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: ‘photography’



Studio Session for 2 (of 6!) Dogs: Skye & Emma

Monday, January 14th, 2013

This session starts with a story! I’m currently working with a lovely veterinary clinic in Gulf Breeze to decorate their front lobby/waiting area, and a few weeks ago, one of the vets asks if he can purchase one of my gift certificates as a Christmas present for a client of his. Of course, I say! So I send him the gift certificate, head off to Christmas break, and don’t think about it again until I’m back in town again in January and working through my to-do list (which is so long it isn’t even funny)… anyways, at that time I get a random phone call from one of my VERY FIRST clients, an absolutely wonderful woman named Teri! Several of my clients call to catch up every now and again, see if the Navy has sent my husband and I out of the area yet, or tell me about dog- or photography-related news or events they think I’ll find interesting. One of the last times I saw Teri, she recommended Inside of A Dog, an absolutely fascinating book about how a dog thinks & experiences the world (which I highly recommend)! So we begin to catch up and I start wondering what book she’s going to suggest to me now… aaaand you’ve probably guessed the end of this story: Teri got the gift certificate from the vet! Ha! I love how life comes full circle like that! :)

It turned out to be perfect timing, too, because Teri & her husband had recently acquired a new dog, Skye. So they brought Skye into my studio, along with Emma, a Cairn terrier mix. I met Emma at our session two years ago, but she was a tiny puppy at that point, and I was shocked to see how much she’d grown and filled out since then! I absolutely relished the chance to spend more time with this family, and now after two sessions, we’re going to plan the best gallery wall display that’ll show off images of each of their six dogs!

 

An Australian Shepherd dog and a Cairn terrier mix on a white studio background.

 

A red Australian Shepherd lays down in the studio.

 

I love Skye’s rare red coloring – and look at those EYES! Teri & Danny, it was a pleasure, as always! I’ll see you again soon!

 

Oh, one more thing: I didn’t have time to go digging through my archives today, but keep tabs on the Facebook page this week! I’ll post a photo of Emma two years ago next to one of her recent images! I bet you’ll be surprised at how she looked as a puppy!

 

Doberman Photography: Niko & Lucia

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

I was so happy to spend my first session of the year with Niko & Lucia, dobermans who live in Milton! Their house is near a golf course, so of course we decided to take a little walk and spend some time on the greens! (Don’t worry, we didn’t see any golfers. Although I think it would have been funny if we had!)

It was fun working in this unique location, and the dogs had a LOT of fun too! Niko is the bigger one, 2 years old and always ready for some attention. My favorite feature (and his mom’s) of Niko? His one floppy ear! Lucia is younger & smaller at 9 months, with perfectly perky ears and a happy smile. Not to mention a penchant for toy bones. Enjoy these photos of the dogs – and thanks for helping me ring in the first session of 2013! :)

 

A happy female doberman lays on a green golf course.

 

A beautiful male doberman strikes a pose on a pretty golf course, black & white.

 

A male doberman sits in front of a red cement ground pattern.

 

A doberman dog chews her toy bone inside a house.

 

Thanks again for a wonderful afternoon, Lynda! I’ll talk to you soon!

Pensacola Beginning Photography Class

Friday, January 4th, 2013

Welcome to my first blog post of 2013! Yahoo! :)

I’m betting many of you either A) received a brand new DSLR camera for Christmas, or B) made a resolution to finally learn how to use the one you already own! So no matter how long you’ve owned your camera, if you’re a beginner (or as some of my attendees used to say, “even-below-beginner-level”), this is the photography class for you!

 

If you come, you’ll learn how to:

Example of a photography technique: bokeh & low aperture.

Example of a photography technique: fast shutter speed.

Example of a photography technique: the rule of thirds.

 

and more! Honestly, I think the most important thing attendees take away from my class is CONFIDENCE. They know HOW to create the images they envision in their heads! 

 

We’ll also talk about the best labs for printing your photos (not all labs are created equal!), the best editing softwares (both free and not free), and where to find new lenses. My main goal is to answer all your questions, no matter WHAT they’re about.

 

This class will be at my house in Pace on Saturday, January 19th at 3:00 pm. 

UPDATE: there will be an overflow class the next day, Sunday, January 20th at 3:00 pm as well! The Saturday class is FULL!

 

I very much enjoyed the beginner photography class that Allison teaches.
She is very informative, and it was a very casual situation – that for me is a perfect way to learn.
– Deb P.

 

Allison’s class made it both fun and easy to get a grip on the skills I needed. I really enjoyed taking the same picture with different settings.  Allison’s feedback made learning a two way street. So much nicer than an on-line course!!! My photos have never looked better!
– Leslie A.

 

Allison’s knowledge of cameras and composition really helped me immensely.  She put me on the path to really hone my photography skills.

– John F.

 

Allison’s Beginning Photography class was a huge help in learning how to use my new DSLR. I left the class feeling a little more confident, and I’ve ditched my boring “how-to” books!

– Jessica R.

 

My husband and I really enjoyed Allison’s Beginning Photography class. The information she shared with us helped us understand lighting, shutter speed and what settings to put our camera on for the best picture. We have taken pictures on our cruise to the West Indies and of course our 4 dogs :)
– Traci M.

 

This class will last about 2 hours and cost $69. I’m capping attendance at 6 people, because there is only one of me and I don’t want you to feel lost. It’s very hands-on; you’ll need your camera, all your lenses, the manual if you have it, and something with which to take notes. Also, I tend to serve my famous chocolate chip cookies and/or wine. Hope that’s ok. :) Oh, and if you don’t feel like you got your money’s worth of info and tips, I’ll give you your money back.

 

To book your spot in class: email me at allison@allisonshamrell.com with your name, phone number & type of camera! That’s it! 

 

Answers to FAQ:

~  This will be held at my house in Pace; I live about 5 minutes over the bridge from Pensacola.

~  Yes, I’m a pet photographer, but this class will NOT be pet-specific. Instead, we’ll discuss techniques & strategies that can be applied to photographing people or any subject.

~  Yes, I’ve taught this class before. This will actually be my tenth Beginning Photography class. Why does this matter? I know what your questions & struggles are, and I know how to best illustrate the solutions.

~  You pretty much need a DSLR to attend – this is the big honkin’ kind of camera, not the kind that can fit in your pocket. Without it, you can still come, but most everything you’ll learn will be theory, while the rest of us actually do some hands-on practicing. (We’ll be using manual modes, so the dial on the top of your camera needs to have letters like M, A, S, P, Av, and Tv. Very few compact cameras have these modes, so contact me if you have questions about this.)

 

Hope to see you soon! :)

 

In-Home Cat Photography Session: Tobie

Monday, December 17th, 2012

Some of you may recognize the bed & wall in these photos from a photo I posted to Facebook a couple of weeks ago… that’s because Tobie the cat is Siena, Olive & Gabe‘s brother! I spent one session with the dogs, and one with this handsome feline boy. And while Siena & Olive have a fascinating foreign upbringing, Tobie is an all-American, homegrown house cat! He’s very special to his mom Caroline, and I really loved seeing the relationship they have during our session… he went from trying to scurry off the bed to rolling and rollicking in a small pile of catnip! Haha, it was so funny to see him slowly convince himself that a bit of catnip (& plenty of treats) was worth posing for a few photos. So here’s Tobie’s Sneak Peek!

 

An orange cat lays and looks to the side on a bed.

 

An orange cat rolls over in catnip on a bed.

 

A close-up photo of a cat's paw on a bed.

 

Photo of an orange cat looking down from his perch on a woman's shoulder.

 

Um, yeah… I think he knows he’s adorable.

 

Thanks for reading!

Rescued Dogs from Afghanistan

Friday, December 14th, 2012

The dogs in these photos have a long & fascinating story, and it’s simply too much for me to tell in one little Sneak Peek post! Rest assured, I’ll spill all the details soon enough. But for now, I’m going to whet your appetite with one simple fact: the white dogs in these photos were rescued from Afghanistan. I’m so honored to know these pups and their awesome parents; I’ll write a longer blog post all about them next month, after my little Christmas vacation and after their parents have had a chance to see ALL the photos from our session. But I’m very excited to introduce you to Siena, Olive, and their American-grown brother Gabe! :)

 

This is Olive, an Afghan puppy that I met a few months ago – I think she was half the size she is now! She’s always on the go and super-curious about pretty much everything.

Photo of a rescued dog from Afghanistan with her American family.

 

Sometimes she tires herself out and crashes on the couch… for about five whole minutes.

Photo of a rescued dog from Afghanistan, relaxing on a couch in America.

 

This is Siena, Olive’s biological mother. She’s very sweet, and much more calm than her daughter! Look at those EYES!

Photos of a rescued dog from Afghanistan, in a studio in America.

 

Last but certainly not least, this is Gabe! You could say he was their ambassador to American living, haha… they all get along great!

Photos of a beagle dog.

 

That’s it for now… I can’t wait to share more of their photos with you! Especially after our trip to the beach! :) Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

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