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Tag: ‘coronado pet photography’



A Surprise Photo Session for Milbert!

Tuesday, August 10th, 2021

This photo session was a surprise gift for Milbert’s mom! How fun is that?!

(I had to specify “Milbert’s mom” before you think I’m crazy – I mean, I’m pretty sure ALL my photo sessions are a surprise for the dogs being photographed! Ha!)

Milbert is a rescue dog from Tijuana, and he may have recently turned one year old, but I can promise you he’s still 100% puppy. He’s got to be one of the most sociable pups I’ve met in quite a while, too: he’s convinced that everything and everyone is his friend! So when he & his parents walked into my studio for their pre-session consultation, he was all smiles and ready to play. His mom, on the other hand, needed to pause a moment to process what was happening: because Milbert’s dad had planned our photo session as a gift for her, and she had NO idea she’d be meeting a photographer (me) that day! What a fun surprise – and thankfully, I’m happy to report that after she got over the initial shock, she was very excited about it! :)

When I met Milbert’s parents, we found out we have a mutual friend in common: Canine Education! They are a wonderful dog training company here in San Diego, and they do amazing work. So Milbert is a work in progress (aren’t we all?), and his parents are working hard to teach him all of the best manners that a Tijuana street dog didn’t quite grow up with. A high energy labrador can be a challenge to train at times, that’s for sure – but his parents are doing an outstanding job!

His parents wanted views of the beautiful San Diego skyline, so we headed over to Coronado and even got access to a special private dock on the water. Afterwards we headed to Presidio Park, which is a much bigger space than the small grass patch & dock we had just come from. So… we let Milbert have a little freedom off-leash to run around (safely, of course)… and he LET LOOSE with the zoomies! Leaping and bounding all over the place, having the time of his life! I’m telling you, he had the biggest smile on his face! And what impressed me the most was that after that burst of energy, he became the perfect model dog. He would sit and stay for minutes at a time – when back on Coronado he was bursting with wiggles, too excited to pose for more than half a second at a time. It was a great reminder that a little exercise does us good – dogs included! It was also a nice example of my theory that it’s always easier to photograph a dog when they’re tired. Honestly, my philosophy is simply to let the dog do what they want to do. If your dog wants to go crazy and run around during their photo session, let’s do it! It helps me get those fun, action shots AND it makes them tired enough to ensure those “posed”, stationary portraits are a whole lot easier to capture later on. Nothing is worth forcing. Nothing. When you try and go against the dog’s wishes, the photo session doesn’t flow naturally and everything takes longer, not to mention everyone gets frustrated. So why do things that way? When you go with the flow, you’ll have more fun and everything goes more smoothly! This photo session was a great example of that. Milbert is a free spirit, that’s for sure – and I’m so glad we let his personality shine!

     

Milbert is a lucky dog, he found a happy home with his parents in San Diego. He belongs here!

labrador with san diego
     

I wasn’t kidding about the zoomies!

labrador dog running
     

His mom brought a clutch selection of bandanas. Milbert’s “outfits” were on point!

labrador archway photo
     

I can’t get enough of this face. What a sweet boy.

labrador dog
     

Vincent & Monica, I loved working with you both for this fun surprise photo session – and I’m excited to see you again soon in the studio!

Porter, the Anxious Yet Adorable Puppy

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021

Stop what you’re doing – you’ll thank me later – and come meet this adorable 6-month-old rescue puppy, Porter! He was recently adopted from a rescue organization in the Little Italy area of San Diego. And as his dad cleverly says, Porter comes from a long, established line of street dogs! :)

My favorite part of their story comes from the first time Porter met his dad: they had gone on a walk around Little Italy, to get acquainted, and afterwards Porter fell asleep on his shoes when they were done. It speaks volumes to me that he would immediately trust him that much! Porter’s trust isn’t earned very easily – trust me on this one – so I think that story is all the proof I’ll ever need that Porter & his dad are the perfect match.

My second favorite thing about Porter and his dad’s story? Turns out Porter is a little timid around new people, due to some anxiety issues. He’s had some sleeping issues at night, and separation anxiety too – so his dad has kindly worked with him by busting out the sleeping bag to be near him, just outside of his crate, all night long. Once the sleeping bag was working to keep Porter calm & happy, he “graduated” to sleeping on the couch! This went on for weeks – all to keep Porter as comfortable as possible. Isn’t that wonderful?! That story just blew me away with how dedicated he is to his boy! Thankfully, Porter is doing much better in his crate now, and his anxiety issues are lessening. Their connection is real, and as a result, it’s safe to say that Porter only has eyes for his dad.

The nice thing about Porter’s nervousness around other people & wanting to stay close to his dad was that he was able to be off-leash in some relatively crowded parts of town. No issues, no running away whatsoever – which is amazing for a puppy! If he got distracted by some smells, he was always quick to come trotting right back. I lovingly nicknamed him the “velcro puppy”, since he never wanted to be more than a couple of inches from his dad. I wonder if that’s a personality trait that will stick around as time goes on…

We started our photo session at the Spanish Art Village at Balboa Park, and then headed over to Coronado Beach. I think Porter’s favorite part of the session was playing fetch on the beach!


This is Porter. That face… what a handsome boy!

puppy with color


When I say he looks up to his dad, I mean it literally & figuratively.

puppy walking


We got alllllll that puppy energy out at the beach!

puppy running


I’m pretty sure these two can handle anything life throws at them, as long as they’re together.

puppy at the beach


Jay, thank you for such a lovely afternoon with you and Porter! I can’t wait to show you all the images we were able to capture – we have quite a few! See you soon!

Coronado Dog Photography Session with Casper!

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

I had a lovely time recently during my Coronado dog photography session with Casper the schnauzer/westie mix! Take it from me, this little pup definitely lives the good life: his parents own the fabulous Kensington Pet Supply shop! He has access to all the best food & treats in the pet industry, and their shop is a fantastic little oasis for dog and cat lovers – you can even find him behind the counter sometimes! (Cutest employee ever?) I highly suggest you stop in for a visit, especially if you live in the Kensington/North Park/Normal Heights area.

But enough about his parents – this little guy is full of personality! We played in the shadow of the fabulous Hotel Del Coronado for our session, and it’s one of Casper’s favorite beaches in San Diego. He has a funny little routine when he visits the beach: as much as he loves romping around in the sand, his true “happy place” is in the water, and that’s where he always wants to be – but only if his dad goes with him! He ventures out into the surf until his belly gets wet, and then he makes a break for the shore again, straight toward his mom! It was so cute to see him get brave with his dad but eventually give in & run back to mom, time after time… just hilarious! So let me introduce you to the little goofball!

Here’s Casper with the Hotel Del! Can you see the westie and schnauzer in his breeding?

coronado dog photography session

 

 

That big grin never left his face when he was in the water… he looooves the beach!

coronado dog photo session

 

 

And perhaps the most exciting part of this session? Casper’s about to be a big brother!! He was so generous about sharing the spotlight with his future sibling; I can already tell they’re going to be best buds!

Coronado dog photography

 

Thanks for a wonderful session, Rich & Liana! I had a great time with all of you – and next time I visit the beach, I’ll make sure to tell my clients to warn me about approaching waves! haha! :)

 

 

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