San Diego Pet Photographer Allison Shamrell ~ The Blog

Birthday Giveaway!

September 2nd, 2014

It’s that time of year again! Yahoo!

My birthday is September 3rd, and ever since I started my business, I’ve made it a tradition to give away a photo session every year to celebrate! The only catch: the recipient pet has to be a certain breed!

In 2012, I gave away a session to a Bernese Mountain Dog, Juno. (Juno also brought her sisters, a labrador and a golden retriever, along for the session!) In 2013, I had just moved to San Diego and offered a session to a very rare breed of dog, the Afghan hound. Apparently it was too soon & too rare, because I didn’t receive any entries at all… which really surprised me, but hey, I learned what not to do! (aka, move to a new city and make a near-impossible request, haha!)

So this year, I have a new breed on my mind… one that I’ve wanted to photograph for quite a while now. It’s on my “wish list”, so to speak, and now I have the opportunity to ask the universe to make it a reality. (You could say it’s a birthday present to myself!) So… drumroll please… this year’s birthday giveaway “casting call” is for…

A setter!

I would love to work with a setter – any kind! There are English, Gordon & Irish Setters, all of which are stunningly gorgeous. I just can’t get enough of their long, flowing fur & expressive faces.

Images courtesy of: petparent.me, sportingdogsaz.com, dog-names-and-more.com

So do you have a setter? Here’s what to do:

~ The owner of the dog should email me at Allison@Allisonshamrell.com with a quick description of the dog, and a photo too (it can be a quick snapshot)

~ Extra credit: include why you’d like to win the session!

~ Send that email by the end of the week (Friday, Sept. 5 @ 5:00 pm)

~ That’s it! I’ll pick a winner by the end of the weekend!

Don’t have a setter, but want to make sure one lucky family can have a great experience?

~ Share this blog post with your favorite setter owner

~ Or just copy & paste www.allisonshamrellblog.com/birthday-dog-photo-session-giveaway to your Facebook page, to reach even more people!

(New to this blog, and want to see what all the fuss is about? Click here to see my photography portfolio.)

I’m so excited to work with a setter and meet a new family… I’m happy to cover the session fee, and I just know we’re going to have a great time! Good luck to all the entrants! :)

Tags: dogs, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
Posted in events, just for fun, pet photography | No Comments »

Beach Photos with Sammy the Black Lab

August 29th, 2014

I was privileged to spend an evening with Sammy, a handsome black labrador, for beach photos recently! We met at Tourmaline Beach, where the surfers were everywhere – and the sunset was absolutely perfect! I couldn’t have asked for a better night for a photo session, and I absolutely loved spending it with a woman & dog that share such a close relationship. Sammy & Janet truly mean the world to each other; you can see it in the way the interact and even in the way they look at each other. To me, witnessing their relationship is absolutely beautiful… I was downright honored to be there to document it.

Sammy, despite the fact that he’s slowed down a bit in the last year or so, had a spectacular time at the beach! He ran around, splashed in the surf, and protected us from all the other dogs walking around (haha). He’s a fun-loving, classic labrador – one of my favorite breeds – so of course I let him play around as much as he wanted.

Here’s Sammy! Isn’t that a handsome face?

I’m going to break one of my own rules, and post a couple of “people” photos here in a sneak peek… I can’t help it; I just love the energy between these two!

And this… how could I not share this?

Janet, I had a wonderful time with you & Sammy – and I’ll be in touch very soon! I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos. :)

Tags: beach, dogs, labrador, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography, senior
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Pi the San Diego Tabby Cat

August 27th, 2014

Pi, the San Diego tabby cat, is the first pet I photographed since going on vacation earlier this month! I just spent a week and a half in Hawaii, and boy, Pi really put my ability to snap back into the swing of things to the test! You see, he wasn’t so sure what to do when he was suddenly the center of attention for the humans in the room. He’s used to people coming over – and his dad describes him as a relatively social cat – but once the camera & treats came out, he suddenly took off for his hiding place under the bed! So we did our fair share of coaxing (a small bowl of milk may have been involved), and he slowly decided that being the center of attention wasn’t SO bad. And I’m glad he did – since he’s gorgeous! He has beautiful, orange, tabby cat fur and the most striking yellow eyes… he’s definitely a handsome cat!

Oh, and if you recognize Pi – please DON’T say anything to his mom! This session is a surprise for her birthday! :)

I might have interrupted a hunting mood here… he looks like he’s ready to pounce on a mouse!

But don’t worry, he likes to relax too. Wasn’t it nice of his parents to choose a rug that complements his coloring? ;)

And I couldn’t resist sharing this one with you – I love how snuggled he gets in his dad’s arms!

Jeff, thanks for a fun morning with your beautiful cat! I can’t wait to reveal the big surprise with you soon!

Tags: cats, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego pet photography
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Pete the Pit Bull in Escondido, CA

July 29th, 2014

I recently had the pleasure of photographing one of the happiest, smiley-est pit bulls I’ve ever met! Pete is a 10-year-old boy who lives in Escondido with his parents, and I simply couldn’t stop smiling during our session because of his big, goofy grin! I think Pete should be the poster dog for pit bull smiles; he even lets it take over his entire face when he runs! (But you’ll have to watch the Facebook page for one of his action photos!)

Pete’s mom is a coworker of Maddie’s mom, and I was thrilled to hear from her because I simply love pitties. And despite his tough-dog bark when I rang the doorbell at his house, he warmed right up and was happy to show me around his favorite spots in the neighborhood… starting with his spot on the couch. And his “spot” isn’t small – it’s half of the sectional! Haha!

Here’s Pete’s “serious face”. It’s rare to see, but adorable.

And then we went outside – running across the grass, basking in the flowers, relaxing with mom & dad, and generally taking it easy. His parents said it was the most activity Pete had seen in a while – and when you’re a 10-year-old homebody, I suppose a photo session is the highlight of your week, haha!

Pete, thank you for being such a good, happy boy. Angie & Daniel, I can’t wait to see you both again very soon! Just please leave all your Trojan paraphernalia at home, haha! :)

Tags: backyard, pet photography, pets, photography, pit bull, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
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Dogs in the Park: More Photos of Madison & Roxy

July 9th, 2014

I have a couple of familiar faces for you today! These dogs in the park are Madison & Roxy, the “mascots” of Camp Bow Wow in El Cajon! You might remember their Sneak Peek from a couple of weeks ago… and well, the truth is, their parents have been out of town recently, and I decided it’s simply been too long since they’ve seen more images of their pups! They’ll be visiting the studio to see the rest of their photos soon, but I wanted to give them a second blog post – just for fun. :)

Madison showed me every side of her personality during our session… including whatever kind of face this is! haha!

Oh Roxy, you’re so pretty with your sweet white face. When she perks up her ears and smilesI can just see her, years younger than she is now…

Camp Bow Wow has a training program, Behavior Buddies, so you know Madison & Roxy can do a perfect “down-stay”! I just love how they’re looking at their parents in this image, ready to run over to them as soon as they’re released from the pose!

Can’t wait to see you soon, Connie & Mark! Give Roxy & Madison a hug for me in the meantime? :)

Tags: dogs, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography
Posted in pet photography | No Comments »

Birthday Giveaway!

Beach Photos with Sammy the Black Lab

Pi the San Diego Tabby Cat

Pete the Pit Bull in Escondido, CA

Dogs in the Park: More Photos of Madison & Roxy

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