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Elvis, Henrietta, and Oats – a lovely pet photography session in Del Mar, CA

Friday, May 6th, 2022

I always enjoy doing photo sessions with multiple pets, but something special happens when I get to work with multiple species of pets at one session! (It keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure!) From a photographer’s perspective, it’s fun to go back and forth between a cat’s mentality and a dog’s mentality. They are very different from each other, but I like a challenge! :) Elvis, Henrietta, and Oats were simply lovely to work with at our recent photo session in Del Mar.

We started out by photographing the cats at home. Their mom informed me ahead of time that Henrietta is a total ham for the camera, and I enjoyed seeing that side of her personality – but like all cats, she made me “work for it” a bit too! She is 3 years old and certainly has a mind of her own: there were times during our session when she was willing to be photographed, and times when she declined. She was a great reminder that sometimes it’s necessary to take it slow and go with the flow… and all my cat parents can understand that. ;)

Her brother, Oats, was somewhat of a literal “scaredy cat” – and I was warned about that too! At the beginning of our session he was nowhere to be found. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to photograph him at all – but after working with Henrietta for about 20 minutes he cautiously decided to join us. To my delight, he actually picked a very photogenic location to sit and pose for the camera for about 3 minutes… and then he was gone again. Ha! I would have loved to spend more time with Oats because he’s gorgeous, but he was not in the mood (nor is he ever really in the mood) to have his photo taken or be near strangers. And that’s okay – it certainly didn’t make sense to force it or stress him out to ask for anything more.

After photographing the cats I finally got to work with Elvis! He is the dog of the family, a handsome shepherd-boxer mutt adopted from Helen Woodward Animal Center. And while he’s a little slow to warm up to new people, he is absolutely crazy about his parents! He’s his mother’s bodyguard (especially from scary intruders like the hot tub maintenance man) and simply adores her. And it was clear to see that Elvis really respects his dad, who has done a great job training him. I loved seeing how they’ve bonded through training – and I was impressed at how his dad even takes him to fun locations (like the dog beach) to train, so he can get accustomed to overcoming distractions while listening to commands. That’s SUCH a great way to train a dog! Kudos to his dad! (And Elvis knows that whenever he needs some snuggles he can come right back to his mom!)

After photographing Elvis at his house for a bit, we headed about 5 minutes away to San Dieguito Park. It’s one of my favorite parks in town, and the light couldn’t have been any more perfect, filtering through the trees that afternoon. Elvis had plenty of room to run for action photos, and of course we mixed in some family portraits as well. It was a lot of fun to watch Elvis simply be happy, hanging out with his two favorite people in the world! So… how about a “sneak peek” of our images?

     

Henrietta has a few favorite places to relax in her house, and she gave me a tour of most of them. (I hear the best ones are by the window, to watch for birds.)

cat in del mar ca
     

Oats, I only wish we could have spent more time together. What a handsome boy!

fluffy cat from del mar
     

Elvis enjoyed playing fetch with his dad during our session – and he can really move!

del mar dog action photo
     

A happy dog in a beautiful park, in perfect light… these are the photo sessions I LOVE!

happy dog in del mar, ca
     

Rebecca & Tom, thank you so much for introducing me to your sweet animals! I can’t wait to share the rest of our images with you soon. (And thank you for introducing us, Kathy!)

     

A La Mesa Family of Cats and Dogs!

Friday, January 31st, 2020

I recently had the honor of photographing a full house of lovely pets in La Mesa! In particular, three cats and two dogs at their gorgeous home and at a nearby park. We mainly focused on the cats being photographed inside the house even though the dogs, Poppy and Charlie, were super excited to get in on the action! (And I was excited to see them too, haha!)

Two of the cats, Bao and Botas, were ready for their close-up. It might have had to do with a little trick their parents used: fresh salmon! And it worked like a charm. They were more than willing to pose for the camera and get head scratches (and plenty of that salmon) as a reward. Whereas the third cat, Mama Kitty, basically wanted nothing to do with our silly antics. Salmon, head scratches, snuggles, nothing… she wasn’t having it. We did minimal photos with her – and that’s all right! (It happens sometimes! And her family knows she’s not the “jump-in-front-of-the-camera” type.) We were still able to get a few beautiful portraits and move on to our next location… much to Mama Kitty’s relief. :)

la mesa cat


la mesa cat


la mesa cat photography


We went to Briercrest Park in La Mesa, a nearby neighborhood park that I had never been to but immediately fell in love with! It was close to their home and provided an amazing atmosphere for their photo session. The park had little structures, grass, trees, pathways, bridges… I was so impressed by all the picture-perfect opportunities. What made it even better was that it was familiar territory for Poppy and Charlie; it was already their favorite park that they visit on a regular basis. So no need to sniff everything, explore all the nooks & crannies, etc – it’s practically an extension of their yard. This spot is definitely one I will want to keep in mind for future photo sessions!

Poppy and Charlie were very well behaved during their photo session, and were happy to do whatever we asked for treats. My favorite fact about these two fluffers: they are both from China! They were rescued from a terrible fate on the streets, and I have no doubt that their life couldn’t be better than it is today. :)


la mesa dog


la mesa dog photo example


Ellen & family, I cannot wait to show the rest of the images to you soon! Thanks for such a fun photo session!

A Trio of Maine Coon Cats from San Diego

Thursday, March 7th, 2019

I’m so excited to introduce you to three of the most stunning Maine Coon cats I’ve ever met! Say hello to Bella, Rockie & Casi! This photo session, quite honestly, was a breeze – especially compared to other photo sessions I’ve done with cats before (sorry kitties, but you don’t always make yourselves the easiest subjects to photograph!). Not only did we have a ridiculous amount of fun, but all 3 cats were b-e-a-utiful! I happen to think all pets are beautiful, quite honestly – but every once in a while those extra-photogenic subjects make my job that much easier. And what’s even more special is that this photo session was generously gifted to this family by their dear friend, Mary. She was even able to join in on the fun with us! Thank you, Mary, for introducing me to this lovely family – and I’m so glad you were able to be there for the big day! (Side note: did you know I offer gift certificates?)

The oldest & wisest of the bunch is Bella. Oh Bella… She really wasn’t into the whole photo session idea at first, and wasn’t afraid to express it. But she slowly warmed up enough to show off her toy, and she eventually became so relaxed as time went on that she started kneading it right there in front of me! That was a big deal for this 13-year-old girl! I was thrilled to see that despite the weird stranger following her around with a big black camera (me), she had gotten that comfortable, which in return allowed for some gorgeous images.

On the other hand, Bella’s two younger siblings had no problem showing their enthusiasm for our photo session! When I arrived to their house, Rockie was literally waiting for me at the door! I felt like a welcomed guest and knew right off the bat that we were going to have a great afternoon. And to my surprise, only minutes after I’d made it into their house, Rockie managed to find the decorative tassel on my camera bag – and he decided that it would look better if it had a few less strings attached to it, haha! (I didn’t even realize it could be considered a toy! That’s what I get for not owning a cat myself, haha!) Let’s just say it made the perfect toy for him. :) I loved his outgoing and playful personality!

Casi, which is short for Cassiopeia (inspired by the star on her nose), is Rockie’s litter mate! She’s very social and her personality is similar to Rockie too. She has also been deemed “the sous chef” by her dad: whenever he’s in the kitchen, she’s right there beside him wondering what he’s cooking up and politely asking if she can taste test! Isn’t that adorable?


Bella is most definitely the queen of the house and lets everyone know it. #lioness

maine coon cat


These confident one year old siblings didn’t hold back on posing for me! Aren’t they gorgeous?! (And just look at alllllllll that fluffy Maine coon fur!)

maine coon cat


Can you see the “star” on Casi’s nose?

maine coon on stairs


As I was packing up my gear, I joked with my clients about how this gallery was going to give them “good problems” – because there are going to be SO many fabulous photos to choose from! As I’m looking through their images, I can confirm my suspicions: we were right! :) Wendy & Tom (and Mary), I cannot wait to meet with you all again soon for your ordering session!

Frank & Ollie, the pug puppy & tabby kitten from San Diego!

Monday, November 26th, 2018

Should I pinch myself? Am I dreaming?

Nope: I truly had the chance to work with the most adorable animals!! Frank the pug puppy was only 11 weeks old at the time of our session, which is quite frankly an incredible time to have a photo session. Seriously – I am SO happy his parents gave me a call well in advance of when they wanted their session to take place. It gave us all the time we needed to plan the perfect experience, and Frank was at the perfect age! Ollie, his brother, is a rescue kitten from a litter in which he was (very sadly) the only survivor. He & his siblings were all diagnosed with panleukopenia (which is the feline version of parvovirus), so it was truly a miracle that Ollie’s foster family helped him make it through. But now he’s about 6 months old, and is one of the most inquisitive, happy, intelligent cats I’ve ever met! He comes when you call his name, and will do just about anything for a treat (including, I learned, let his parents put a harness on him so we could go outside). Today, Frank & Ollie live happily in central San Diego, doing their best impression of Milo & Otis. :)

And I have to admit, I was impressed with how these brothers get along – their parents definitely made the right move in adopting them both at around the same time, so they could grow up together and bond from an early age. Plus, they’re both already so well-trained! Do you know any other 11-week-old puppies who can hold a sit-stay, or toilet-trained 6-month-old kittens? I don’t!! Many first-time pet parents just “wing it” and figure things out as they go, and while that can often work out just fine, Frank & Ollie’s parents have taken the opposite approach, and have invested plenty of time educating themselves on all the best things they can do for their new animals. It really shows; these two are already such happy, confident kiddos. They have the cutest little friendship, and I really loved photographing them both!

 

This, of course, is Frank! With the biggest little head tilt I’ve ever seen. Come on, can you even stand how cute he is?!

pup head tilt

 

Ollie the cat is a gorgeous little kitten; I already know he’s going to grow up into a strikingly handsome orange tabby!

orange tabby kitten

 

We also visited a place in San Diego that most animals aren’t allowed to see… I’ll keep the location quiet since we only got in thanks to their dad’s work. But let’s just say it was somewhere I never thought I’d get to experience the inside of! (Yes, that’s a remnant of a plant on Frank’s face… something tells me he was “sampling” his surroundings!)

put puppy photo

 

Ollie, on the other hand, used the outing as an opportunity to keep a lookout for small animals & anything else to chase, smell and/or play with.

orange cat photo

 

 

Rachel & Mike, thank you so much for introducing me to your new additions! I can’t wait to get together again soon!!

 

Bella, Sidecar & Auggie – Two Australian Labradoodles & a Sphynx Cat!

Tuesday, November 13th, 2018

It’s not very often that I get to work with cats and dogs in the same photo session – and it’s even rarer for them to all visit my studio together! So I was absolutely thrilled to meet Bella, Sidecar & Auggie recently, because they travel as a family! :)

Bella & Sidecar are Australian Labradoodles, and Auggie is a sphynx cat – so cue the extra excitement I had for this photo session, because I absolutely love working with breeds that you simply don’t meet every day! And these animals didn’t disappoint; they all had distinct personalities & unique quirks that became clear during our session… they may all belong to the same family, but they’re each so different!! So let me introduce you to them, one by one…

 

This, of course, is Auggie! He’s a confident young boy, and he loved exploring every square inch of my studio. We convinced him to hang out on the backdrop with a few toys – thank goodness his hunting instinct is so strong, haha! As a result we ended up with a few action photos that I’m pretty excited about, but at the end of the day, some of my favorite portraits we captured are of his calmer moments. He’s absolutely stunning!!

sphynx cat studio photo

 

Then we visited Old Poway Park! (Auggie came too, but he preferred to hang out in his carrier while we explored the park.) This is Bella, the more confident of the two Australian Labradoodles. She was camera-ready within minutes of starting our session, and I simply loved all the unique expressions she sent my way! She’s a cute little lovebug and the camera absolutely loved her (I did too, let’s be honest).

australian labradoodle photo

 

And this is Sidecar, Bella’s brother! Unlike his siblings, he made sure that we took our sweet time when it came to his solo portraits… the camera was NOT his favorite thing. (And by “not his favorite thing” I mean he was terrified of it.) Regardless, I have a few tricks up my sleeve – so I was thrilled when Sidecar eventually relaxed and revealed his happy smile!

australian labradoodle picture

 

Brother and sister. They’re so adorable.

Australian Labradoodles

 

Jinhee, thank you so much for introducing me to your family! I’m so excited to get together again soon & show you the rest of our images!!

 

 

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