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Tag: ‘puppy’



Rocket the Havapoo Puppy

Saturday, February 29th, 2020

Rocket the havapoo is a dog who lives up to his name! He is 18 months old and simply a bundle of energy! We spent the first half of his photo session in his backyard, where he enjoyed generally bouncing around, energizer-bunny-style. This spot was specifically requested by his mom, and I’m glad she saw its potential – it turned out to be an awesome location providing plenty of nice greenery! And it’s completely fenced in, which makes it safe for a quick little guy like Rocket. In the backyard, he really loved playing with his toys. He’s mostly toy-motivated, not treat-motivated – which is relatively rare, as it turns out. And I would also describe him as affection-motivated – because he is head over heels in love with his mom! I loved seeing their bond and how he would bounce around the yard but always check back in with her, to make sure she was still there and (therefore) that everything was all right. And although treats come in third on the totem pole for this boy, one of his favorite edible rewards are peanuts. You heard that right – not peanut butter, just peanuts! That was a first for me to see, and I found it so adorable! I’m all for whatever makes your pup happy, and peanuts it was for Rocket! :)

For the second half of our photo session we headed to the local park in Encinitas where he was able to explore the fascinating walking trail with all its nooks, crannies and other walkers. Like I mentioned earlier, Rocket lives up to his name – he is quick as a flash, and in addition to that he’s ready to experience the world. I bet if he could choose any pastime, he would be a world traveler. Many dogs thrive off of routine and being home with familiar places – not Rocket. He likes those things, but I think he’d rather be out and about, discovering everything he can possibly get his paws on. (Such as children – besides toys and his mom, his other favorite thing to do is meet and play with little kids. Which made the park a very exciting place to be!) His mom definitely has her hands full, but she has done an amazing job training him – no small task with this energetic boy. But I have no doubt that he’s in the best possible hands, since they’re an adorable pair.


This is Rocket – can you even resist that face?!

havapoo dog


Rocket is a rocket. No joke.

havapoo action photo


But boy, is he a cutie or what? (Not pictured, just outside the frame: the object of his relentless affection, his mom.)

havapoo photo


Thanks for such a fun photo session, Rocket! Jessica, I’ll see you soon! :)

Gretzky, the Mixed Breed Rescue Dog

Thursday, August 1st, 2019

Say hello to Gretzky! :) I’ve actually known his parents for a while now, and have photographed their family and a couple of their dogs in the past who unfortunately aren’t with us anymore. This family has a special place in their heart for older dogs; I think they adopted their girl Bullet when she was more than 10 years old – which, for a pittie mix, is getting up there. So imagine my surprise (and probably theirs too) when they recently went to the Humane Society to adopt another senior dog and left with a 4-month-old puppy instead! Haha! I’m so glad they decided to add this spunky little dude to the mix!

They aren’t too sure what mix of breeds Gretzky is, but they’ll be finding out soon via a DNA test. Possibly part pit bull, part Great Dane? (Great Dane is definitely in question!) The mystery is definitely part of the fun of adopting a rescue dog. Either way, he is just adorable and surprisingly calm for a pup his age! He loves treats and my backdrop sparked his curiosity. We were even able to capture a few photos of him with his older siblings, Dozer and Bullet. He clearly adores them and the feeling is mutual… some of the time. ;)

This was his “Puppy Plan” session #1! I’ve been looking forward to it since his mom called me with the announcement of adopting a new puppy. And what a fun way to kick off my first official photo session since coming back from maternity leave! It was a great reintroduction back into the studio, working with past clients on a fresh new project – and I can’t wait to watch Gretzky as he grows up alongside my baby girl! :)

That face!! I might have come back from maternity leave even earlier if I knew Gretzky’s big brown eyes were waiting for me…

rescue dog photo

 

Gretzky would like to take this time to remind you that he’s 100% puppy.

rescue dog portrait


Welcome to the “Puppy Plan” family, Gretzky! I bet you’re going to be a big boy (especially if the Great Dane part is true!) and I can’t wait to see how much you’ve grown in a few months from now…

Molly, the Rescue Puppy from Olivenhain!

Tuesday, March 26th, 2019

I’m so excited to introduce you to Molly! Not only because she’s one of the most adorable pups around, but she is also one of my first official “Puppy Plan” participants! Molly is a 2 month old Great Pyrenees, labrador, and (supposedly) Bassett hound mix who gives the cutest little head tilts for the camera. She is definitely in the puppy phase where everything needs to go in her mouth. Toys, food, leashes, collars, pant legs, shoes, my camera bag… nothing is safe from those puppy teeth!

We held her photo session at her parents’ gorgeous home in the Olivenhain neighborhood of Encinitas/Rancho Santa Fe. Her mom and dad have a beautiful setup in their backyard where we were able to get amazing portraits with plenty of natural light coming through the trees. A photographer’s dream! Molly had a lot of energy, so I think she had a pretty great time playing and posing for me. And get this: whenever she needed to take a break from all of her running around, she decided to quench her thirst by drinking the dew off of the grass! She reminded me of a little lawnmower as she cruised around, head down & searching out the wettest blades of grass, haha! She was too cute!

I’ll be seeing Molly and her parents again when she’s about 6-7 months old for the next stage of her Puppy Plan. I cannot wait to see how much she has changed by then! I bet she’ll have grown by leaps and bounds (especially if that Great Pyrenees in her heritage has any say in the matter). Which means even then, and for the rest of Molly’s life, these photos from when she’s only 2 months old will be awww-inspiring keepsakes. :)


Don’t be fooled by that cute head tilt. There’s a silly, rambunctious, mischievous puppy behind that innocent face!

rescue puppy


Ohhh that early morning light… I love it! And can you see the dew on Molly’s face that came from drinking the water off the grass?!

rescue puppy photo


Marilyn & Stan, I am so excited to capture Molly’s first year as a puppy with you! I look forward to seeing you again soon! :)

Missy the French Bulldog Puppy

Wednesday, February 6th, 2019

I know what you’re thinking: “A French bulldog puppy? Isn’t that one of the cutest little breeds ever?” I totally agree – and I know Missy’s mom does too! Meet Missy, the most adorable four-month-old Frenchie. With her unique coloring and confident personality, she was an absolute joy to photograph!

We created these images at Presidio Park, where Missy happily got to run around, chew on sticks, smell all the smells and hang out in the flowers. She was so agreeable and was happy to pose just about anywhere or anyhow for me – in exchange for a treat, of course! And given her young age, I have to admit that I was incredibly impressed by her mom Robin and her training skills. At just a few months old, Missy has already come so far. She already knows commands like sit, come, and we even trusted her for a brief period to be off leash. She always came running right back to either one of us when we called! It was amazing, and just goes to show the strong bond that Missy and her mom are forming as she grows.

I think Missy’s favorite part of the session may have been the very end when she barked her sassy bark and got to use my finger as a chew toy. But I didn’t mind – I would never be able to say “no” to that face! (She must have been full of treats at that point, haha!) But the whole session was fabulous, since Missy was completely happy just being able to explore – never too far from her mom, of course. We had a blast that afternoon!


This is Missy. Yes, she really is that cute in real life.

frenchie puppy photo


A puppy who can sit & stay?! Pinch me!

french bulldog puppy sitting


Not pictured: the flower she chomped on before posing for this photo. Flowers aren’t food, silly girl! :)

frenchie puppy in flowers


Robin, thank you so much for introducing me to your adorable new addition! I’m looking forward to showing you the rest of our images soon! :)

Frank & Ollie, the pug puppy & tabby kitten from San Diego!

Monday, November 26th, 2018

Should I pinch myself? Am I dreaming?

Nope: I truly had the chance to work with the most adorable animals!! Frank the pug puppy was only 11 weeks old at the time of our session, which is quite frankly an incredible time to have a photo session. Seriously – I am SO happy his parents gave me a call well in advance of when they wanted their session to take place. It gave us all the time we needed to plan the perfect experience, and Frank was at the perfect age! Ollie, his brother, is a rescue kitten from a litter in which he was (very sadly) the only survivor. He & his siblings were all diagnosed with panleukopenia (which is the feline version of parvovirus), so it was truly a miracle that Ollie’s foster family helped him make it through. But now he’s about 6 months old, and is one of the most inquisitive, happy, intelligent cats I’ve ever met! He comes when you call his name, and will do just about anything for a treat (including, I learned, let his parents put a harness on him so we could go outside). Today, Frank & Ollie live happily in central San Diego, doing their best impression of Milo & Otis. :)

And I have to admit, I was impressed with how these brothers get along – their parents definitely made the right move in adopting them both at around the same time, so they could grow up together and bond from an early age. Plus, they’re both already so well-trained! Do you know any other 11-week-old puppies who can hold a sit-stay, or toilet-trained 6-month-old kittens? I don’t!! Many first-time pet parents just “wing it” and figure things out as they go, and while that can often work out just fine, Frank & Ollie’s parents have taken the opposite approach, and have invested plenty of time educating themselves on all the best things they can do for their new animals. It really shows; these two are already such happy, confident kiddos. They have the cutest little friendship, and I really loved photographing them both!

 

This, of course, is Frank! With the biggest little head tilt I’ve ever seen. Come on, can you even stand how cute he is?!

pup head tilt

 

Ollie the cat is a gorgeous little kitten; I already know he’s going to grow up into a strikingly handsome orange tabby!

orange tabby kitten

 

We also visited a place in San Diego that most animals aren’t allowed to see… I’ll keep the location quiet since we only got in thanks to their dad’s work. But let’s just say it was somewhere I never thought I’d get to experience the inside of! (Yes, that’s a remnant of a plant on Frank’s face… something tells me he was “sampling” his surroundings!)

put puppy photo

 

Ollie, on the other hand, used the outing as an opportunity to keep a lookout for small animals & anything else to chase, smell and/or play with.

orange cat photo

 

 

Rachel & Mike, thank you so much for introducing me to your new additions! I can’t wait to get together again soon!!

 

 

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