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Abby & Jackson, Doggy Siblings in Escondido

Tuesday, November 9th, 2021

I can’t tell you what a special place I hold in my heart for repeat clients. To be trusted to photograph & document someone’s family is a huge responsibility, and for that same family to ask me to do it again when they’re at a different stage in their lives? It’s an honor, it really is! But this session was a little bittersweet, because although I loved reconnecting with this family, the dogs I photographed a few years ago (JD & Anna) aren’t here anymore today. They’ve passed on, unfortunately, and they are very sorely missed. So instead, I got to photograph two dogs of the exact same breeds – Jackson & Abby, puppies from the very same breeder – who have some very big shoes (paws?) to fill! :)

All joking aside, let’s be honest, no dog can ever fill the shoes of the dog(s) that came before them. And nor should they; they’re different animals with their own unique personalities. So while I was thrilled to meet Jackson & Abby purely because I had photographed their older siblings (predecessors, shall we say?), I was also excited to get to know them as new, fresh personalities. And they were so much fun to photograph! Don’t get me wrong, I often caught myself comparing them to their elder siblings: Abby, for instance, is a lovebug and just wanted to cuddle, whereas Anna (the elder Anatolian shepherd) was far more stoic and independent. But I’m happy to confirm that both Abby & Jackson are total sweethearts, and a joy to photograph!

After about 10 minutes of excited “getting to know you” time, both dogs settled right down and became the perfect models. We found the prettiest parts of their yard to pose in – spots where they don’t typically hang out as often, but they did a great job regardless. They also showed me their favorite hangout spots like a massive boulder that’s perfect for doggy sunbathing. Both are such good dogs, very loving, and absolutely crazy about their mom! It was adorable to see. Jackson and Abby are also incredibly independent pups; Rhodesian ridgebacks and Anatolian shepherds are strong-willed breeds that tend to do what they want even with all the training in the world. That little quirk was on display a few times during our session, haha – but thankfully they were willing to cooperate and do what we asked of them!

I love visiting their home, since they have a huge amount of property to explore. It provided some fresh perspectives and we were able to get a variety of family portraits as well as individual photos of the dogs. We even got to recreate some photos in the exact same place as we did back in 2018! I hope you enjoy seeing a few photos from our session, as I prep the rest of the images for their parents to see very soon.

     

This is Abby, the sweet girl I would have loved to take home with me. Look at that face!

     

And this is Jackson, the handsome boy who simply can’t take a bad picture. He’s a happy, adventurous boy!

     

And while we have plenty of beautiful photos of both dogs together, with and without their parents, I couldn’t resist sharing this outtake! They loooooved the treats their mom had prepped for them, haha!

     

Julie & Curt, thank you so much for inviting me to your home a second time! I’m excited to share the rest of our portraits with you very soon!

A Trio of Rhodesian Ridgebacks: Magnolia, Gryffin & Sequoia

Tuesday, October 19th, 2021

Rhodesian ridgebacks have a special place in my heart, so I was extremely excited to meet these 3 beautiful dogs! Magnolia, Gryffin, and Sequoia are all purebred Rhodesians, and they’re absolutely beautiful – with very distinct personalities!

We visited the studio for the beginning portion of our photo session. We actually re-created some portraits that their moms (a mother-daughter duo!) already had made of Magnolia & Gryffin – because since Sequoia has joined the family it made sense to update those portraits, of course! Then we moved on to a new location: a winery that I’ve never visited before, Espinosa Vineyards. This was an incredible spot to visit, and such a visual treat! They allowed us to take photos in their actual barrel room and beautiful tasting area outdoors, and even amongst the vines. It was so much fun being in a fresh new place; I loved exploring and creating some beautiful new portraits with the wine theme in mind. Not many people have a distinct plan or theme for their session like this, but I’m so glad my clients’ vision was brought to life!

     
Rhodesian ridgeback dogs
     
rhodesian ridgeback
     

Magnolia is the oldest of the bunch, and the queen in practically every way. She has plenty of training under her belt and is so well-behaved. She did her best to put on a good example for the younger ones. She does have a serious side, but she was a breeze to work with – and simply stunning, as you can see.

rhodesian ridgeback dog
     

Gryffin is the only boy and a little younger, so naturally he’s a little more playful than his big sister. He’s a happy, confident boy who enjoys working for treats! Although at one point he decided to be a little sneaky and let his mischievous side come out – but what would we do without a little wild child?! I’m pretty sure that counts as middle child syndrome, right? Haha!

Rhodesian ridgeback at a winery
     

And last but not least I met Sequoia, the puppy! She hasn’t had as much training as her older siblings, and she was a little cautious around new settings (which includes both my studio and the winery). Throughout the photo session she would check in for reassurance and guidance from her older siblings, with little looks and nudges. But once she verified that everyone was happy and everything was okay, her puppyhood shone through! She was adorable! It was so much fun to work with her, and to see bits and pieces of her personality as we went along.

Rhodesian ridgeback dog in a winery
     

Sydney & Anne, thank you so much for introducing me to your gorgeous pups! I really loved working with all 5 of you, and I can’t wait to share the rest of our portraits with you very soon! :)

     

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!

 

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