Ace is a golden retriever who is simply a wonderful, happy senior boy! He’s 13 years old and an absolute delight. His mom describes him as “a ball of sunshine” and I couldn’t agree more! He’s a friend to everyone and was not shy at all – not even for a second – when we first met at our pre-session consultation. He made a comfy spot right in my lap and I instantly knew we were going to be best friends. And since he’s very social, I had a hunch that he was going to be easy to photograph… turns out, my instincts were right and Ace did not disappoint!

Did I mention that he’s obsessed with his mom? Because it’s true, and it’s completely adorable! They have such a strong bond, if not one of the strongest bonds between a pet and person that I’ve ever seen. They were pretty much attached at the hip! She gushes over him and he reciprocates the best way a dog can, with his body language. Which means that while he does love meeting new people, he makes it clear that mom is his favorite. :)

His mom’s “must have” location spot was the beach – since it’s Ace’s happy place! Now that it’s July we’re finally getting out of that “June gloom” season here in San Diego, thankfully, and it wound up being a beautiful day in Del Mar. Sadly, Ace & his mom are actually about to move out-of-state, so it couldn’t have been more fitting to do a photo session at the beach before they go. I also suggested that we mix it up a bit by going to the park for a bit of variety, and his mom was up for the adventure. We didn’t spend a ton of time at San Dieguito County Park, but Ace loved it there and we ended up with some really unique portraits (that wouldn’t be possible to create at a beach)!

Unfortunately, Ace has not been without his fair share of challenges in his life. He was diagnosed with spinal cancer, and it was quite serious for a while – but he’s now in remission, yay! Cancer is devastating for many golden retrievers and their families… but I’m SO happy that Ace’s story isn’t over. He has many more adventures to come! This happy-go-lucky, fun-seeking, joyful boy made my job easy, and we really enjoyed ourselves during his photo session.

There’s something special about golden sunlight shining on a golden retriever. I can barely handle it.

He brought his whole bandana wardrobe to our photo session… naturally!

Fluffy sand, fluffy dog… I want to jump into this photo, snuggle up and never leave! Haha!

I know he’ll miss the beach, and his mom will too. But he’ll definitely have fun exploring the rivers around their new house!

Thank you, Shannon and Ace, for spending your evening with me! I can’t wait for you to see all the finished portraits very soon!