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Tag: ‘pet photography’



Del Mar Beach Photo Session: Jilli the Golden Retriever Mix!

Thursday, September 4th, 2014

I enjoyed a lovely Del Mar beach photo session with Jilli and her family recently! Jilli is a golden retriever/Australian shepherd mixed breed dog that lives in Santee, whom I met months ago at the Navy Woof Walk. We finally had the chance to get together for a custom photo session – and we picked a gorgeous night to visit the Del Mar beach! The sun was shining and the temperature was moderate, not too hot and not too cold… I couldn’t have asked for a better evening!

Jilli’s dad is in the Coast Guard, and he’s out of town on assignment rather often. So as a result, whenever he is in town, Jilli always wants to see her parents together – and she gets anxious anytime her dad leaves out of sight, even if it’s just for a few minutes! (We had a joyous reunion when he came back from getting a forgotten toy from the car!) I thought that was so cute; she really loves her family and wants to see her parents together & happy. She’s a total sweetheart!

 

We actually started our session at Powerhouse Park, a small grassy area next to the beach. I love this spot because it gives us a park-like setting & feel, but the beach is just a few yards away! Super convenient, if you ask me!

del mar dog photo shoot

 

 We played an intense game of fetch…

del mar dog photo session

 

 And of course, we made our way down to the coast – and as soon as her paws hit the sand Jilli promptly decided to rush into the ocean! So as a result we don’t have any “dry” pictures in this setting… but hey, how many dogs actually stay dry once they get to the beach? :)

del mar beach photo session

 

 

Kerry & Darnell, I had an absolutely wonderful time with you three! I’m excited to keep working on Jilli’s photos – we have so many cute ones! :)

 

Birthday Giveaway!

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014

It’s that time of year again! Yahoo!

My birthday is September 3rd, and ever since I started my business, I’ve made it a tradition to give away a photo session every year to celebrate! The only catch: the recipient pet has to be a certain breed! 

In 2012, I gave away a session to a Bernese Mountain Dog, Juno. (Juno also brought her sisters, a labrador and a golden retriever, along for the session!) In 2013, I had just moved to San Diego and offered a session to a very rare breed of dog, the Afghan hound. Apparently it was too soon & too rare, because I didn’t receive any entries at all… which really surprised me, but hey, I learned what not to do! (aka, move to a new city and make a near-impossible request, haha!)

So this year, I have a new breed on my mind… one that I’ve wanted to photograph for quite a while now. It’s on my “wish list”, so to speak, and now I have the opportunity to ask the universe to make it a reality. (You could say it’s a birthday present to myself!) So… drumroll please… this year’s birthday giveaway “casting call” is for…

A setter! 

I would love to work with a setter – any kind! There are English, Gordon & Irish Setters, all of which are stunningly gorgeous. I just can’t get enough of their long, flowing fur & expressive faces.

dog photo session giveaway  birthday photo session  dog photo giveaway

Images courtesy of: petparent.me, sportingdogsaz.com, dog-names-and-more.com 

 

So do you have a setter? Here’s what to do:

 

~   The owner of the dog should email me at Allison@Allisonshamrell.com with a quick description of the dog, and a photo too (it can be a quick snapshot)

~   Extra credit: include why you’d like to win the session!

~   Send that email by the end of the week (Friday, Sept. 5 @ 5:00 pm)

~   That’s it! I’ll pick a winner by the end of the weekend!

 

 

Don’t have a setter, but want to make sure one lucky family can have a great experience?

~   Share this blog post with your favorite setter owner

~   Or just copy & paste www.allisonshamrellblog.com/birthday-dog-photo-session-giveaway to your Facebook page, to reach even more people!

 

 

(New to this blog, and want to see what all the fuss is about? Click here to see my photography portfolio.)

 

 

I’m so excited to work with a setter and meet a new family… I’m happy to cover the session fee, and I just know we’re going to have a great time! Good luck to all the entrants!  :)

Beach Photos with Sammy the Black Lab

Friday, August 29th, 2014

I was privileged to spend an evening with Sammy, a handsome black labrador, for beach photos recently! We met at Tourmaline Beach, where the surfers were everywhere – and the sunset was absolutely perfect! I couldn’t have asked for a better night for a photo session, and I absolutely loved spending it with a woman & dog that share such a close relationship. Sammy & Janet truly mean the world to each other; you can see it in the way the interact and even in the way they look at each other. To me, witnessing their relationship is absolutely beautiful… I was downright honored to be there to document it.

Sammy, despite the fact that he’s slowed down a bit in the last year or so, had a spectacular time at the beach! He ran around, splashed in the surf, and protected us from all the other dogs walking around (haha). He’s a fun-loving, classic labrador – one of my favorite breeds – so of course I let him play around as much as he wanted.

 

Here’s Sammy! Isn’t that a handsome face?

beach photos dog

 

 

I’m going to break one of my own rules, and post a couple of “people” photos here in a sneak peek… I can’t help it; I just love the energy between these two!

beach photos running

 

 

And this… how could I not share this?

dog beach photos

 

Janet, I had a wonderful time with you & Sammy – and I’ll be in touch very soon! I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos. :)

Pi the San Diego Tabby Cat

Wednesday, August 27th, 2014

Pi, the San Diego tabby cat, is the first pet I photographed since going on vacation earlier this month! I just spent a week and a half in Hawaii, and boy, Pi really put my ability to snap back into the swing of things to the test! You see, he wasn’t so sure what to do when he was suddenly the center of attention for the humans in the room. He’s used to people coming over – and his dad describes him as a relatively social cat – but once the camera & treats came out, he suddenly took off for his hiding place under the bed! So we did our fair share of coaxing  (a small bowl of milk may have been involved), and he slowly decided that being the center of attention wasn’t SO bad. And I’m glad he did – since he’s gorgeous! He has beautiful, orange, tabby cat fur and the most striking yellow eyes… he’s definitely a handsome cat!

 

Oh, and if you recognize Pi – please DON’T say anything to his mom! This session is a surprise for her birthday! :)

 

 I might have interrupted a hunting mood here… he looks like he’s ready to pounce on a mouse!

san diego tabby cat photo

 

 But don’t worry, he likes to relax too. Wasn’t it nice of his parents to choose a rug that complements his coloring?  ;)

tabby cat photo

 

 

 And I couldn’t resist sharing this one with you – I love how snuggled he gets in his dad’s arms!

cat in dad's arms

 

Jeff, thanks for a fun morning with your beautiful cat! I can’t wait to reveal the big surprise with you soon!

 

Pete the Pit Bull in Escondido, CA

Tuesday, July 29th, 2014

I recently had the pleasure of photographing one of the happiest, smiley-est pit bulls I’ve ever met! Pete is a 10-year-old boy who lives in Escondido with his parents, and I simply couldn’t stop smiling during our session because of his big, goofy grin! I think Pete should be the poster dog for pit bull smiles; he even lets it take over his entire face when he runs! (But you’ll have to watch the Facebook page for one of his action photos!)

Pete’s mom is a coworker of Maddie’s mom, and I was thrilled to hear from her because I simply love pitties. And despite his tough-dog bark when I rang the doorbell at his house, he warmed right up and was happy to show me around his favorite spots in the neighborhood… starting with his spot on the couch. And his “spot” isn’t small – it’s half of the sectional! Haha!

 

Here’s Pete’s “serious face”. It’s rare to see, but adorable.

pit bull in black & white

 

 

And then we went outside – running across the grass, basking in the flowers, relaxing with mom & dad, and generally taking it easy. His parents said it was the most activity Pete had seen in a while – and when you’re a 10-year-old homebody, I suppose a photo session is the highlight of your week, haha!

pit bull pictures

 

Pete, thank you for being such a good, happy boy. Angie & Daniel, I can’t wait to see you both again very soon! Just please leave all your Trojan paraphernalia at home, haha! :)

 

 

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