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Simba, the Sweet Senior Goldendoodle

Friday, February 25th, 2022

Hello – and happy 2022! This is my first blog post of the new year, can you believe it? I don’t schedule photo sessions in January, since that’s my yearly planning & organizational time, but now I’m back in the swing of appointments & sessions and I’m SO glad. Because I have lots of sessions planned with some ADORABLE dogs this year!

I can’t think of a sweeter, more handsome boy than Simba the goldendoodle to help me start my year off right! He is a happy, easygoing old man who unfortunately got a scary diagnosis recently, and we’re not sure how much time he has left. But his mom has so much love for him and is determined to complete his bucket list: they’re planning to do all the fun things a dog could possibly want, and I think that’s a wonderful plan. Obviously there is no “good” way to lose a pet, whether it’s by surprise or you know its coming – it’s excruciating either way – so while the situation is not ideal, I love how Simba’s mom is using this time & knowledge to spoil the heck out of him and treat him to an amazing time. I personally think she’s handling it in the best possible way. They really are lucky to have each other!

Despite the fact that they are in this unfortunate situation, when you meet Simba, you really can’t tell what he’s going through. Simba is acting like himself, doesn’t seem to be in pain, and he’s just as happy as he’s ever been. He really is the sweetest guy! Did I mention that he’s huge, too? He kind of lumbers around happily saying “hi” to people, but there’s no doubt that his happy place is his mom. At the end of the day he always comes back to her; he absolutely adores her. He was always monitoring where she was going during our photo session and never wanted to be a foot away from her – like a massive velcro dog! I really enjoyed photographing him because he has this happy-go-lucky, content look about him, but then when he perks up his ears he looks like a little puppy again. Trust me – its the cutest thing! I loved photographing him from every angle.

We didn’t get many “action” portraits during this photo session, and that’s okay! After about 2 throws of the tennis ball the most Simba could muster was to slowly would walk toward it, and then he was done. At 11 years old he’s earned the right not to chase after every tennis ball! We let him relax without putting any pressure on him whatsoever. When I meet dogs who are going through any medical treatment or diagnosis, it’s very important to me to not push them physically for safety reasons. We truly just went with Simba’s vibe and what he wanted to do – which made the photo session a nice, slow, enjoyable pace for all of us! All he wanted to do was hang out in the grass, relax and snuggle with his mom. I think that was the ideal photo session for Simba – and kind of for me too. We had a great time!

     

This is Simba in his happy place. Right next to his mom.

happy goldendoodle dog
     

See what I mean about his puppy face?!

goldendoodle photo
     

“To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace.” – Milan Kundera

goldendoodle in the park
     

Ieva, I can’t wait to share the rest of our photos with you soon! Give that boy a hug for me in the meantime!

     

Pepper & Angus, a San Diego Poodle & Goldendoodle!

Friday, October 5th, 2018

“Are they brother & sister?” “Are they the same age?” Pepper & Angus get all kinds of questions from curious people who see them around town… because maybe at first glance, they appear awfully similar! It’s only once you look a little closer and get to know them that you realize they could hardly be more different.

Pepper is a standard poodle, 10 years old and quite the refined little lady. She crosses her paws when she lays down, generally steers clear of her brother’s silly antics, thrives on her independent spirit, and simply has that stately air of a standard poodle that makes you wonder for the quickest moment: is there a human in there? I’m just not convinced that Pepper sees herself as a dog…!

Angus, on the other hand, is a 3-year-old goldendoodle who suffers from “little brother syndrome” to his core, haha! He’s energetic, cheerful, loves to snuggle and make friends, and is simply a happy-go-lucky boy. He was a joy (if somewhat of a challenge) to photograph, and the cherry on top was his bow tie – almost too much cuteness to handle.

For our session, we started with some classic studio portraits and then headed to Balboa Park for a splash of color!

 

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Angus (left) and Pepper (right)!

photo of two dogs in studio

 

I love Pepper’s sweet smile.

poodle in balboa park

 

Angus wanted to explore every inch of Balboa Park, haha – he’s such a happy pup!

goldendoodle in balboa park

 

I’m so excited to see their parents back in the studio soon to review all of our images – this was just a “sneak peek” at all the cuteness! Thanks for being such good dogs during your session, Pepper & Angus! :)

 

Baxter the Goldendoodle! (Photos in San Diego, CA)

Monday, July 30th, 2018

I’m pretty sure Baxter the goldendoodle and his mom deserve an award or two… because although our session was a lot of fun, we had to jump through so many hoops (literal and figurative jumping!) to make it happen! So let’s walk through their awards (actual trophies forthcoming)…

First and foremost, they deserve a Really Fun to Work With award – because Erin and Baxter are a blast! We had a great time laughing and talking, mostly at Baxter’s antics, and I feel like I gained 2 new friends… although Baxter has rarely met a dog or person that he doesn’t get along with, so I’m probably just the newest person in a long line of his friends!

Let’s see – they also deserve the Most Patient Clients award, since the weather prevented the second half of our session from happening 2 3 I don’t know how many times! But trust me, it got to the point of truly absurd. I think Mother Nature was holding a grudge against us for some mysterious reason, because last I checked “June gloom” was supposed to end in June, not continue through July/early August! And yet here we are. Part of me can hardly believe we actually, finally finished our session – thank goodness Bax has a flexible schedule. ;)

They also earned the American Ninja Warrior Clients award – because our beach location was a little extreme! We jumped from a rock down to a hidden cove – and it was all very exciting until Baxter vetoed the big jump. Apparently that was a hallmark of his younger days (he’s 10 now, after all) but he didn’t want to try it this time. So eventually we headed to Ocean Beach for some safe, flat fun. And now I think I may add a clause in my agreement requiring future clients to disclose whether the locations they have in mind require rock climbing expertise… because that’s something I definitely don’t have, haha!!

Haha – this session was memorable in a bunch of very good ways. And I’m loving our photos! So enough talk – here’s Baxter!

 

I can’t resist his happy goldendoodle face! What a sweetheart!

studio goldendoodle photo

 

One of his favorite hobbies is stealing his mom’s shoes, so we recreated his antics in the studio! (He was more than happy to oblige.)

goldendoodle studio picture

 

After long last, we found ourselves at the beach. And Baxter wasted no time getting soaking wet!

goldendoodle water photo

 

A quick pause to make sure mom’s coming before he walks back to the car – because although Baxter is a social butterfly, he truly only has eyes for his mom.

goldendoodle at beach trail

 

 

Erin, thank you for your unending patience with Mother Nature. I’m looking forward to getting together again soon! :)

 

Riley the Goldendoodle Puppy – Part 2!

Tuesday, November 15th, 2016

Do you remember Riley the goldendoodle puppy from last month? Well, I’m thrilled to say that I visited this little girl AGAIN, for the second installment of her photo session! The only thing better than photographing Riley is photographing her twice!  :)

In a month, a lot has changed for this little muppet. She has discovered her teeth, and she chews everything – literally everything, including my camera strap, my camera bag, my hand, her mom’s hands, the grass, the flowers, pieces of tree bark… should I keep going? Exploration via chewing is definitely her favorite thing these days. And she has so much energy, too! You think chewing is a relatively “calm” activity? Riley is finessing her ability to chew while sprinting & jumping at the same time, haha! Our session took place over one extra-long spurt of energy, so we definitely ended up with our fair share of action photos… but for now, I wanted to share a few (fleeting) moments of stillness, because when Riley slows down enough to take a breath, I think she’s simply too cute for words.

 

What do you know? It’s a puddle of goldendoodle puppy.

cute goldendoodle puppy

 

I just love her little profile. She’s such a pretty dog! (And she’s either thinking very deep thoughts here, or she’s wondering what she can chew on next…)

goldendoodle puppy profile

 

And then we found flowers in the neighborhood! Riley was very interested in the new setting, but she still took a moment to pose for me in the gorgeous landscaping (sorry to the gardeners! she wasn’t too destructive, I promise!).

goldendoodle puppy

 

And finally – a moment of peace, at the very end of our session. Whew… I think Riley & I both needed a nap after this, haha!

goldendoodle puppy picture

 

Deb, thank you so much for inviting me to get to know Riley as she grows! I can’t wait to show you our images very soon! :)

 

Riley the Mini Goldendoodle Puppy in Encinitas, CA

Monday, October 10th, 2016

Are you ready for your day to get a whole lot better? Let me introduce you to Riley!

This little ball of fluff is an 8-week-old mini goldendoodle puppy, and I was so thrilled to meet her on her second day at home (!) with her new family in Encinitas! Everything in the world is brand new to her at this point, so I took my time introducing myself (and my camera) to her – but she’s an outgoing, confident little puppy, and she was happy to play with me all afternoon! (Well, let’s be honest, after only about 45 minutes she was falling asleep in her new family’s arms, haha!) So we had a lovely little photo session, and I was so honored to document this little beauty’s entrance into her new family’s world. And truthfully, I think Riley has hit the puppy lottery – her family is completely in love with her already, and she has a grassy yard, a spacious & comfy home, and I even spotted a pool in the backyard to enjoy (once she’s big enough to swim, of course). Can I come back in my next life and be Riley? :)

 

We started our photo session indoors, relaxing on the bed and playing on the living room floor. Riley already has a few favorite toys!

goldendoodle puppy photo

 

And then we headed outside for a bit of playtime in the grass! Riley is still figuring out the “leash” concept… so I decided to digitally remove the leash in this photo, since I think this little girl is going to have a serious independent streak, haha!

goldendoodle puppy

 

Okay, one more photo, just because I can’t resist. That is one cute puppy butt!

goldendoodle puppy butt

 

 

Deb & Mike, thank you for introducing me to the cutest little goldendoodle puppy I’ve ever seen (and the rest of your family too)! I’m excited to see you again soon! :)

 

 

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