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: ‘San Diego Dog Photographer’



JD & Anna, Dogs from the Wilds of Escondido

Wednesday, February 28th, 2018

Okay okay, I’m just kidding, JD and Anna aren’t from the “wild” – in fact, when I first met them, they were living in Poway! Not exactly the wildest place, so maybe the title of this blog post is a little dramatic… but I’m pretty sure their incredible new 6-acre estate in northern Escondido is more “wild” than most dogs ever get to enjoy! These lucky pups have plenty of land & hiking trails to explore, and they’re full of native plants & animals (that certainly keep Anna on her toes). Their mom has done a phenomenal job of landscaping and designing the outdoor area to be a cozy and welcoming – yet gorgeous – space. Not to mention, the view from their front porch of the surrounding hills is simply breathtaking. A few of my clients & their homes make me wish that I could be reincarnated as a dog and adopted by them, haha… and this is definitely one of those times!! Something tells me any dog would be thrilled to live in Anna & JD’s “wilderness” paradise.

 

This is Anna! She’s an Anatolian shepherd with a strong (and sometimes comical) independent streak. Since our photo session was not exactly on her to-do list that day, I didn’t get to see her perk up & smile too many times – so I relished the rare occasion that I was able to coax a gentle smile out of her! Isn’t she gorgeous?! And she’s standing in “her spot” in the backyard; with all that dirt it wasn’t exactly the place her mom most wanted photographed, but Anna was pretty insistent on spending some time there – so who are we to argue with Anna?!

anatolian shepherd in escondido

 

And this handsome boy is JD! He’s a Rhodesian ridgeback (a breed very close to my heart) and a total mama’s boy! It was so adorable to see him stick so close to his mom during our whole session; he’s incredibly loyal and I couldn’t help but fall in love with him & his sweet, childlike personality. Plus, he runs everywhere he goes! He’s just so excited to be there!!

rhodesian ridgeback in escondido

 

Anna helped me show off a few pretty spots too – like this custom front gate her mom had designed!

anatolian shepherd on walkway

 

There’s something undeniable about the way JD looks at you… I’m pretty sure he saw into my soul that day.

rhodesian ridgeback close up

 

 

Julie & Curt, thank you so much for the grand tour of your new property, and a wonderfully fun afternoon! (Not to mention lending me a very necessary sweatshirt, haha!) I’m excited to get together with you again soon! :)

 

Bailey, the San Diego Dog

Monday, February 5th, 2018

Hey everyone! I’m participating in Rover.com’s Tail of 20 Cities, celebrating my dog Bailey and our city of San Diego, along with 19 other photographers from around the world! Check out all the different city/pet portraits here: Tail of Twenty Cities Photo Journey and feel free to join the fun by posting a own picture of your own pooch representing your city with the hashtag #RoverCities!

 

Bailey and I visited Coronado for this project – because can you believe that view of San Diego at sunset?! Those colors make my photographer heart happy…

san diego

(Although Bailey was a little more interested in the birds that flew by…)

san diego dog with skyline

dog looking at san diego

The we headed out on the pier for a better look!

san diego dog

san diego

san diego dog picture

san diego dog with skyline

san diego dog skyline

 

And just for fun, a little throwback… you can tell this photo is a few years old because there’s no gray fur on her face… (sob)

san diego dog water

 

You know what? Why stop here?! This post has got me thinking about “quintessential San Diego” photos… and I have no shortage of those, thanks to my clients and their pups! Here are some of my favorite photos at various locations around town, modeled by just a few of my favorite dogs!

 

Maverick at the dog beach (well, one of the dog beaches!)

happy beach dog

Lucy, Gracie & Scarlett in Presidio Park

san diego dogs at the park

Haley & Teddy at Sunset Cliffs

san diego cliffs and dogs

Trevor & Tori and their parents – that’s San Diego (Bay Park) in the background!

san diego family

Garnet, hiking at Mission Trails

san diego hike with dog

Foxy at the botanical gardens in Balboa Park

san diego balboa park dog

Stella, on Coronado (with the Hotel Del in the background, of course)

san diego coronado dog

Candice, in North Park

san diego sign dog

 Mister Mister and his parents, out for a sunset walk on the beach.

san diego dog sunset

 

What a fun project – I love San Diego! And who better to explore it with than all these dogs?! Thanks for inviting me to participate, Rover.com – I can’t wait to see all the other portraits from photographers around the world! :)

 

Chewy & Milo, Del Mar Dogs at the Beach!

Friday, February 2nd, 2018

I often wonder how my dog, Bailey, would get along with my clients’ dogs. I envision what they have in common, how they’d play together, what they’d “talk about”: their parents, their favorite kinds of treats, the squirrel they almost caught last week, etc. (It’s possible that I have an overactive imagination.)

And I’ve made a decision: Bailey is NOT allowed to meet Chewy & Milo! Want to know why?

They get to go to the beach in Del Mar every. single. day. If Bailey ever heard that was possible (instead of just going to the beach once-in-a-while like we do), I think she’d petition to be adopted by Chewy & Milo’s parents!!!

Haha – #beachlife aside, Chewy & Milo are awesome dogs, and they were incredibly fun to work with! We started our photo session in their backyard, and soon after walked down to the beach, where I got to see their boundless energy and incredible zest for life (or at least their zest for tennis balls and running through the surf). And I have to say, their moms – who are actually sisters – have done a pretty amazing job training their boys. Their recall is spot-on and I was impressed at how content the dogs were to stick nearby their moms; with a whole beach full of other dogs and people, there were distractions in every direction. But Chewy & Milo never went more than 5-10 seconds without turning around to make sure their moms were still close by and okay. I think they must know how loved they are – not to mention how good they have it!

 

This is Chewy – master of the adorable head tilt and one of the most easy-going dogs I’ve ever met. His favorite thing to do at the beach: chase Milo and play with the other dogs!

del mar dog

 

Milo’s favorite beach game, on the other hand, is FETCH! He’s an incredible athlete and will jump over waves and swim out into the ocean to get his ball back (usually with Chewy on his tail)… my favorite part of watching him play was how he’d bring the ball back to a different person every time! As if to say “okay, she threw it pretty far, let’s see what you can do!”

del mar dog at the beach

 

Del Mar dogs to the core.

del mar dogs

 

Janet, thank you for introducing me to your fun-loving boys – and for helping me support the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy! I’m excited to share the rest of our photos with you soon! :)

 

Introducing Murphy & Porkchop, the newest “Spokespets” for Tender & True Pet Food!

Thursday, January 11th, 2018

Are you ready? Are you sitting down?! This announcement is a big one…

I’m incredibly thrilled to share with you that I’ve accomplished one of my biggest goals for my business – and simultaneously, two of my clients’ pets are FAMOUS!

Several months ago, I was contacted by the marketing team at Tender & True Pet Nutrition. They were looking for fresh, new imagery for their new flavor of dog & cat food, and asked if I had any photos that might fit their specifications. (I practically had to stop myself from laughing – with over 7 years of photography sessions under my belt, there are very few image specifications that I can’t meet!) So after sending them a gallery with dozens of photos to pick from, the people at Tender & True made their selections – and I’m incredibly proud to present you with the newest packaging that will be gracing the shelves of pet food stores in just a few months!

 

pet food picture

pet food photo

 

These pet food photos came from real, unscripted photo sessions here in San Diego. Murphy is the gorgeous golden retriever, whose photo I captured during a mini-session (!!) in Balboa Park. (Yes, the ocean was digitally superimposed into the background. It is a salmon-based food after all, haha!) And Porkchop is the Maine coon, whose photo session took place at his house (alongside his feline brother, Applesauce) in northern San Diego. Unfortunately Porkchop isn’t with us anymore, sadly… but regardless, both of their families are thrilled to see their pets immortalized in print!

You can buy Tender & True at Whole Foods Markets, various local pet boutiques (like Howlistic and Buddies & Babes here in San Diego!) and online at chewy.com. And if you’ve never heard of Tender & True before now, check out their gorgeous new website and get a feel for the care & attention to detail that goes into their products. I’m truly proud that my work is helping advertise their food!

And – if I may – I’d like to point out that this proves what I always say: I don’t work with professional models! I bring out the beauty and “inner model” in regular pets that have zero prior training. Neither Murphy nor Applesauce had any previous experience being in front of a camera, besides their parents’ cell phones. And yet look what we created!! We turned newbies into pro models. And that’s why I believe it’s worth hiring a professional – whether you want photos to hang on your walls or to feature on your company’s dog food – because a professional will be able to bring the best out of any pet.

Anyways… back to popping the champagne! :)

 

Rocky the Labrador Mix at Balboa Park (Photos)

Monday, December 11th, 2017

I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to get together with Rocky the labrador mix at Balboa Park the other day! Repeat clients are SO much fun to work with, and since I already know Rocky’s likes/dislikes/personality we were able to jump right into the session without wasting any time. So it was no surprise when, just like in his last session, Rocky posed like a total pro. He’d do anything for his mom – and the laser light she carries around for him! (Yes, I said laser light – maybe Rocky is part labrador, part cat?!)

So we visited all the most scenic parts of Balboa Park for our session – the gardens, the lily pond, the theater, and even the Spanish Village. And we have some gorgeous images as a result!! I’m excited to share these with you, and even more excited to share the rest of the photos with Rocky’s mom!

 

In-between greeting his many admirers, Rocky posed for a few photos near the lily pond… Balboa Park was surprisingly crowded during our session, but he didn’t let the crowds distract him. (Even when a few dozen teenagers came over to “awwwww” at how handsome he is! And I mean, who can blame them, right?!)

labrador mix in balboa park

 

Rocky had a scary visit to the vet recently – I got chills when his mom told me about it. Thankfully, he’s fine now, but for a generally-healthy dog it was a big surprise… because no one likes to be told that their dog needs to spend the night at the vet’s office. But he’s back to his healthy, cheerful self now – thank goodness!!

labrador mix in park

 

Oh Rocky. You’re adorable.

balboa park picture

 

Sara – I still can’t believe December snuck up on us so fast! It was so great to spend time with you & Rocky again – I’ll see you soon! :)

 

 

All Images Copyright Allison Shamrell Photography: | Blog Theme Created by LJP & SLR Lounge