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’



Corgi Photography Session with Annabel in Chula Vista, CA

Wednesday, June 25th, 2014

Oh my goodness. This dog. Where do I begin?

I love working with puppies of any breed, and although Annabel the corgi celebrated her first birthday recently (complete with a birthday cupcake!), I think 1-year-old dogs still count as puppies, don’t you? (Heck, my Bailey is 5 years old and I call her a puppy every day!) So when I heard from Annabel’s parents about the opportunity to do not only a puppy photography session, but a corgi photography session, I just about jumped out of my chair! I absolutely love corgis and their relentless happiness; they’re wonderful dogs and their short little legs always make me smile! Annabel is a lovely little brindle-and-white-colored lady who lives with her parents in Chula Vista. She enjoys super-healthy dried treats (like chicken and sweet potato), meeting and making friends with everyone she possibly can, and running around her backyard like crazy! Seriously, this dog is one of the sweetest pups I’ve ever met… I’m honored to introduce you to her!

 

We started our session in the studio in San Diego… don’t you love her smile and big fluffy tail?

san diego corgi photography

 

Then we headed to her house in Chula Vista, where she showed me how cute she looks on all the furniture, especially mom & dad’s bed. But her goofy mood struck outside on the grass – I adore her pose on the left just as much as the “outtake” on the right, haha! Corgi photography comes with its fair share of silliness, that’s for sure!

corgi photos

 

And finally, it was off to Bayside Park to run around on the sand, pose like a champ, and finally watch the sun set.

corgi silhouette chula vista

 

Thank you for a delightful session, Jim & Margaret! Annabel is so darn cute that I have a feeling I won’t be able to resist posting a photo or two to the Facebook page before we can get together again… so you might want to keep an eye out! :)

 

Puppy Photography Session in Carlsbad, CA with Lily the Terrier Mix

Saturday, June 21st, 2014

Have you ever met a puppy with an old soul? Well I have, and boy did we share an incredible puppy photography session together! Lily the terrier mix is one year old (going on about 12, I think!), and during our photo session she showed me every side of her personality; I saw her puppy curiosity, her snuggly love for her parents, her beautifully stoic seriousness, her goofy run-in-circles-until-I-drop silliness, and finally, a bit of her don’t-take-any-more-pictures-of-me stubbornness! Haha! Lily gave me different expressions in practically every frame I shot, and I’m so excited to dig deeper into her photos and bring out the very best of the best of her sweet brown eyes and scruffy fur. But for now, I just have a sneak peek for you to see, with some of my standout favorite images. But don’t worry – it’s a big one! This session was actually spread out over two days (since puppy attention spans can only last so long), so this is an extra-big sneak peek for her parents. Plus, I’m excited to say that I’ll be seeing Lily again in a few months for a fresh set of puppy photography images to add to this one! So let me introduce you to the cutest little terrier mix with an adorably off-kilter floppy ear!

 

Can you even handle the cuteness?! That ear is just too much for me!

cute puppy photography

 

Whether she was running across the open grass or over the rungs of her agility equipment, Lily gave us more than our fair share of action photos! I think she might have rocket boosters strapped to her feet, just out of sight…

puppy photography san diego

 

She’s friends with everyone she meets, human or canine… the world is her oyster. Of friendship, of course.

puppy picture

 

 

Lily loooooves to hunt geckos! Her terrier heritage really comes out when she’s in the fields of Carlsbad, nose to the ground…

cute puppy picture

 

 

We also spent some relaxing time at home… oh those eyes. Stop it right now. What a snugglebug!

puppy photo

 

And then Lily came all the way down from Carlsbad to the San Diego studio! I just love the way this little lady steps out.

san diego puppy photography

 

She looks great on white, gray and black backdrops! I can’t decide which I like better… but I think I’ll keep the black background a surprise for later! :) Here she is, striking a pose on the gray – which really brings out the warm tones in her fur!

studio puppy photography

 

Lily, thank you for having the sweetest, biggest eyes and ears that are such a joy to photograph! Starr & John, thank you for an absolutely fabulous couple of afternoons… I can’t tell you how excited I am to visit more locations with you & Lily again in the future! :)

In-Home Pet Photography Session in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, featuring Goober & Fozzie!

Wednesday, June 18th, 2014

I recently photographed a wonderfully relaxed session, with two handsome dogs that have the most adorable names! Goober is a senior golden retriever, and Fozzy (yes, he’s named after Fozzy Bear) is a 1-year-old labradoodle! We played fetch and rolled around in the grass in their backyard for their in-home pet photography session – and boy, have I been spoiled by my clients’ yards lately! I walked down the stairs to their sprawling lawn, complete with lush trees, bushes, flowers & assorted greenery on every side, and I think I almost fainted! I’m convinced there’s not a prettier backyard in all of Rancho Santa Fe, haha… Plus, I think it’s wonderful to have images that are so personal – the ability to document your own family in your own backyard makes in-home pet photography sessions extra special. So suffice to say that with a gorgeous location, happy dogs and a beautiful family, I was in pet photography heaven! Let me introduce you to the stars of the show:

 

This is Fozzy! He could be the cover dog for all labradoodles, as far as I’m concerned. #waytoocute

in-home dog photography

 

 

And Fozzy’s older brother, Goober! With a name like that, you know this dog has a silly personality! Goober is definitely a goofball, but he loves being with his family more than anything. And by “being with” I really mean “hovering as close as possible and trying not to give them more than two inches of space”… I think his human brother Jack is standing just barely out of the frame in this image!

in-home pet photographer

 

And together… well, they’re brothers! Of course they’re best friends! (We took several more “posed” photos of the dogs too, but I thought this image was a nice change of pace for their sneak peek – and it really shows their personalities!)

in-home pet photography

 

 

Karen & Glenn, I hope you have a spectacular vacation, and I can’t wait to see you both again once you’re back in town! Thanks for a fun & fabulous session!

In-Home Cat Photography in Del Mar, CA

Tuesday, June 17th, 2014

I was thrilled when Kiva’s mom invited me back to Del Mar for another in-home cat photography session! Do you remember Kiva’s blog post from a few weeks ago? She’s an absolutely gorgeous 17-year-old ragdoll kitty, and while photo sessions are not what she considers the ideal way to spend her time, she posed like a champ in her happy place (the garden), and even inside for some “studio” images! That’s right, I brought & set up my studio equipment – backdrop, lights, and everything – in Kiva’s home, so she wouldn’t have to travel down to San Diego to the studio. For special cases, like 17-year-old cats, I’m happy to create an entirely in-home experience, because that’s the best way to keep pets like Kiva comfortable. A pet’s comfort & happiness is paramount during their photo session, and Kiva’s session was a great example of making that happen, even with studio images!

 

Kiva was happy to pose for us – as long as she wanted to be in the spot we placed her in! She’s definitely a “my way or the highway” kind of cat… and in fact, she reminds me of the quote from Henry Ford: “Any customer can have a car painted any color he wants, so long as it is black.” Haha!

in-home cat photography

 

She never minds spending time in her happy place – and this scene might look familiar if you saw her last blog post! But this time, We decided a few roses would complement Kiva’s pretty fur, so we styled the flowers around her!

in-home cat photography

 

This is Pixie, one of Kiva’s siblings, testing out the in-home studio backdrop! She couldn’t stop playing, in fact – if she wasn’t stretched out on the backdrop playing with a toy, she was batting the corners of the backdrop, seeing how it tasted, or running around on it! Nonstop playfulness; it was too cute!

in-home cat studio photography

 

Amie, thanks again for another fabulous session! I can’t wait to show you the new set of images of Kiva & her siblings! :)

 

Super-Fun Pet Photography Session with Roxy & Madison!

Thursday, June 12th, 2014

I can’t begin to tell you what a FUN pet photography session I had with sisters Roxy & Madison! Roxy is an 11-year-old labrador who takes it slow these days, and Madison is a 2-year-old Cavachon (that’s a Cavalier King Charles spaniel & Bichon Frise mix) that has all the energy in the world! So in fact, it was a bit of a challenge for me behind the lens, balancing & bringing out the best in these two very different personalities. I learned that Roxy, uncharacteristic to her labrador breeding, doesn’t like the water – but then again, she likes snuggling on the couch and eating anything at all, which are very labrador-esque qualities! Madison is a little fireball whose favorite treat is bits of cheese; she was a joy to photograph because she was up for anything (as long as cheese was involved) and always had a smile on her face! I absolutely love these dogs… they’re both happy girls who are absolutely devoted to their parents – who, by the way, own the very best doggie daycare & boarding center in all of El Cajon! It was a privilege to work with the fabulous people behind Camp Bow Wow, and we’re in the midst of putting together a few special offers for each of our clientele… stay tuned for more info on those specials, here and on my Facebook page and their page too.

This is Roxy! (And her mom!)

fun pet photography

Oh… that sweet white old face… I melt.

fun pet photo

And here’s Madison! This is exactly how she always runs, haha!

fun pet picture

Is Madison in training to be a circus performer? Nah, just showing off for treats. :)

fun pet photography

Connie & Mark, thank you for a ridiculously fun pet photography session! Your dogs crack me up. Can’t wait to see you both again soon!

 

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