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Here’s just a quick post since I’m out of town (in Portland, Oregon) on a “working vacation”… these pups should look familiar! I suppose you could call this an extended Sneak Peek since their mom has to be so patient before she can see the rest. Enjoy, Lori!
The semi-miraculous group shot!
See you soon after I get back, Lori!
These two dogs, although they look similar, couldn’t be more different! Bally and Cuda are sisters (recently-made big sisters to a little two-legger!) and live in Pensacola. Cuda is the older one at 4 (and I think she thinks she’s wiser, as well) and is a black labrador mix. She’s a bit smaller than most labs, and something in her face makes me think she could be a hound mix too… but she’s a low-maintenance, simple dog that just does her own thing. Bally, on the other hand, is 2 and still has a TON of puppy in her! She has tons of energy and is always ready to be the center of attention! I kept laughing when we were working with them, because despite Bally wanting to romp all over the house, she was a bit easier to work with than Cuda: Bally responds to commands very well (I hear she’s doing great in obedience class over at Best Paw Forward!) and will do anything for a treat. And so, counter-intuitively, even though her parents joke about Cuda being the “easy” dog and so calm, especially around the new baby, Cuda definitely has an independent spirit. She wanted to do exactly what she wanted to do, and while we were able to coax her with treats some of the time, it mostly took patience on my end to let Cuda come around to working for the camera. They were a fascinating duo to work with, and while I think my technical skills get a little better with each session, this one was definitely a “push” for me! :)
Bally is on the left, and Cuda is on the right… see what I mean about their different personalities?
We managed to get a few posed photos of the girls together! I like this one :)
I hope you enjoyed your Sneak Peek, Sally & Jackie! I’ll be in touch soon!
Photography sessions can be meaningful for many different reasons. Sometimes I photograph older dogs, who don’t have much time left, but their parents request sessions to have those last photos they can treasure for years after they’re gone. Sometimes I photograph dogs together with their human children siblings, and I love seeing the bond between best friends; what’s cuter than a boy and his dog? Sometimes dogs help us through hard times in our lives – deaths of friends and family members, divorce, natural disasters – and I feel so privileged that my clients have shared their stories with me, and I get to play a small part in helping them commemorate how special and important their dogs are in their lives.
My most recent session, however, is special in a different way. The dogs I photographed are young (Sanders is one and Florence is just eight weeks old), but their mom won’t get to see them grow old. And maybe I shouldn’t even call Elisa their mom; she’s training them for a life of service for someone else in need. She is a volunteer with CCI (Canine Companions for Independence), a non-profit organization that prepares dogs to live with and work for people with disabilities. Check out this video (and try not to cry!) to see the story of a wounded soldier named Jeffrey Adams, who is now independent and happy with the companionship of his CCI dog. The work that these trainers like Elisa do is nothing short of staggering; their hearts are so big to live with and train puppies, and eventually give them up to someone who needs them… I can’t hardly imagine doing what they do. Sanders is over one year old, so she’ll be heading into her final evaluation/graduation soon. Florence, on the other hand, still has a lot to learn! But they both have a long road ahead of them.
I’m not through with all the photos of Sanders & Florence yet, but here’s a Sneak Peek of just a few. Remember to like my Facebook page to see more of these two – because these dogs are so gorgeous (Elisa requested the black-on-black look, and I’m loving it!) that I’m sure I won’t be able to resist posting more photos of them soon!
I thought Florence seemed like a pretty calm puppy… then again, I only saw her for an hour! But she’s definitely a sweetheart.
Sanders (left) definitely knows how to pose!
The photo on the right features the dogs in their capes. Sanders knows that when she’s wearing this, she’s working. Florence – well, she’ll know that one day! For now, let’s hope she grows into her too-big cape soon! :) I love their expressions in that photo, though: to me, Sanders looks ready to be off on the next stage of her life, and Florence looks ready to learn and be of service one day.
Oh, and just for fun: this photo made quite a splash on Facebook! My caption: “Under the cover of darkness, puppy Florence plots an attack on older sis Sanders…” hee hee! Can you think of another (better) caption?? Post it here in the comments or on Facebook!
The work these dogs do is just incredible, and I’m honored to have met them and Elisa. I’ll be posting more photos soon; thanks for visiting and stay tuned!
You think your dog’s ball-obsessed? Think again. Bella pretty much owns that title. She’s a three-year-old affenpinscher mix, lives in Gulf Breeze, and will probably never have enough of those colorful miniature squeaky tennis balls. We played at her house for a while the other night, and I think she always kept an eye on her prized possessions throughout our session. What’s the only thing that can come between Bella and her balls? Her mom, of course! I loved watching Bella and her mother Kaye play together – it’s so clear how much they mean to each other!
Without further ado… here’s Bella!
We played at Bella’s front door for a while… I took these images a split second before Bella dashed outside to be with mom again!
Oh that face.
Kaye and Sarah, I hope you enjoy this Sneak Peek! I can’t wait to see you and Bella again soon!
Usually for Sneak Peeks, I try and choose a few of my favorite images from a quick browse through all the photos from a session. I usually settle on three or four pretty quickly; I’m a relatively decisive person (don’t know how I could be in this business otherwise!) and most times, my clients end up loving their Sneak Peek photos most of all!
This time is different. I was honored to spend a fabulous afternoon with Elaine and her pup Daly, and let me tell you what, I am having the hardest time picking any favorite photos! I’ve gone through her images so many times and my usual decisiveness has gone out the window. So here is a truly random assortment from our session! I still think they’re pretty cute :) Enjoy!
Daly’s story is so interesting: her mom rescued her from a big litter of puppies in New Orleans about eight months ago, and it turns out, one of Daly’s biological siblings came to live in Gulf Breeze too! She’s named Lizzie and looks much more like a labrador than Daly (they have a labrador mother, which I’d never guess just by looking at Daly)… but, together, you can’t hardly tell what either of them look like because they’re just one big blur of dog! It was sooooo funny to see them play together!
Elaine, I absolutely cannot wait to see you & Daly again. But first I have the monstrous task of picking the best photos out of your gallery – something I’m equally excited and terrified to do! Haha thanks for showing me such a fabulous afternoon, and I’ll be in touch soon!