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’



Action Photos with Indy & Molly at Fiesta Island!

Tuesday, May 12th, 2015

Well, let’s be honest: you can’t take a couple of big dogs to their favorite beach and not run around the whole time! Haha, this “sneak peek” blog post is full of action photos, even though I typically try to mix things up and feature a variety of images – but that’s because “action” is all these dogs wanted to do for their photo session! I always tell my clients that their dogs will be “in charge” of how things go at their session, and it’s true; I wouldn’t try to force a high-energy dog to sit still any more than I would encourage a low-energy dog to run a marathon. So Molly the golden retriever and Indy the great Pyrenees/lab mix must have discussed the matter before jumping out of their mom’s Jeep… the primary objectives of our session were A) play fetch, B) run around, C) chase birds and D) have a fantastic time!

 

Indy & Molly’s mom is a professional dog trainer (she works at The Golden Paw, one of my Bailey’s favorite places to stay!) and so of course her dogs knew all the commands that made our session go super-smoothly. She insists that they have a bit of “preacher’s daughter syndrome” (haha!) but I thought both dogs behaved like angels. They each have their quirks, of course – at one point Molly tried chasing after some ducks, thinking she could out-swim them (she couldn’t), and Indy particularly enjoyed the idea of coating himself from head to toe in sand – but they were such a joy to work with!

 

This is Molly! She’s not a puppy anymore, as you can tell from the white fur on her face, but this girl can get up and GO!

fiesta island action photo

 

And this handsome boy is Indy (short for Indiana)! He was always ready to chase the frisbee – unless you threw it too far. Then it was Molly’s responsibility to fetch it. Clearly.

pyrenees mix fiesta island

 

Ahhhhh – I love a good sunset over Fiesta Island.

sunset dog action photo

 

Christie, thanks so much for waiting out the cloudy weather with me! Those blue skies were definitely worth the wait! :)  Can’t wait to see you again soon!

 

Inspiration: Built-In Dog Beds

Thursday, May 7th, 2015

Hi there, blog readers! I’m proud to feature this lovely article today about interior design for dogs! The folks over at Modernize approached me recently & asked if my readers would find a benefit to reading an article like this… and I’m sure you will! So, enjoy!   – Allison

 

By Jane Blanchard

 

Dogs are clearly just as important to us as any other member of the family and homeowners are starting to take their dogs into consideration when planning their home setup! Many homes today have custom features included that are geared toward the family pet. We have seen a rise in popularity in features like dog baths and showers, integrated food and water stations, and built-in pet beds. Let’s look at some great examples of built-in dog beds, a growing trend in homes.

 

Centrally Located

1

Traditional Kitchen by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators RLH Studio

 

An extra large dog bed blends in seamlessly with this traditional kitchen Your favorite friend will love being close to you and you will love not having him under foot while you are cooking.

 

Blending In

2

Transitional Family Room by Van Nuys Home Builders Root Construction

 

Can you spot the pet beds? Two identical beds are cleverly added to either side of a warm fireplace creating a toasty spot that any dog would love to curl up in. There is nothing more cozy than your sweet pups cuddle up by the fire while you read your favorite book.

 

Well Planned

3

Traditional Laundry Room by Cleveland Kitchen & Bath Designers Artistic Renovations of Ohio LLC

 

For many pet owners, a laundry room this smartly arranged would be a dream feature. The dog shower next to a fluffy built-in bed for Fido just makes sense and the stylish, practical design is something that is a must for a great laundry room.

 

Safe and Stylish

4

Contemporary Hall by Covington General Contractors Maison de Reve Builders LLC

 

If your dog needs a little enclosure when you are away, but a bulky, unattractive crate seems out of place, why not build the crate in to your home? This example is placed under the stairs offering ample space for your dog to walk around and stay comfortable. A pretty door helps avoid a utilitarian look in this lovely home.

 

Work and Play

5

Contemporary Kitchen by Richmond Interior Designers & Decorators Portico Design Group

 

Dogs love being wherever their people are and for little dogs, this is no exception. Sitting down to work at your home office desk with a built-in spot for your tiny pal nearby might even help you get better work done by keeping you calm and relaxed and certainly never lonely.

 

Bedtime Buddy

6

Eclectic Kids by Austin General Contractors Austin Creations

 

At the end of the day, its time for puppy cuddles. This platform pet bed keeps your best buddy at arms reach all night long. This is an especially helpful idea for the room of a child who would be comforted by the nearness of his dog.

 

A built-in dog bed doesn’t require much space or expense. Just a little planning and design, and your pup can be up off the floor and in their own cozy space in no time.

 

Jane Blanchard is a dog lover, and home design geek. Jane works for Modernize., a site for home inspiration.

 

Batiquitos Lagoon Pet Photography Session with Roo!

Monday, May 4th, 2015

I am so excited to introduce you to Roo! We shared a Batiquitos Lagoon pet photography session recently, and I can’t possibly describe what a joy she was to photograph! Roo is a happy-go-lucky, eager-to-please mixed breed dog who lives with her mom in Vista, CA. We met at Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad for our photo session, and Roo showed me all around! She loves to go on walks here, and I can see why it’s her favorite spot; the winding trails seem to hold adventure around every bend and the gorgeous foliage made for gorgeous backgrounds for our photos. Roo is a wonderfully social dog – I hear her neighbors take her to the dog park on weekdays, while her mom is at work! – and it was so refreshing to see her well-mannered behavior! Even though she gets along with every dog she meets, her mom was careful to keep Roo by her side when other dogs would walk by on the trail… because you never know how someone else’s dogs will react toward yours! All too often, I’ll be out on a session or walking Bailey when a strange dog will run up (often unleashed) as their owner shouts “it’s okay, he’s friendly!” … but that’s risking so much. You never know what can happen or the personality or triggers of that other dog. So we didn’t take any chances: Roo was constantly by her mom’s side, and we were also careful to investigate any off-trail locations for wild creatures before we let Roo explore. (We didn’t want Roo accidentally stepping on a snake!) Honestly, I think Roo’s mom could teach a class on pet etiquette – and I felt so lucky to work with her polite pup! Roo was the perfect little lady for our photo session – and she kept us both smiling with that gorgeous grin that seems to be constantly stuck on her face!

 

Roo’s mom thinks she’s a cattle dog mix… what do you think? Shepherd, pit bull, lab…?

batiquitos lagoon pet photography

 

Roo only has two speeds. Stop and run!

cattle dog mix batiquitos lagoon

 

Don’t you love that sweet face?!

batiquitos lagoon pet photo

 

 

Megan, thank you again for introducing me to my new favorite location! :)  I’m excited to show you the rest of our photos soon!

 

Photos of Albert, the San Diego Scottie Dog!

Saturday, May 2nd, 2015

I had the privilege of meeting Albert just a couple of days after his mom contacted me… right now, my schedule is fully booked about 6 weeks out, so meeting a dog so quickly after their parents fill out the contact form on my website is definitely a rarity! But I’m always able to make time in my schedule to accommodate dogs that find themselves in Albert’s situation. You see, he just received a diagnosis from the vet that’s left his whole family in shock… the cancer that he’s already beaten twice is back for a third round. And this time, an operation wouldn’t be successful – so Albert’s parents are treating him to a fun & blissful few weeks before they have to say goodbye.

Gosh, I’m about to start crying as I write this blog post! Instead of dwelling on the unfortunate current state of circumstances, I have to tell you what a great dog Albert is! This San Diego Scottie dog loves his family so much – he always wants to be with them, and he kept a close eye on what his mom was up to at all times during our session. This lucky dog gets four walks a day – that’s right, four! (Don’t tell my Bailey, haha, she’ll be jealous!) And his parents bring a bright red wagon along for him, in which to cruise back home, just in case he gets tired along the walk. He loves visiting his grandma’s house in Bay Park (in fact, his grandma used to be his owner, several years ago!) and he really enjoys the view of San Diego from her hilltop house. And really, I don’t blame him – the view is amazing! Albert is definitely a dog that knows how to relax in style. :)

 

We started our session in the studio! Don’t you think the speckled white fur around his eyes makes him adorably unique?

san diego scottie dog

 

As it turns out, Albert only has three legs – so it was pretty cute to see his one back leg flop down from this ledge as he laid there, relaxing!

san diego scottish terrier

 

And we wandered around his grandma’s neighborhood in the soft evening light, too… as much as I love all the color in this image, I can’t stop looking at those sweet eyes!

san diego scottie photo

 

 

Aprell & Donald, thank you for introducing me to your handsome boy! I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)

 

Oscar, the San Diego Wheaten Terrier!

Tuesday, April 21st, 2015

Oh boy – I am so excited to tell you about this adorable San Diego wheaten terrier, Oscar! I was thrilled to meet him a few weeks ago at the Navy Woof Walk, a super-fun local event, where he & his parents found my booth. Honestly, I did a double-take when I first saw him, because the Wheaten terrier breed is rather uncommon… and also because it’s the same breed as my childhood dog!! The very first dog my family owned was a Wheaten terrier, and I named him Sparky (because I was especially creative as a 9-year-old, ha). So I feel a special affinity toward Wheatens whenever I see them… and as luck would have it, Oscar’s mom won the drawing that day for a $100 gift certificate! I couldn’t have been more thrilled to learn that she was the lucky winner, and seeing Oscar again was absolutely delightful! He has a constant smile on his face that’s positively infectious… this is one happy (and treat-motivated) dog! He actually has a rather busy schedule these days: Oscar is a therapy dog! He visits local schools on a regular basis to interact with kids, and his mom told me all about the good work he does around the San Diego & Rancho Bernardo communities. So don’t be surprised if you see his cute face around town! :)

 

This is Oscar! Can you stand how cute he is?! (I cannot.)

san diego wheaten terrier

 

He strikes a lovely profile in black & white, too.

san diego wheaten terrier black white

 

I’m pretty sure this moment occurred right before he leaped up to get the treats in my hand! Haha!

san diego wheaten terrier dog

 

Okay, fine, one more photo… this one’s a little blooper! :)

san diego wheaten

 

 

Thank you, Luanne & Alan, for introducing me to your handsome boy! I had a great time with all three of you! :)

 

 

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