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Gaston the French Bulldog! (Photos in Del Mar, CA)

Tuesday, October 27th, 2015

This photo session has been quite a while in the making – I first heard from Gaston’s mom Jackie over a year ago! She originally contacted me in November of 2014, hoping for Christmas card photos on the beach – and I regrettably had to tell her that my schedule was completely full through the holidays! Gah! So this year, Jackie was really on the ball: she contacted me in September! (Perfect timing!) We were able to coordinate an afternoon at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar, and I have to admit: I think these photos were worth the wait! Gaston was absolutely marvelous to work with! Maybe at first glance he wouldn’t seem like the easiest subject; he’s ball-obsessed and can’t take his focus off a ball, whether it’s his or someone else. (In face, Jackie tells me that she regularly brings fresh new balls with her whenever they visit the beach, because if Gaston happens upon another dog’s ball, he won’t give it back! I’m sure it’s frustrating for Jackie at the time, but I couldn’t help laughing out loud when she told me that!) So we were strategic in our photo session: the ball didn’t come out until I felt satisfied with the number of non-ball-photos of this handsome dude! Because honestly, that smile is way too cute to hide behind a ball the whole time, right?! And then, once the ball came out, it was actually pretty perfect: since Gaston was so obsess- I mean, focused – on that ball, I had his rapt attention anytime I was able to snatch it away from him! (I learned that I had to be quick, though… and he can jump WAY higher than you’d expect for a French bulldog!) So all in all, it was an amazing afternoon, and I’m loving the results so far! :)

 

Here’s the handsome little guy! What a happy pup!

french bulldog san diego

 

Not pictured: the seagulls who smelled Gaston’s fresh chicken treats! They almost flew away with the tupperware container that Jackie brought! (Good thing it was a little box and not a plastic bag, or they would have made off with it for sure!)

cute french bulldog

 

This dog can POSE! I love it! :)

french bulldog

 

 

Jackie, it was so much fun to finally work with you & Gaston! Thanks for an awesome afternoon – I can’t wait to go through the rest of our images with you!

 

3ee, for the 2nd time! (The San Diego Belgian Malinois)

Monday, October 26th, 2015

Do you recognize this gorgeous Belgian Malinois face? You should! I just blogged about 3ee a couple of weeks ago!

 

So why does this special pup get two blog posts? Because our Ordering Session (which is when 3ee’s dad gets to see all of her photos for the first time!) unfortunately had to be postponed by a couple of days. You can ask almost any of my clients – I work hard so that they can preview their photos ASAP, and it’s a total pet peeve of mine to have to reschedule that appointment! I don’t want my clients to have to wait any longer than absolutely necessary – and even if it’s no one’s fault, I feel bad when an Ordering Session gets delayed. So this blog post (hopefully) serves as a small consolation to 3ee’s dad, for having to wait just a little bit longer! :)

 

In case you didn’t see 3ee’s other blog post, we visited gorgeous Mission Trails Regional Park for the first part of our photo session.

belgian malinois running

 

It was a hot day! So 3ee enjoyed relaxing in the shade on our way out of the park.

belgian malinois black white

 

And then we went to Presidio Park, for a change of pace – and why is 3ee’s face wet, you ask? Because she dunked her head in a bucket of water her dad brought! Haha! This dog really knows how to cool off!

belgian malinois

 

Craig, thank you for your patience to get together again! I’m looking forward to our appointment tomorrow! :)

 

Holiday Pet Photography Mini-Sessions!

Sunday, October 25th, 2015

I could not be more excited to announce the amazing event that I’ve been planning for weeks now!! Since the holiday season is my busiest time of year, and I certainly don’t enjoy turning people away that call me in mid-November for Christmas card photos, I’ve designed an event that will open up my availability to dozens of San Diego families, just in time for the holidays! Drumroll please… announcing…

 

My 2015 Holiday Mini-Sessions!

 

mini sessions pet photography

 

holiday mini sessions pet photography

 

 

As the graphics above describe, here are all the details:

~  $99 for a 15-minute mini photo session!

~  These are happening on November 21 & 22, 2015.

~  We’ll be in a San Diego public park on the 21st, and the studio (on Adams Ave) on the 22nd.

~  You get to pick out your favorite image and keep it as a high-resolution digital file, with a full print release.

~  You’ll have 10+ images to choose from; it’s truly a taste of the custom photography experience!

~  The whole family is welcome to come! (up to 2 pets allowed per time slot)

~  Booking opens on November 1st! See below how to reserve your time slot.

 

And just because this is a special event, I’ve been working with almost a dozen other businesses to put together swag bags for all the attendees! These are some of my very favorite local businesses that I love & trust – I’m talking about Camp Bow Wow, Decadent Dog, San Carlos Animal Hospital, Kensington Pet Supply, Dogs Abound, La Jolla Colony Vet Hospital, Earthwise Pet Supply, Awesome Doggies – and they’ve combined forces to create swag bag goodies that are absolutely AMAZING! I’m so excited – if you add up everything inside, they’re actually worth more cash than the session fee itself! Gah! So fun! :)

 

Of course, during each mini-session, I’ll create more than just one Christmas-card-worthy image. Participants will actually have over ten finalized images to browse! So for anyone that would like to sample a few products from my archival-quality product line, I’ve put together a few product collections & options:

holiday pet mini-session pricing

 

Here’s how to reserve your time slot!

  1. Wait until November 1st – make a reminder or mark it on your calendar!

  2. Email me at allison@allisonshamrell.com, or call me at 619.357.6624 to pick your time slot!

And that’s it! Pretty simple! But I have a feeling these mini-sessions are going to sell out – so don’t wait until mid-November to get in touch!

 

Yahoo! I can’t wait! And I hope to see you there! :)

 

San Diego Service Dogs Pele & Alaska!

Thursday, October 22nd, 2015

I recently donated a photo session to an organization that I really believe in – Canine Companions for Independence, a national service dog training organization. Their annual golf tournament rolled around, and my donation was snatched up at the silent auction! I was thrilled to hear that I’d (fittingly) be photographing a couple of service dogs, too! I had the opportunity to work with a puppy raiser named Kathleen, and her two dogs Pele & Alaska: Pele is a fully-grown dog that’s already gone through training, but didn’t get placed with a handicapped person, so she went back to live with Kathleen as a (ridiculously capable) family pet! Alaska is currently in training – he’s only a year old, and in February, he’ll go back to CCI for “college” where he’ll learn advanced skills for working with a disabled individual. So although Alaska won’t be Pele’s brother for too much longer, I absolutely loved photographing both of them together! They have absolutely wonderful chemistry and they’re SUCH gorgeous dogs! They’re labrador/golden retriever mixes, but I think the only golden retriever parts about them are their extra-fluffy butt feathers, haha! They appear to be 99% black labs, and incredibly handsome ones at that. So add their good looks to their happy, confident, service dog personalities, and suffice to say they were a delight to photograph! :)

 

Here are both pups, in a spot they don’t often get to enjoy: their parents’ bed! But a photo session is a special occasion! ;) Pele is on the left and Alaska is on the right.

cute san diego service dogs

 

This is Alaska, the younger boy. He’s already so handsome, don’t you think?!

san diego service dog

 

And this is Pele, the little lady with the absolutely uncanny ability to stare directly into your soul. Seriously – this was an incredible moment – taking this photo sent a chill down my spine, and I had the feeling she was carefully evaluating exactly what I was doing and what I wanted her to do, as each second passed. I practically felt like she was one step ahead of me! (I guess that’s what you get when you work with service dogs!)

service dog san diego

 

I simply love the way both dogs look up at Kathleen. She’s their mom, their trainer, their constant companion… the devotion and love they have for both their parents is so beautiful to me.

service dogs san diego

 

 

Kathleen & Don, thank you for introducing me to your incredible dogs! I’m so glad you won the auction prize – and I’m looking forward to seeing you both again soon!

 

Tex the Chinook Sled Dog, in Balboa Park!

Tuesday, October 20th, 2015

“Maybe he’s a lab mix, or a Shepherd mix, or something else?” Tex’s parents puzzled over his heritage when they first adopted him, and so did everyone they met – because it just wasn’t clear from his appearance what breeds might have been hiding in his DNA. That is, until one day when Tex’s mom saw a TV show featuring a breed called the Chinook sled dog – and she knew immediately! That’s Tex! After a bit of research on the breed, and finding tons of similarities (his fur/ears/tail, his natural predisposition toward people instead of other dogs, his distaste for swimming/water), they deemed this mystery solved! Tex is a Chinook sled dog, through and through, and although I’ve never heard of a rescue Chinook sled dog before, I guess anything is possible! :)

Tex’s parents really lucked out when they adopted him, in my opinion. I mean, in addition to the bragging rights of owning a super-rare dog breed, Tex is simply a great dog! He adores his parents and is always excited to go on a walk with them. They say he’s so people-oriented that taking him to the dog beach usually entails stopping him from leaving with other families – but I saw a special glint in his eyes when he looks up at his mom & dad. :)  Plus, you can’t be in a bad mood around this guy – he won’t let you! That handsome, contagious smile and his sweet disposition will wipe a frown off anyone’s face! So naturally, our session together was a total blast!

 

This is Tex – he wore his patriotic bandana to our session, of course!

chinook sled dog san diego

 

We relaxed in the grasses of the Balboa Park Rose Garden …

chinook sled dog

 

… and then found a few fun architectural spots in the rest of Balboa Park! (All that constant love & attention from his parents is so rough, poor Tex…)

chinook sled dog photo

 

And lastly, I couldn’t resist including this outtake! This curious boy came up close for a bite of chicken treats! :)

chinook sled dog outtake

 

Stephanie & Steven, thank you so much for a fun afternoon! I’m excited to show you the rest of our photos when Steven is back on dry land! :)

 

 

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