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Tag: ‘pets’



Free Guide to the Best Dog-Friendly Spots in San Diego!

Thursday, October 26th, 2017

When I first moved here with my husband & our dog, we didn’t know anything about San Diego. I’d never been here before and didn’t know Ocean Beach from Oceanside. I was entirely clueless – so I decided that needed to change! I got outside and started to visit different neighborhoods, find my new favorite restaurants, sample some of the country’s best craft beer, and (of course) find the best places to spoil my Bailey. I found a lot of incredible businesses & places, each of them so uniquely amazing that I found myself wanting to stop by on an embarrassingly-frequent basis.

But what good is that information if I’m hoarding it alllllll to myself?

So I’ve decided to share all my favorite spots with you!

 

san diego guide

 

Yahoo!!! Click on the preview above (or click here) to get my exclusive list of favorites! It’s a compendium of San Diego’s best parks, beaches, breweries, restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops to enjoy with your 4-legged friends (in my opinion, at least). I hope you LOVE them as much as I do, and if this guide inspires a fun outing with your dog, I’d be thrilled to hear about it! (Perhaps post a photo on Instagram and tag @sandiegopetphotographer to let me know?!)

Enjoy the guide – and drop me a line if I left out your favorite place(s), since I’d love to keep on exploring America’s Finest (and Dog-Friendliest) City!  :)

 

Important Dates for the 2017 Holiday Season

Tuesday, October 24th, 2017

This is a funny time of year, isn’t it? As a professional photographer, it’s the time when my schedule fills up quicker than any other season, and I’m looking at December like it’s practically tomorrow. But as a person, I’m thinking, why are we talking about the holidays? It’s still October!

 

But a big part of running a business is planning ahead – and although it’s not something I’m naturally wired to do, it’s essential. And my busy season is the time when having a thoroughly set-out plan saves a lot of headaches and heartaches.

 

So why keep it to myself? I wanted to share a few dates – some are deadlines, eek! – that are coming up in the 2017 holiday season.

 

First of all: photo sessions! My last full-length session of 2017 will be on December 5th. (Any later and my clients wouldn’t have time to send Christmas cards or arrange gifts for their loved ones with the photos.) And at the time of writing this blog post, I have 2 rare openings for sessions, on November 1st and November 30th. (A couple of clients wanted to reschedule their sessions to 2018, which frees up my calendar on their dates for whoever’s quickest to grab them!) Fill out the contact form on my website and I’ll be in touch to plan your photo session!

 

san clemente labrador puppy

This is Greta the puppy, during her recent photo session in San Clemente.

 

 

Next up: Portraits for Pooches fundraisers are happening on November 4/5 and 18/19. These limited-edition, “mini” photo sessions are perfect for getting a taste of my award-winning custom photography experience – and for getting a brag-worthy photo for your Christmas cards! Plus, the proceeds will go to either the San Diego Humane Society or California Labradors, Retrievers & More depending on which weekend you pick. These fundraisers are by appointment only – no walk-ins, sorry – so give me a call at 619.357.6624 to book your time slot!

 

dog photo fundraiser flyer

 

Coming soon: custom holiday cards for my clients will be announced in November, and available until December 10! This is a relatively new concept that I introduced last year, and the response was huge! I was bowled over at how many people wanted me to design & print their Christmas cards in 2016, so I’m happy to provide the same service again this year. If you’re a past client and you don’t want to deal with all the fuss of making your holiday cards from scratch or from a website you don’t know/trust, watch for a forthcoming blog post & email!

 

pet holiday card design

One of the custom card designs!

 

Also for my past clients: all photo product orders must be placed by December 10th. Whether you’re gifting a portrait or an album to a family member or friend, or just picking up that last metal print for yourself (I won’t tell Santa!), get in touch with me by December 10 so I can ensure your present will be sitting under the tree where it belongs. That way you can act surprised when you open your gift to yourself.  ;)

 

pet photography canvases

 

For thoughtful gift-givers: December 14 is the last day to order gift certificates. It’s a Thursday, so don’t wait until the weekend. And I think it kinda goes without saying that your wife/husband/friend/relative would be over-the-moon thrilled to receive a gift that celebrates their relationship with their pet, right?! Can you get more thoughtful?? Nope, didn’t think so.  ;)

 

coronado family photo

 

Lastly: my studio will be closed December 15 and reopen January 15. During that time, I will have limited access to email since I’ll be spending plenty of time with family, so please don’t be surprised if my response is slower than normal. I’ll be recharging after alllllllll the aforementioned fun!

 

goldendoodle puppy butt

 

 

Plus, because I apparently don’t know what it means to “take it easy” or “slow down”, I have a few more surprises cooking up for the rest of the year – so be sure to like the Facebook page and follow me on Instagram for all the fun announcements!

It’s gonna be a great rest of the year! :)

 

More Photos of Casey & Brittany, Golden Retrievers from San Diego

Friday, October 20th, 2017

Two beautiful golden retrievers deserve two “sneak peek” blog posts, right?!

(They do – but truthfully, I wanted to share more portraits of Casey & Brittany because of a few scheduling difficulties that have delayed their parents’ Viewing & Ordering Session. This is my busiest time of year – and my calendar is definitely feeling the crunch! So hopefully these images tide Casey & Brittany’s parents over until they can see the whole session!)

If you saw their previous post, you already know that I visited Balboa Park with Casey & Brittany on a gorgeous fall day. We had a great time playing fetch, exploring the flowers & architecture, and generally being fawned over by every passing person. (Obviously it was the dogs getting fawned over, not me, haha – and you can take one glance at their photos and see why. They’re such beautiful girls! Showstoppers, really.)

 

This is Brittany, posing like a pro.

golden retriever standing

 

And this is Casey, getting cozy with the flowers.

golden retriever with flowers

 

Together, they account for 200% of your suggested daily serving of sweetness.

golden retrievers in archway

 

Thanks for being so patient, Rene & Miles! I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!  :)

 

Mister Mister, the Shepherd Mix from Encinitas

Sunday, October 15th, 2017

Okay, I know I’m not supposed to have “favorites” – but can I be honest? Awesome, wonderful repeat clients with silly, happy dogs are totally my favorites. And that means I simply could not have been more excited for my photo session with Mister Mister and his mom & dad!!

That’s right, his name is Mister Mister. He’s a handsome shepherd mix who lives in Encinitas with his family, and if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you might remember their previous photo session. This time, we decided to let Mister have the spotlight all for himself! He holds a special place in his parents’ hearts, and they wanted a photo session all about him & his sweet personality. (Doesn’t every dog deserve to be the undisputed center of attention once in a while?) So we met at the beach in Del Mar, with plans to photograph the rest of his family (including his new foster-fail sister!!) at some point in the future. But today, it’s all about Mister! :)

 

We started our session with goofiness, smiles and wiggles – I think Mister was delightfully surprised at the prospect of having a beach day all to himself! We ran around a bit and let him acclimate to the spotlight. (Never going too close to the water, of course – this boy is a shepherd mix, not a labrador mix. He’s scared of the ocean. We stayed pretty darn dry for the afternoon – in fact, I think I got wetter than Mister ever did!)

funny shepherd mix dog

 

This photo makes me smile: only Mister would be in such a stately pose in gorgeous, epic surroundings, and yet be making the biggest cheeseball-goofy-smiley face!

shepherd mix at beach

 

Such a handsome boy. He deserves alllllll the beach days.

shepherd mix dog photo

 

Misha and Justin – I had a blast with you, as usual! Can’t wait to see you (and your other two troublemakers) in a few weeks!

 

Olive & Greta, the San Clemente Labradors (Photos)

Saturday, October 14th, 2017

I am so excited to share this photo session with you!! Not only was it a welcome departure from my “usual” locations around San Diego, but it was with a family I simply adore. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to these San Clemente labradors: Greta, and you might remember her older sister, Olive, from her session early last year!

I photographed Olive and her older sister Constance in March of 2016, but unfortunately, Constance is no longer with us today. She’s deeply missed by her parents, and Olive too – she was an incredibly sweet dog and the consummate big sister. So with a house that felt a little bit empty without her presence, their parents made the decision to find a new dog – and they found the most adorable little puppy, Greta! Greta is a black lab, only 5 and a half months old at the time of this photo session. And she has the most interesting personality: she’s a star in obedience class since she’s usually so content to sit around and relax… but when she’s in the right mood, she’ll put on her “little sister” attitude and torment Olive by jumping all over her! Their parents even say Greta is the “dominant” one between them since she’s such a tough cookie and loves to give Olive a hard time! So while Olive may be still getting used to life with Greta (who couldn’t be more different than Constance), something tells me they have a long, happy life of sisterhood ahead of them. Best friends in the making, I’m telling you. :)

 

Here’s puppy Greta! Flying down the beach, just north of Camp Pendleton!

san clemente labrador puppy

 

And yet amidst all the wiggly puppy energy, she’s a thoughtful, beautiful girl.

san clemente labrador puppy

 

Ironically, we kept Olive on the leash during the whole session, and were less concerned about Greta running off by herself – because last week her parents learned that Olive has a penchant for deep-sea swimming!! This girl will go join the surfers if you let her loose! Silly Olive…

san clemente labradors

 

I simply cannot wait to see these two grow up together.

san clemente labradors

 

Vince & Jen, thank you so much for introducing me to your darling new girl! I absolutely loved catching up with you & Olive. See you again soon! :)

 

 

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