Butterbean is a dog that’s fully labrador, in every sense of the word: he loves water, can’t get enough of fetch, and is always boundlessly happy! So it was my absolute pleasure to photograph him recently at Fiesta Island in San Diego! It’s one of his favorite places in the city, since he & his mom visit there pretty often to play fetch and make new friends. But we found a part of the island that was all to ourselves; because as I mentioned in this blog post about dogs in parks, I don’t often hold photo sessions at dog parks/beaches, just since that usually means adding a few dozen guests & distractions to the experience – which doesn’t exactly make for better photos! So we let all the focus be on Butterbean in our secluded little area of Fiesta Island, and I think we have some really great images to show for it. For his part, Bean didn’t mind at all – he was just happy to be there with his mom, playing fetch and eating treats! And really, for a dog, what better way is there to spend an afternoon? :)

Butterbean has a bow tie! How adorable is that?! To start this photo session, we took a few photos on dry land, bow tie and all, before letting him loose in the water…

Of course, no Fiesta Island dog photography session would be complete without a few action photos… and Butterbean didn’t disappoint! Fetch is one of his favorite things in the world; can’t you just see the enthusiasm in his eyes?

His mom says that when his tongue sticks out sideways, that means Bean is really happy. So even though there’s lots of drool in this close-up, I love it!

We even stayed long enough to watch the sun go down… it was a beautiful night.

Devon, I had a blast with you & Bean! We have lots of cute photos to look through… so I’ll be in touch soon! :)

I’ve always known Bichon Frises to be happy little fluff-balls of energy, ready & willing to please their parents all day long…  and Belle is a shining example of that wonderful Bichon disposition! This little cutie recently moved to San Diego from Texas, just a few months ago – and it’s not that often that I’m more of a “local” than my clients, so I was happy to welcome Belle and her parents to town! I also had the privilege of introducing them to Powerhouse Park in Del Mar, a place which my regular blog readers know I love to visit… but even though I’ve been there a few times before, I found a couple of fresh new spots to photograph Belle that I’d never seen before! Let me tell you, looking at the world with photographer’s eyes is an exciting way to see things – new opportunities pop up just about everywhere. And honestly, where could I put Belle’s cute little face so that she wouldn’t look adorable? Nowhere, obviously. :)

If you met Belle for the first time, you’d never guess that she’s 12 years old! Those bright eyes (not to mention her desire to run everywhere and explore everything!) make you think she’s a puppy! But no, she’s actually a very youthful senior dog.

Love that smile! This was one of Belle’s first trips to the beach!

 But really, the purpose of this session was for Christmas card photos. Belle has always been the star of her parents’ yearly holiday card, and as they moved to San Diego this year, their friends all asked them “Will Belle still be on your Christmas cards? Will you take her to the beach for Christmas photos?” So that’s what we did – and here’s one of my early favorites from our holiday-themed photos!

Ginger & David, thank you for a wonderful session with your incredibly well-trained dog! Belle is such a cutie… I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos! :)