Claudia+Ron+Layla+Reagan

There’s no bigger compliment than having a client return to you for more pictures, and it’s certainly no exception with this amazing group. Claudia and Ron are some of my favorite people. I took their portraits last April in their backyard with their two Goldens, Layla and Canela. At the time, Canela was undergoing chemotherapy for treatment of cancer and was doing quite well, but he unfortunately lost his battle last November and passed away. This was incredibly devastating for all of us and he is very much missed to this day.

Claudia and Ron adopted another retriever pal for Layla and Canela shortly before Canela passed away (so Canela got to teach him the ropes!) and named him Reagan. He was so tiny then, and is so giant now (Reagan is white, Layla is golden). Due to Reagan lovingly destroying his parents’ garden, we decided to move off the homefront for the portraits this year. Reagan and Layla are adorable together (and so are their parents!) and were quite good on location (thanks goes to Geoff for puppy wrangling on this shoot and occasionally snapping a shot when not tangled in leashes and toys). We missed Canela terribly but we’re sure he was with us during the shoot and approves of the pictures! Thanks to Claudia and Ron for being amazing clients and amazing dog parents… the love with which they treat these dogs is awesome.

Good friends and staunch CSP supports, Mary Ann and Daniel had me come over to photograph their motely crew of furry friends the other day. :) There are three, so I’ll introduce them individually:

Meet Tuk! Tuk was rescued by Mary Ann and Daniel and was sadly abused at his former home. :( He is absolutely precious and very happy in his new one. He’s a husky/shepherd mix and enjoys howling, trying to round up other dogs for pack purposes, and trying to annoying Levi.

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Meet Levi! Levi is the feisty one of the bunch despite his small stature. I had been warned many times that Levi probably wouldn’t like me because Levi doesn’t like most people, but I gave him a few treats and we were BFFs. Levi enjoys growling, snarling, and avoiding Tuk.

Raleigh dog photographer

Meet Lola! Lola is really the lover of the group. She’s a very nice and even-tempered dog who gets along with both Levi and Tuk. Lola enjoys treats, playing with her football, and running around with her doggy friends in the park. Below is a picture of Lola yawning. No, I did not photoshop her mouth. When Geoff saw it, he said that it reminded him of Gina Davis in Beetlejuice, which is totally accurate. We googled to find a picture to post next to it and, ironically, we found the picture on a blog that was comparing Gina Davis to another dog yawning. How weird is that?! Apparently that costume was inspired by fierce dog yawns.

Beetlejuice dog yawns

Below is what happens when you have three dogs who don’t all entirely get along and you’re trying to take a family picture.  Top left is Levi not cooperating. Top right is Levi growing because he’s now sitting next to Tuk. Tuk looks uncomfortable. Bottom left is Lola yawning (again) and bottom right is the closest semblance of all the dogs getting along.

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We took a lot of pictures of Tuk inside because he was not to be joining us outside after his escapades in the morning where he broke through their porch, escaped into the wilderness, and had Mary Ann and Daniel chase him down for an hour. :) It was decided that Tuk was somewhat of a liability at the dog park, so he stayed behind to catch up on some much needed Zzz’s from that morning’s adventures. :)

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Now meet Spot and Reese! I think it’s pretty obvious which is which. :) They’re doggy friends with Lola, Levi, and Tuk, and human friends with Daniel and Mary Ann. We met their pups at the dog park to get some action shots of them all playing! Spot and Reese are adorable dogs and so sweet! Spot is HUGE but was so nice and friendly and adorable. And Reese is very patient, quiet, and a good doggy photography subject. :)

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All pups remained leashed outside of the park (even for their portraits below) because they are all kind of rambunctious together and a definite flight risk. :) Also, there were several swans in the park that they were all VERY interested in!

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Thank you to all the pups (and humans!) for this adorable shoot!

Meet the little (and soon-to-be famous, I’m sure) dog models Brewser and Scarlett McLean, furry children of the wonderful Raleigh wedding planner, Erin McLean. :) Brewser, a Yorkie Poo, enjoys treats, chasing his sister around the yard, and not having to dress up for pictures. Scarlett, a Toy Poodle, likes wearing a dress, being spoiled, and staying indoors when it rains. Together they were very good on their photo shoot, posing in what they thought was a very sophisticated manner and trying not to make Erin run all over the place. ;)

Little Brewser, although impossibly tiny, is 8 years old and is a very sweet little guy about a third the size of my cat. Scarlett is a newer member of the McLean household and had a sad background story as a rescue from a puppy mill, but is now doing wonderfully and is the happiest little gal on the planet! They’re both very lucky to be well-loved by Erin and her husband. Part of the reason I love photographing pets so much is seeing how happy they all are. They all have great homes and are spoiled silly just like children… and it makes for a very happy photo shoot. :)

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