This post should be all about Chewie but I'm going to mostly focus on his amazing parents.
Chewie is a recently adopted hospice pup whose new parents have made it their mission to give a home to elderly dogs from the Poodle rescue they work closely with. I had the honor of photographing their first hospice case in 2014 - Chippendale. Sadly, Chippendale crossed Rainbow Bridge and, despite the heartache, his parents... (click on the image above to continue reading)
It was definitely the coldest morning of the Fall season and I was struggling through a terrible flu/double ear infection/cough-thing, but I couldn't let this four-pack of poodles down. Their session had already been rained out once, so this brisk November morning was going to happen. And I'm so glad it did! With some delicious tea from their fur-mom, we powered through the cold. Woohoo! First to get photographed...
I had so much fun photographing Ace, the 2014 winner of the Lake Norman Currents Magazine cover contest. He beat out 50+ other pups in a contest that would land the winner's face on the October pet issue - all to benefit Friends of the Animals. When Ace isn't workin' his stuff in front of my camera, he's a medical alert service dog who is specially trained to alert his mom of changes in her blood sugar. And here are a couple of the fun shots we got while hanging out during our shoot...
And here is the talented Ace on the cover. Now that's a handsome boy...
Before I start on the cuteness overload you're about to see of Missy and Dailey, I have to give a big shout out to their parents. Long-time followers of mine, they were all over everything for their session. Mom read all through the Welcome Package and did everything in the "How to Prepare" section and even had an appreciation for the lighting the day of the session (we had to reschedule once because of the threat of rain). Can I say dream client? Just wanted to put that out there because I don't do it often enough. My clients (human and 4-legged) are amazing. :) Now on to their super-adorable babies, Missy and Dailey. Although they greeted me with a couple barks, once I stepped in their home and they smelled treats, they were all mine. :) Even Dailey (who tends to be a little more shy) was following me around within seconds. I had a feeling they were going to be great models. I introduce the pups in front of the camera for this pet portrait session...drum roll please....Dailey (left) and Missy (right)...
I instantly fell in love with Dailey. He may have a little head - no, really, he's tiny - but he's got the smarts of a young child. There's a lot going on behind those eyes. He's one of the most intelligent pups I've ever met.
Missy wasn't a dummy either. She'd do anything for a treat. :)
The best part was seeing the two of these pups together. They are professional head-tilters part-time. 
And full-time crazy playmates!
And of course to-die-for models. :)
I squeal every time I see an image of these two together!!!
Toward the end of our session, we made a quick trip down to the neighborhood creek. Most of the tall grass and flowers had been cut that afternoon but we managed to find some pretty goodness to pose in.
These two, man. Gotta love 'em! :)
Linus. Really? I just don't know what to say about this ADORABLE little man that can't be told through pictures. This guy can bring a smile to anyone's face and he has already established quite a fan club on Facebook! At only one-and-a-half, he is sure to reach Boo's status before too long! Linus is crazy smart and knows more tricks than I do! I honestly couldn't even remember them all during our photo shoot. He is also a Canine Good Citizen, Certified Therapy Dog, works his cute side in fashion shows, and spends time with hospital patients. He has more of a social life than I do! :)
I hope you enjoy Linus' smiley face...
This is "Dance"...
Linus is so adventurous and eager to learn!
This is "Place"...
This is just "CUTE"!!!!
What? You've never seen a dog push a grocery cart in the park?
And his newest trick, "Feet"...
I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek from our afternoon together. When Linus is super famous, I can say, "I knew him when..." :)
Ok. So I'm a bad doggy mom. I get my dogs a toy for their birthdays. That doesn't sound too bad does it? Well wait til you see how Dolce and Louis celebrated their first birthdays. With names like that, you know they had to do it up in style. I really have to step it up next year! :)
Dolce (the black poodle) and Louis (the grey poodle) celebrated their big 1 at Dogwood Kennel and Cattery in Catawba, NC. They were the talk of party in their oh-so-fancy attire...
The party got started right with a frisbee demonstration and flyball game by the great people at Jump 4 Discs.
After all that hard work and playing, it was time to refuel with a little snack!
Don't worry the people had refreshments too. I loved the dog-themed drink selection...
Dolce and Louis had quite the spread. The centerpiece was a yummy (judging by the dogs' reactions) cake from Three Dog Bakery in Asheville.
Dolce and Louis wasted no time digging into the yummy goodness.
They even shared with their furry friends!
I don't think Finn thinks they shared enough. Lol!
Do I have anything on my face?
Dolce and Louis got the HOOK UP with the presents! Thats the way to celebrate your first birthday!
One of the favorite gifts was a pair of matching sailer shirts from their neighbor and best-dog-friend, Finn. These are just for those special occasions when they hang out on their peoples' boat.
And of course Dolce and Louis had to show them off for a few minutes!
Dolce and Louis pass on many thanks to the furry guests that attended.
Doesn't every event have one that parties just a little too hard?
Louis and his mom watch the doggy madness around them :)
I did get to sneak away with the birthday boys for a few minutes to get a couple portraits.
Happy, happy birthday, Dolce and Louis! I can't wait to watch you grow up!
Time for some cute new faces looking for a forever home! This past Sunday, I spent some time at the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas and was able to grab a few quick shots of some of the dogs in waiting. Baccus is very new to the rescue and is a large Dane that LOVES to lean and get scratchin's. He will be available for adoption in the coming weeks. Quinn is also fairly new to the rescue and would love to find a place to run and play. She would do best in a home without small children.
Licorice is a cute, middle-sized scruffy dog that really needs a good home. She is a little shy around the camera but, if given the opportunity, would be a great companion.
I love how this little guy has a built-in accessory. He can make 2 different looks just by moving his ears...
This last group is a set of Poodle/Maltese? mixes that are to die for! I could give them kisses all day! These three look *identical* and I had a hard time telling which ones I already took pictures of. These little guys are super sweet and would make great lap dogs...
If you are interested in any of these pups, please contact the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas!
I'm soooo excited to write this blog post - I can barely type!!! Why, you ask? Well, two reasons. Number 1 is because most of these shots were taken with my awesome new 50mm f/1.4 lens - in fact, these are the first pictures I have taken with it. I must say, I love it already!!! I can't wait to play around with it some more and see what all that baby can do. Reason number 2 is because you, my friend, are in for some major Great Dane Rescue cuteness overload...like out of this world cuteness! Now on to the pics... I'll start out with a kicker! Who can resist this furry little face with those oh-so-adorable eyelashes!?!
I'm not really sure if these little ones are going to be up for adoption, but I just couldn't resist posting their pics!
This sweet little man is Charlie. He is about 12 years old and was brought to the rescue as an owner surrender. This poor guy is so confused why he is here and just wants to curl up in someone's lap and feel safe again...
Next we have Sammie and a handsome white poodle. Sammie is the sweetest girl and has given birth to several of the black doggies I have photographed at the rescue. She isn't too good around other dogs but is a real cuddle bear with people. The white poodle is currently nameless but was definitely someone's baby at one time in his life. He loves to sit on your lap and will give you instant attention when the treats are pulled out!
Here they both are with their cutest faces and best smiles...
Luke is a Boxer/Hound mix of sorts and has a heart of gold. He will be awesome with a family that can give him tons of playtime because he loves his toys!
This next set of puppies will really get your heart racing. In total, there will be 6 little Hound pups available so get ready to make room in your house...
These last couple images remind me of why I volunteer at the Great Dane Rescue. No matter what breed, age, size, or shape, all these poor dogs want is for someone to take them home, give them a warm bed, plenty of food, and lots of kisses. I hope I help that happen.
