I’m very happy to announce the winners of my 3rd Anniversary Photo Contests! (Or should I have called them my 3rd Birthday Contests? I’m still not sure, haha.)  The stakes were high, as over EIGHTY of my past clients are on Facebook, and literally anyone in the San Diego area had the ability to enter their dog’s photo for a chance to win. Tough odds, if you ask me!

As you can see, the “past client” photo album went on & on… just look at allllllll those dogs!

But with intense competition comes fabulous rewards! The “past client” photo contest winner is: Wrigley, the labrador puppy, with a whopping 185 likes on his photo! (See that cape he’s wearing? He’s a service dog-in-training!)

Check out Wrigley’s support team: 40 shares and 18 comments, between 185 likes! That’ll get the job done!  :)

And get this: Wrigley’s puppy raiser, LeAnne, has generously decided to donate the prize (a custom canvas gallery wrap) to Wrigley’s future owner! So that person – whether it’s a veteran, or a child with cerebral palsy, or a person who’s lost their hearing/sight – they’ll not only have a fully-trained service dog, but also a big, beautiful portrait of when Wrigley was a cute little puppy! What a wonderful gift, don’t you think?!

And for our San Diego winner, the most votes for a complimentary session went to a dog named Seamus! His mom Lisa posted a picture of him napping & looking super-snuggly, but I didn’t get a chance to screenshot it before the contest ended, so unfortunately my contest app took it down. Oops, sorry about that. But take my word for it: he looks like a scruffy little nugget – and I’m super excited to photograph a dog with such an adorable name, haha!

So I suppose that wraps up the contest, folks! The Facebook page is back to its regularly scheduled programming of Black & White Wednesdays, Forum Fridays, and the cute dogs I photograph on a weekly basis. I’m sad the big celebration is over, but honestly, I’m even more thrilled that you were here to celebrate it with me. Here’s to the next 3 years of business as a pet photographer! :)

Hello! Guess who’s ridiculously excited to celebrate being in business for 3 whole years? This girl!  :)

(I know – this is a picture from my Grand Opening – but I thought it showed my true, appropriate amount of excitement! haha!)

I won’t lie: owning my own business has been hard. It’s been a struggle at times, and tears have been shed. I certainly haven’t done everything right – one look back at my old photos eliminates any doubt of that, haha! But what a ride it’s been! I wouldn’t trade any of it!! Being a business owner (which, truthfully, takes up much more of my time than the “photography” part of this photography business) is a dream come true. I have my husband and my dog to thank for it, and I’m doing the very best I can – because I want to keep on doing this for a long, long time.

And in less than a week, I’ll get to sit back and smile at my calendar – because October 2010 marked the beginning of this crazy business! So it’s been 3 years – which means it’s time to CELEBRATE!

I thought about this for a long time. How should I mark this occasion? It’s a big one, after all… what to do… and then it hit me. This anniversary (or is it a birthday?) is just as much about my past clients as it is about my future clients. Three years in business have given me experience; the skill to not only take better pictures but to serve my clients better, and that’s something that takes effect over all different aspects of my business. What I’m trying to say is, while my photos have gotten closer and closer to the photography I see in my head, at the same time my business has gotten better. I’ve learned what products my clients love, how to make the entire process of the session seamless (and WAY fun), and how to deliver an experience that my clients will rave about. Everything has improved, and I have my earliest clients to thank for that. I suppose I should thank them on behalf of my future clients!

So on this occasion, how could I celebrate the future and not the past? Simple: I can’t.

That’s why my 3rd anniversary of being in business is going to celebrate my past clients AND my future clients! Here’s the deal: I’m giving away a canvas gallery wrap of a photo from a past session, and a full session to a future client! Yay! :)  Since I can’t give my previous clients another shoot (as they all live in Florida), I’m going to give one of them a piece for their home they may not have envisioned or were able to afford the first time around. And they get to choose the size – ANY size! That’s right, they can pick a 16×20 or a 32×48; it’s completely up to them and it’ll be completely free! And then I’m going to cover the session fee for my newest California client, because as a photographer, it’s all about the next session – and I know my experiences with my past clients will make that session truly great.

Want to know the best part? All of this is in YOUR hands! I’m not choosing a past client/canvas winner, or a future client/session winner – you are! All the action will be taking place on the Facebook page, and you can vote to choose who wins! So visit Allison Shamrell Pet Photography on Facebook between October 1st and October 10th. You’ll find a page to enter a photo of your dog (if you’re a future/potential client) and the ability to vote for who should win a spot on my calendar, and an album where you can vote amongst my past clients’ photos, so that one of them can win a new canvas gallery wrap. All the power is in your hands!

I’m absolutely thrilled to see who you lovely people pick to win – both winners, that is – so make yourself a reminder and make sure you stop by the Facebook page in the first week & a half of October! (Don’t worry, I’ll give you a quick reminder here on the blog too!) I’ll see you there! :)