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My Dog Bailey’s First Surfing Lesson in Del Mar, CA

Thursday, August 22nd, 2013

If you’re a fan of the Facebook page, you already know the fun news: Bailey (my dog) had her first surfing lesson on Saturday! We met up with the So Cal Surf Dogs for their regular weekly lessons, and boy – I can’t possibly tell you how much fun it was!! We had an absolutely stellar time – and to our absolute shock & exhilaration, Bailey actually surfed!!

 

del mar dog surfing

 

I kind of still can’t believe that photo exists… My dog can SURF! It was an absolutely unforgettable experience, and we can’t wait to go back for more!

 

The whole day was lots of fun from the beginning: first, the dogs got accustomed to their boards on the beach. The So Cal Surf Dogs instructors were incredibly patient with the dogs, and they made sure not to rush or force anyone into anything uncomfortable. I really can’t say enough for their patience & concern for the dogs’ happiness & safety. They even had a professional dog trainer there, just to watch out for signs of anxiety in the dogs.

 

No anxiety here! Bailey was ready to go!

dog surfing in san diego

 Game face.

dog surfing in san diego

 And after a bit of instruction & reassurance, they sent us out into the water! There’s the handsome Mr. Shamrell with Bailey – he was so great at “launching” her!

fun dog surfing photos

And she surfed!!!

dog on surfboard

You’ll never guess what happened next. Right after she rode her very first wave – all the way to the beach! – I got stung by a stingray.

Yes, you read that right. Or at least the lifeguard thought I “brushed” into one, since I stepped on something poky and it immediately started hurting. So I was rushed to shore, but by the time I reached the lifeguard station, the pain had mostly gone away. I guess I confused the poor lifeguard on duty; he wasn’t sure if it was a bee or a piece of glass or a slight stingray sting that got me… but luckily, whatever it was didn’t stop me from getting back out there! I only missed a few of Bailey’s runs in the time it took for him to inspect my toes. I was too nervous to step out there barefoot, though, so I wore my sandals back out. Which didn’t make walking around very easy, but hey, I felt safer! :)

So while I was on shore, Mr. Shamrell & Bailey kept practicing, and eventually he was able to launch her without the help of our awesome instructor, Gigi. She’s a So Cal Surf Dogs volunteer, and was with us the whole time – and thank goodness, because we would have been lost without her! She was awesome at seeing what we were doing wrong and correcting us, and making sure Bailey was always in the right place & safe. There’s a lot to think about out there: your position relative to the board, your dog’s position, your hand positions, what the water is doing, when the next wave is coming, if there are any people/dogs/surfboards in front of or behind you… it’s not a simple thing!

dog surfing detailed

Here’s what we eventually learned: Bailey needs someone launching her, and someone else about 20 yards closer to the beach saying “staaaaayyyyy” with their hands up! If there’s no one to tell her to stay put, she would often make a break for it:

dog surfing wipeout

 

By the end of the lesson, the president of So Cal Surf Dogs was helping Bailey & Mr. Shamrell with a bit of technique. Looks like Bailey was one of the “quick learners” in the class! (ohmygoshiamsoproudmydogisagenius!)

 

dog surfing lesson

 

 As I shot these photos with my camera in one hand, my other hand was out and I was yelling “stay!” Haha!

fun dog surfing photos

 

I know she looks a bit uncertain in these photos, but I hope no one’s actually worried about her – Bailey was having a great time! I have to think that no one immediately starts smiling and waving the first time they learn how to stand up on a surfboard. Bailey was concentrating on staying up & staying put; she came running back to us after each run, and I figure that if she really didn’t like it, she’d make a beeline for the beach and stay there. She never did that, and was consistently wagging her tail between runs, so we felt good about hoisting her back up on the board each time. (Some dogs were much less sure about staying put on the boards, so they had leashes to connect their dogs to the boards. Got to say, I was proud of Bailey for not needing one of those!)

surf dog

Get this: after she passed both of us, she’d just turn around and stare at us! As if to say, “Mom? Dad? Where am I going?” Too cute! We couldn’t stop laughing!!

dog surfing funny

 

 Like I said – there were a few wipeouts. Not too many!

dog surf wipeout

 

We were all cheering for her! Goooooo Bailey!!

del mar dog surfing

 

My gosh, the coastline at Del Mar is beautiful.

del mar dog surfing

 

 Aaaaand she’s out!

del mar dog surfing

Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we “launched” Bailey’s board with the waves? Check it out:

dogs learning how to surf

Gigi’s help was crucial!

dog learning how to surf

 It was a beautiful, perfect day. So many people were there – Bailey’s “class” had about 8 other dogs, and there were 2 more classes that day!

del mar dog beach

 

del mar dog beach view

 

 Somehow, we always come back to this. Even with a life vest!

dog rubbing in sand

 

Ahhhh. It’s much better naked, apparently.

dog rubbing in sand

 

 Sigh. That’s my dog.

dog shaking in sand

 

If you’re interested in surfing with your dog in Del Mar (obviously I recommend it!), you can get more info & fill out the sign-up form here.

I’m already looking forward to our next lesson, as well as the upcoming dog surfing competition! Benefitting the Helen Woodward Animal Center, the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon is September 8 at the Del Mar dog beach! I’ll definitely be there – Bailey needs a bit more training, I think, before making an appearance at an event like that – but I can’t wait to photograph all the action!

Seriously. I can’t think of a better way to spend your Saturday. We’ll be back out there soon! :)

 

My Dog Bailey Playing at the Coronado Dog Beach

Thursday, August 15th, 2013

Amongst all the big news lately – the new studio, the grand opening, the press & features – I thought it was time for a just-for-fun blog post. So today I don’t have any stop-the-presses news to report; I just wanted to share with you my dog Bailey’s first trip to the Coronado Dog Beach! I think it’s important not to get bogged down in all the chaos of work, and just escape every now and then. Especially when pet photography is my specialty – there’s a LOT of fun places to escape to in San Diego! (And to be honest… let’s just say I need to be taking my own advice right about now!) So here are a few photos from Bailey’s first foray into the Coronado waters.

 

She had a great time running around and stretching her legs. Is she athletic or what?! Honestly, I don’t take her to the dog beach enough…  she always has the BEST time just sprinting up & down the sand!

fast dog running

 

It was a cloudy, completely overcast day. Which is good & bad for photography, actually: good because there are no harsh shadows and I can shoot from just about any angle. Not so good because it means no blue skies or blue water. So, a trade-off.

 coronado dog beach

 

So, when there aren’t any pretty colors: black & white! :)

black and white coronado dog photography

 

black and white pet photography

I love the Hotel Del in the background… what a gorgeous beach.

coronado dog beach view

 

This, however, is what Bailey loves to do more than ANYTHING. Ugh. I can’t do anything but sit back and watch her, thinking, “oh, yeah, that’s good, I’m glad you got that little spot on top of your head/on your side/in your ear. You had missed it in the first thirty seconds of rolling around like that. I hope no owners forgot about their dog’s poop that happened to be right underneath you. This just sealed the deal on your bath, missy.”

sand rolling dog

 … sigh. That’s my girl.

 

If you’ve been reading the blog for a few weeks now, you know that I’m trying to encourage Bailey to develop her social skills a bit. She’s a happy, friendly dog, but sometimes we have not-so-nice interactions with other friendly dogs that leave me scratching my head. I just don’t know what will set her off. (It only happens 5% of the time, if that, but I’m having trouble understanding why.) Lately, I’ve learned (upon paying close attention) that Bailey is a little more likely to be unfriendly to a new dog when she’s already in a stressful situation, or when that dog approaches her too quickly. So, I’m glad that I’m learning about her triggers, so I can help prevent these negative types of situations.

At the dog beach, it’s a happy place and Bailey can aways see other dogs coming from a ways off, so she’s never grumpy or rushed. Which is great! I’m fascinated to watch her play with other dogs there. Sometimes she’s super-outgoing…

dogs playing beach

and sometimes she just skulks around like this. What a weirdo. Look at that face! Skulker.

timid dog behavior

She wants to play with most other dogs, but her ridge will often come up. (we think she’s mostly Rhodesian ridgeback, so her ridge gets HUGE when she’s agitated.) Often, though, she seems to “tough it out” and play – even though she’s on edge.

beach dogs playing

If she finds a dog she likes, she’ll get submissive and start licking their mouth.

dog behavior coronado

And then when she feels REALLY submissive, she’ll just lay down. And get pawed in the face, apparently! (I couldn’t switch to my zoom lens in time to capture this moment… wish I could have been closer up! What a goof!)

dog behavior coronado beach

And although she doesn’t fetch, she’ll always try and “intercept” dogs that do. I can’t figure out this inclination, either!

two dogs running beach

dogs running coronado beach

dogs playing beach

dog running beach

dog ball beach

 In general, though, I’m definitely seeing improvement in Bailey’s short-term visits with other dogs! I just want my girl to be happy, so this is great to see.

dogs playing water beach

Okay – so apparently my dog looks like she has rabies every time she shakes. Awesome.

a dog shakes water

When we adopted her, the rescue organization’s guess at her breed was “mastiff”. Probably not the case, but look at those mastiff-like jowls! :)

shaking dog

We finished our morning by breaking out the ol’ fisheye lens for a few fun shots…

dog photography fisheye

fisheye dogs playing

Goofball!

funny fisheye dog photo

 

Thanks for reading! I’m glad you’re here – even though every blog post isn’t newsworthy, I’m happy you take the time to visit. More fun stuff is coming soon! :)

 

Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting – I’m Thrilled to Announce that San Diego’s Newest Pet Photography Studio is Open for Business!

Tuesday, August 13th, 2013

I can’t believe it – I cut the ribbon!! :)  San Diego’s newest photo studio – specializing in pets – is now officially OPEN for business! Yay!!! My grand opening was a great success and I’m thrilled to be doing what I love in a fabulous new town! This studio space is going to be absolutely perfect for meeting clients and their pets, photographing sessions, and revealing images to my clients. A lot of GREAT things are going to happen here! :)

 

new dog photography portrait studio

 

As you can see, I’m ridiculously excited! Turns out, I’m a dork… But I couldn’t imagine cutting the ribbon without my super-supportive husband – and my muse Bailey – up there with me!

 

pet photography san diego chamber of commerce

Here we are with a couple of San Diego Chamber of Commerce officials. Those scissors are BIG, right?! haha!

(huge thanks to the fabulous Jen Bergren for the wonderful photos!)

Since the day of the ribbon cutting/grand opening, I’ve been blessed to already have had several pre-session consultations in the new space. And – whew – just like I expected, the studio has been great for hosting people & animals!  I’ll be able to share photos of the inside soon; I’m still putting the final touches on my desk organization and such. (easier said than done!)

 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: thank you to all the people that have supported me and this crazy little business. I really, truly am honored to work with each one of my clients. So, thank you, all of you, for getting me this far – I hope you’re just as excited as I am to see what the future brings! :)

San Diego’s Newest Pet Photography Studio!

Saturday, June 15th, 2013

Well, it’s official! I wanted to keep it under-wraps until the papers were signed and the keys were in my hand… and now, it’s true: I’m the owner of San Diego’s newest pet photography studio! Yay!!! This is sooooo exciting!!

 

san diego pet photo studio

 

I’m not going to show you any photos of the space yet, because honestly, they’re “before” photos. And what good is a “before” without an “after”? I promise, they’re coming! But right now, you’ll have to imagine the possibilities through these photos (taken with my iPhone, because I still haven’t found my card reader in our moving boxes yet… gah).

 

san diego pet photo studio

 

I’m feeling a lot of different emotions right now – probably what every photographer that’s opened a studio goes through. I’m scared the space won’t live up to the ideas I have in my head if I can’t decorate it well enough. I’m scared for my upcoming bill at Home Depot. I’m scared that the investment will start to weigh on me. I’m scared of a break-in. But at the same time, I’m so excited to have a space in the community where I can invite people, clients & dogs over! I’m excited to be able to simply say, yes, I have a studio! I’m excited to decorate & design it, and I’m excited to have a place that can do everything I need it for: client meetings, shoots, ordering sessions, etc. Honestly, I’m a little bit excited to separate my business life from my personal life, because – not gonna lie – my time-management skills could use a bit of work (coughfacebookcough) and I think having limited access to my files at home might be just the push I need to be as productive as possible while working.

So in the meantime, I’m accepting any & all suggestions on decorating & maintaining a brick & mortar studio. Ken and I are about to head to Home Depot now… and I’m praying the employees there have plenty of patience! We are first-timers, after all! :)

Thanks for reading – and stay tuned for more updates as I do my best to make this studio perfect! :)

 

Bailey in San Diego

Friday, June 14th, 2013

So, I feel like I haven’t written many blog/Facebook posts lately. Or at least not a proportionate amount compared to all the activity that’s going on over here! To tell you the truth, I’ve been working hard doing lots of “behind-the-scenes” things, like getting ready to make friends with other San Diego pet-related business owners, meeting other local pet photographers, and exploring the local neighborhoods to get a feel for what’s where. And while I haven’t been meeting lots of new dogs lately, like I normally do when sessions are in full swing, I’ve been spending plenty of time with Bailey. I love my girl so much – she just turned 4 on Monday! It was a great day and we didn’t have the slight fiasco of Birthday #3. We even spent the weekend with her doing extra-special fun things, like visiting the Coronado Dog Beach and joining my extended family in Los Angeles for a barbecue!

 

 I would post a new photo of Bailey at Coronado, but in the moving chaos, I can’t find my card reader. GAH. So here’s an oldie but a goodie :)

san diego dog socialization

 

However, I have a confession to make.

 

In the first year we had Bailey, I’d like to think we did a pretty great job at socializing her. When we adopted her, she was 6 months old – found in the middle of nowhere when she was 4 months old – and we took her to the dog beach most Sundays, constantly met other dogs on our walks, and generally took her with us whenever we could. She was a happy, social dog!

 

But after that first year, we moved farther away from that dog beach, and pretty far (a solid 25-minute drive) from dog parks too. We were lucky enough to move into a neighborhood with several playful dogs, and Bailey got along fabulously with them! But those dogs became 95% of her dog-to-dog interactions. I’ll admit it – we got lazy. With long walks in a neighborhood where we could let her off-leash and run, what could possibly be wrong with a few less trips to the dog beach? So we thought.

 

san diego social dog

 

Bailey has been stressed since we moved: she spent 3 whole days in a car, and we’d never boarded her before but she spent almost a week at Bark Boulevard while we visited Portland. So who can blame her for being stressed? But I’ve noticed in the trips that we’ve taken to San Diego dog parks so far that she’s not getting along with other pups as well as she used to. And maybe a dog behaviorist can help me out with the “why” behind this, but she seems to be quite particular about other dogs that she simply doesn’t like. And then she gives them a hard time: barkling, growling, snarling, etc. She never attacks – my gosh that would be horrible! – just makes it very clear that the other dog is not her friend.

 

It doesn’t happen often; probably with 5% of all the dogs she meets. If that. I certainly don’t mean to say that she’s lost all her social skills! She usually loves to meet other dogs, and she typically plays just fine with new friends! But every dog parent wants their pup to be social and sweet with everyone they meet… And as much as I’d like to play innocent and say “I have no idea why she’s like this all of a sudden”, I’m pretty sure all the evidence is right in front of me. Less socialization over the past couple of years. Stress of moving across the country and all the chaos that comes with it. In general, just less-than-ideal situations for my girl.

 

san diego dog

I feel guilty for how things have gone, so I’m making San Diego a new beginning! I’ve resolved to take Bailey out to dog parks and beaches MUCH more often than I used to! And since San Diego is incredibly dog-friendly, we can take her out to restaurants and more places too! It’s going to be great; we’ll get to spend more time with her and hopefully she’ll decide that more & more dogs are her friends. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes; I know nothing will happen overnight but I’m trying to create a pattern of lots of positive interactions. Hopefully my knowledge of dog psychology will help the process along.

 

I’ll always respect Bailey’s limits. I can promise you that. But until she tells me she’s had enough, I’m going to socialize the crap out of her. :)

 

 

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