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’



A Difficult Senior Dog Session: Bubba the Border Collie

Monday, July 16th, 2012

Bubba is a super-sweet old border collie whom I had the honor of meeting on Saturday. We had a great session – he was a patient model, he made us laugh throughout the whole hour, and we scheduled a follow-up session for outdoor photos later this week! At a glance, it was a wonderful time, and a typical experience for my clients. But under the surface, unfortunately, we were working with a very time-sensitive purpose: at 13, Bubba has stopped eating his meals and appears to be in a bit of chronic pain. His mom Kim doesn’t think he has much time left, so we got together as SOON as possible. And while that thought made the session harder than most, it also made it SO important. (Future clients, please know that if your dog is in a similar condition, I make it a policy to drop what I’m doing and come to you immediately. When time is short I don’t want to leave anything to chance, and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you have beautiful portraits of your dog, even if it’s in his or her last hours.)

 

Enjoy these photos of Bubba – hopefully I’ll have even more to blog (from a gorgeous farm, with horses!) by the end of the week!

An old border collie dog barks and lays down in the studio.

 

We found a couch to relax on, and that was a bit more comfortable for Bubba…

An old border collie dog relaxes on a couch in the studio and smiles.

 

But mostly he just wanted to be close to mom.

An old border collie dog lays down in the studio and looks up at his owner.

 

Thank you so much for the privilege of working with your family, Kim. I’ll see you soon!

 

 

Bulldogs and boxers and shih tzus – oh my!

Monday, July 9th, 2012

I first met one of these dogs (Mr. Chubbs, in fact) during Mini-Sessions at 3 Dogs & A Chick – see his ridiculously happy, smiling face here on Facebook! So I was absolutely thrilled when his parents, Ashlee & Joseph, invited me back to their house to meet the rest of their pack! As soon as I walked in the door, all SIX dogs converged on me, and it kind of made me feel like I was the victim of a relentless, multi-tier assault. With super-adorable assailants, of course! Let me introduce you to them!

 

Maggie (left) is actually just as cheerful as Cleatus (right), but she wanted to show off her serious side.

Two English bulldogs look up at the camera.

 

Tink is the eldest of the family at 11, and this shih tzu gets to come to work with Mom & Dad every day at one of the veterinary clinics they own! Lucky dog!

A shih tzu dog stands in a back yard and looks at the camera.

 

Romy isn’t exactly an “outside dog” but we eventually got her to brave the elements (of the gorgeous sunny day), and she really lit up when the toy pig got involved!

An English bulldog plays with her owner with a squeaky toy.

 

I am so taken aback by how beautiful Desi is that I can’t post just one photo. Look at this sweet, pretty girl!

A brown brindle boxer dog sits in front of a backyard tree.

 

And last but certainly not least, Mr. Chubbs, enjoying a blissful solo escape to the front yard.

A bulldog pug mixed breed dog lays in the front yard and smiles.

 

Thank you so much for such a wonderful afternoon, Ashlee & Joseph! I have MANY more photos to show you, including all the ones we took inside the house! I can’t wait – so I’ll see you soon! :)

 

Labradors and Dachshunds and Mixed Breeds… oh my!

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Here’s just a quick post since I’m out of town (in Portland, Oregon) on a “working vacation”… these pups should look familiar! I suppose you could call this an extended Sneak Peek since their mom has to be so patient before she can see the rest. Enjoy, Lori!

 

 

 

 

 

The semi-miraculous group shot!

 

See you soon after I get back, Lori!

 

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!

A Lab and a Dachshund at the Park: Riley and Frank

Monday, June 18th, 2012

When one of my favoritest long-time clients heard about two lost dogs in the Cantonment area, she jumped at the chance to help them. They had clearly come from the same family, since they stuck together so closely, and they’d been well cared-for: their coats were smooth and healthy and neither was underweight. So Lori went through all the possible channels of finding their owners: posting flyers, asking vets and groomers for info, searching online, posting notices on Facebook and other websites, etc. Unfortunately they hadn’t been microchipped. She even kept them at her house (with her dog Rio) for a while as she worked towards finding their home. She was super-thorough, and when I asked her how the search for the owners was going, she would respond that nothing had come of it yet, “but I’m not going to stop. I can’t imagine what I’d be going through if this was Rio – I’m doing everything I’d want someone to do for him.” So clearly, these dogs had the best possible person looking out for them.

But the original owner couldn’t be found, so eventually, Lori welcomed the two dogs into her crew! She named the labrador Riley and the dachshund Frank – short for Frankfurter. And while Frank’s definitely keeping Lori on her toes – or perhaps that’s stating it lightly – he’s a sweetheart, and Riley is going to be a great buddy for Rio as well.

 

A labrador with a goofy smile and a long-haired dachshund.

 

Frank is all about attitude.

Close up photo of a long haired dachshund's paws.

 

This photo makes me smile because it’s most very peaceful, very serene… but as you can see, Frank’s leash is hand-tied to his collar. He chewed through it in the first five minutes of our session!

Dachshund looking out on water and trees, with a chewed-through leash.

 

Look at Riley’s EYES! Love them!

Close-up photos of a yellow labrador's nose and eye.

 

A yellow lab tied to a dock with trees in the background.

 

These dogs are lucky to have been found by you, Lori – I can’t wait to show you the rest of their photos!

 

 

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