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: ‘pets’



1-Year Anniversary Session with Marlow, the German Shorthaired Pointer

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016

This was a very bittersweet photo session… I was thrilled to see Marlow, the German shorthaired pointer, a year after our last photo session, especially since that session got scheduled in a hurry due to a cancer diagnosis. The fact that he’s still here, happy, and feeling like “himself” is nothing short of miraculous! But unfortunately I can’t add the word “healthy” to that list of how he’s doing… because after surviving brain cancer for the past year, his veterinarian recently found another type of cancer – completely unrelated, in his lymph nodes – and so he’s back on chemotherapy again. Which is the most uncanny, unlucky turn of events I can imagine for this sweet boy.

But don’t worry about Marlow – he’s tough. He has the spirit of a champion, and he’ll be just fine. I know it.

So we made sure to have a fun time for our photo session, and we played around his backyard with his two siblings, Cielow & Darla! All three of them love to play fetch (especially Darla, she takes it to a new level) and it was great to spend the afternoon with these gorgeous, happy dogs.

 

This is Marlow. The fur around his face is a bit erratic these days – but you know what? I think it’s a wonderful patchwork, a testimony to his struggle and victory. Cancer survivors are beautiful. And this boy is one of the best.

german shorthaired pointer

 

This is Marlow’s younger sibling, Darla, in-between throws of the ball! She’s also a German shorthaired pointer, a few years younger than Marlow, and just as sweet!

german shorthaired pointer picture

 

This is their husky sibling, Cielow! She’s one of the most easygoing, happy dogs I’ve ever met… the smile on her face is constant!

husky

 

I can’t help but share this photo too – a fitting “end” to this post? (har har!)

german shorthaired pointer butt

 

 

Amanda, thank you so much for another opportunity to work with your gorgeous dogs. We ended up with quite a few photos, haha! :)

 

Ruby the Chihuahua Mix in Del Mar, CA (Photos)

Tuesday, April 19th, 2016

I had the pleasure of meeting the most adorable little chihuahua mix in Del Mar recently! Ruby is a happy little dog from Vista, CA that’s always happy to be with her parents, and I met her on the beaches of Del Mar for our photo session!

 

Ruby is an 11-year-old chihuahua mix, and good luck guessing her other breed(s) – I personally think she’s part coyote, haha! Her soft, fluffy fur seems to overflow from every angle, and I loved seeing all the different positions her big, pointy, expressive ears could take! She loves the beach, although not for the water – this pup is definitely anti-swimming! Her survival instincts took over every time a wave came near, and she’d rush back up the sand to higher ground. That’s only if her mom didn’t scoop her up first, though – Ruby’s mom always kept a watchful eye on Ruby to make sure she was safe! In fact, some of my favorite images from this session are of the two of them, because they have the most amazing connection together. It was beautiful to watch them interact and make sure each other was happy & content. I’m sure that connection has grown even stronger in the last couple of months, since Ruby was unfortunately diagnosed with Addison’s disease, and has been spending more than her fair share of time at the vet. But she’s feeling great these days – her mom is hoping they’ll have several more years together! – and I was glad we were able to get together for this session so I could see Ruby run around the beach with plenty of energy. (Although, truth be told, Ruby’s not terribly big on running or playing fetch or getting much of a workout. She’d much rather meander around the sand, stay close to her parents and keep a much more relaxed pace! She’s at the beach for leisure, not exercise, haha!)

 

I just love Ruby’s warm coloring against the cool blues of the beach & sky! She’s such a cutie!

chihuahua mix at the beach

 

Close to her parents = Ruby’s happy place. Always.

chihuahua Del Mar

 

She may be 11 years old, but she can still run down the coastline like a puppy – especially if there are treats involved, haha!

chihuahua Del Mar beach

 

Brooke & JB, thank you so much for introducing me to your adorable little girl. I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon! :)

 

Disco & Rambo, Chihuahua Mix Dogs from San Diego!

Wednesday, April 6th, 2016

You know you’re in for a fun photo session when the dogs are named Disco and Rambo! Ha!

These adorable chihuahua mix dogs are from San Diego, and I met them & their mom at Old Poway Park recently! It was a great location for a photo session, since there was plenty of lush green grass and room to run around, not to mention train tracks and flowers too – but I can’t take any credit for deciding to go there! It was totally their mom’s idea, and I’m SO glad she suggested it! The dogs loved exploring the grassy areas (they loved it a bit too much, haha – after a bit of freedom we decided that leashes might be necessary!) but they were happiest in their mom’s arms… they’re absolutely devoted to her, which was really touching to see. They’re a happy little family and I was thrilled to document their personalities!

 

This is Disco, and he’s outgoing & confident, always ready for the next challenge. He’s incredibly smart and has something to “say” to everyone that walks by – and honestly, he was fantastic to work with! I mean, those ears? Are you kidding me?!

cute chihuahua mix dog

 

This is Rambo, and unlike his namesake, he’s a timid little guy who’s not quite as outgoing as his brother. But he follows Disco’s lead in pretty much everything, and I found it really enjoyable to see their relationship – because Disco’s presence gives Rambo so much confidence! He really comes out of his shell when he’s with his brother and feels comfortable, and it was pretty adorable to see.

chihuahua mix dog in grass

 

Seriously, this trio – they’re all gorgeous! And these pups are so cute together! :)

chihuahua mix dogs

 

Veronica, thank you for a lovely afternoon! I’m excited to see you again soon & show you the rest of our images! :)

 

Engagement Photos with Dogs Hera & Hades

Monday, March 28th, 2016

Oh my goodness – I had a simply amazing photo session recently! Maybe you’ve seen engagement photos with dogs before, but I was honored & thrilled to help this family announce their upcoming wedding, and I’m simply loving how the images are turning out!

But first, let’s back up: I knew I would get along with these pups and their parents as soon as I learned their names! Hera & Hades are named for the Greek mythological figures, Hera the queen of the gods and Hades the god of the underworld. Since I was a literature major in college, I immediately knew I would love these dogs, haha! And shockingly true to her namesake, Hera is an older, calmer dog than her little brother – and she gets a bit jealous whenever someone gives him more attention than her! And Hades is a wild child with fur that’s black as the night sky, and he has an unmistakable devilish personality! Honestly, their parents could not have picked better names. I am seriously impressed!

And unsurprisingly, Hera & Hades were a blast to work with! They cover the entire personality spectrum, so at times it was challenging to balance Hera’s sweet, well-behaved disposition with Hades’ insatiable appetite for trouble… but it made for some fun-filled images and an awesome afternoon! :)

 

Hera & Hades wanted to help announce their parents’ upcoming wedding! I’m pretty sure they couldn’t be any cuter.

engagement photos with dogs

 

We ran around the beach until everyone was exhausted… wait, scratch that, Hades never gets tired! This boy is a firecracker full of energy, and I loved capturing his incredible spirit!

engagement pet photos

 

Hera was much more willing to pose nicely for a few photos… she’s such a beautiful girl, and a total sweetheart too!

engagement dog photos

 

 

McKenzie & Tony, thank you for introducing me to your fun-loving pups! I’m excited to show you the rest of our images soon! :)

 

Zoey the Boxer Puppy! (San Diego Pet Photography)

Friday, March 25th, 2016

In perfect timing for National Puppy Day, I just had a photo session with the most adorable boxer puppy: Zoey!

Zoey is a 14-week-old boxer puppy who lives with her mom in San Diego, and I simply could NOT stop smiling & laughing throughout our entire session! She couldn’t be more playful – she was constantly jumping around and looking for her next treat, or fun thing to play with! She’s still learning that dishing out attitude (barking, nibbling on people, etc.) isn’t acceptable behavior, but it was all so cute coming from her that I couldn’t help but giggle every time she did it to me! (Hopefully I didn’t set her training back too far…!)

Of course, Zoey was an absolute joy to work with, and I can never get enough boxer puppy snuggles – so I hope you enjoy this “sneak peek” of a few images from our photo session!

 

That face. It’s too much. And that spotted-cow nose!

boxer puppy close up

 

Zoey brought her favorite bandana as a cute prop…

cute boxer puppy

 

… and her tutu!

boxer puppy san diego

 

But we couldn’t spend the whole session posing nicely and looking sweet… we had to play with toys too! And things got a little crazy, haha!

boxer puppy action photo

 

Janette, thank you so much for introducing me to your sweet little girl! I can’t wait to see her get big! :)

 

 

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