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…

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

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!

Such a pretty girl.

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! :)