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Willow, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Puppy from Dana Point

Tuesday, December 7th, 2021

Meet Willow, one of the sweetest & most beautiful dogs I’ve ever had the privilege of photographing! I was veryyy tempted to steal this pup and take her back home with me, haha – especially since it’s not every day that I get to photograph a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever! She is a total sweetheart and loves to make new friends. Willow is actually her mom’s first dog, and they are already off to a great start! I loved seeing the bond that they have already made. And if this is just the beginning of their relationship, then I can’t wait to see what it grows and blossoms into from here!

We started our session at Balboa Park, which turned out to be a wonderful (if incredibly busy) spot. Despite all the activity & distractions, she was a perfect angel throughout the afternoon, and did just about everything we asked her to do. I was impressed with her obedience for such a young pup at just 5 months old! There’s a lot of time and work that go into obedience training and it can feel like you’re making progress at a snail’s pace. Puppies have a short attention span and it’s a big world for them to figure out (and be distracted by), so training can be extremely challenging. It takes time, energy and effort – and Willow’s mom has done SUCH a good job staying consistent! I’m here to tell you that all the hours they’ve put in together have paid off – not only for her, but it made my job a lot easier too, haha! Willow’s focus allowed us to get a great variety of portraits. The park was a spectacular setting with all of its bright colors, too; it worked well with Willow’s ruby red fur and I’m so glad we started our session there.

We eventually headed to the studio, where the sights & sounds of the park faded and we got to slow down & relax a bit. I remember feeling pretty excited throughout our photo session because of how well everything was going, and I figured the portraits were not going to disappoint. So here’s Willow’s sneak peek… you be the judge! 😉

     

This sweet face is Willow!

nova scotia duck tolling retriever dog
     

As soon as I saw these flowers, I knew Willow belonged amongst them. Thankfully, she was willing to entertain all of our crazy ideas!

nova scotia duck tolling retriever puppy
     

She was a natural in the studio. And I think we all enjoyed the change of pace from the park!

nova scotia duck tolling retriever dog in studio
     

I’m excited to see how Willow and her mom’s relationship continues to develop and deepen over the years. They are such a cute pair! Training aside, they simply have a great bond, and it’s always so lovely to see a person and dog in sync with one another.

Emily, thank you so much for visiting the studio all the way from Dana Point! I’m excited to share the rest of our images with you very soon!

     

Iver, the Silly & Sweet Sheltie Puppy

Thursday, August 26th, 2021

I recently got to photograph the cutest little 5-month-old Sheltie named Iver! I just about fell in love with him during our photo session, and I think you will too. One of my favorite parts about Iver is his backstory, and how his parents came to find him. They knew that they wanted a dog for a long, long time. They looked everywhere in San Diego to find the right fit – but despite how dog-friendly our city is, they realized that it’s actually pretty difficult to find a place in the rental housing market that allows dogs, especially dogs over 25 pounds. (Which I can personally relate to! My Bailey is not a small dog!) So after searching at shelter after shelter, Iver’s parents simply weren’t able to find the right pup. But you know what? I really believe that the right dog will find its way to the right family. And after months of uncertainty, they finally heard from a Sheltie breeder out of the blue – and what do you know, it was finally time for them to meet their dog. Iver and his parents go together like a glove. They’re all so sweet, and they love spending time together! (Which meant that I really loved spending time with them, too!)

We went to Old Poway Park for the first part of Iver’s session, and everything was going great. But this park has a stream running through the middle of it, and on the day we visited, the stream bed was damp with just a little bit of water. Iver, however, took one look and decided he was going to pretend that there was still water in it! He jumped face-first into the mud! It certainly gave us all a scare! It was a big drop, but thankfully he was completely fine (and ready to do it again two minutes later, the little stinker!). But with a long-haired dog like him, a little mud goes a long way. So we paused the photo session, reassessed, and decided to get together for the second half of our session on another day. So I can happily promise that no dogs were harmed in the making of this photo session… but not for lack of trying! Thanks, Iver! ;)

So a few days later, we headed down to the beach in La Jolla, right near where his mom works. He loved running around on the sand – in fact, Iver preferred to stay dry the whole time! (Apparently rivers & streams are interesting, but the ocean? Not to be trusted.) He was not a fan of the water other than dipping his toes in – and that’s totally okay. In fact, it helped us get some great portraits of his beautiful (dry) fur!

I don’t know how Iver’s personality is going to develop as he grows up, since he has so much growing left to do – but I do know that his parents are the perfect fit for him. I’m so glad they all found each other. And I love when people come to me with a puppy, because it’s just the beginning! It’s a true honor each time, because I get a front-row seat to the beginning of an amazing story. I couldn’t be more excited for this sweet family of three!

     

Did I mention that Iver is a gorgeous dog?!

     

He also had a BLAST running around at the beach!

     

But he’s always happiest when he’s with his parents. Sweet boy.

     
     

Kate & Erick, thank you so much for introducing me to your wonderful pup! I’m excited to see you again soon! :)

Mags the Shiba Inu, at the Coast in La Jolla

Friday, May 14th, 2021

Ooooh guess what?! You should be excited – because today you get to meet Mags, the 13 year old shiba inu! He’s laid-back, happy, and has perfected the art of going with the flow. You can’t help but love him! And he has one of my favorite back-stories: his mom has known him almost all of his life, because he actually used to belong to some friends of hers. Life situations changed, and one magical day she became his owner about 5 years ago! I think it’s so cool that she’s always been a part of his life in some way or another, and one day they simply made it official! These two are very special to one another, and it was great to see their relationship during our photo session.

Mags is the kind of dog who appreciates the “comforts of home”, but we took him out to the wilderness – okay, just the beach in La Jolla – for his photo session. He was such a good sport! Right after we got there, we went straight to the water – and the poor guy got slammed by one of the very first waves! It absolutely soaked his legs and belly. Don’t worry, it didn’t go over his head and certainly wasn’t dangerous – but I think it was definitely more than he bargained for, haha! Surprisingly, he was still willing to pose for the camera and have a good time – after a few seconds he was back to his happy-go-lucky, relaxed self. Sorry about that big wave, Mags… you’re a trooper!

We moved on to Sunset Cliffs and managed to snag one of the last pretty sunsets that we’ll have until about… July! We have this saying here in San Diego, “May gray, June gloom.” When the marine layer comes to town the sunsets just don’t happen like they usually do. The sun gets completely buried behind a thick pea soup of clouds. So I feel like we got super lucky with some gorgeous images! And I’m so happy it all came together for sweet little Mags. :)


This photo is post-giant-wave… I’m pretty sure Mags doesn’t get grumpy, ever. Which is saying something for a 13-year-old!

shiba inu at beach


Mags doesn’t really run or play fetch these days… but luckily my tennis ball was new & interesting enough to chase a few times!

shiba inu playing on beach


He’s such a handsome boy, don’t you think?

shiba inu with dramatic sky

Oh that sweet face. Mags, you slay me.

shiba inu with flowers

Big thanks to Mags and his mom for such a fun photo session! See you both soon! :)


Elliot the Shy Dachshund

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020

I am very happy to introduce you to little miss Elliot! She is the kind of dog who lets her presence be known – but that’s probably not surprising if you’ve ever met a dachshund before, haha! Here’s a fun fact about Elliot: she is named after the character on the TV show, Scrubs. I instantly knew we were going to hit it off because that happens to be one of my favorite TV series! :)

We had a great photo session, starting at San Dieguito County Park where we played a lot of fetch. She also enjoyed barking at other dogs and people, letting them know that she was there, and that this was her park now. (Obviously.) After a bit of running around and getting some of that puppy energy out, we headed to the beach at Del Mar for a gorgeous sunset. It was a slightly hazy due to the recent wildfires in California, but that actually made the sunlight nice & soft, so it turned out to be a really lovely afternoon. We played on the beach and let me tell you: Elliot is fearless when it comes to the water! Go figure; a lot of small dogs are usually a little nervous around the waves, but not her! She charged into the ocean and had a blast, and it was so much fun to see.

When I spoke with Elliot’s parents before the photo session, they mentioned that she’s hesitant & shy around strangers. (Of course, for a dachshund, those emotions get expressed in the form of many, many sassy barks.) I assured them that her nervousness wouldn’t be a problem at all, since I’ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve to make sure that we capture some amazing images. And we did just that! I’ll be honest, we started the session to a cacophony of barks, so I had to ease into things much slower than normal. But that’s okay! I used my trusty long lens to make her feel like I wasn’t invading her space. We were able to play fetch, run around with her parents, and eventually she even snuggled up with them as if I wasn’t even there. We created & captured a ton of great moments, and Elliot really enjoyed herself! This session just goes to show that it’s 100% possible to have a phenomenal photo session – no matter what quirks your dog has – while making sure that everyone is totally comfortable!


This is Elliot. Who wouldn’t love that silly little face?!

dachshund dog


And this is Elliot – airborne! This girl can HUSTLE! I’m absolutely loving our (many) action photos!

dachshund running


At the beach, Elliot stayed in motion pretty much the whole time – whether it was playing more fetch or walking with her parents at a more leisurely pace.

dachshund beach photo


And as much as I love her fur coloring, I actually love how Elliot looks in black & white too. Such a pretty girl.

dachshund in black and white


Melissa & Ed, thank you so much for introducing me to your gorgeous girl! I can’t wait to get together with you again soon!


An Action-Packed Session with Evie & Owen, Aussies from San Diego

Tuesday, September 15th, 2020

I’m thrilled to be able to share a new and FUN session with you, featuring two of the sweetest Aussies! Meet Evie and Owen! Evie is the older sibling while Owen is the puppy, and that certainly comes through in both of their personalities – but they have more in common than they have differences, and both of them were very happy to be out and about for their photo session. I can’t say that I blame them, I was just as excited – this was one of my first sessions since March when I could finally be behind the camera again! :)

We started off at Coronado, in order to create a portrait with the San Diego skyline in the dogs’ background. I’m happy to say that after a bit of getting used to the pier, and realizing that good obedience would earn then lots of treats, the dogs were happy to pose for us! And after just a few photos, the “stationary” portion of the session was over already – because we packed up and headed to the beach, where these Aussies came ALIVE! I’d venture to say that the beach is their happy place. :) And while they’d never actually been to the particular beach we visited in La Jolla before, you would have never known – they knew exactly what to do! No sniffing around and getting a feel for the place was necessary; they knew sand + water = fun. They were like energizer bunnies – no off button! It was great to see them have so much fun running around, and as a result we have a lot of action photos of these pups. I’m betting they would have played all evening if we would have let them!

Evie & Owen have an incredible bond, too. They are both social dogs and wanted to say “hi” to other dogs we saw at the beach, but what blew me away was how they always happily came back to each other. They truly enjoy each other’s company and are just adorable companions.

This photo session was a great way to start getting back into the swing of things! We had such a nice afternoon and it was just a perfect reminder of why I do what I love.


Let’s start with one of my favorite images – with the San Diego skyline! (With a photo like this to start off with, come on, you know we had a great session!)

aussies in san diego


I could watch them run around at the beach all. day. long.

aussies at the beach


A pet photographer’s dream, these two!

aussies running


And as much as I loved photographing them as a pair, their individual portraits came together beautifully as well. I’ll include a couple here for an extra-large sneak peek than what I normally do, since I know their parents have been waiting patiently for this blog post! Evie gave us no shortage of outtakes…

aussie tongue


… and Owen was extra-curious about the treats we brought!

aussie close up photo


Dianne & Ann, thank you for such a lovely time! I cannot wait for you to see the rest of our images!

 

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