The other day, I received a message from a lovely person who happens to live in Arizona with her two dogs. At first I was confused – but it turns out, they would be vacationing in San Diego the following week, and wanted to have a photo session to commemorate their time here! How fun is that?!

Vacation photo sessions are a growing trend these days; photographers will follow families around Disneyland, or join couples as they explore Paris. Many high-end beach resorts offer custom photography as an in-house service. So I suppose it was only a matter of time before I heard from a visitor to San Diego, since we’re A) a fabulous vacation destination, and B) one of America’s most dog-friendly cities!

I was thrilled to meet Daisy (a German Shorthaired Pointer) and Duke (an English Pointer) in Del Mar for their photo session – and they were thrilled about all the birds that were nearby! These two have hunting drives like you wouldn’t believe, especially Daisy. But I was able to snag their attention for a few photos, and we had a great time playing in the grass and the sand!

This is Duke, who was actually on a leash at the time. Both dogs’ instincts to chase the birds were so high that their mom didn’t feel comfortable taking them off-leash; so we didn’t! Safety first! (This is the sort of thing Photoshop was made for, haha!)

And this is Daisy, the huntress. I’m sure there’s a bird or two out there in the water!

 We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset on the beach that night. I just love these dogs’ powerful silhouettes.

It was such a pleasure to meet all of you, Gaby! Can’t wait to see you again soon! :)

If you’re looking at the title of this blog post and wondering if I’ve photographed a new species of animal, rest assured: Finn is a fun-loving canine! He just happens to have a rather modern breed name. Maltipoos are maltese-poodle mixes, and they’re just one of a huge list of new poodle-mix combinations that are popping up everywhere! Yorkiepoos, pekepoos, cavapoos… not to mention goldendoodles and labradoodles! Poodles are a great breed for families who can’t have a dog that sheds, and they’ve been bred recently with all types of other dogs to combine their best qualities for people of all different lifestyles. Check out this website for more information and a list of hybrid dog breeds you’ve probably never heard of!

This maltipoo photo session in particular had a very special purpose: Finn’s parents are getting married, so one of their photos will help them announce their wedding date to their friends & families! How great is that?! I love that they wanted to include Finn (their “first child”) in that process!

First we played in Powerhouse Park, where Finn chased his tennis ball and was fed plenty of treats. He also showed-off a bit, with this nice long sit-stay! :)

Then we headed down to the beach, where I learned that seaweed is one of Finn’s favorite things. He loves to play with it, tug on it, drag it around the beach like a trophy… haha, it was too cute to see him prancing around with a big chunk of seaweed in his mouth!

What do you think… is this a cute “save the date” photo?

And finally, after running in all directions and chasing a few birds, Finn settled down for a reflective moment in the last light of the day.

Wynter & Craig, I’m so excited for your save the date – and the rest of our photos too, haha! I’ll be in touch! :)