Owen & Jamie

In August I had a full shooting schedule, and I was starting to feel a little bit overwhelmed.  For the first time I was scheduling shoots a month out due to selling out my schedule, which was both thrilling and a bit scary.  I received a call from Diana, she needed some photos done... and soon.  Her beloved lab was just diagnosed with cancer, and she was worried if she didn't get photos done right away, she would miss her chance. My heart sunk, and I was reminded of why I started my little photography shop.  While some shoots are purely joyous, and riotous fun, I got into this business because I wanted to capture our animals as we remember them, and sometimes that means meeting sick animals, or senior animals, who will soon be on their way to the big dog (or cat) park in the sky.

It's heartbreaking. But something to celebrate. 

Every time I go to these shoots I have to remember that these animals are so well loved that their owners hire a professional to capture them as they are - their beloved, furry best friends and confidants.  This one was especially hard for me because Owen is big, drooly, playful black lab... much like my own pup, Dayton.  It's a constant reminder that just like with our two-legged loved ones, we need to take time every day to rub our furry friends' tummies and tell them how much we love them.  

Owen is loved.

 Jamie is Owen's cocker spaniel brother, and he.is.adorable.

Stately Mr. Owen

Friends.

Family.

 Jamie loves his dad.

There had been so much rain that everything was so green. There was no color correction done to this photo... everything was just that green! 

Have you rubbed your dog's stomach today?

Max & Kaya

When I got a call that there was family with a Mastiff and a Husky who needed to be photographed, I jumped all over it.  I've always wanted to photograph a Mastiff, they are such gentle giants with so many funny, photo-ready features (long jowls, droopy eyes, wrinkly face, etc. etc.) Husky's are also a photographers dream with iceberg eyes, and Kaya just so happened to have two different colored eyes which made her even more beautiful.  I drove wayyy out of the city for this shoot, so we were able to shoot in giant cornfields and on protected land, which made for lots of wonderful shots.

Give me a break, look at this dog! A photographers dream.

Kaya is such a good model.

I love this picture. The dog & owner's personalities really shine through. And yes, Max is wearing a doggy tuxedo.

We shot on this beautiful forest preserve, a very nice setting.

Typical Mastiff, with a drop of slobber on its way to the ground

Big old Max.