In the contact form on my website, I ask my prospective clients to describe their pet(s) in 3 words. I think it’s a fun way to get to know my clients right from the start, and I usually receive sweet adjectives like “loving”, “adorable” and “perfect”… but this time, the first word that Tito & Fizgig’s mom used was “smooshy-faced”! Haha! I knew from the start this would be a fun session, and little did I know how accurate that adjective really was! Tito is a smooshy-faced pug, an adorable little guy with an irresistible urge to pee on nearly everything, and Fizgig is an exotic shorthair cat with a total lack of a side profile because his face is so very smooshed! Haha – these two pets are totally outgoing and attention-seeking, so they were an absolute blast to work with!

But I have to be honest with you: this session posed a unique challenge for me, because it took place at Sorrento Valley Pet Cemetery. Tito & Fizgig’s mom Natalie works in the front office, and somewhat surprisingly, the quiet grounds with gorgeous green grass & foliage turned out to be a beautiful setting for photos… and it was actually my very first time stepping foot into a pet cemetery. Having the career that I have, and knowing what I know about the relationships people have with their pets, let’s be real: I pretty much started to cry as soon as I saw the first gravesite. I read a few gravestones, took in the memorials that owners had left for their pets (whose photos were often engraved on the stones) and nearly broke down crying right there before we even started the session… gah! It was a really emotional place to be. But instead of thinking about what all these pets meant to their owners, I just had to concentrate on the fluffy ball of life right in front of my eyes, Tito! Luckily, he was running around and acting like a little goofball (as pugs are so talented at doing) so our session began right after I wiped my eyes… and you know what? Even though we were in a sad place, where so many people had to say goodbye to their 4-legged family members, I’d like to think that photographing Tito & his infectious, happy spirit as he ran around the cemetery was a celebration of life. And no matter how long or short our lives may be, it was a lovely afternoon celebrating the relationship Tito & Fizgig have with their mom, which is just as meaningful as the past relationships the peacefully-buried pets in the cemetery once had with their owners, too. It was really an interesting day, and it gave me a bit of new perspective.

 Anyways! Whew! On to the photos! This adorable little mug is Tito!

He even posed with the flowers for us… although admittedly, it took a bit of convincing. :)

And this is Tito’s brother, Fizgig! He’s one of the most outgoing, active cats I’ve ever met – and look at that smooshy face!!

Natalie, thank you for an entirely unique photo session. I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)