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Brando the Gorgeous German Shepherd

Friday, October 12th, 2018

Some days I work with dogs that have no boundaries, no obedience, no manners – and while it’s not exactly ideal, we can still have a great session. Things just tend to move a little slower when dogs don’t have a sense of obedience.

Brando is NOT one of those dogs!!

Brando is probably the most well-trained German shepherd dog that I’ve ever worked with! He’s an accomplished Schutzhund athlete, and if you’re not familiar with the sport, it’s an incredibly involved & complex activity that requires various levels of cognition, skill & self-control. And something tells me Brando is going to be a champion one day – he’s incredible! He did a few Schutzhund tricks for me during our session, and quite frankly, it was downright amazing to see the way he works with his mom. She’s his handler for all his Schutzhund activities and clearly all the tricks and skills they’ve worked on together have helped form a beautiful bond between them. And then – it’s the cutest thing – once he’s done “working” with mom, he switches to playtime mode when he’s with dad! The frisbee comes out and they have a ball playing fetch and letting Brando run around Mission Bay Park. Seeing the strong, unique relationships Brando has with both of his parents was simply awesome!

 

What did I tell you?! Gorgeous.

german shepherd dog

 

We definitely let loose once the frisbee came out!

german shepherd catching frisbee

 

(I’m going to steal Brando. Don’t tell his parents.)

german shepherd

 

 

Linda & Brian, thank you for introducing me to your incredible dog! I had such a great time with all of you! :)

 

Areli & Ghost, Canine Brothers in the Studio

Friday, September 28th, 2018

This was a very special session for me – because I knew this family before they were a family!!

Yep, I met brothers Areli & Ghost and their parents Courtney & Travis in Pensacola, Florida, back when they were stationed there (while Mr. Shamrell was still in flight school). We had a wonderful session together, and longtime blog followers might even remember seeing these gorgeous dogs’ faces back then! What made that first session even more special than I anticipated was the moment when Travis proposed to Courtney! On the beach! It was absolutely beautiful and I was so honored to capture the moment it happened. Fast forward a few years, and honestly I never thought I’d get to work with them again… until I heard from their mom with the happy news that they had been stationed in San Diego! Yay!! Not to mention, there’s another member of the family now – a baby daughter!! Usually when my clients’ families grow, it’s 4 legs at a time, not 2, haha – but we were able to get together for some family portraits with all 5 of these beautiful souls, and even a photo of the two older brothers with their new little sister. What an incredible “full-circle” moment! :)  I’m going to remember this session for a very long time!

 

This is Areli! He’s a Canaan dog, incredibly special to his mama and an all-around good boy. Just look at that handsome smile!

studio portrait of a canaan dog

 

And this gorgeous beast is Ghost, a white German shepherd and goofball to the core. For as stunning as he looks, he’s equally silly. Trust me. ;)

studio picture white german shepherd

 

The last time I saw Ghost, he was about the same size as Areli – but not anymore!! This boy has gotten BIG since he’s not a puppy anymore. he’s fully grown – while Areli has stayed his same handsome, trim self. But I love how they’re still a strikingly-good-looking pair as they were 5 years ago.

two dogs in studio

 

Courtney & Travis, thank you so much for a fun afternoon/reunion, haha! I’m excited to show you the rest of our images soon!

 

Ekin the German Shepherd! (Photos)

Monday, June 12th, 2017

When I first met Ekin, he was a little shy. He’s gorgeous, smart & attached to his mom Tara – but a bit reserved, the first time you say hello. (And that’s okay! I’m always happy to move at whatever pace makes a dog feel comfortable.)

But then we met up for his photo session, at a local park – and he definitely wasn’t shy anymore! When Ekin goes to the park, there’s only one thing he wants: his ball. So as soon as we stepped on the grass, he started bouncing around & looking at the bag of goodies his mom brought with them, knowing exactly what’s in there! Relaxation? No thank you. Treats? Nah. Training practice? Not on the agenda. Snuggle time? Doesn’t hold a candle to FETCH! So we quickly gave in and let Ekin do his favorite thing. And why not – we were there to play, anyway!

Then we were able to settle in for some slightly-calmer portraits – which was truly only possible thanks to all the training he & his mom have done together. Ekin is her first dog, and she knew from the beginning that she wanted him to be impeccably-trained. This process started back when she adopted him, through grad school (he was her little study buddy as a puppy!) and still continues today. Tara & Ekin are learning that training is never “done”, it’s always a work in progress, but they’ve made incredible leaps & bounds together. Ekin is one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever worked with, to be honest. And to show for it, they have an awesome bond. Plus – want to know the best part? Since Ekin is only 2 years old, I know they have a long, happy life ahead of them. Yay – I’m so happy for these two, and thrilled to have met them both! :)

This is Ekin, the sweet, handsome (and lanky) German shepherd. He’s gorgeous, right?!

german shepherd dog photo

 

Then we headed to Coronado beach! We actually went on a separate day, since the weather wasn’t cooperating after we finished at the park, and I’m so glad we both had flexible schedules. Look at that stunning blue water next to the warm tones of Ekin’s coat! I love it!!

german shepherd running

 

It was a stunning afternoon.

german shepherd in San Diego

 

Oh, Ekin. You’re such a good boy. Even with tons of sand in your face.

german shepherd photo

 

Tara, thank you so much for introducing me to your sweet boy! I had such a great time with both of you! Talk to you soon! :)

 

Photography Mini-Sessions, benefitting the Coastal German Shepherd Rescue of San Diego!

Saturday, April 29th, 2017

I have a special fundraising event to announce today! My “Portraits for Pooches” mini-sessions are back, and they’re perfect for a small taste of the custom pet photography experience. And I’m proud to support the Coastal German Shepherd Rescue of San Diego!

 

pet photography mini-sessions

$50 from every photo session is going straight to Coastal German Shepherd Rescue of San Diego! 

. . .

Please note, this is a one-day event – but if Saturday fills up, Sunday will be our overflow date!

. . .

A few words from past mini-session attendees:

We had the BEST experience working with Allison. We originally signed up for the mini-sessions for a fundraiser, thinking we might get a good family shot out of it. We ended up having the best time and found quite a few photos that we loved! She was so well prepared with toys and treats to keep our puppy happy, and was extremely helpful and innovative when showing us her completed work. I can’t wait to bring my dog in to do another shoot someday, it was the best experience!” – Allie S.

“She gave us more than photos, she gave us an experience that we’ll always cherish. I highly recommend her; don’t use your cell phone for those special shots, use Allison! I have 1,000’s of photos of my dog on my phone, but Allison’s were like none I could capture. She really is talented!” – Thomas N.

“My sweet puppy is also a wiggle worm so I wasn’t sure how many good photographs we would get. The photo shoot went quickly and Allison made helpful recommendations to get good results. It was a great experience. We loved every photograph and were amazed by the quality. Each photograph makes us smile so it was worth the investment. We highly recommend Allison – she is extremely talented and easy to work with. It felt like working with a friend. The whole experience was wonderful.” – Jackie S.

. . .

Included with the session fee is your favorite photo as a high-resolution digital, ready to be printed & shared to your heart’s content. But each session results in at least TEN frame-worthy portraits to choose from- so what if you end up with TWO favorite images? Or three, or four?

Here’s the info for any additional products you might pick out, which are completely optional but happily available:

pet photo mini-sessions

 

Registration opens on Monday, May 1st!

There are a limited number of time slots available, so call 619.357.6624 now to reserve yours!

. . .

Thanks, and I hope to see you there! Coastal German Shepherd Rescue of San Diego relies on volunteer fundraising & support, and mini-sessions like these are a great way to help out the awesome dogs in their care!

That’s a Wrap: Photos from the 2016 Portraits for Pooches Fundraiser

Thursday, December 15th, 2016

Oh my goodness – whirlwind weekend doesn’t even begin to describe it. I was absolutely blown away this year (pun intended! ha!) by the support and generosity of the Portraits for Pooches attendees! My weekend was fully booked solid, and it was great to meet so many San Diego dogs – but it was just as fun to write a $1,500 check to the San Diego Humane Society! Not to mention the huge food donation, that the volunteers could hardly believe was so big and so high-quality! Yay! I’d definitely say this fundraiser was a massive success – who knew a mini photo session event for dogs could have gone so smoothly and so well? Haha! And after everyone has ordered their favorite photos as prints, canvases & Christmas cards, I finally have the time to share some of the gorgeous results with you! Here are just a few of the wonderful families who came out this year:

Roxy and Rowdy, cattle dog mixes, and their parents

mini pet photo sessions

 

Trooper and Tres, mixed breed dogs, and their parents

photo session for pets

 

Gracie the boxer and Chico the chihuahua mix, and their parents

mini pet photo session

 

Colin the Mexican rescue mutt, and his moms

mini dog photo session

 

Kane the German shepherd, and his parents
(Okay, okay, here are some photos of just the dogs, too!)

mini pet photo session image

 

Chula the pit bull mix
(We had two backdrops to choose between: classic white, or rustic snowflakes on wood! Which do you like better?)

mini photo session for dogs

 

Aberdeen the service dog (labrador and golden retriever mix)

mini photo session for dogs

 

Belle the Bichon Frise

mini dog photo session

 

Oscar & Mia, dachshunds

dogs mini session

 

Penny the lhasa apso mix

mini photo sessions for pets

 

 

Missed out on the event this year? Don’t be (too) sad – a few Portraits for Pooches events are on my 2017 calendar! The first one is actually in January (eeeek!) and it’s benefitting California Labradors, Retrievers & More. Perfect timing for a Christmas gift! If you’d like to participate – or if you’re a representative of a local animal rescue and would like to reap the benefits of a similar event – drop me a line! You can call 619.357.6624 or email me at allison@allisonshamrell.com.

 

I hope to see you at a future event – whether it’s to celebrate Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, National Dog Day or next year’s Christmas card photos! :)

-Allison

 

 

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