Me with my muse, Bailey!

About Allison Shamrell Photography:

Thanks for visiting my blog! My name is Allison, and I work in San Diego, CA, capturing the personalities of dogs and cats of all sizes & temperaments. I do photo sessions on location and in-studio, and my photography style is natural, playful & soulful.

Here on my blog, I tell the stories of recent sessions and events. You might even find an insight or two into the behind-the-scenes side of my business! You can see my portfolio & session info on my main website, via the link above.

Call: 619-357-6624 //  Email: Allison@AllisonShamrell.com //  Visit: 11828 Rancho Bernardo Road, Suite 204, San Diego, CA 92128

Officially Voted the Best Pet Photographer in San Diego, 2014-2026.

Tag: ‘beach’



Niceville Pet Photography: Memphis, Gracie & Chloe

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

You know how this summer was pretty rainy? Like, rainier than most summers? Yeah, I do too, and so does Meredith. She’s Memphis, Gracie & Chloe’s mom, and we’ve been planning this session since JUNE! The absolutely ridiculous weather forced us to keep rescheduling until now, so first of all, Meredith should be commended for having the patience of a saint. But I already knew she’d be patient – she’s a first grade teacher! I was so excited to finally meet Meredith and her dogs in person; I felt like we were friends already from all the times we’d communicated back and forth! And our session was SO much fun with her three fur-babies; let me introduce you!

 

This is Chloe, a five-year-old pug. She loooooved being the center of attention! (what a cutie, right?)

A pug sits at a woman's feet on a dock.

 

Oh, Chloe’s face. Don’t you just want to give her everything she could ever want? Sigh. On the right is Memphis, a ten-year-old pug. I love that crazy running look that pugs get! I posted another (slightly calmer) photo of him to the Facebook page on Saturday.

A pug looks up at the camera and one runs through green grass.

 

Memphis’ little paws…

A close-up zoomed in on pugs' feet on a wooden dock.

 

And here’s big sis Gracie! She’s a boxer mix (I’m guessing with some pit bull, too) and she’s also five years old.

Dogs on a dock and looking out a car window.

 

 

Two pugs sit on a concrete bench, with water in the background.

 

Gracie has a bit of trust issues, so I saw both of these faces pretty often throughout the session… ha!

A boxer - pit bull mixx smiles and barks at the camera.

 

Gracie can MOVE!

A boxer/pit bull mix runs through a green backyard.

 

That’s it for now… probably one of the biggest Sneak Peeks I’ve ever posted, since I’m going on out of town for a bit. Meredith, thank you again for being so wonderful to work with – and please say hi to the pups for me! I’ve got SO many more photos to show you (remember Chloe on the blue+green comforter?) so remember to watch the Facebook page for updates! :)

 

Dogs in Kayaks: Gracie & Chief

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

You probably expected to see golden retrievers, labradors, or perhaps setters of some kind upon reading this post title. Those are outdoorsy breeds that probably love kayak trips, right? Well I have a surprise for you: this session features a miniature poodle and a rat terrier! Ha! This is just one of the things I love about dogs: breed “standards” oftentimes don’t matter at all! Each dog is unique, with his or her own likes and dislikes, and you just can’t pigeonhole a dog because of his or her breed. My clients have pups with totally individual personalities and I love capturing that!

Gracie is a ten-year-old miniature poodle that her mom rescued from a puppy mill. This poor, sweet girl has given birth to 149 puppies in her lifetime. Did you hear that? Should I say it again? One hundred and forty nine!!! Some love and TLC is WAY overdue for miss Gracie. Chief, on the other hand, is just ten months old, and he’s a little more wary of strangers than Gracie. But I’m so glad he found such a great family so early in his life! These dogs’ dad, Andrew, will be deploying soon, so we did our best to get him some great photos of his furkids before he leaves!

Gracie is a natural in the kayak!

A grey miniature poodle in a kayak with her owner in Pensacola, Florida.

Chief was… a bit unsure. :)

A rat terrier shyly peeks out of a kayak.

Don’t they make a cute pair?

A rat terrier and a gray miniature poodle in a park in Pensacola, Florida.

I hope you enjoyed their Sneak Peek, Kirsten! I’ll see you soon!

The Devotion of a Poodle: Marcel

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012

Marcel was not always Don & Linda’s dog. He actually used to belong to one of their kids! But every time Don came over, Marcel was at his side. Marcel was sad when Don left, and overjoyed when he returned – to the point that it just made sense for Don & Linda to bring him home with them. And now Don has a permanent shadow! Marcel protects him, loves him, and truly wants nothing more than to be with him all the time.

You hear about soulmates, and maybe you’re one of the lucky people to have found one. Some people believe in them, and others don’t. Watching Marcel & Don interact made me think about that term, though, and how maybe it doesn’t always have to apply to romantic partners. And that it could even surpass species. I haven’t known them very long, but I’m pretty sure Marcel has found his human counterpart – and best friend – in Don. It’s a devotion and a closeness that I don’t see too often. And even if I wasn’t a photographer, I’d describe it as beautiful.

Here are a few photos (an extra-big Sneak Peek!) from our session, during which we visited my studio, the park and the beach – because the sweet little guy loves the beach! I’m pretty sure we tuckered him out :)  Enjoy!

 

“Hi, I’m Marcel, and I’m a serious contender for cutest poodle ever. I’d like to thank my ears.”

9-year-old poodle in the studio and the park, with an ear up.

 

A poodle runs and poses in a pretty park.

 

Poodle sits on the beach with his human dad.

 

Thanks for a wonderful and heart-warming session, Don & Linda! I truly enjoyed it so much.

 

The Park and the Beach with a Husky Puppy and Boxer/Basset Hound Mix

Monday, April 9th, 2012

I first met Angus (the 4-year-old boxer/basset hound mix) and Denali (the husky puppy) at 3 Dogs & A Chick‘s Easter Egg Hunt just two weeks ago. I pretty much melted when I first saw Denali; I think she’s strikingly beautiful! Those markings – those eyes!! I absolutely couldn’t wait to photograph her, and as it turns out, once I started shooting, Angus was even more of a delight to work with! His soulful, hound face had us laughing the entire session.

 

Here’s the Sneak Peek of your images, Chae & Jarred! I’ll be in touch soon to figure out when we can get together again. Enjoy!

 

Dogs; a husky puppy on a dock and bassett hound/boxer mix in a park.

 

A young family stands on the beach with their bassett hound mix and husky puppy.

 

Premium Albums: The Photo Cover

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

Okay, I’m going to run the risk of sounding really repetitive over the next few posts. Let’s just get out there what I’m feeling:

I am so excited about this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay. It may be hard to believe, but that obnoxious amount of exclamation points was actually necessary. Because this is something that I’ve been planning, researching, preparing and waiting for, for about six months. I’m introducing a new product line, and as the title of this blog post says, it’s a line of premium albums.

I already offer coffee table books – and they’re great! But many clients have asked me for more options. I wanted to continue offering all the features my clients love in their coffee table books – lay flat pages, clean design, great presentation – and still add so much more. This is a HUGE step up, in both quality and price, and it’s absolutely perfect for those clients who really want to feature their dogs’ portraits in an incredibly special way.

This post features a premium album with full-bleed photos on the front and back covers. I actually have three providers for the different types of premium albums I offer, not just one, because I felt that once my clients decide to make such a fabulous purchase, they ought to be able to choose between the best album providers in the photography industry. As far as showcasing a photo on the front cover, this lab absolutely excelled in every possible category, so I’m thrilled to offer their albums to my clients! (Remember: this is only the first of three album types. The others will be featured in their very own blog posts, because I don’t play favorites, even with inanimate objects. I’ll post links to those posts here as soon as they exist.)

 

Okay – let’s get started!!

 

The photo-cover premium album comes with its very own custom photo box! Here’s its front and spine:

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

Here’s the back side.

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

I chose to put only the dog’s name on the spine of the box, for simplicity’s sake. Kai is a sweetheart of a pit bull, and she and her mom live in New Orleans – they came all the way to Pensacola for their session, and we had a fantastic time together!

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

The box opens from the side…

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

It has a beautiful sheer cloth insert to protect the book…

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

And here’s the book itself, sitting on top of its box…

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

And finally, just the book.

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

Ready to see inside? Me too!

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

Here’s an example of a spread.

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

The gutter normally found in big books is almost entirely nonexistent. This full-spread design was specifically made up of darker colors, so that you can see the most dramatic effect a white seam could have. I think it’s pretty remarkably small! I honestly don’t think it detracts from the photo much at all, so that’s one feature I love about these books.

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

My past clients love how their coffee table books can lay completely flat, without anyone having to hold down any pages (like you would with a magazine). This book lays flat like a pro.

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

Let’s take a closer look at those pages…

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

The pages are thick; they have a substrate inside them that provides support and stability. Trust me, you’ll never rip one of these pages. And in the photo to the left of the collage below, you get to see a bit of how the cover is slightly padded with more substrate. To be honest, I feel bad for you: this book feels incredible and I wish you could just run your hands over it. The cover has an incredible matte finish and the slight plush cushion underneath the printed material is just… well, you have to feel it to believe it.

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

Here’s another look at the cover.

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

 

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

The back cover:

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

I even found a small place for my logo!

A sample copy of a premium photo-cover album featuring custom pet photography by Allison Shamrell.

 

Well, there you have it, the first of three incredible premium albums. I’ll be bringing these only sparingly to events; they’ll mostly be reserved for the eyes of clients  in their ordering sessions. So to see them all… just book a session! :) haha!

I hope you enjoyed looking through this book! I can’t wait to show you the accompanying two albums; stay tuned!

 

 

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