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Taylor the Schnauzer, in the Studio!

Wednesday, 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!)

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

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!

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!

Tags: dogs, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography, schnauzer, studio
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Oscar the Black Lab from La Jolla, CA

Monday, 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?!

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

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!)

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!

Tags: beach, dogs, la jolla, labrador, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Moose the Chocolate Lab, in Del Mar

Friday, September 25th, 2015

As excited as I was to meet and work with Moose – after all, his name is “Moose”, how could I not be excited?! – I also wish we didn’t have to get together so soon. I wish I could have chatted with Moose’s parents and explained that my typical waiting list for a photo session is a month or two long. But unfortunately, we didn’t have that luxury – because of a recent diagnosis, I needed to get Moose’s photo session on the books ASAP. Luckily, his mom had the forethought to call me when Moose is still feeling good – and boy, is he feeling good! He’s still a 100%-energy-filled, goofy, happy labrador! As soon as we got to the beach he was practically choking himself to run around – because being on a leash is such a bummer when you have a million things to sniff and people to meet and a whole ocean to play in! ;) So I shared a lovely afternoon with Moose and his parents, playing on the beach in Del Mar. It was so great to see Moose have a great time, in spite of his thinning fur and the other effects of his cancer treatment. I especially loved seeing the relationship Moose has with his dad; those two are incredibly close and there’s no one Moose listens to better. (Even when the temptation to run straight into the water is almost overwhelming.) So I’m happy to share these photos with you, and I hope you’ll take a second to send some prayers and happy thoughts to Moose and his parents.

This is Moose the chocolate lab! Can’t you tell he’s just bursting to jump up & run around?!

See what I mean? The rocket boosters still work! This dog goes crazy for his ball!

And as the sun went down and the last lights of the day lit up the sky, I felt there was nothing more fitting than for Moose to run around, doing whatever he pleased. The old guy deserves so many more trips to the beach… I want him to enjoy them all as much as he possibly can.

Aubrey & Steve, thank you so much for introducing me to your handsome boy. I really enjoyed meeting all three of you – and I’m excited to show you the rest of our photos soon!

Tags: beach, Del Mar, dogs, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Mr. Smith, the Downtown San Diego Mini Poodle!

Saturday, September 19th, 2015

When you think of a urban, downtown-living dog, what comes to mind? I think it should be an image of Mr. Smith! This adorable San Diego mini poodle lives two blocks away from the harbor & Seaport Village, and he absolutely loves living in the center of downtown! He goes out for coffee with his mom, navigates along the city sidewalks, and watches the people walk by from the big windows in his home – he’s basically a pro at the urban lifestyle. And don’t worry, the noise of the nearby train doesn’t bother him – Mr. Smith is deaf, so the hustle & bustle of city life doesn’t keep him up at night!

Although it can be a challenge to work with deaf dogs, it’s still entirely possible to have a successful photo session! Mr. Smith’s parents, of course, know plenty of tricks to get his attention – and I quickly learned just how much he loves treats! (hint: A LOT) So while it was a slightly different photo session than most, it still ended up going really, really well. The most important thing was never how well Mr. Smith could hear what we said; it’s that his parents are head-over-heels in love with this little guy, and wanted to treat him (and themselves!) to a fabulous afternoon, and several images that document their beautiful life together.

We started our photo session in Mr. Smith’s condo, where he’s most comfortable…

I just love the bandana he chose to wear! It complements his carpet so nicely! :)

We also took a short walk around his neighborhood, and down to the harbor…

… where we enjoyed watching the sun set, as Mr. Smith walked along the rock ledge bordering the water!

Thank you, Amanda & Ryan, for a lovely afternoon! I’m so glad everything came together for us! Can’t wait to see you both again soon! :)

Tags: dogs, pet photography, pets, photography, poodle, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Happy Birthday to Me!

Friday, September 4th, 2015

Hello & welcome to September! This is probably my favorite month of the year… because it’s my birthday! :)

Yesterday (September 3rd) was the big day – no I’m not telling you how old I am – and I’m excited to reveal this year’s birthday gift that I’m giving to myself! Haha! That sentence may seem a bit strange to some people, but if you’ve been following the blog for at least a year, then you know that I give myself the gift of a photo session with a dog breed that I’ve never photographed before! I’ve always been absolutely fascinated by the vast diversity of dog breeds out there, and I would love to photograph them all someday… so even though I’m giving away a full photo session experience – a $175 value – to a stranger, it turns out to be a gift for me just as much as it is for them! A win-win, if I’ve ever seen one! :)

So this year’s breed is… drumroll please…

The Dalmatian!

(This image is the property of Bunk Blog – http://bunkblog.net/dog-information/shedding/dalmatians-shed)

(This image is the property of Dalmatian Care & Training – http://dalmatiancare.blogspot.com/2009/11/dalmatian-training-tips-and-tricks.html)

(Okay, technically, I have photographed a Dalmatian before… but it was back in 2010, when I was just barely starting my business and portfolio-building (and truthfully, back then, I had very little idea what I was doing at all)! So I’ve decided that little 2010 session doesn’t count, and I’d like to photograph a Dalmatian this fall! Can you believe I haven’t worked with one since then?!)

So how am I going to give myself this gift? How do I find this lucky Dalmatian & its owners? Well, that’s where I need your help! If you know a local San Diegan who owns a Dalmatian, send this blog post their way! Spread the word! They could end up winning a free photo session, and you’ll be the friend to whom they owe a big favor, haha!

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If you’re here because you have a Dalmatian (or two, or three!) and you’d like to be considered to win the free photo session, here’s all you need to do:

1. Send an email to me, allison@allisonshamrell.com.

2. Include at least one photo of your dog(s). (Don’t worry about the quality/composition; snapshots are totally fine.)

3. Tell me why you’d like to win the photo session!

That’s it! Pretty easy!

I’ll be accepting submissions NOW through Friday, September 11th at midnight – so you just have one week! If I were you, I’d send your email ASAP!

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Of course, feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions; I would love to hear from you. And who knows – by the time all the entries come in, I just might end up choosing a couple of runner-up prizes! :)

Thanks so much, everyone! And happy birthday to me us! :)

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