When I meet someone and mention that I do professional pet photography, they often ask me: what’s the weirdest pet you’ve ever photographed? And I have to disappoint them and admit that I’ve never worked with reptiles, sugar gliders, goats or capybaras. One day, maybe – I would love to! – but my pet photography expertise has just extended to dogs, cats, and a few horses in the past.

Well this week I was able to add another species to that list! I photographed my very first cockatiel! His name is Tuck, and he’s known to his mom (and their neighbors, probably) as the loudest cockatiel in southern California! When we were working with his sister, Maddie the dog, he would sit in his cage, cheeping & chirping & yelling away! Cockatiels can talk, like parrots, but “he talks on his own time,” as his mom says, so I never got to hear him say actual words… but that’s okay, because he was actually a great little poser for my camera!

Isn’t he a cutie? He’s got every shade of grey in those feathers…

And of course, let me introduce you to Tuck’s canine sister, Maddie! She’s a total sweetheart, but unfortunately she’s been in & out of chemotherapy treatments recently, amongst other issues… let’s just say she spends way too much time at the vet. So I was happy to provide this big-eared girl with an afternoon of playtime!

Her mom booked The Great Dane Package, because Miss Maddie deserves to have plenty of time being spoiled as the center of attention. But since she’s older, and moves a bit slower, and grows more tired than most dogs… we decided to split up the session into two meetings. I don’t normally do this, and it certainly wouldn’t make sense for a Beagle Package or even a Dalmatian Package, but Maddie’s age & demeanor called for an exception in this case. Her mom knows her best, of course, and suggested the idea – and I quickly agreed. And it was the right call: as we were wrapping up the first half of our session, Maddie slowed waaaaay down and seemed ready for a nice, long nap. (I can’t blame her, either: it’s a common side effect of photo sessions! haha!)

Maddie was excited to show me this gorgeous little field of flowers in her neighborhood! (I swear, she practically looks like a different dog from each angle!)

Leslie, I had a great time with you & your “kids”! Thank you for patiently answering my constant stream of questions about cockatiels, haha… I can’t wait to have you & Maddie here in the studio soon!

Tags: San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography