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Savannah Turns 3! (at a local San Diego pumpkin patch!)

Thursday, October 6th, 2016

Seeing little miss Savannah the Cavalier King Charles spaniel has become a tradition that I look forward to every year! I get to help her celebrate her birthday – and her parents’ wedding anniversary – since we’ve marked the occasion with a photo session for the last 3 years! Longtime blog readers might remember her first birthday at her home in downtown San Diego, or her second birthday at the Hotel Del… I’ve loved watching this puppy grow into being the sweetest little dog, and I’ve really enjoyed keeping up with her awesome parents too. This family is so much fun!

Since Savannah is an October baby, her mom had the great idea to to plan our next session at a local San Diego pumpkin patch! After a bit of research, she found Bates Nut Farm was the best (and maybe the only) dog-friendly option, so we headed up to Valley Center and enjoyed wandering around the festivities! The timing was simply perfect – before the late-October rush for Halloween – and still with so many pumpkins to pick from you’d swear there could be enough for every house in San Diego. And it was a location I’d never visited before, so it was lots of fun (for me and Savannah!) to explore all the cute spots with hay bales, wheelbarrows and scarecrows!

 

#thrilledtobethree

san diego pumpkin patch dog

 

We couldn’t resist letting Savannah run free, through the vines and rows of pumpkins still growing… especially since she’s so good at coming when called! And she was more than happy to oblige, as you can see!

san diego pumpkin patch

 

She’s the cutest little pumpkin in the batch. Also – take a closer look – this photo features a stunning flower collar from Little Italy’s La Belle Bloom! It was made just for Savannah, and she wears it beautifully! We have several more images with her flower collar and I’m so excited about them! Such an adorable addition to a photo session! :)

san diego pumpkin patch puppy

 

Ali & Brian, it was so great to see all of you again! I’ll talk to you soon! :)

 

Steele Canyon Bridge Photo Session with Terri!

Tuesday, October 4th, 2016

I was so thrilled when Terri’s parents called me for a second photo session with their handsome little boy! I first met them about 2 years ago, and we had a wonderful session in the studio, but this time they wanted to update their family photos and explore the great outdoors… so we headed to a place that none of us had ever visited before: the Steele Canyon Bridge, out in in Spring Valley! I love finding new “spots” for photo sessions, and this is definitely one for the books! The bridge is absolutely huge, with plenty of room to run back & forth, and we started our session with some adorable family photos that’ll be perfect for their Christmas cards. Then we explored the surrounding area, and found more cute spots nearby too! Terri’s favorite part of the session was either the treats or the flies, I’m not sure… but he enjoyed eating both of them, haha! :)

 

This speed demon is Terri! Can you believe how fast he runs for a 9-year-old? He still has plenty of puppy-like energy, and I loved watching him run back & forth between his mom & dad.

steele canyon bridge

 

We found a few secret, hidden trails in the nearby park area…

steele canyon bridge dog

 

… and Terri even tried climbing a tree! Turns out he’s half Yorkie, half monkey. Who knew? :)

steele canyon bridge photo session

 

Katrina & John, it was SO great to catch up with you two! (And thank you for the fabulous idea of meeting at the Steele Canyon Bridge!) I’m excited to share the rest of our images with you soon! :)

 

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

 

Molly & Cody, Goldendoodles from San Diego!

Friday, September 30th, 2016

I had the pleasure of meeting Molly & Cody, two goldendoodles, for their photo session recently! And I knew that Molly would be a dream to work with – I’d met her before, at her dad’s office – and she’s a typical, outgoing, 1-year-old, happy-go-lucky goldendoodle who can make friends with anyone! Cody was just as adorable, but in a distinguished, 12-year-old senior way, haha – and from his appearance I wouldn’t have guessed that he’s a goldendoodle in a hundred years! He looks like a totally different kind of dog, but a very handsome one, of course, so I really enjoyed working with him too.

We started our photo session in the studio, where Molly was happy to explore and play, whereas Cody’s activity of choice was laying down to relax. We headed to Coronado Ferry Landing for a few images with the San Diego skyline, and it was a fun challenge to photograph Molly on a dock, since we had to be careful that she wouldn’t jump straight into the water, haha! And then we skipped over to the beach in front of the Hotel Del Coronado, where the dogs ran & played until the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, leaving us with a brilliant sky. I had such a great time with these happy dogs!

 

This is Molly! Such a sweet girl.

goldendoodles photo

 

Beautiful dog, beautiful city… what more could you want?

goldendoodle san diego

 

And this is Cody! All smiles on the beach.

coronado beach dog photo

 

Instead of sprinting back & forth around the beach like his sister, Cody prefers to go at a slower pace. I love his happy, contented demeanor – such a beautiful old soul.

coronado beach dog

 

 

Paul & Susan, I had a fabulous time with you! Thank you for introducing me to your adorable goldendoodles – I can’t wait to show you the rest of our images soon! :)

 

Lira the Lagotto Romagnolo Puppy in San Diego, CA!

Friday, September 16th, 2016

My favorite kind of dog is… drumroll please… quite simply, a happy one. I love working with cheerful pups who don’t mind smiling for the camera – and while I’ve worked with dozens of labradors, retrievers, pit bulls & mutts over the years, I recently had the chance to photograph a very unique type of happy dog! Lira is a Lagotto Romagnolo, a breed recognized just last year by the AKC! I was so excited to meet a breed that I’ve never photographed before – because after being in business for almost 6 years, that doesn’t happen every day! But if every lagotto romagnolo is like Lira, then sign me up to work with all of them, haha!

Lira & her mom met me at Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego for their photo session, and in fact, they agreed to help me out with a very special new project that I’m undertaking – more on that coming soon! But we had a (mostly) normal photo session, full of smiles & wags from miss Lira, and a ton of fun. And Lira’s mom Debbie is a talented photographer too – so I was even more honored to work with her sweet girl!

This is Lira – a fluffy, curly-haired, well-behaved, impeccably-trained, happy Lagotto Romagnolo!

lagotto romagnolo photo

 

Lira can really RUN! She’s so fast, and it was hilarious to see those fluffy ears bounce as she bounded toward us!

lagotto romagnolo running

 

We ended our photo session with Lira in her rightful place as Queen of the Mountain. Clearly.

lagotto romagnolo dog

 

 

Debbie, thank you so much for introducing me to your darling girl! (And for being such a willing participant in our project!) I can’t wait to share the rest of our photos with you soon!

 

 

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