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Tag: ‘San Diego rescue dog’



Fae, Nyx, Quinzel & Slade – and the joy of repeat clients!

Friday, September 17th, 2021

I always love working with my clients, but I have to say – there’s something so special about photographing repeat clients! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Scott & Patrisha’s pack before, so I was THRILLED when they contacted me recently to update their portraits! The first session we ever did included Buster, a wonderful dog who’s unfortunately no longer here. I thought of him during this recent photo session… but somehow this session was SO different than the ones we’ve done before! I got to photograph a mix of the “old” and “new” pack: Fae, Quinzel, and Nyx are the dogs I have photographed at least once in the past. It was so much fun to see how much they’d grown since their original photo sessions back in 2015 and 2016. Quinn and Nyx were just tiny puppies when I first met each of them, and it was so fun to see how much they’ve changed! The newest member of the pack is Slade, who brings an entirely new dynamic to the family. One of my favorite things about being in this business for so long is definitely being able to see families grow over the years. This family has certainly changed since we first met 6 years ago, and I couldn’t be more proud to have documented a few small slices of their lives!

     

Let me start with introducing Fae. She’s a total sweetheart and mama’s girl! Always happy and up for an adventure, I think she might take the title of “most adorable in the pack”. She also is the eldest now, but you wouldn’t know it: she isn’t bossy, just a sweet, happy-go-lucky girl! (And yes, her fur is just as cotton-candy-soft as it looks.)

repeat clients dog
     

Quinzel, who is named after Harley Quinn, takes “being part of the pack” to a new level. She is head over heels in love with her parents and siblings! She never wants to be without them; anytime she senses the pack might be leaving the house without her, she lets her opinion be known that that’s not acceptable. Ideally she’s literally touching someone at all times, haha! Quinn is a beautiful girl (with two different-colored eyes) and her brindle fur is gorgeous too.

repeat dog clients
     

This is Nyx: the guard dog! She has proudly stepped into the role of protector of the family. She takes her job seriously and – might I add – is very good at it! She warned us when other dogs were walking across another part of the park… so what would we have done without her?! She loves her family fiercely and is happy to be out exploring new places, but she never forgets her primary job which is to defend her pack. Fun fact: Nyx is pretty skeptical of you, until you walk her on the leash. Once you do that, her demeanor changes and she realizes that you must be okay after all!

repeat client dog
     

Last but not least, I get to introduce you to Slade! He is the puppy of the group with those goofy puppy ears to boot. He’s a handsome boy with beautiful, warm brindle coloring – and he has huge paws! Slade is just a total class clown, although you can really tell he looks up to his elder siblings. One of his favorite things to do is play fetch and run around like crazy! While he loves being a goofball, he is always down to snuggle too, especially with his dad. I’m so glad he found his way into this family… he really hit the jackpot!

new puppy
     

We had a great time during our photo session. I’m glad we had the chance to visit Fiesta Island, because we got to let the dogs run free and off-leash! It was wonderful to see them let loose and have a great time. And even more than that, it was nice to connect with them all again, and have the opportunity to celebrate what their family looks like today!

4 dogs on the beach
     

I’m looking forward to meeting their biggest dog, Lucca, later this month! (Just kidding… he’s a horse! I’m going out to the stables to photograph him and I can’t wait!) Patrisha and Scott, you two are wonderful, devoted parents to all your pups, and I am so honored to have been able to work with you again. See you soon at the studio very soon!

     

A Surprise Photo Session for Milbert!

Tuesday, August 10th, 2021

This photo session was a surprise gift for Milbert’s mom! How fun is that?!

(I had to specify “Milbert’s mom” before you think I’m crazy – I mean, I’m pretty sure ALL my photo sessions are a surprise for the dogs being photographed! Ha!)

Milbert is a rescue dog from Tijuana, and he may have recently turned one year old, but I can promise you he’s still 100% puppy. He’s got to be one of the most sociable pups I’ve met in quite a while, too: he’s convinced that everything and everyone is his friend! So when he & his parents walked into my studio for their pre-session consultation, he was all smiles and ready to play. His mom, on the other hand, needed to pause a moment to process what was happening: because Milbert’s dad had planned our photo session as a gift for her, and she had NO idea she’d be meeting a photographer (me) that day! What a fun surprise – and thankfully, I’m happy to report that after she got over the initial shock, she was very excited about it! :)

When I met Milbert’s parents, we found out we have a mutual friend in common: Canine Education! They are a wonderful dog training company here in San Diego, and they do amazing work. So Milbert is a work in progress (aren’t we all?), and his parents are working hard to teach him all of the best manners that a Tijuana street dog didn’t quite grow up with. A high energy labrador can be a challenge to train at times, that’s for sure – but his parents are doing an outstanding job!

His parents wanted views of the beautiful San Diego skyline, so we headed over to Coronado and even got access to a special private dock on the water. Afterwards we headed to Presidio Park, which is a much bigger space than the small grass patch & dock we had just come from. So… we let Milbert have a little freedom off-leash to run around (safely, of course)… and he LET LOOSE with the zoomies! Leaping and bounding all over the place, having the time of his life! I’m telling you, he had the biggest smile on his face! And what impressed me the most was that after that burst of energy, he became the perfect model dog. He would sit and stay for minutes at a time – when back on Coronado he was bursting with wiggles, too excited to pose for more than half a second at a time. It was a great reminder that a little exercise does us good – dogs included! It was also a nice example of my theory that it’s always easier to photograph a dog when they’re tired. Honestly, my philosophy is simply to let the dog do what they want to do. If your dog wants to go crazy and run around during their photo session, let’s do it! It helps me get those fun, action shots AND it makes them tired enough to ensure those “posed”, stationary portraits are a whole lot easier to capture later on. Nothing is worth forcing. Nothing. When you try and go against the dog’s wishes, the photo session doesn’t flow naturally and everything takes longer, not to mention everyone gets frustrated. So why do things that way? When you go with the flow, you’ll have more fun and everything goes more smoothly! This photo session was a great example of that. Milbert is a free spirit, that’s for sure – and I’m so glad we let his personality shine!

     

Milbert is a lucky dog, he found a happy home with his parents in San Diego. He belongs here!

labrador with san diego
     

I wasn’t kidding about the zoomies!

labrador dog running
     

His mom brought a clutch selection of bandanas. Milbert’s “outfits” were on point!

labrador archway photo
     

I can’t get enough of this face. What a sweet boy.

labrador dog
     

Vincent & Monica, I loved working with you both for this fun surprise photo session – and I’m excited to see you again soon in the studio!

Ace, the Happy Golden Retriever

Tuesday, July 27th, 2021

Ace is a golden retriever who is simply a wonderful, happy senior boy! He’s 13 years old and an absolute delight. His mom describes him as “a ball of sunshine” and I couldn’t agree more! He’s a friend to everyone and was not shy at all – not even for a second – when we first met at our pre-session consultation. He made a comfy spot right in my lap and I instantly knew we were going to be best friends. And since he’s very social, I had a hunch that he was going to be easy to photograph… turns out, my instincts were right and Ace did not disappoint!

Did I mention that he’s obsessed with his mom? Because it’s true, and it’s completely adorable! They have such a strong bond, if not one of the strongest bonds between a pet and person that I’ve ever seen. They were pretty much attached at the hip! She gushes over him and he reciprocates the best way a dog can, with his body language. Which means that while he does love meeting new people, he makes it clear that mom is his favorite. :)

His mom’s “must have” location spot was the beach – since it’s Ace’s happy place! Now that it’s July we’re finally getting out of that “June gloom” season here in San Diego, thankfully, and it wound up being a beautiful day in Del Mar. Sadly, Ace & his mom are actually about to move out-of-state, so it couldn’t have been more fitting to do a photo session at the beach before they go. I also suggested that we mix it up a bit by going to the park for a bit of variety, and his mom was up for the adventure. We didn’t spend a ton of time at San Dieguito County Park, but Ace loved it there and we ended up with some really unique portraits (that wouldn’t be possible to create at a beach)!

Unfortunately, Ace has not been without his fair share of challenges in his life. He was diagnosed with spinal cancer, and it was quite serious for a while – but he’s now in remission, yay! Cancer is devastating for many golden retrievers and their families… but I’m SO happy that Ace’s story isn’t over. He has many more adventures to come! This happy-go-lucky, fun-seeking, joyful boy made my job easy, and we really enjoyed ourselves during his photo session.

     

There’s something special about golden sunlight shining on a golden retriever. I can barely handle it.

golden retriever
     

He brought his whole bandana wardrobe to our photo session… naturally!

golden retriever dog
     

Fluffy sand, fluffy dog… I want to jump into this photo, snuggle up and never leave! Haha!

golden retriever at the beach
     

I know he’ll miss the beach, and his mom will too. But he’ll definitely have fun exploring the rivers around their new house!

golden retriever in del mar
     

Thank you, Shannon and Ace, for spending your evening with me! I can’t wait for you to see all the finished portraits very soon!

     

Rocky, Prince, Homer & Roxy – a Family of Dachshunds & Miniature Schnauzers

Tuesday, October 27th, 2020

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the cutest dog pack! This family includes 2 dachshunds and 2 miniature schnauzers – a lot of little dogs with big personalities. :) Sometimes photographing multiple dogs can be a challenge from the photographer’s perspective, and that wasn’t untrue for us – but you know what? The more the merrier! We were able to created a ton of great portraits and had fun while doing so. We started out at Old Poway Park where we relaxed and played in the grass. We noticed a funny trend, too: if there was another dog that tried to come near our “spot”, these dogs would (loudly) let that dog know that this is obviously our territory! But if there was a dog that we walked by, that had already been in his own “spot”, they were totally cool with that and walked by without a peep. This group kept us on our toes and laughing, that’s for sure! I’d love to introduce you to the crew!


Let’s start with Homer, the elder miniature schnauzer! If the dogs are all outside playing, you can bet on him to be the one chasing a ball. Did you two just meet? Throw him a ball to run after and you might just become his new best friend. :) Might I add that he is super fast – he’s definitely the athlete of the group! He also cracked us up because he’s pretty tough and not afraid to join in on the barking at anyone who passes by.

schnauzer chasing ball


Next up is Roxy. She’s the newest addition to the family, a rescue, and the same breed as Homer. She’s such a sweetheart and even a little bit shy. Taking action shots with her was completely opposite of Homer’s style… she isn’t interested in chasing the ball whatsoever. She would just watch it roll on by… which, in contrast to her brother, was hilarious! But she was willing to run alongside her parents, which was very cute. She is people-oriented and so much fun to work with!

schnauzer running


Prince is the younger of the two dachshunds. He is a guard dog extraordinaire and was constantly on the lookout for anyone who dared to walk in our park. I’m pretty sure that if the dogs were all barking at any point, he was the instigator. If someone started to get close to us at the beach, he was the first one to sound the alarm and the other dogs followed. There is absolutely no sneaking up on this one, haha! Nevertheless, he was a good boy and such a cutie!

dachshund in the park


Lastly, this is Rocky, the old man of the bunch. He’s got some health issues, but when you get older I suppose that’s what happens to all of us. He’s the sweetest senior dog with selective hearing and vision. He does what he wants and that’s okay! No action shots for him – those days of running wild are past him, haha! He keeps the family grounded and reminds them to take their time. There’s no hurrying in his world, and as we walked around the park and the beach we would take regular breaks to let him catch up. He was an all around sweetheart!

dachshund


I really enjoyed this photo session with this amazing motley crew and their parents. It had its fair share of “incidents” – ahem – but I’m so excited to share their photos! Thanks for a great afternoon, Victoria, and I’ll see you soon!

Photo Session with Tricolor Dogs Tate & Skyler!

Thursday, May 14th, 2015

I’m so excited to share this photo session with you! And I know calling these dogs “tricolor” isn’t very descriptive… but for two pups with no identifiable breeding and yet look like they might have been separated at birth, that’s the best I can come up with! Haha! :) Tate & Skyler weren’t separated at birth, though; Tate is a 3-year-old border collie mix, says his DNA test, and Skyler is a 10-month-old Siberian husky/Rottweiler/border collie/sheltie mix (whew!) according to her DNA results. Regardless, both dogs are gorgeous, fluffy lovebugs and I had an absolute blast playing with – I mean, photographing them! :)

I really enjoyed getting to know these pups’ beyond the surface during our Dalmatian Package. Because for as similar as they look physically, they have incredibly distinct personalities – Tate has come a long, long way in becoming less dog-reactive since his mom adopted him. They’ve worked hard for him not to freak out upon seeing another dog, even at a distance… and today, you’d never guess that it was an issue he struggled with so much! His mom Robbin has done such an incredible job helping him overcome his fears! Skyler, on the other hand, is a happy-go-lucky puppy who’s “a sweetheart 95% of the time”, Robbin says! Luckily, she was a sweetheart 100% of the time for our photo session, haha – and I never got tired of photographing her beautiful smile. (Seriously – this pup could be a doggie model!) Skyler loves to play, too, but she leaves the task of fetching tennis balls to her brother – otherwise he completely runs her over as he charges toward the ball! But I think it’s still safe to say that playing together is their favorite pastime.

Okay, enough storytime – I simply can’t wait any longer to show you their photos!

 

This is Tate! He was pretty much a pro at posing for the camera, don’t you think?

tricolor dog trees

 

 

And this gorgeous girl is Skyler! How beautiful is she?!

tricolor dog flowers

 

 

And here’s one of several portraits that both dogs were willing to pose for together… I was so impressed at how willing they were to snuggle up together & smile for the camera, time after time!

tricolor dogs photo

 

 

Robbin (and Jen), thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon! I hope you had as much fun as I did – and I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos! :)

 

 

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