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La Jolla Shores Pet Photography with Bernie the dog!

Saturday, November 26th, 2016

I can’t believe Thanksgiving has already come & gone. It’s finally starting to feel like fall in San Diego – winter, even? – and yet I still get to work with gorgeous dogs like Bernie who are willing to brave the colder temperatures and enjoy a day at the beach!  :)

Bernie’s mom emailed me about a photo session, in which she described Bernie (in all caps) as the BEST DOG EVER! So I knew I was in for a very special photo session before I even met this handsome boy, haha! And true to his mom’s description, Bernie was an absolute dream to work with: a happy, free-spirited dog with a clear & deep connection to his mom, and just a touch of “distinguished gray” starting to show on his face. We started our afternoon at Marian Bear Park, where Bernie had a wonderful time exploring the trails and clearings, and then we headed to one of my favorite spots, Tourmaline Park in La Jolla. But the weather wasn’t on our side – it is November, after all – and after a few minutes of discussion we decided to reschedule the second half of our session. Boo, growl, hiss. But it turned out to be a total blessing in disguise – a silver lining to the clouds, if you will! ;)  Because trying for better weather at sunrise meant that we had the ability to visit one of Bernie’s favorite spots, La Jolla Shores! It’s a place where dogs typically aren’t allowed – so I never thought I’d find myself there for a photo session! But we were out in the early morning, and to my surprise we ran into several other dogs, too, so I knew we weren’t the only ones with a good idea. And since Bernie already knows & loves that beach, it added a little bit of sentimental value to our session in a way I never could have planned… So it all turned out to be absolutely perfect! I’m so glad it was overcast & yucky on the day we originally scheduled our photo session, haha – and I definitely didn’t think I’d ever say that!

 

This is Bernie’s contented smile and slight head tilt. Try not to fall in love.

la jolla shores dog

 

Bernie LOVES the beach! His favorite game is fetch, although he’s not a big fan of bringing the ball back to his mom… so it turns into a game of mutual fetch, as Bernie gets the ball from the ocean and his mom gets it from wherever he drops it! Haha!

la jolla shores pet photography

 

The beach is gorgeous, especially in La Jolla – but it’s a more beautiful sight whenever there’s a happy dog playing in it.

la jolla shores dog photo

 

 

Angela, thank you so much for introducing me to your handsome boy, and for my first La Jolla Shores pet photography session! (And thank you for being so patient to see this “sneak peek”!) I’m looking forward to showing you the rest of our images! :)

 

Tyson the German Shepherd (Photo Session in San Diego)

Friday, October 21st, 2016

I have a soft spot for German shepherds. I’m not entirely sure why, to be honest with you, since I didm’t grow up with one and I’ve never even had one – but they’re some of my favorite subjects to photograph! I think it’s something about their silly, expressive personalities that live in such tough-looking, handsome bodies. They’re guard dogs & goofballs at the same time!

So when I got a call from Tyson’s mom, I was thrilled to learn that I’d be working with a German shepherd – and as she told me about their situation, I realized I wouldn’t have to wait long to meet him. You see, about a month ago, their vet informed them that Tyson only had a month or two left… and he’s only 9 years old. This unexpected news was absolutely heartbreaking to his parents, as you can imagine, and we found a date just a few days later when we could both rearrange our schedules to get together. The good news is that with some alternative therapies, Tyson has been doing really well! I’m so glad they found the best treatment for him, and truthfully, you can’t even tell that he’s sick! (This is the same dog who, years ago, was diagnosed with Lyme disease so severe that he shouldn’t have even been able to stand up – and yet he seemed completely fine! The bloodwork was the only indicator of his sickness, since he was just as energetic & cheerful as usual! Ha!) So Tyson is no stranger to health challenges, but he’s also one of the toughest dogs I’ve ever met, hands down. This dog is a fighter, and I felt so privileged to meet him – because something tells me he’s got plenty of life yet to live.

 

Does this look like a sick dog to you? Nope, didn’t think so, haha! We started our session by playing fetch at the park, since Tyson will do ANYTHING for his tennis ball! (It’s even better than treats!)

german shepherd

 

Oh, that handsome German shepherd smile. Tyson, you are gorgeous.

german shepherd smiling

 

And then we headed to Coronado Beach, one of Tyson’s favorite places to play! We had the beach almost entirely to ourselves, and it was so much fun playing in the surf with this happy boy.

german shepherd beach

 

 

Jessica & Matt, thank you for introducing me to your incredible dog – he’s a champion. I had a great time with all of you! :)

 

Molly & Cody, Goldendoodles from San Diego!

Friday, September 30th, 2016

I had the pleasure of meeting Molly & Cody, two goldendoodles, for their photo session recently! And I knew that Molly would be a dream to work with – I’d met her before, at her dad’s office – and she’s a typical, outgoing, 1-year-old, happy-go-lucky goldendoodle who can make friends with anyone! Cody was just as adorable, but in a distinguished, 12-year-old senior way, haha – and from his appearance I wouldn’t have guessed that he’s a goldendoodle in a hundred years! He looks like a totally different kind of dog, but a very handsome one, of course, so I really enjoyed working with him too.

We started our photo session in the studio, where Molly was happy to explore and play, whereas Cody’s activity of choice was laying down to relax. We headed to Coronado Ferry Landing for a few images with the San Diego skyline, and it was a fun challenge to photograph Molly on a dock, since we had to be careful that she wouldn’t jump straight into the water, haha! And then we skipped over to the beach in front of the Hotel Del Coronado, where the dogs ran & played until the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, leaving us with a brilliant sky. I had such a great time with these happy dogs!

 

This is Molly! Such a sweet girl.

goldendoodles photo

 

Beautiful dog, beautiful city… what more could you want?

goldendoodle san diego

 

And this is Cody! All smiles on the beach.

coronado beach dog photo

 

Instead of sprinting back & forth around the beach like his sister, Cody prefers to go at a slower pace. I love his happy, contented demeanor – such a beautiful old soul.

coronado beach dog

 

 

Paul & Susan, I had a fabulous time with you! Thank you for introducing me to your adorable goldendoodles – I can’t wait to show you the rest of our images soon! :)

 

Maverick the Black Lab at the Del Mar Dog Beach

Tuesday, September 13th, 2016

Some dogs seem to be born graceful. They walk gently and run swiftly; every movement seems carefully & delicately measured, with a deer-like grace and softness.

Maverick is NOT one of those dogs!

I visited the Del Mar dog beach with Maverick the black lab for our photo session, and he ran like a crashing cannonball through the water! His paws pounded the sand as he powered through any oncoming wave (or person, or dog!) and there was simply no stopping his momentum… it was amazing (and hilarious) to see! Maverick has a passion for playing fetch, and it’s all he wanted to do that day. In fact, I was a bit nervous about visiting the Del Mar dog beach, such a popular & busy spot, for our session, since other dogs & people are usually a huge distraction for most pups… but Maverick’s mom assured me that he wouldn’t be interested in anything besides his ball. And she was right! Maverick has a one-track mind when he’s at the beach; it’s all about fetch, and he’s not afraid to go swimming in deep water to get that ball back. In fact, after a few times of dropping the ball for his dad when he was only halfway back to the shore, I asked if he was getting too tired to bring it all the way back – and his dad said nope, he just likes to stay in the water! So he stays out there and waits for his dad to come out to him & throw the ball again! Ha! I had a great time playing at the Del Mar dog beach with Maverick, and I’m so excited to introduce you to him!

 

That big, happy smile is permanently on Maverick’s face when he’s at the beach. And I don’t blame him.

black lab

 

He can move through the waves! Fetch is serious business, he doesn’t waste a second.

black lab san diego

 

That pre-throw look of anticipation…

black lab photo

 

Siobhan & Bob, thanks for a fun morning at the beach! I’m looking forward to sharing the rest of our images with you soon! :)

 

San Diego Photo Session for Arizona Dogs Levi & Toby!

Friday, August 26th, 2016

I am so thrilled to introduce you to two travel-ready dogs, Levi & Toby! This sister-brother duo came out to San Diego with their parents for a quick vacation; they actually live in Phoenix, Arizona! So I was over-the-moon excited when their mom contacted me for a photo session – I thought it was a great idea to capture a few beach portraits while they’re in town! What a fun addition to a vacation – a San Diego photo session for Arizona dogs!

So I had the pleasure of meeting Levi & Toby, two dogs with very different backgrounds & personalities. Levi is a sweet labrador/pit bull mix, who came from an extremely rough upbringing. Let’s just say she’s very lucky to have been rescued by her parents… and when they took her in, they promised her an amazing life to make up for her not-so-amazing puppyhood! And I can tell you for a fact that they’re going above & beyond on their promise to her. Toby, on the other hand, has never known any sort of abuse, since he’s lived with his parents from a super-young age. He’s incredibly cute and has the most unique coloring! He’s only 3 years old and I’m so excited for him to have a fantastic life with his family… some dogs really hit the jackpot.  :)

 

This is Miss Levi! Don’t you love her sweet head tilt?!

san diego photo session for arizona dogs picture

 

And this is Toby! I adore those big fluffy ears.

san diego photo session for arizona dog

 

What’s better than a belly rub in the sunlight?

san diego photo session for arizona dogs

 

And then, of course, we visited the one place they just don’t have in Arizona. The beach.

san diego beach photo session for arizona dogs

 

Shasta, thank you so much for introducing me to your adorable dogs! I can’t wait to get working on the rest of your photos too! :)  Have a great rest of your vacation in San Diego!

 

 

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