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Pink, Achilles & Calvin – Pets from La Jolla

Friday, November 10th, 2017

Some pets are lucky enough to hit the jackpot in life: they’re adopted by a loving family, have siblings to play with, and have a great place to call home. What more could a dog or cat want, right? I’m happy to report that Pink, Achilles & Calvin have all “won the lottery”, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to them!

These pets all live in beautiful La Jolla with their parents – who are expecting a 2-legged child early next year! So we spent a nice afternoon together in their backyard, and I had a great time getting to know each of the pets’ distinctive personalities.

 

Calvin is thoroughly his dad’s cat. He’s about 7 years old and yes, his green eyes are that stunning in real life, too.

la jolla cat

 

This is Pink! This sweet girl has spent her whole life with her mom, and they’re incredibly closely-bonded. She loves to relax in the grass and sniff around – and she goes absolutely bonkers when you bring out the treats! Her favorite snack is apples… because she’s healthy like that.

dog in la jolla

 

And this gorgeous hunk is Achilles, the goofball of the family. Even after 2 long walks earlier that day, he still had plenty of energy for our session – and we put it all to good use! He’s a sweet boy who came from a not-so-sweet background, so I was especially glad to see that he lucked out and found such a loving family. (Plus, he fits so well into the grey theme that Calvin & Pink started, haha!!)

great dane from la jolla

 

Ashley & Max, thank you so much for introducing me to your family! I’m looking forward to seeing you both again soon! :)

 

Jackie the Poodle Mix – Photos in Old Poway Park

Friday, November 3rd, 2017

I’m excited to introduce you to Jackie the poodle mix today – because I think her alter ego is Kelly Clarkson!

That’s right, you heard me. I think the American Idol star is actually Jackie’s idol, because she sings Jackie’s theme song: Miss Independent! If you’re unfamiliar, here are some of the lyrics:

“Miss independent
Miss self-sufficient
Miss unafraid
Miss out of my way

I simply can’t think of a better way to describe Jackie. She spent our session doing exactly what she wanted to do, regardless of what we wanted her to do, haha! It’s not every day that I work with a dog that isn’t motivated by treats or toys, after all. She was perfectly content to wander around Old Poway Park making friends (2-legged and 4-legged) and occasionally chasing the ball or paying attention to a treat, but only when the mood struck her. But we still ended up with plenty of adorable photos – and don’t worry, it’s not like she’s a solitary, antisocial dog: she loves her mom! That much is abundantly clear, to anyone within minutes of meeting them. And it’s no wonder why – turns out, Jackie’s mom was not looking for a dog to adopt the day she found Jackie! But when two paths are meant to cross, they’ll cross, and Jackie changed her mom’s life that day, in a way only a cheeky little poodle mix ever could. (Kelly’s song “You Found Me” comes to mind…) Ever since then, they’ve made each other’s lives immeasurably better, and it was truly an honor to document their beautiful & unique relationship.

 

This is Jackie! With that sweet face, no wonder her mom wasn’t able to resist when they met each other that day!!

poodle mix close-up

 

She was occasionally interested in my tennis ball. I’m so glad I was ready for those brief moments, haha!

poodle mix playing

 

What a cutie pie. Jackie, you make me smile.

poodle mix dog photo

 

Jessica, thank you for braving the insane crowds at Old Poway Park with me! I’m so excited to share the rest of Jackie’s images with you soon! :)

 

Encinitas Photo Session with Connor, Milo & Domino

Tuesday, October 31st, 2017

I’m pretty sure that if I were Connor, Milo & Domino’s parent, I would have rock-hard abs and plenty of wrinkles around my eyes. Why? Because if our session was any indication, these dogs would keep me laughing literally all day long!!

These pups live in San Marcos with their parents, and they’re all incredibly unique: Connor is the long-haired terrier mix who doesn’t look like any dog I’ve ever seen before. Perhaps he’s part spaniel? Or chihuahua? Or… who knows?! He’s a sweet, smart boy and always seems to be completely, contentedly happy. Milo is the amber-colored miniature pinscher mix: he looks tough but couldn’t be more of a softie. (Don’t let the studded collar fool you.) And Domino is the high-strung min pin girl, who “protected” us from every dog who walked by during our session! (Whew – we had a few close calls – thanks for the help Domino, you brave little lady!) Together, they form an adorable troupe of tough-but-sweet teddy bears, and I completely fell in love with them.

Our photo session took place in Encinitas, at the new Encinitas Community Park. The dogs did a great job of focusing on the camera, in between scanning the horizon for other dogs (and treats and toys) of course, and I’m loving the photos from our afternoon together!

 

This is Connor. Clearly, he runs like a total goofball.

encinitas dog running

 

Domino is always on high alert – honestly, I’m not sure if she ever sleeps! It’d be awfully out-of-character.

encinitas photo session example

 

This big smile kills me! Milo, you’re so handsome!

encinitas photo session dog

 

Wright family, thank you for a fun (and hilarious) afternoon at the park! I can’t wait to show you more photos soon!  :)

 

Happy Howl-o-ween 2017!

Monday, October 30th, 2017

This year, Bailey wanted to dress up as one of her heroes: a UPS delivery driver!

That’s right, I said one of her heroes. I know most dogs bark at deliverymen and women, and Bailey is no exception – she’s scared off more than one mailman in her day. (So embarrassing…)

But why do dogs bark at deliverymen? (The perennial question, right?) Many canine specialists say it’s a territorial thing, and that’s probably true – but I think, deep down, Bailey is jealous. I mean, think about it: this is a person who gets to drive all over town, meet a bunch of different people, see lots of different homes & businesses, and handle packages that come from every corner of the world (and you know they have all kinds of interesting smells!).

So this year, she’s ready to get out there – rain or shine, snow sleet or hail – and smell alllllllll the people & packages!

 

Adan the deliveryman took a minute during his route to show her the ropes!

howl-o-ween dog UPS driver

 

And then we headed to the Kensington UPS Store, for a bit more hands-on training… (or should I say paws-on?)

howl-o-ween 2017

 

howl-o-ween 2017 costume

 

Come on – who wouldn’t want to get a delivery from this face?!

howl-o-ween UPS costume

 

Bailey might struggle getting used to the uniform, though. The hat in particular.

howl-o-ween 2017 costume

 

Halloween dog costume

 

The employees (Fred & Al) got a kick out of her costume!

howl-o-ween dog fun

 

But they let her behind the counter to “help” mail packages!

howl-o-ween costume

 

 

Halloween dog UPS costume

 

Look at all those boxes – and that huge smile. Bailey can’t WAIT to deliver them all!

howl-o-ween UPS dog

 

And on a slow delivery day, maybe she’ll just help you make copies and check your mailbox.

cute howl-o-ween costume

 

 

So now that she has an appreciation for how hard their jobs are, perhaps Bailey won’t bark at the next UPS deliveryman who stops at our house? Just maybe? We’ll have to wait and see if she acts like a trick or a treat next time… :)

 

Huge thanks to Bailey’s new friends Adan, Fred & Al! (She loves each of you!)

 

Photos of Aubrey & Porter, San Diego Dogs in Balboa Park

Sunday, October 29th, 2017

I always love meeting dogs with unique, interesting names. So how cool is it that Aubrey & Porter are named after the cities where their mom found & adopted them?!

Aubrey is a beautiful, silly, always-smiling labrador. Her mom attended a wedding several years ago in Aubrey, Texas, and little puppy Aubrey happened to wander into the reception. So her mom (and a few friends) “smuggled” Aubrey back home! Unfortunately, we scheduled this photo session in a hurry since Aubrey recently got some bad news at the vet… but about a week before our session, that diagnosis got a lot more positive! I’m happy to report that Aubrey is feeling good and doesn’t have to worry about the c-word anytime soon. :)

Her little brother is Porter, a chihuahua mix with adorably floppy ears and plenty of attitude. Although he’s typically a little slower to warm up to new situations & people, the treats we brought to the session helped him quickly overcome his shyness! And yes, he’s from a place named Porter. (Technically Porterville, right Megan?)

We started our photo session in the studio and soon headed over to Balboa Park. Although the forecast said it would be 100 degrees that afternoon (!!!), the weather cooled down surprisingly nicely – thank goodness, I mean it’s October after all, haha! – so I had a great time with these awesome San Diego dogs!

 

This is Aubrey, in the gorgeous afternoon light! With her trademark flower on her collar, of course.

black dog from san diego

 

This little nugget is Porter. I KNOW, he’s adorable.

san diego dog in the grass

 

Aren’t they the cutest pair?!

san diego dogs

 

 

Megan & Sebastian, thanks for being willing to brave the heat with me! I’m looking forward to seeing you both again soon! :)

 

 

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