Hello & welcome to September! This is probably my favorite month of the year… because it’s my birthday! :)

Yesterday (September 3rd) was the big day – no I’m not telling you how old I am – and I’m excited to reveal this year’s birthday gift that I’m giving to myself! Haha! That sentence may seem a bit strange to some people, but if you’ve been following the blog for at least a year, then you know that I give myself the gift of a photo session with a dog breed that I’ve never photographed before! I’ve always been absolutely fascinated by the vast diversity of dog breeds out there, and I would love to photograph them all someday… so even though I’m giving away a full photo session experience – a $175 value – to a stranger, it turns out to be a gift for me just as much as it is for them! A win-win, if I’ve ever seen one! :)

So this year’s breed is… drumroll please…

The Dalmatian! 

 (This image is the property of Bunk Blog – http://bunkblog.net/dog-information/shedding/dalmatians-shed)

(This image is the property of Dalmatian Care & Training – http://dalmatiancare.blogspot.com/2009/11/dalmatian-training-tips-and-tricks.html)

(Okay, technically, I have photographed a Dalmatian before… but it was back in 2010, when I was just barely starting my business and portfolio-building (and truthfully, back then, I had very little idea what I was doing at all)! So I’ve decided that little 2010 session doesn’t count, and I’d like to photograph a Dalmatian this fall! Can you believe I haven’t worked with one since then?!)

So how am I going to give myself this gift? How do I find this lucky Dalmatian & its owners? Well, that’s where I need your help! If you know a local San Diegan who owns a Dalmatian, send this blog post their way! Spread the word! They could end up winning a free photo session, and you’ll be the friend to whom they owe a big favor, haha!

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If you’re here because you have a Dalmatian (or two, or three!) and you’d like to be considered to win the free photo session, here’s all you need to do:

1. Send an email to me, allison@allisonshamrell.com.

2. Include at least one photo of your dog(s). (Don’t worry about the quality/composition; snapshots are totally fine.)

3. Tell me why you’d like to win the photo session!

That’s it! Pretty easy!

I’ll be accepting submissions NOW through Friday, September 11th at midnight – so you just have one week! If I were you, I’d send your email ASAP!

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Of course, feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions; I would love to hear from you. And who knows – by the time all the entries come in, I just might end up choosing a couple of runner-up prizes! :)

Thanks so much, everyone! And happy birthday to me us! :)

Well, if you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that once in a blue moon I’ll do a second sneak peek for a client… it doesn’t happen very often, and honestly, it’s only because scheduling difficulties have interfered with my clients & I being able to get together for our Ordering Session in a timely manner! You see, most of my clients come in & see all their photos within a couple weeks of our photo session. That’s about how long it takes me to do all the digital post-processing & editing, making sure the images look their very best… but in this case, Cherry’s photo session was TWO MONTHS ago! Gah! Her parents have been traveling a bit this summer, so although we’re getting together in just a few days, I figured it would be fun to share a few more photos in the meantime! (Besides, who can ever get enough German shepherd photos?) :)

I know Cherry’s mom is looking forward to a few flower photos… this is definitely one of my favorites!

This is one gorgeous dog.

Haha! What a goofball!

Thanks for being so patient to see our photos, Beth & Ron! I’m looking forward to seeing you again soon! :)