Can I be totally honest? I really love working with athletic, strong, active dogs. Photographing a dog as he or she runs, jumps, swims, and does anything active is SO much fun for me. (Probably because I started my photography career shooting sports!) And even though English bulldogs don’t run, jump or swim, for some reason I inexplicably have just as much fun with their photo sessions as I would with the most athletic dog out there! There’s just something about the way they look at you, with their smushy faces, long wet tongues and sweet droopy eyes that makes you think to yourself, these pups must be the comedians of the dog world. And indeed, Candice the English bulldog had us laughing for her entire session! She would happily walk (and sometimes trot) from place to place, grinning up at us as she munched on treats & Doritos. (yes, Doritos!) And it occurred to me: I think I like to photograph active dogs being active because it’s what they do best. When dogs are in their element, in their happy place, that’s what I want to capture. So whether it’s a labrador running through the surf, a chihuahua nestled in her mother’s arms, or an English bulldog chowing down on a snack intended for humans, I guess I realized that they all spread joy in their unique ways. And letting a dog be who he or she is, naturally – that’s what’s so much fun to capture!

So as you can imagine, I had a phenomenal photo session with Candice the English bulldog! We started in the studio, but since her parents have moved around the country quite a bit due to her dad’s service in the Coast Guard, we found some quintessentially “San Diego” backdrops as well… and it was simply perfect, until the marine layer came in & thwarted some of our plans! So we had to rearrange our schedules to get together again soon to finish the rest of our session, which was a bummer in the moment… but secretly I’m kinda thrilled that I get to sneak in some extra Candice time! :)

Here’s sweet Candice doing her epic head tilt in the studio!

How could you resist giving that face all the Doritos she wants??

And this – oh my goodness, I think this might be my new favorite photo!!

Finally, we stopped at the Coast Guard station for a few extra-special exclusive photos! Candice helps her dad keep watch sometimes, so she showed me around the hangar with all the confidence of an admiral. It was so funny to see!

Brandis & Brandon – I had a great time with both of you! I’m looking forward to “take two” next week! :)