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Alika the Golden Retriever, Playing Fetch at the Beach!

Wednesday, September 13th, 2017

After about 5 minutes of throwing the tennis ball halfway down the beach for Alika to fetch, during our photo session, I got up and jogged over to his mom, MJ. I wanted to ask her if that was too much enough physical activity for him – after all, I didn’t want to completely tucker him out! I was hoping she’d say no, that he has plenty of energy left, and that we could play fetch for hours if we wanted to, running up & down the Del Mar coastline in the glittering blue water and the bright-shining sun. At least, I could have photographed him for hours! But some dogs get too tired after a few rounds of fetch and I wanted to be sensitive to that and conserve his energy for the rest of the session, just in case.

So I asked her – and she laughed, probably resisting the urge to roll her eyes at my question. “He could do this all day long,” she said.

Perfect.

So I had an action-packed photo session with Alika the golden retriever at the beach in Del Mar, and I’m so excited about the images we created together! We had all of his favorite things on hand – a tennis ball, treats, and bubbles – and I’m pretty sure all 3 of us were soaking wet and covered in sand by the end of the afternoon, haha! (But is there any other way to have a photo session at the beach?!)

 

Alika’s favorite game is fetch, and he’s pretty darn good at it, too! Sometimes he takes the “scenic route” back to his mom, haha – but I’m pretty sure chasing a squeaky tennis ball is his idea of heaven.

golden retriever beach photo

 

We gave him a break eventually – although he made it clear that he was ready to get right back out there!

golden retriever at beach

 

It’s a good thing he saved some energy for later – our sunset was drop. dead. gorgeous.

golden retriever dog beach

 

MJ, thank you so much for introducing me to your sweet boy! He’s such a special dog! :)  See you again soon!

 

Cubbie the Golden Retriever Puppy and His (Human) Sister, Brooke! (Photos)

Monday, February 27th, 2017

Sometimes I think about how different photographers are… there’s a lot of diversity in our industry, and I happen to think it’s all for the better. For example: if you ask me to shoot a wedding, I will probably cringe and have nightmares. Weddings are NOT my thing! So I’m glad there are photographers out there who practically eat weddings for breakfast, no big deal. And likewise, if you ask a typical photographer to work with a golden retriever puppy and a 7-year-old girl, I think most of them would have a pretty similar reaction to my feelings about weddings, haha… but me? I was so excited to hear from Brooke & Cubbie’s mom! :)

Cubbie is a brand-new, 3-month-old golden retriever puppy who lives with his family in Tierrasanta. Brooke is his 7-year-old human sister, and I absolutely loved getting to know both of them during our photo session. Cubbie is still learning how to be a good dog (and that his sister’s headbands are not toys), and you can tell that Brooke is quickly learning how to be an awesome big sister. They already have so much fun together – and it won’t be long until they’re the same size, haha! (I think the breeder might have mistaken a mastiff for a golden retriever at some point in Cubbie’s heritage – he’s already huge for his age! He’s going to be one BIG boy!) We had lots of fun playing in their backyard for their photo session, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment of documenting Cubbie’s life with his sweet new family!

 

We started indoors, before getting a bit muddy outside. Just look at that handsome smile!

golden retriever puppy on couch

 

Oh come ON. He’s too cute for words. (Fun fact: he got his name because his dad is a Chicago Cubs fan!)

golden retriever puppy

 

“Whoever said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend never owned a dog.”  – Anonymous

golden retriever puppy and girl

 

Kristin, thank you so much for introducing me to your family! I’ll talk to you again very soon! :)

 

Java the Gorgeous Golden Retriever! (Photos)

Monday, February 6th, 2017

Some dogs are simply blessed with a great personality, a loving family and stunning looks – the trifecta, in my opinion – and Java has truly hit the jackpot.

This handsome golden retriever is a people-loving, easygoing boy that always seems to have a smile on his face. His four favorite things in the world are his parents, his ball and the water – closely followed by every other person he’s ever met! This social boy is so much fun to be around; he had all of laughing throughout his entire session. But as much as he loves to goof around and be the silly center of attention, there’s one thing in life he takes very seriously: his ball. With laser-sharp focus and every sense on alert with each movement of his dad’s throwing arm, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more fetch-obsessed dog! And he bounds after that ball like a kamikaze, totally disregarding any thing (or person) in his path! Haha! It’s amazing to watch, and I think it really reveals Java’s fun-loving spirit & zest for life. Which is actually pretty admirable, in my opinion: why shouldn’t we take playtime a little more seriously? :)

 

This is the handsome Java, waiting (not so) patiently for another throw of the ball.

golden retriever dog

 

Java also has a very important job: his father is a pastor, so Java hangs out in his office to meet the people that his dad comes into contact with! What a wonderful, comforting addition he must make to his church community.

golden retriever dog

 

See what I mean?! He LOVES that ball!

golden retriever

 

Chris & Pam, thank you for introducing me to your incredible dog! I’m looking forward to seeing you both again soon! (and Go Irish!)

 

Rancho Penasquitos Pet Photography Session with Ally & Teddy!

Friday, September 9th, 2016

Usually, when a client says to me, “we can do the whole session in our backyard!” I hate to say it but I’m a little bit skeptical. In San Diego, most backyards aren’t ideal photo session locations – and while there are always exceptions, I always wonder: is there enough room to run around? Are there any trees or flowers for visual interest? Is there any grass, and if so, is it lush & green, or brown & struggling? Honestly, it’s tricky to check off all those boxes. (My own backyard certainly doesn’t!) So when Ally & Teddy’s mom contacted me about their “backyard”, I had all those questions for her – and I was very pleasantly surprised at the answers! Turns out, Ally & Teddy’s house backs up to a massive “green belt” in their neighborhood! We had more room than we knew what to do with, and it was immaculately landscaped too! Gah – I was so thrilled! Especially since they dogs both knew this spot as their “territory”, too – it wasn’t a new location that had to be explored, or a scary/uncertain place. The dogs bounded out onto the grass and immediately knew it was playtime! What a perfect spot.

Ally & Teddy are brother & sister, a sheltie and a golden retriever who happen to be opposites in many ways. Ally is much smaller than Teddy, so instead of trying to compete with him physically, she does it verbally! She loves to bark when she’s happy, excited, jealous… pretty much the whole range of emotions, Ally has something to say, haha! I love her sweet little face and she has gorgeous coloring, too. Teddy, on the other hand, is a happy-go-lucky fetch machine. His coat is a handsome deep red, and I’m pretty sure he’s constantly wondering when you’re going to throw his ball next! They were absolutely wonderful to work with, and I felt like we shared a classic “day-in-the-life” session of playing fetch & relaxing in the grass!

 

This is Teddy, on a mission for that rubber ball…

rancho penasquitos pet pic

 

… he’s got a one-track mind, but he’s also a beautiful dog, don’t you think?

rancho penasquitos pet photography

 

And this is Miss Ally! This was her face as soon as we brought out the turkey; what the ball is for Teddy, treats are for Ally!

rancho penasquitos pet photography session

 

Such a pretty girl.

rancho penasquitos pet photo

 

 

Bonnie & Justin, thank you so much for introducing me to your awesome dogs! I can’t wait to show you the rest of our images soon! :)

 

Madison the Golden Retriever! (San Diego Pet Photography)

Monday, February 1st, 2016

Have you ever met a dog that’s simply BURSTING with joy? I mean happy beyond belief, can’t-even-handle-it joyous, constantly full-body-wiggling due to a never-stop-wagging tail, whose huge smile and relentless cheer can always brighten your day?

That dog is Madison!

I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with this ridiculously happy pup recently, and she kept me smiling the entire time, haha! I love working with happy dogs & happy people, so I was in for a treat when I met up with Madison and her mom Debbie. We had a fabulous time exploring Balboa Park, stopping by Coronado, and finishing up under a dazzling sunset on the beach in La Jolla. I learned that Madison has a hard time staying still – because life is simply too exciting to just stay in one place, haha! Her antics certainly kept me on my toes, but I’m loving the resulting photos… because capturing joy like this may not be the easiest task, but it sure is worth the effort. This gorgeous girl is radiating happiness! (Make sure your screen doesn’t overheat! Haha!)

 

We started our photo session in Balboa Park, and I knew I wanted to find some soft, pretty flowers to frame Madison’s lovely smile! Can’t you just tell that she’s a total sweetheart?

happy golden retriever

 

Turns out, I was able to trick Madison into “posing” for a moment or two… and I’m glad I did! The sun gave her the most amazing halo…

golden retriever balboa park

 

Last but not least, we went to Madison’s favorite place: the beach. Don’t come between Madison and her tennis ball! :)

golden retriever beach

 

Debbie, thank you so much for a fabulous afternoon! I had a great time with both of you, and I’m excited to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)

 

 

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