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Archive: January, 2016



Portraits for Pooches – a new series of fundraisers for the San Diego Humane Society!

Wednesday, January 27th, 2016

I have some incredibly exciting news to share with you! I’ve been talking with the amazing people of the San Diego Humane Society recently, and we’ve planned a photo-worthy series of fundraisers that are going to be SO much fun! Introducing…

valentine's day fundraiser

 

That’s right – you can enjoy a professional photo-session with your pets, and half of the proceeds go straight to the Humane Society!

 

As the graphics above describe, here are all the details about this Portraits for Pooches event:

~  $99 for a 15-minute photo session!

~  February 6 & 7, 2016 – just in time for Valentine’s Day!

~  Everything is happening in the studio, at 3251 Adams Avenue, in Normal Heights, San Diego.

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

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

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

~  Booking is open NOW!

 

So here’s how to reserve your mini-session:

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

That’s it! Pretty easy.  :)

 

Of course, during each mini-session, I’ll create more than just one photo. 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:

portraits for pooches

… and if you bring a bag of dog or cat food to donate, you’ll receive a complimentary 8×10″ fine art print, too!

 

Here’s how to reserve your mini-session:

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

We won’t be able to accommodate walk-ups, so please call ahead of time!

 

Yahoo, I can’t wait! This is going to be an amazing event and my goal is to raise LOTS of money for the San Diego Humane Society! Thanks for supporting such a great cause with me – I hope to see you there! :)

Best of 2015 – San Diego Pet Photography

Sunday, January 24th, 2016

Are you ready for this? I cannot WAIT to share these images with you!  :)  :)

2015 was an incredible year for my business: I met incredible people, fantastic dogs, and had a BLAST doing what I absolutely love to do! I’ll always be able to look back on 2015 with a big smile on my face, because although it had its ups and downs (just like any year), I have to admit that there were way more “ups” and happy times than anything else. So of course I couldn’t properly say goodbye to one of the most amazing years of my life without a “Best of” blog post – because I want to share a tiny fraction of how GREAT this year was with you! So I really feel like this blog post contains a piece of my heart… not to wax poetic, but the people and dogs in these photos really do mean the world to me, and I’ll always be grateful that we crossed paths in 2015. Did all these sessions go 100% smoothly? Nope! (Hello rain delays!) Did all these dogs really love being in front of the camera? Definitely not! (Some adored being the center of attention, and some definitely took some warming up!) But I think we still ended up with spectacular results from each & every session, and to me, that’s the most important thing, because then my clients can walk away happy. And I think they all did! :)

So here are all the pets I photographed in full-length photo sessions in 2015. I picked out my 3 favorite images from each session – not the easiest thing to do!! – and for the sake of simplicity, I refrained from sharing the details of each pet’s story here, but you can always search the blog for details on any pet if you’re curious.

 

3ee the Belgian Malinois, from San Diego

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Aberdeen the service dog (golden retriever/labrador mix), from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Aberdeen came back for a second session this year! Yay- I LOVED seeing this dog twice as often!  :)

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Albert the Scottie, from San Diego

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Sadly, Albert is no longer with us today. He is deeply missed.

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Archie & Leo, the Greater Swiss Mountain dog mix and the bearded collie/Old English sheepdog mix, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Azula & Apollo, cats from San Diego

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Beatrice & Bruno, the min pin & chihuahua, from San Diego

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Berkeley, the Dutch shepherd, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Bimmer, Laila & Leo, the golden retrievers & labrador, from San Diego

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Brandi & Colt, the yorkie/shih tzu mix and beagle, from Vista

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Briley & Gunner, the weimaraner & German shepherd, from Encinitas

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Buster, Fae, Leland & Nyx, mixed breed dogs and cat, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Cherry the German shepherd, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Colin the mixed breed dog, from San Diego

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Cooper & Sophie, mixed breed dogs, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Daisy, the beagle/bulldog mix, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Daisy the boxer, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Dippy, Lulu & Bentley, mixed-breed dogs & cockapoo, from San Diego

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Duke the mixed-breed dog, from San Diego

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Unfortunately, Duke passed away soon after his session took place. He was such a good boy…

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Emerson, Russell & Bells, the labrador and cattle dog & labrador mixed breed dog, from Ramona

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Gaston the French bulldog, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Gracie the St. Bernard, from San Diego

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Howie & Bernie, boxers, from San Marcos

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Indy & Molly, the golden retriever & Great Pyrenees mix, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Karma & Kody, the pit bull & Australian shepherd, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Keiko the dachshund, from San Diego

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Lexie, Gunther, Chase & Aurora, German shepherds & Belgian Malinois dog, from San Diego

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Louisa & Brutus, standard poodles, from San Diego

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Chia & Lucy, sphynx cats, from San Diego & Temecula

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Madison the labrador/shepherd mix, from San Diego

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Marina the pit bull/husky mix, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Mariposa, Benny & Sprocket, the papillon & papillon mixes, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Marlow, Cielow & Darla, the German short-haired pointer, husky, and pointer mix, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Marlow had a pretty serious health scare just before our session, but thankfully, he’s healthy & happy today!

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Mindy the Yorkie, from El Cajon

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Mr. Higgins the labrador, from La Jolla

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Mr. Smith the miniature poodle, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Myers & Morgan, maltipoos, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Oliver the Jack Russell terrier, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Oscar the soft-coated Wheaten terrier, from Rancho Bernardo

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Oscar & Bruce, labradors, from La Jolla

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Pele & Alaska, service dogs (labrador/golden retriever mixes), from Escondido

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Penny the rat terrier, from San Diego

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Porkchop & Applesauce, domestic longhair and domestic shorthair cats from San Diego

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Ridley & Samus, chihuahua & chihuahua/terrier mix, from San Diego

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Riley the border collie/husky mix, from San Diego

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Rita the mixed breed dog, from San Diego

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Roo the mixed breed dog, from San Diego

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Ruby & Gladstone, English bulldogs, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Sadie, Belle & Roscoe, the golden retriever, Australian shepherd & bichon frise, from Encinitas

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Lucas & James Woods, the Australian cattle dog mix & pit bull, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Savannah the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, from San Diego

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Shayna, the mixed breed service dog, from San Diego

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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2015_best_service_dog_photographer

 

Sid, the French mastiff/Catahoula leopard dog mix, from San Marcos

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Stiller, Violet & Charlotte, smooth fox terriers & mini schnauzer, from Carlsbad

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Tate & Skyler, mixed breed dogs, from Encinitas

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Taylor the schnauzer, from Oceanside

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Teddy the chow chow, from Coronado

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

Tex the Chinook sled dog, from Santee

Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Tito & Fizgig, the pug & exotic shorthair cat, from San Diego

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Trea (full name: Mister Bailey’s Treasure) & Bailey, American quarter horse & German shepherd mix, from Rancho Santa Fe

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Sir Truffle the Scottie, from San Diego

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Rebel, Sparky, Liberty, Diva & Rocky, Yorkies, from Carlsbad

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Best of San Diego pet photo

 

 

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Yuma the mixed breed dog, from San Diego

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Whew! What a year! :)

 

Of course, if you’d like to see your pet’s photos in the “Best of 2016” post that I’m sure I’ll be working on a year from now, please get in touch via the contact form on my website.

 

Roscoe, the San Diego Bichon Frise! (Photos)

Tuesday, January 19th, 2016

If you like dogs that are fluffy, small & adorable, you’re going to LOVE Roscoe! He’s a Bichon Frise that recently visited my studio for his first photo session – and I just couldn’t get enough of his cute little face! His soft, fluffy white fur had been freshly groomed and he was trying hard to be on his best behavior (as long as we rewarded him with treats after each pose)! This dog is really special to his dad, Ron, and to be honest, some of my early favorite images that I’m seeing from the entire session are the photos of the two of them together! We even have some photos with Roscoe’s grandparents, too! But since I know my human clients like to see & approve their photos before I post them online for the world to see, haha, I’ll focus on Roscoe’s solo photos for this sneak peek! And you won’t be disappointed – he did great, especially considering it was his first time in front of the camera! He definitely has a mind of his own (for example, his favorite game is You Can’t Catch Me!), and I think that independent spirit really comes through in our photos. I had such a great time working with Roscoe and his family!

 

Here he is, fluffy tail and all! Just look at that face!  :)

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Roscoe definitely knows how to flash that famous Bichon smile!

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We spent a bit of time bringing out Roscoe’s playful side, tossing treats & toys to him as he fetched them all around the backdrop, and I think he had a blast running and jumping around!

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Ron, thank you for a wonderful afternoon! I’m so happy to have met you & Roscoe. I’ll talk to you soon!  :)

 

Irish Wolfhounds, Echo & Hooligan, in the Studio!

Monday, January 18th, 2016

I was so thrilled to meet Echo & Hooligan, two Irish Wolfhounds, for their photo session recently! These gentle giants are absolutely gorgeous dogs, and I have to be honest – I loved learning more about their breed from their mom, Karen! Irish Wolfhounds are an incredible, sweet breed with a long history, and as Karen has learned, when you walk around with two huge shaggy dogs, you start to become a breed ambassador for all the curious people you meet! They make quite an impression on their walks & outings, as you can probably imagine. (And trust me, if you & I have anything in common, you would stop everything you’re doing to meet these dogs if you saw them out & about!) So I was honored to be in their presence for a whole hour, haha – and we had a wonderful photo session together!

 

This is Hooligan, a five-year-old rescue – and this boy definitely has a mind of his own, haha! I really loved seeing his independent personality come through in the images.

cute irish wolfhound

 

And this is Echo! She’s about 1.5 years old, much younger than Hooligan – but her obedience & behavior are spectacular! She works closely with her mom in various competitions, and is amazingly responsive to her every move. (While still having a mind of her own, too, of course! That trait is pretty unanimous amongst Irish Wolfhounds!)

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Oh these two. What a gorgeous pair.

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Karen, thank you for introducing me to your two furry grandkids – and for the breed education along the way! I’m looking forward to seeing you again soon! :)

 

Coco the San Diego Terrier Mix – Pet Photography

Friday, January 15th, 2016

I knew this photo session with Coco, an adorable little terrier mix from San Diego, would be an interesting one as soon as her father told me: “I’ve never really treated her like a dog.” And while you may raise your eyebrows at that kind of statement, what I learned is that Coco & her dad are simply best friends. He treats her as one of his buddies – they’re companions. And I absolutely loved watching them interact – he spoke to her without a high-pitched babying voice, without sternness or commands, but simply with statements and questions. And while their conversations are verbally one-sided, Coco’s big, expressive eyes contain all kinds of responses. It was so cute to see her open her eyes wide and tilt her head when her dad asked “do you want a treat?” And while, of course, most dogs have a similar reaction when they see a treat bag, it was somehow different between Coco and her dad… I felt a deep respect between them, a bonding love, that only comes from years of friendship. And these are the relationships I live to photograph! I only wish this photo session didn’t have to be expedited due to Coco’s recent medical issues… but happily, she’s feeling good these days, and we all had a great time during our visit to the beach in La Jolla!

 

How much do you love her ears?! So big & flappy! She’s such a cutie.

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Coco can really run! Granted, she runs away from the water instead of toward it, since she hates getting wet… but hey, that’s okay!

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So, our photo session was originally scheduled during last week’s El Nino downpour. I’m pretty glad we waited for clear skies… ;)

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Mike, thank you for introducing me to your adorable girl. I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)

 

 

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