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Brandy & Tank: An Unexpected End-of-Life Photo Session

Monday, October 3rd, 2016

I have to be honest: I’ve been putting off writing this blog post for a few days now. Because how do you put words to something that’s every pet owner’s worst nightmare? How do you write about a beautiful old soul that isn’t here anymore?

Brandy was a great little dog, about 13 years old and loyal to her mom to the very end. We originally scheduled our photo session for November – months in advance – because we figured we had plenty of time. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, and Brandy’s mom & I found ourselves scrambling to get together within just a few days of meeting for the first time. We planned on a regular photo session, but I was crushed to have to quickly turn it into an end-of-life photo session. We met at their neighborhood park in Escondido, a lovely, quiet place with plenty of room to carve out a little spot of our own, so Brandy could have some peace & quiet away from the vet’s office. Her mom & dad had taken the day off work, so I photographed them enjoying a bit of family time while it was still possible. Brandy was almost exactly as old as their relationship – to the day, practically – so she meant the world to them. And I hate that she had to go so suddenly… it was only a few days after our session that I got the message. And the news left me heartbroken, but also incredibly thankful I got to meet her.

 

This is Brandy. Ignore the patchy fur and the drugged-up, I-came-straight-from-spending-the-night-at-the-vet-clinic eyes; this is what a fantastic dog and loyal companion with a perfect little soul looks like.

dachshund mix

 

I know her mom is missing her so badly right now… they had such a beautiful relationship.

chihuahua mix photo

 

But also in attendance, and always ready to brighten the mood, Tank came along too! Tank is Brandy’s brother, a min pin/dachshund mix with unlimited amounts of energy and readiness to chase nearby birds. He was happy to help us laugh when we all felt like crying.

min pin mix

 

Alyssa & Devin, it’s been so nice getting to know both of you, and I’m so glad I got to see Brandy one more time. You’re still in my thoughts and prayers. I’ll be in touch soon. <3

 

Photo Session with Rosie the Border Terrier Mix!

Monday, September 5th, 2016

I absolutely loved working with Rosie the border terrier mix! She’s a little sweetheart who simply adores her family, and is happy to perform any trick for a treat! And she knows plenty of tricks, too – Rosie is adept at sit, stay, and she’ll even oblige with a “down” every once in a while. I love working with dogs that have great obedience; it makes the session go soooo much smoother, haha! And for me, it was interesting to see how Rosie interacted with her 10-year-old human brothers (all 3 of them!), compared to how she worked with her dad. With her brothers, it’s all fun & games – she does anything they ask, they give her a treat, and it’s right back to playtime. But with dad, something subtly changes, and Rosie seems to take on the attitude of “I’m on a mission”. I really saw this when we were playing fetch – she does NOT go after that ball casually! It’s a fierce race to grab it! I loved seeing the “business” attitude that she takes on with her dad, in comparison to the silly, carefree play with her brothers. Little Rosie is adaptable & smart, that’s for sure!  :)

 

We started in the studio, and this kind of cuteness just never stopped coming…

border terrier mix dog

 

… and then we headed up to Old Poway Park! I love the rustic feel of the old train cars & railway atmosphere, and I think it works so well with Rosie because of her scruffy fur.

border terrier mix dog

 

Don’t let her pose fool you: Rosie’s not exactly from the “other side of the tracks”. She has an awesome life!

border terrier mix picture

 

Okay, I can’t resist including this photo too! Catch that ball, Rosie! Haha!

border terrier mix jumping

 

Cris, thank you so much for introducing me to your whole family! I had a blast with all of you & can’t wait to get together with you again soon! :)

 

San Diego Photo Session for Arizona Dogs Levi & Toby!

Friday, August 26th, 2016

I am so thrilled to introduce you to two travel-ready dogs, Levi & Toby! This sister-brother duo came out to San Diego with their parents for a quick vacation; they actually live in Phoenix, Arizona! So I was over-the-moon excited when their mom contacted me for a photo session – I thought it was a great idea to capture a few beach portraits while they’re in town! What a fun addition to a vacation – a San Diego photo session for Arizona dogs!

So I had the pleasure of meeting Levi & Toby, two dogs with very different backgrounds & personalities. Levi is a sweet labrador/pit bull mix, who came from an extremely rough upbringing. Let’s just say she’s very lucky to have been rescued by her parents… and when they took her in, they promised her an amazing life to make up for her not-so-amazing puppyhood! And I can tell you for a fact that they’re going above & beyond on their promise to her. Toby, on the other hand, has never known any sort of abuse, since he’s lived with his parents from a super-young age. He’s incredibly cute and has the most unique coloring! He’s only 3 years old and I’m so excited for him to have a fantastic life with his family… some dogs really hit the jackpot.  :)

 

This is Miss Levi! Don’t you love her sweet head tilt?!

san diego photo session for arizona dogs picture

 

And this is Toby! I adore those big fluffy ears.

san diego photo session for arizona dog

 

What’s better than a belly rub in the sunlight?

san diego photo session for arizona dogs

 

And then, of course, we visited the one place they just don’t have in Arizona. The beach.

san diego beach photo session for arizona dogs

 

Shasta, thank you so much for introducing me to your adorable dogs! I can’t wait to get working on the rest of your photos too! :)  Have a great rest of your vacation in San Diego!

 

Quinzel the Mixed Breed Puppy in San Diego, CA (Photos)

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016

I absolutely love it when past clients call me to document their family for a second time – especially when t’s because they’ve added a new pet to the mix! So I was thrilled when I heard that Nyx & Fae have a new puppy sibling!

Quinzel (named after Harley Quinn!) is an adorable mixed breed puppy who’s only about 4 months old. She’s sweet, intelligent and curious – and a total daddy’s girl! With those big ears, different-color eyes and pretty brindle coat, she was pretty much a photographer’s dream to work with. And despite how incredibly traumatic it was to be more than 5 feet away from her sisters at any time, haha, I was so happy to spend plenty of 1-on-1 time with this girl during our photo session. After all, her siblings already have their place on the walls at home – so it’s time for Quinn to have her space too!

 

This is Quinzel, the sweetest little mutt you could meet. Seriously, that mischievous little smile kills me.

mixed breed puppy photo

 

And this is Nyx! If you’ve been following the blog for a while, it’s okay to do a double-take! The last time I photographed Nyx she was a tiny puppy – but she’s all grown up now! Her fluffiness factor has increased by about a million percent, too… she was so much fun to catch up with after all this time! (Well, at least after she finished barking at me, haha!)

mixed breed dog

 

And this is the true model of the family, Fae. She’s a corgi mix (perhaps mixed with with pomeranian? Long-haired chihuahua? Who knows!) and is a natural in front of the camera. Seriously, every time I see this little lady, I’m so impressed with her. Although during this photo session, she decided (as the resident professional) at one point that she was “done” posing! It was so cute to see her simply walk away from treats, the other dogs, etc. once she decided that she’d had enough. You just can’t fake it with dogs, haha!

mixed breed puppy dog

 

Okay, I have to share one more of Quinzel, in her dad’s arms. This dog is seriously too cute.

mixed breed puppy in arms

 

Patrisha & Scott, I feel so honored to have met the newest member of your family! Thank you so much for introducing me to Quinzel – she hit the puppy lottery with you!  :)

 

Sadie & Cali, Chihuahua Mix Puppies!

Monday, August 22nd, 2016

Looking for your daily dose of adorable? You’ve come to the right place.

I am soooo excited to introduce you to Sadie & Cali! These dogs are chihuahua mix puppies living in San Diego, and I can already tell that they have a long, happy life ahead of them… they’re best friends and just too cute together. They wrestle as much as they possibly can – with full bodyslams! – and simply adore their parents. Sadie is 6 months old, and it wasn’t long after adopting her that her parents decided she would benefit from having a furry sibling. So they adopted Cali very recently – she’s only 8 weeks old now! – and I’m so happy for these chihuahua mix puppies to grow up together in such a great little family. Something tells me they’re going to be inseparable as the years go by!

 

This is Cali! At only 2 months old, she didn’t quite get the hang of the “photo session” idea until almost the end of our time together… but that’s okay! She was a fun little challenge to work with, since I rarely get to photograph dogs her age!

chihuahua mix puppies

 

Stop it. Too cute.

chihuahua mix puppies

And this is her “big” sister Sadie! (6 months old and weighing in at just a few pounds isn’t “big” by many standards, but it is in this case, haha!) How cute is her sideways-head-tilt?!

chihuahua mix puppy picture

 

Things got pretty wild in the studio, too…

chihuahua mix puppy

 

Sean & Reanna, thank you for introducing me to your puppies – and for helping wrangle them during our session, too! I’m looking forward to sharing the rest of our photos with you soon! :)

 

 

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