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Ben & Sofie, Doggie Siblings from Imperial Beach!

Tuesday, September 25th, 2018

I always love photographing dog siblings – mostly because it’s so much fun to see the unique traits in their personalities, despite being brought up in the same environment by the same family. Dogs are just as unique as people, and it really shows when you’re working with a brother & sister!

And this time, I didn’t have to look hard for the differences between siblings Ben & Sofie – because I’m not sure if they could possibly be any more different! Ben is 10, a Bernese Mountain Dog/Aussie mix, and incredibly expressive in every way. Sofie is only a few months old, a Newfoundland puppy, and at this point she pretty much just trundles through life the way most Newfie puppies do, charming everyone in her path. Her personality is still developing, so all I can tell you for now is that she LOVES her brother. Really, really loves him. I’m talking o-b-s-s-e-s-s-e-d. And even though she hasn’t won him over completely yet (despite the way she “walks” him by grabbing his leash as they walk together), she’s winning the hearts of other dogs (like her parents’ parents’ pittie, who adores her right back) and people all over Imperial Beach. Once you see her photos, I think you’ll fall in love with her fluffy little face too! But if I’m being completely honest, despite all the “awwwww”s that come along with a puppy like Sofie, I enjoyed photographing Ben just as much, since he was so wonderfully expressive & opinionated. Not to mention handsome! This pair is definitely a sight to see – and I’m so thrilled I had the chance to work with both of them!

 

This is Sofie – during a rare moment of alertness between attempted naps throughout our session, haha!

puppy sibling in grass

 

Did I mention that Ben is one gorgeous dog?!

cute picture of a sibling dog

 

Together they make the fluffiest pair. And I can’t wait to see how big Sofie’s going to get – these photos are going to be even more priceless as she grows up!

dog siblings silhouette

 

Kate & Brett, thank you for a fun afternoon and for introducing me to your awesome dogs! I can’t wait to see you both again soon!

 

Olive & Greta, the San Clemente Labradors (Photos)

Saturday, October 14th, 2017

I am so excited to share this photo session with you!! Not only was it a welcome departure from my “usual” locations around San Diego, but it was with a family I simply adore. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to these San Clemente labradors: Greta, and you might remember her older sister, Olive, from her session early last year!

I photographed Olive and her older sister Constance in March of 2016, but unfortunately, Constance is no longer with us today. She’s deeply missed by her parents, and Olive too – she was an incredibly sweet dog and the consummate big sister. So with a house that felt a little bit empty without her presence, their parents made the decision to find a new dog – and they found the most adorable little puppy, Greta! Greta is a black lab, only 5 and a half months old at the time of this photo session. And she has the most interesting personality: she’s a star in obedience class since she’s usually so content to sit around and relax… but when she’s in the right mood, she’ll put on her “little sister” attitude and torment Olive by jumping all over her! Their parents even say Greta is the “dominant” one between them since she’s such a tough cookie and loves to give Olive a hard time! So while Olive may be still getting used to life with Greta (who couldn’t be more different than Constance), something tells me they have a long, happy life of sisterhood ahead of them. Best friends in the making, I’m telling you. :)

 

Here’s puppy Greta! Flying down the beach, just north of Camp Pendleton!

san clemente labrador puppy

 

And yet amidst all the wiggly puppy energy, she’s a thoughtful, beautiful girl.

san clemente labrador puppy

 

Ironically, we kept Olive on the leash during the whole session, and were less concerned about Greta running off by herself – because last week her parents learned that Olive has a penchant for deep-sea swimming!! This girl will go join the surfers if you let her loose! Silly Olive…

san clemente labradors

 

I simply cannot wait to see these two grow up together.

san clemente labradors

 

Vince & Jen, thank you so much for introducing me to your darling new girl! I absolutely loved catching up with you & Olive. See you again soon! :)

 

Admiral Barker, the Coronado Dalmatian Puppy

Friday, March 31st, 2017

If you like puppies, you’re going to LOVE this sneak peek!

When I first heard Admiral Barker’s name, I had two thoughts: first was “ohmygawd that’s the cutest name ever!!” and the second thought was “I bet there’s a military connection here!” Turns out I was right; Admiral Barker (“Admiral” for short) is the newest addition to an awesome military family in Coronado! (Well, at least he & his mom are awesome – I haven’t actually met Admiral’s dad yet since he’s currently deployed, but I assume he’s pretty awesome too.) So once I recovered from the excitement of meeting a 13-week-old Dalmatian puppy, we scheduled his photo session quickly since this little boy is never going to be this small again! His mom & I were both thrilled to capture Admiral’s puppyhood, and we had a wonderful afternoon together!

So here’s what was surprisingly unique about this session, and Admiral’s personality: most puppies will greet you with a burst of energy, and then calm down over time. “I’m so excited to see you!” turns into “I’m getting tired.” Right? But Admiral behaved in the exact opposite way! We arrived at the marina, and he was happy to see me but promptly flopped down on the dock to take a break before we even made it to their boat! He could not have been more cool, calm & collected. Fast forward to the end of our photo session at Coronado Beach – and he was on fire, running around like a little maniac! It’s definitely not what I (nor his mom) expected, but puppies always seem to keep you on your toes, don’t they? So I was somehow able to keep up with his various & changing energy levels, and something tells me his mom is going to have an extra-large variety of images to choose amongst! :)

 

Here’s Admiral Barker, overseeing the marina. Obviously he’s in charge of it all.

dalmatian puppy in marina

 

He even learned how to navigate their new hammock during our photo session!

dalmatian puppy photo

 

I cannot handle that face. Ugh… he is so ridiculously cute.

cute dalmatian puppy

 

A rare moment of calm on the beach, near the Hotel Del Coronado!

dalmatian puppy on coronado beach

 

Jill, it was so much fun to meet you & your adorable little man! Congrats again on the new addition to your family, and I’ll talk to you again soon! :)

 

Cubbie the Golden Retriever Puppy and His (Human) Sister, Brooke! (Photos)

Monday, February 27th, 2017

Sometimes I think about how different photographers are… there’s a lot of diversity in our industry, and I happen to think it’s all for the better. For example: if you ask me to shoot a wedding, I will probably cringe and have nightmares. Weddings are NOT my thing! So I’m glad there are photographers out there who practically eat weddings for breakfast, no big deal. And likewise, if you ask a typical photographer to work with a golden retriever puppy and a 7-year-old girl, I think most of them would have a pretty similar reaction to my feelings about weddings, haha… but me? I was so excited to hear from Brooke & Cubbie’s mom! :)

Cubbie is a brand-new, 3-month-old golden retriever puppy who lives with his family in Tierrasanta. Brooke is his 7-year-old human sister, and I absolutely loved getting to know both of them during our photo session. Cubbie is still learning how to be a good dog (and that his sister’s headbands are not toys), and you can tell that Brooke is quickly learning how to be an awesome big sister. They already have so much fun together – and it won’t be long until they’re the same size, haha! (I think the breeder might have mistaken a mastiff for a golden retriever at some point in Cubbie’s heritage – he’s already huge for his age! He’s going to be one BIG boy!) We had lots of fun playing in their backyard for their photo session, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment of documenting Cubbie’s life with his sweet new family!

 

We started indoors, before getting a bit muddy outside. Just look at that handsome smile!

golden retriever puppy on couch

 

Oh come ON. He’s too cute for words. (Fun fact: he got his name because his dad is a Chicago Cubs fan!)

golden retriever puppy

 

“Whoever said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend never owned a dog.”  – Anonymous

golden retriever puppy and girl

 

Kristin, thank you so much for introducing me to your family! I’ll talk to you again very soon! :)

 

Riley the Goldendoodle Puppy – Part 2!

Tuesday, November 15th, 2016

Do you remember Riley the goldendoodle puppy from last month? Well, I’m thrilled to say that I visited this little girl AGAIN, for the second installment of her photo session! The only thing better than photographing Riley is photographing her twice!  :)

In a month, a lot has changed for this little muppet. She has discovered her teeth, and she chews everything – literally everything, including my camera strap, my camera bag, my hand, her mom’s hands, the grass, the flowers, pieces of tree bark… should I keep going? Exploration via chewing is definitely her favorite thing these days. And she has so much energy, too! You think chewing is a relatively “calm” activity? Riley is finessing her ability to chew while sprinting & jumping at the same time, haha! Our session took place over one extra-long spurt of energy, so we definitely ended up with our fair share of action photos… but for now, I wanted to share a few (fleeting) moments of stillness, because when Riley slows down enough to take a breath, I think she’s simply too cute for words.

 

What do you know? It’s a puddle of goldendoodle puppy.

cute goldendoodle puppy

 

I just love her little profile. She’s such a pretty dog! (And she’s either thinking very deep thoughts here, or she’s wondering what she can chew on next…)

goldendoodle puppy profile

 

And then we found flowers in the neighborhood! Riley was very interested in the new setting, but she still took a moment to pose for me in the gorgeous landscaping (sorry to the gardeners! she wasn’t too destructive, I promise!).

goldendoodle puppy

 

And finally – a moment of peace, at the very end of our session. Whew… I think Riley & I both needed a nap after this, haha!

goldendoodle puppy picture

 

Deb, thank you so much for inviting me to get to know Riley as she grows! I can’t wait to show you our images very soon! :)

 

 

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