Faust is a strong, lean German short hair. He is very handsome and confident, quite mellow, and like a lot of dogs showed me that he can also be a little derpy, too. Picture him with his ears back, nose in the air looking at you with a huge grin on his face (and maybe a bit of slobber). What's not to love??!!! What he didn't show me was his age. He's a vibrant nine year old dog who's distinguished white face is the only thing that gives it away. Faust participates in obedience competition (I swear I didn't even know this was a thing, but how cool!), but his real love is "the hunt" part of hunting. He loves to search out the birds! Actually, I don't think it even has to be a bird. At one point during his session he became very alert and drug his dog mom off across a trail. It was a mouse. I never saw it, but Faust did and he was determined to sniff it out. I feel like if the grass had been mowed that little mouse might not have fared as well. If his dog mom is around, then you'll find Faust with her. She is his person and they love to spend time together. Besides hunting and competitions they like to hike, run, and dabble in agility. If the weather's bad he'll even hop on the treadmill with mom. Faust was a sport letting me drag him to different sections of different parks trying to avoid the still flooded areas around town. He really liked the tall grasses best I think. It was the end of the day, but he mustered up plenty of energy to run in and out of them. (I was pooped just watching him at this point. ha!) In the end he relaxed a bit with mom and we got a couple of very sweet silhouettes. I wish you lots of fun adventures with your dog mom, Faust. She's a very lucky lady.
When I first saw Max all I could think was, wow, what a gorgeous dog! But, it didn't take but a few minutes to see that Max is just as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside. Max adores his dog mom and dad, and he's quite high on their list of friends to hang out with, too. Max is not shy when it comes to the camera and he was quite happy to show me how much he loves being outdoors. Running, jumping logs, and fetching were his favorites. But, honestly, I think he would be thrilled doing anything as long as it involves being with his humans. Max played the whole session, stopping every once in awhile to pose. THAT'S when I saw the oh so handsome modeling side of him. (There might be good money in this one day, Max. Just sayin'.) Yes, Max is a gorgeous dog, (and honestly, I don't think he has a clue how handsome he is), but you can tell when you're around Max that he knows he's a part of a team, a tribe, a family. It's a great feeling to know you belong, and I don't think there is any doubt that Max feels the love. Enjoy the rest of the snow season with your family, Max!
Location plays a big part in the planning of the sessions I do. They are chosen specifically for the dog's size, color and personality. When I saw a picture of Willow, I knew the perfect spot for her snow session and couldn't wait for it to happen. Just like I envisioned the colors were perfect for Willow. The bonus was that her dog mom could not have dressed in more appropriate colors if we had tried. When I mentioned it to her afterwards she said that her favorite color is green and she wears it all the time. This is exactly what I like for my clients to do. The more natural and comfortable everything is, the better the images. It happens all the time. ;O) Willow had such a great time at her session. She ran, she played fetch, she even slowed down a bit to have a couple of moments with her mom. There is really only one rule when doing a pet session with me, and that is to have fun! Willow and her dog mom did just that. Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job?! ;O)
Hercules - famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. This boy lives up to his name. He was a big puppy and he turned out to be a very handsome and big dog. And, do you know what you get with a big dog like Hercules? You get a big heart. Speaking of big, the snow decided to "go big" for our session as well! When I have a client who wants to do a snow session with their dog we plan things a little differently. Instead of picking a date and planning for it, we plan the session first and then when the weather cooperates we pull on our snow pants and head out. This particular day was perfect. With temps in the high 20s and very little wind everything was great weather-wise. What we didn't realize was that the snow at our location was deeper than we anticipated. This is where Herc's size was a Greek god-send. ;O) He ran, jumped and played in the snow, and plowed through so that he could lead his littlest best friend across. Herc even took a private (well, semi-private) moment with his mom for a picturesque image in front of snow filled trees. Big dog, big heart and big snow... there was definitely a theme that day... and, it was wonderful.
Ophie's mom called me wanting to set up a photo session. She wanted to include the fall colors in her session and those were fading fast. So, after learning a bit about Ophie and her two year old schnoodle personality I did some scouting and found that one park had a bit of color left that might work due to the fact that it was low to the ground... like Ophie. ;O) Rain was in the forecast so we pushed up the session to that evening and Ophie was great! Her mom describes her as feisty, sassy, and lovable. (I think this is a very healthy balance for any young lady, don't you?) Ophie's mom says that she tells you what's on her mind with no beating around the bush. She's a mama's girl and after enjoying her day, Ophie makes sure that she gets her nightly mom-time together in a favorite chair. Ophie is motivated by treats, but that doesn't help with her diet. What's the next best thing? Her ball! Just when I thought we had tuckered her out, the ball came out of the bag and so did Ophie's enthusiasm. (Never underestimate the power of the fetch!) Ophie, you are so fun and you mean the world to your mom. I hope your days are full of color, snuggles, and lots of opportunities to play fetch. ;O)
Have you ever had one of those days, weeks, months or even years where life just seems to throw one curve ball after another? I met a beautiful young lady who has managed to come out on top after one such period of time and she gives a lot of credit to her four-legged friend. Through all the ups and downs Beagan was there. Rachel tells me that she and Beagan "saved each other." She found him in a parking lot, abandoned and malnourished. She took him in and nursed him back to health and in return he was by her side through thick and thin. He helped her through heartbreak, helped pack for moves (like only dogs can do), and probably should have worn a cap for his support during grad school and getting her PHD. They went on runs, hikes and road trips together; Rachel was the center of Beagan's world. Rachel and Beagan moved to Sioux Falls only to learn (sixteen days later) that they didn't have much time left together. Beagan may have had an idea that his time was limited, but he took it upon himself to make sure that Rachel got to her new home before he said goodbye. On the last evening that they shared together, Beagan was visibly tired, but he made sure that Rachel would be able to remember him as the oh-so-handsome, loving, loyal, derpy dog that she knew and loved. It's always so very hard to say goodbye to our four-legged friends, but memories of the times we spent with them help us hold them in our hearts forever. "How Lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." - Winnie the Pooh
When Sami told me that Blu liked bubbles, I thought, ok, I'll put some bubbles in my bag to take to the session. Well, "Blu likes bubbles" was quite the understatement! I don't think I have EVER seen a dog like bubbles like Blu likes bubbles. There is no way I can describe the pure JOY on this dog's face when she realized what was about to happen... but, I took pictures. ;O) Not to be left out, Tex had his turn, too. He wasn't going to give up his fair share of the bubbles. These two adore their owner and live to please her. Sami says Blu is her "everything dog." She is eager to learn and works as a therapy dog, does search and rescue, agility and dock diving. Tex is just a puppy and is best pals with Blu. They play with and chase other dogs together, and they love to adventure with Sami. Tex will be getting ready for duck hunting soon, and gets excited when he sees a bird or hears a gun. Tex loves everyone, but when mom is around he will not hesitate to claim Sami's lap and let you know that she is his person. There is a quote that I heard the other day... There are friends, there is family, and then there are friends that become family. From the short time that I spent with Sami, Blu and Tex, I feel like this was written about them. Take care of each other you guys, and have fun!
Bella is definitely the princess of her house. She's a senior who loves bows in her hair and polish on her nails, and she has a basket of toys that would rival that seen on Toy Story. Bella goes everywhere with her mom. It's a "we" thing as far as the two of them go. If you see one, you'll probably see the other. Bella has attended school functions, family weddings, and she even voted! Although Bella is a mama's girl, she knows when it's time for dad to come home and she patiently awaits his arrival. Once he's home, it's time to do a few laps around the table just to let him know that she loves him, too. And, speaking of laps, this little girl can run! This tiny little dog has a big heart and a big personality, and she fills up a big space in her family's life. Take care of them, Bella. I think it's safe to say, you complete them. ;O)
Ever meet one of those dogs when as soon as you say hello you just know he's where he's suppose to be? Cosmo is one of those dogs. Cosmo's mom scheduled a session so that she could make a little brag book as a surprise for Cosmo's dad when he deploys. As soon as I met Cosmo I could tell that he was such a happy dog and knew that he felt he was truly part of a family. He was rescued by dad and I'm told he is most definitely a daddy's dog, but he's just as keen on mom when it's just the two of them. Cosmo is 11 years old and wasn't in perfect health when we did his session, but he never let on. He smiled and played through the whole thing! (Well, ok, there might have been a piece of McChicken sandwich involved at one point during the session). We took Cosmo to one of his favorite walking parks. He was so happy to be there and seemed to want to show us all the best spots. He was a little confused when I'd ask him to "pose" though - it was like he was trying to tell me to hurry up, there was more to see just up ahead! Cosmo, smart dog that he is, helped me get mom into some of the pictures for dad's book, too. She never even knew what he was up to. (wink, wink) Cosmo, it was great meeting you! I know you're a snuggler so you and mom take care of each other while dad's away. I wish you all the best that 2018 can bring.
These little balls of fun are quite the trio. They are very different from each other, well except for Lilly and Ruthie looking so much alike (or maybe that's just me; ok, probably just me) and their personalities seem to balance each other out in complete harmony. Sunshine is the older-wiser one. She celebrated her 17th birthday just before these pictures were taken and still, she didn't miss a beat. She may not be as active as her sisters, but that doesn't mean that she isn't right in the middle of what's going on (even if "the middle" means on the sidelines somewhere simply because she can't see that well). Sunshine, you are beautiful! Lilly is the little princess. She prances around showing off her long beautiful hair, but she's a gift giver, too... she likes to share kisses with the other dogs in the house (it doesn't matter that some of them are about 10 times her size). Ruthie is the baby of the family and is very enthusiastic. She loves to play in the water hose and she'll run around the yard at top speed like it's the best place ever! Want to race? Ruthie will take you on. I can't decide if it's the playing, or the snuggling, or the outings, that make Sunshine, Lilly, and Ruthie so happy. They are so devoted, and so loving. Honestly, I think these little girls are a perfect example of... It's not what you're doing, it's who you're with. These girls live with three other dogs, and I don't know that I've ever seen a more comfortable group. If they aren't as loving and amicable during their normal day-to-day life, then they sure have great manners when strangers come in with a camera. :)
It was so fun to get to know these three. They don't say much and they don't take center stage, so I've found myself wondering, what makes them tick... and is it the same thing that makes them so sweet? |
Quoted...I can't really get them to say "cheese," but I can almost always make them smile. -Kelly Categories
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