, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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1-Year Anniversary Session with Marlow, the German Shorthaired Pointer

April 27th, 2016

This was a very bittersweet photo session… I was thrilled to see Marlow, the German shorthaired pointer, a year after our last photo session, especially since that session got scheduled in a hurry due to a cancer diagnosis. The fact that he’s still here, happy, and feeling like “himself” is nothing short of miraculous! But unfortunately I can’t add the word “healthy” to that list of how he’s doing… because after surviving brain cancer for the past year, his veterinarian recently found another type of cancer – completely unrelated, in his lymph nodes – and so he’s back on chemotherapy again. Which is the most uncanny, unlucky turn of events I can imagine for this sweet boy.

But don’t worry about Marlow – he’s tough. He has the spirit of a champion, and he’ll be just fine. I know it.

So we made sure to have a fun time for our photo session, and we played around his backyard with his two siblings, Cielow & Darla! All three of them love to play fetch (especially Darla, she takes it to a new level) and it was great to spend the afternoon with these gorgeous, happy dogs.

This is Marlow. The fur around his face is a bit erratic these days – but you know what? I think it’s a wonderful patchwork, a testimony to his struggle and victory. Cancer survivors are beautiful. And this boy is one of the best.

This is Marlow’s younger sibling, Darla, in-between throws of the ball! She’s also a German shorthaired pointer, a few years younger than Marlow, and just as sweet!

This is their husky sibling, Cielow! She’s one of the most easygoing, happy dogs I’ve ever met… the smile on her face is constant!

I can’t help but share this photo too – a fitting “end” to this post? (har har!)

Amanda, thank you so much for another opportunity to work with your gorgeous dogs. We ended up with quite a few photos, haha! :)

Tags: backyard, dogs, german shorthaired pointer, husky, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Ruby the Chihuahua Mix in Del Mar, CA (Photos)

April 19th, 2016

I had the pleasure of meeting the most adorable little chihuahua mix in Del Mar recently! Ruby is a happy little dog from Vista, CA that’s always happy to be with her parents, and I met her on the beaches of Del Mar for our photo session!

Ruby is an 11-year-old chihuahua mix, and good luck guessing her other breed(s) – I personally think she’s part coyote, haha! Her soft, fluffy fur seems to overflow from every angle, and I loved seeing all the different positions her big, pointy, expressive ears could take! She loves the beach, although not for the water – this pup is definitely anti-swimming! Her survival instincts took over every time a wave came near, and she’d rush back up the sand to higher ground. That’s only if her mom didn’t scoop her up first, though – Ruby’s mom always kept a watchful eye on Ruby to make sure she was safe! In fact, some of my favorite images from this session are of the two of them, because they have the most amazing connection together. It was beautiful to watch them interact and make sure each other was happy & content. I’m sure that connection has grown even stronger in the last couple of months, since Ruby was unfortunately diagnosed with Addison’s disease, and has been spending more than her fair share of time at the vet. But she’s feeling great these days – her mom is hoping they’ll have several more years together! – and I was glad we were able to get together for this session so I could see Ruby run around the beach with plenty of energy. (Although, truth be told, Ruby’s not terribly big on running or playing fetch or getting much of a workout. She’d much rather meander around the sand, stay close to her parents and keep a much more relaxed pace! She’s at the beach for leisure, not exercise, haha!)

I just love Ruby’s warm coloring against the cool blues of the beach & sky! She’s such a cutie!

Close to her parents = Ruby’s happy place. Always.

She may be 11 years old, but she can still run down the coastline like a puppy – especially if there are treats involved, haha!

Brooke & JB, thank you so much for introducing me to your adorable little girl. I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon! :)

Tags: beach, chihuahua, Del Mar, dogs, mixed breed, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Disco & Rambo, Chihuahua Mix Dogs from San Diego!

April 6th, 2016

You know you’re in for a fun photo session when the dogs are named Disco and Rambo! Ha!

These adorable chihuahua mix dogs are from San Diego, and I met them & their mom at Old Poway Park recently! It was a great location for a photo session, since there was plenty of lush green grass and room to run around, not to mention train tracks and flowers too – but I can’t take any credit for deciding to go there! It was totally their mom’s idea, and I’m SO glad she suggested it! The dogs loved exploring the grassy areas (they loved it a bit too much, haha – after a bit of freedom we decided that leashes might be necessary!) but they were happiest in their mom’s arms… they’re absolutely devoted to her, which was really touching to see. They’re a happy little family and I was thrilled to document their personalities!

This is Disco, and he’s outgoing & confident, always ready for the next challenge. He’s incredibly smart and has something to “say” to everyone that walks by – and honestly, he was fantastic to work with! I mean, those ears? Are you kidding me?!

This is Rambo, and unlike his namesake, he’s a timid little guy who’s not quite as outgoing as his brother. But he follows Disco’s lead in pretty much everything, and I found it really enjoyable to see their relationship – because Disco’s presence gives Rambo so much confidence! He really comes out of his shell when he’s with his brother and feels comfortable, and it was pretty adorable to see.

Seriously, this trio – they’re all gorgeous! And these pups are so cute together! :)

Veronica, thank you for a lovely afternoon! I’m excited to see you again soon & show you the rest of our images! :)

Tags: chihuahua, dogs, park, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Engagement Photos with Dogs Hera & Hades

March 28th, 2016

Oh my goodness – I had a simply amazing photo session recently! Maybe you’ve seen engagement photos with dogs before, but I was honored & thrilled to help this family announce their upcoming wedding, and I’m simply loving how the images are turning out!

But first, let’s back up: I knew I would get along with these pups and their parents as soon as I learned their names! Hera & Hades are named for the Greek mythological figures, Hera the queen of the gods and Hades the god of the underworld. Since I was a literature major in college, I immediately knew I would love these dogs, haha! And shockingly true to her namesake, Hera is an older, calmer dog than her little brother – and she gets a bit jealous whenever someone gives him more attention than her! And Hades is a wild child with fur that’s black as the night sky, and he has an unmistakable devilish personality! Honestly, their parents could not have picked better names. I am seriously impressed!

And unsurprisingly, Hera & Hades were a blast to work with! They cover the entire personality spectrum, so at times it was challenging to balance Hera’s sweet, well-behaved disposition with Hades’ insatiable appetite for trouble… but it made for some fun-filled images and an awesome afternoon! :)

Hera & Hades wanted to help announce their parents’ upcoming wedding! I’m pretty sure they couldn’t be any cuter.

We ran around the beach until everyone was exhausted… wait, scratch that, Hades never gets tired! This boy is a firecracker full of energy, and I loved capturing his incredible spirit!

Hera was much more willing to pose nicely for a few photos… she’s such a beautiful girl, and a total sweetheart too!

McKenzie & Tony, thank you for introducing me to your fun-loving pups! I’m excited to show you the rest of our images soon! :)

Tags: beach, dogs, labrador, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Cooper the St. Bernard, Riley’s New Puppy Sibling!

1-Year Anniversary Session with Marlow, the German Shorthaired Pointer

Ruby the Chihuahua Mix in Del Mar, CA (Photos)

Disco & Rambo, Chihuahua Mix Dogs from San Diego!

Engagement Photos with Dogs Hera & Hades

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