Back on the night of Christmas 2020, the temps in South Carolina dipped to around 19 degrees. Yeaaaaaah…that night, Santa didn’t bring me a present. Yep, I got left a lump of coal. Numerous - and I mean numerous - busted pipes. I have finally gotten around (and it’s gotten warm enough) to fix them. No, I had no idea what I was doing. No, it wasn’t fun in the least.
Rainy, cloudy, and windy aren't really things you want to see in the forecast...especially when you are heading to the beach...from Kentucky. Every year, this furry family takes a week-long trip from the Bluegrass State to the shores of Emerald Isle. Usually the schedule consists of sunbathing and a little r&r but this time, I shook up their plans when they realized I would be doing doggy sessions there at the same time they arrived.
These troopers left Kentucky at 3 in the morning and arrived on the island around 3 in the afternoon. With little sleep, empty bellies, and a few excited Dachshunds, their session was only a couple hours away. We spent those 2 hours texting back and forth as rain, wind, and clouds surrounded us and made us wonder if we were going to have to give up hope on taking pictures of Affinity, Kobe, and Avalanche on their favorite beach. We decided to press forward and I'm so glad we did!
The wind and cold never let up on us and we had to dodge raindrops a few times, but it was totally worth it! Affinity, Kobe, and Avalanche had a great time and as long as they were on the beach, they were happy as the clams washing up on shore. :)
We began the session with Affinity. The eldest of the trio, she is pretty chill and just takes things as they come. For example, she was happy to let the wind do it's thing.
Don't let her fool you though. She does get excited. When she's allowed to roam on the beach, she comes out of her shell!
And she might even take a roll in the sand.
What a happy face!!!
LOVE this pretty necklace she modeled at the end of our time together!
Next up was Kobe. Kobe is pretty opposite of his sister and is a little firecracker! I was warned he likes to run and dig so I was happy he didn't disappoint!
Some outtakes that are oh-so-Kobe...
Don't get me wrong though, he was also an excellent model. I love this of him looking toward the ocean. He likes to look...not touch.
Last but certainly not least, we photographed Avalanche. This sweetie started cuddling with me the minute I showed up for the session and I knew right away he was going to be a little camera ham. I love his little white face! (PS - I'm going to drive to Kentucky to dog nap him.)
Mighty hunting stance...
Avalanche made sure he showed his crazy side too. I was impressed! Happy boy...
And the three beach bums...
So sorry for the longest post ever! I just couldn't help myself!
I hope the weather has gotten better for this furry family! Major props to them for putting up with the wind and rain. Safe travels home!!!
Ruby. Just the names triggers visions of beautiful, sparkling gems and a crimson wave of jewels. It was all too fitting to find a location just as awe-inspiring as Ruby's name and Ruby's unusual look. We were very lucky to stumble upon a gorgeous field of wildflowers just outside of Emerald Isle. The evening light was simply breathtaking and the flowers were dancing in the air like pink butterflies. Ruby, a rare white Boxer, was born to be photographed in such a stunning location.
I wanted to post this today because Ruby's mom is recovering from surgery. I hope this brings a little brightness into her day!
Of course we had to have some play time mixed in with all that posing. Plus, what do you expect a dog to do in the fresh, cool sand?!?
Ruby fell in LOVE with my little squeaky ball. I understand she stole it and is still playing with it regularly!
The end.
Thank you, Ruby, for such a beautiful session. Take really good care of your mom over the next few weeks!
I love going to the beach with my dogs because they can just let loose, obsess over Sandpipers, dig holes in the sand, and be extremely tired by the end of the day. I made sure I got some images of Eva doing just these things on our last trip to Emerald Isle. Enjoy!
Eva's ostrich impression. Yes, she dug the hole this deep by herself. Silly girl.
A few weekends ago, I took a much needed break and headed over to Emerald Isle, NC for a few days. On our first full day at the beach, we decided to take a short ferry ride over to Shakleford Banks - a 9-mile long island known for its shelling and wild horses. I wasn't sure what to expect. Were we even going to see the horses? Nine miles is a lot of territory to cover in just a couple hours. Maybe we would just have a picnic on the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather. Either way, it was going to be awesome!
As soon as we arrived, we climbed over the first dune in front of us. Sure enough, off in the distance, a couple wild horses were grazing on the grass. This was already exceeding my expectations!
As we explored the island, we discovered more and more horses. We got as close as we *respectfully* felt comfortable and quickly realized the horses were barely taller than me - they looked more like ponies. They had gorgeous wispy hair and beautiful coloring. I especially liked these two...
Not only did we start the day off with seeing the wild horses, we also got to enjoy a little picnic on the beach. During the off-season, not many people were visiting and it felt like we had the entire island to ourselves.
We were graced with the presence of a wild horse taking a stroll along the beach. He walked right past us. How cool is that?!?
Back at the house, we gave the dogs a chance to explore the beach. This was Sadie's first visit so she had to stay pretty close to us...
The cooler temps didn't stop Eva from going for a dip in the water.
The next couple pics were taken with my iPhone. We had a wicked storm come through on the second day but the clouds parted just before sundown. Foam lined the beach and a gorgeous double rainbow filled the sky.
Next time I go back to Emerald Isle, I am definitely returning to Shakleford Banks. They allow camping and DOGS on the island! Looks like I'll be packing my tent!
2011 calendars? Yeah, yeah, I know its already 7 days into 2011. I just love making surprise gifts for my clients!
I'm so happy to be reporting from Emerald Isle, NC! I'm here for the week for my sister's wedding but was lucky enough to sneak in a photo shoot with her adorable Boxer, Rocky. This sweet boy was one of the first dogs I photographed when I decided to move into the realm of pet portrait photography. I have learned so much in such a short period of time and it amazes me to see how far I have come in just the past few months. I am so happy I had the opportunity to photography Rocky again as it has really helped me see that hard work and practice really do pay off. I still have a lot to learn but I'm enjoying every minute of it!
Rocky's session began at his (soon-to-be) grandparent's beach house and ended up on the shoreline. At 7 in the morning, we were greeted with beautiful light and an empty beach...what more could you ask for?
Oh, sorry there are so many pics! Rock Rock (or Rocky, Bocky, Maki, Saki, Taki) was just the perfect little model.
