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Riley the Border Collie / Husky Mix, in San Diego!

October 18th, 2015

Let’s be honest: I work with a lot of beautiful dogs. I get to meet big, handsome, regal dogs, as well as cute little puppies – I suppose I’m spoiled that way! And while I’ve never met a dog that I would consider “ugly”, I’ll admit that some dogs are just a little bit more good-looking than others… and Riley is definitely one of those extra-gorgeous pups!

Riley is a border collie & husky mix, an interesting combination of breeds that came together in a stunning way. His coat is a fascinating mix of black & white, and while the border collie is obvious on his handsome, narrow face, Riley’s fluffy tail is 100% husky! All in all, he’s a beautiful boy, and his parents have gotten so many compliments from strangers that it’s now a regular occurrence for them to hear people say “what a cute dog” anywhere around town! And fittingly, Riley’s personality is just as beautiful: he’s a happy, content pup who absolutely loves to be around his parents. He always wants to be on the move, from one place to another, but he never ends up exploring very far away from his mom & dad. I loved working with him (despite the fact that he totally snubbed my treats!), and the opinionated way in which he told us exactly what he wanted to do kept me laughing for our entire session!

 

We started our photo session on the white studio backdrop! I love how his features pop out in this setting!

border collie mix studio

 

After a while, we switched to the gray backdrop, but Riley soon decided he was ready to head to our next location…

cute border collie mix

 

… the park! I love the contrast of his black & white fur against the rich, warm colors of Presidio Park!

border collie mix dog

 

And I’ll share another photo with you, just because it made quite a splash on the Facebook page! I posted a quick iPhone photo of the back of my camera, right after our photo session ended, since I knew this would be an epic photo when I took it! Here’s the edited version (where you can actually see Riley’s face, haha!)

border collie mix beach

 

Mackenzie & Jonas, thank you for introducing me to your sweet boy! I’m so excited to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)

 

Savannah the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel turns 2!

October 16th, 2015

I am so excited to share this photo session with you! I got to catch up with a dog that I first met a whole year ago, for her first birthday… so it was only fitting that we celebrated her second birthday, too! Some of you might remember Savannah, the adorable little Cavalier King Charles spaniel… honestly, how could you forget her in that cute little party hat? So for this session, her parents wanted to visit a new location: Coronado! We had a great time playing & posing on the grass & boardwalk in front of the Hotel Del, and I really enjoyed catching up with them all. Savannah was definitely fluffier and a little bit bigger than I remembered, but otherwise, she’s the same happy-go-lucky, curious little pup! Seriously, I don’t think she could possibly be any cuter… and I think her sit-stay has improved since last year, too, haha! (The things a photographer notices…!)

 

What would a photo session on Coronado be without an image of the iconic Hotel Del? I love the way its red roof coordinates with Savannah’s red fur!

Cavalier King Charles spaniel Coronado

 

I wanted to document how Savannah is growing & changing… and this was a rare moment in which her little legs weren’t running between mom & dad! This girl is crazy about her parents… she wants to be right next to them both, at all times!

Cavalier King Charles spaniel

 

Savannah’s mom brought some amazing accessories to mark the occasion!

cute cavalier dog

 

… Savannah, however, wanted to keep her age a secret from everyone… as all proper ladies do! ;)

cute Cavalier King Charles spaniel

 

Ali & Brian, it was so nice to work with you again! Thank you so much for such a lovely afternoon! I’m excited to show you the rest of our photos soon (and figure out how to display them alongside the photos you have from last time)!  :)

 

3ee the San Diego Belgian Malinois!

October 7th, 2015

No, that’s not a typo – 3ee (pronounced “three”, just like the number) is the name of this gorgeous San Diego Belgian Malinois dog! This gorgeous girl is five years old, and her dad rescued her several years ago… since then, she’s grown to be his greatest friend and defender!

3ee is definitely protective of her dad, but at her heart, she’s an explorer. She absolutely loves getting out into the great wide open – and I was so impressed at how responsive she was to her dad’s calls & commands! It was clear how much she was enjoying herself at Mission Trails Park, sniffing everywhere and always looking for the opportunity to chase a small animal – but every time her dad said “hey!” her head would immediately spin around and she’d change direction, ready to go wherever he wanted her to be. It was amazing to witness their connection; I just love working with dogs who are so in-tune with their owners! :)

 

We started our photo session at Mission Trails Park – a part of the park I’d never been to before! – and hiked in & out of the brush, discovering the scenery as we went along. And the views certainly didn’t disappoint!

san diego belgian malinois

 

Then we headed to a greener park with plenty of soft grass to relax in… but don’t worry, 3ee still kept an eye out for any pesky squirrels… just in case. :)

belgian malinois san diego

 

And then it was time for 3ee’s first trip to the beach! Turns out, she ended up loving the water! And although she had to be coerced in for the first time, I was really impressed at how courageous she is; she spent the rest of our session confidently wading in & out of the shore. This dog is nearly fearless!

San Diego Belgian Malinois

 

Craig, I had a great time with both of you! Thanks again for introducing me to such fantastic locations. I’m really looking forward to showing you the rest of our photos soon! :)

 

Taylor the Schnauzer, in the Studio!

September 30th, 2015

Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of the happiest and most easygoing dogs I’ve ever met! Taylor the schnauzer is only two years old, but she has a sense of calm wisdom about her that I can’t help but admire – she just loves to be around her family, and wears a permanent smile on her face no matter what! You get the sense that this dog has seen it all, and she knows exactly how good life is when she’s in her owner’s lap… and in many ways, this dog really has seen it all! She’s a grand champion show dog! Taylor spent much of her life winning awards & accolades in the show ring, but now she’s retired (at the ripe old age of two!) and enjoying plenty of family time. And she’s brought so much joy to her owners… truthfully, I don’t know if Taylor knows how lucky she is, but I think she has a pretty amazing life! :)

 

This is Miss Taylor! (In one of the rare “down-stay” moments of our entire session!)

san diego schnauzer

 

And THIS is the other side of Taylor’s personality! Happy & comfortable everywhere!

schnauzer san diego

 

We also took a few photos on the gray backdrop… I don’t know about you, but I love how she looks on both gray and white!

schnauzer san diego

 

Judi & Flo, thank you so much for a lovely photo session with your darling girl! I’m looking forward to showing you the rest of our photos very soon!

 

Oscar the Black Lab from La Jolla, CA

September 28th, 2015

To be completely honest with you, I didn’t know I’d be photographing this session until 48 hours before it happened. And while I love squeezing in sessions on sunny days, especially with a happy & handsome black lab like Oscar… it wasn’t exactly fun & spontaneity that took us to Marine Street Beach the other night.

Joining a dog and his family for what could be that dog’s very last trip to the beach is, well… there are a lot of mixed emotions. It was absolutely joyful to see Oscar jog (well, totter might be a better word!) down the beach and through the waves, especially when I knew he’d had trouble standing and walking in the days beforehand. He had a big grin on his face the entire time – I can’t even begin to imagine how good the sand felt in his paws & fur. He even tried to dig a few holes! It was as if the myeloma wasn’t even there.

Oscar’s family doesn’t know how much time they have left together… it could be months, weeks, or days… so I was absolutely honored to join them for a sunset trip to the beach, where they knew Oscar would be happy. I hope you’ll join me in sending happy thoughts & healing prayers their way… Oscar certainly deserves a much longer life, because I can tell he has a LOT more love to give.

 

This is sweet, handsome Oscar – isn’t he a gorgeous black lab?!

cute black lab

 

His sisters love him so much – I really enjoyed watching them interact together. Oscar is so patient & happy to be around them!

black lab with family

 

No, you’re not seeing double – this is Oscar with his 2-year-old brother Bruce, also a black lab. (Who apparently had never gone swimming before last year, but this was one of the few photos of Bruce on dry land, haha!)

black lab dogs

 

Sarah & Paul, I’m so glad you reached out to me. I’ll be thinking of you & Oscar over the next several days and weeks, I’m sure. Looking forward to going through the rest of our photos with you soon!

 

 

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