The fall colors popped a little later than usual this year so Abby's family lucked out during their session. We thought we'd miss prime leaf-changing but Mother Nature surprised us!
Dear Abby's session (get it? hehe!) turned out to have some of the best color of all my Fall sessions. And Abby's gorgeous coloring was just the icing on the gold and orange cake!
Our session took place at Jetton Park on the banks...
As most of you may know, Chihuahuas can be a little shy and tend to get nervous around new people and new big, black objects looking at them (aka, the camera). When I first met Lola and Charo, I took the safe approach and greeted them with treats and stayed down on their level. Charo, the long-haired fuzzy one of the pair, instantly was a fan! Anyone that gave her attention was a-ok in her book. Lola was a little more timid but I could tell she would eventually come out of her shell. As a matter of fact, I was 99% sure that she would be a camera ham by the end. (Spoiler alert! I was right!)
I introduce Charo...
...and Lola...
Charo instantly fell into her top model ways. I'm pretty sure she's done this before. ;) She was completely ready to show off her "frizzy cotton ball" look!
Lola hung back for a while but really started to come out of her shell once we reached the beach at Lake Norman.
She was pretty interested in the water and even got her toes a little wet at one point!
The sisters had a blast running around on the sand!
Such cuties!!!!
Right about this time, Lola really started to steal the show. She totally "got it" and was ready to work it!
Lola's like, "yeah, I got this!"
When we walked out to the peninsula, we were greeted with the most amazing sunset! Most of the session was shot with cloudy skies - something I normally avoid. However, they worked in our favor since we wanted to capture the background of the lake. As the clouds parted, the sky turned the most gorgeous shades of orange, pink, and purple!
And the family enjoying the lovely views...
I heart this sweet family and I hope you enjoyed their sneak peek!
Maverick's family booked their session back in June too make sure they got a prime session date for featuring the Fall leaves. I didn't want to disappoint! The day of our session, Hurricane Sandy was moving in and the clouds kept coming and going. We decided to go ahead with the session and it started out with sunny skies and very little cloud cover. Unfortunately, the clouds slowly moved in and the grayish light did little to make the golden hues of the trees sparkle. We ended up stopping the session early and reshooting a second day. I'm SO glad we did because the sun was out, the leaves were gorgeous, and Maverick looked stunning!
This handsome boy just turned 5 years old but still has the energy of a puppy! He had a good ol' time exploring the park and smelling everything he could. Don't you just love that adorable face?!?
One of the main objectives of the shoot was to get a picture of Maverick with his younger 2-legged brother. Before we could even think about Maverick being ready for that, we had to get some of his energy out...
And we got one!!! You never know what to expect when working with a dog and a very young child. They each are on their own schedule and want to do what they want to do. :)
Thanks Maverick and your family for being flexible and patient! I hope you love the results so far!
Endless sunshine. That's what the weather forecasted for the day of Dusty's and Ella's photo shoot. However, come that afternoon, heavy cloud cover loomed above our heads and rain showers threatened to put a stop to our session. Luckily, the showers remained at bay and we got to squeeze in a dry afternoon with these two Shelties.
Dusty was the main focus of this session because his grandfather just thinks the world of him and his beautiful handsome coloring. Dusty is a sable merle - a pretty rare combination. I must say that I agree with Dusty's grandfather. He sure is a sight for sore eyes.
We also got some images of Ella, a tri-color little lady and Dusty's cousin. She is slightly disabled as she has 4 legs but only 3 paws. They both were a pleasure to work with and we had a blast in their backyard...
Ella has the most endearing eyes :)
Dusty takes his play time seriously!
I love Dusty's hair blowing in the wind. He is just so gorgeous!
Ella is so inquisitive and loves to keep watch over the backyard. Squirrels and ducks better beware!
After hanging out in the backyard, Dusty headed off to Jetton Park - a great place for doggy pics! It actually started to rain on our way over but stopped just as we pulled into the park. Yay! 
Dusty started off with some posing...
But quickly went into play mode. I just love the way his hair flows as he jumps around!
And back to posing...
Dusty's grandfather didn't want to be in any of the pics, but I just love this one. Dusty loves him so much and follows him everywhere!
Lastly, we headed over to the beach area for some good stick throwing - one of Dusty's favorite things...
Lovin' the sandy nose!
Thank you, Dusty and Ella, for a DRY and fun session!
(If you recognize Blaze, shhhhhhh, keep it a secret! His dad will see these for the first time on Christmas!) Blaze had a rough start to life. He was abandoned on the side of the road and was left cold and confused. Luckily, his current family's dentist found him and passed him along to the wonderful home he has now. Blaze quickly worked his way to the "top dog" position in his dad's heart and is perfectly content as his dad's favorite.
Knowing this background made it so easy for me to understand why Blaze's human brothers wanted to surprise their dad with the gift of photography. They were the lucky winners of a pet portrait session donated for a silent auction at a recent charity event. At 17 years old, Blaze's human brothers handled setting up the shoot and were completely responsible for making it happen. They were great to work with and Blaze wasn't too bad either! Haha! I mean, look at how cute he is!
I was so happy the sun was out during our session. Lately it's been playing hide-and-go-seek with me. 
What a handsome boy...
His tongue looks like a heart <3!
These are for Blaze's dad (a huge Auburn fan)!
I normally don't pose my doggy models as much as I did with Blaze...he was just so good at it! After all his sitting and staying, Blaze cut loose, got to run, catch his favorite tennis ball, and even went on a quick swim in Lake Norman.
Hehehehe...
Merry Christmas to Blaze's dad! I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!
I feel so lucky to work with some amazing animal lovers on a daily basis. Last Sunday was no exception. My clients, a pair of veterinarians with a practice in Charlotte, gathered their pack together and spent the evening with me at Jetton Park. The chemistry between the five of them was undeniable and it just warmed my heart! Each of these pups has unfortunate health issues but they are definitely in the best hands. I introduce Otis, Curtis, and Weber (from left to right).
Curtis got some extra loving during our photo shoot. At 10 years old and with health issues, it was really important to his mom and dad to get some images of just the three of them. Curtis is such a sweet old man and his handsome grey highlights make him look so distinguished. He is their heart-dog and I totally understand why.
Swiss Mountain Dogs aren't known to be water lovers but Otis thought he would test it out. He is such a goofy boy that makes me laugh!
Weber, being the young 2-year-old, took advantage of the situation and went fetching for sticks!
Curtis opted to stay on high ground.
After hanging out at the park, the pack jumped in the car and headed over to the Peninsula Yacht Club...
Yay, dad! We're going out on the boat!
Assume your positions!
These guys were exhausted but they took time on the boat ride to relax and take in the lovely scenery.
We finished the evening off with a beautiful sunset. This isn't enhanced...it was just that pretty. Just like Curtis, Otis and Weber and the love they have for their parents.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Jena from Jena's Place for Paws to get some fresh, fun artwork for the walls of her new doggy day care. To keep things personal, we used her fur babies as models. Rimmy, the Min Pin, and Grahm, the Boxer, were happy to work it for us on this HOT afternoon! They totally rocked it and showed off their skills in front of the beautiful green landscape in Jetton Park. I hope the clients of Jena's Place for Paws enjoy the fabulous new images as they walk in the door!
Meet Nala...the lucky dog chosen for the commercial shoot I had over the past weekend! This sweetheart is a 5-year-old Pit that is CGC-certified and is currently in dog therapy training. We meet on Saturday and had a great little session together with her mom, dad, and foster brother, Jake. I had to photograph a specific shot but I managed to grab just a couple extras for my personal use.
I think it's so cute when she just puts her one ear up...
I think this location is my new winter favorite! I discovered it during this session and I had to go back. I just love the low sun filtering through the trees.
Thanks to Nala and her family for helping me out! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the big project! ;)
