Louie - Mr. Lambchop

Meet Louie - a.k.a. Lambchop, Little Man, Bear Cub, and Wiggle Butt! Louie is the most perfect and sweetest cuddle monster! He is such a lover and he never fails to give out kisses with his amazingly long tongue! In fact, his tongue is so big that sometimes it just can't fit in his mouth and it has to hang out. Love him! We spent an overcast evening hanging around Louie's gorgeous turf. His mom lives on Lake Norman so Louie enjoys daily walks on the surrounding pathways and docks as he scopes out the water for ducks and fish. It was a pleasure to tag along with this handsome Cocker Spaniel! Enjoy his sneak peek - I'm hoping his sweetness is contagious!

Louie has hip and knee problems so we made sure to give him several breaks during the session. He still wanted to work it for the camera though!Hey stud muffin!!!Isn't he so handsome?!? I love that his tongue is barely poking through in this one...Thanks, Louie, for being such a wonderful model! I can't wait to visit you again soon! :)

Barkley - The Fluff Ball

Two weeks before Barkley's photo shoot, he celebrated his "13th" birthday. I put that in quotes because I think Barkley has his family fooled! Haha! This fluffy guys has bad hips and can get a little lethargic but he was totally playing it off when I came over. He was jumping after bees, wrestling, crawling, and being goofy! He told me to keep it a secret but I'm a horrible liar! Sorry Barkley...your secret is out. Barkley's parents were kind enough to build him a ramp over the steps to his front porch. He looks so appreciative!He is sooooo cute! I just want to squeeze his little doggy cheeks!!!I love Barkley's paws...they are as big as my hands!Every day, Barkley is helped into the truck and goes to work with his parents. He LOVES having the wind blow through his hair!There's nothing like a good roll in the grass...Barkley is very proud of his family!Barkley, you and your family were a pleasure to photograph and you guys had me laughing the whole time! Can't wait to see you again soon - maybe shaved this time?!

Cali - A Puga-what? A Pugapoo.

When I heard that Cali was a Pugapoo, one of the first things that *unfortunately* ran through my mind was the Destiny's Child song, Bugaboo. Yeah, that song is old and definitely not one of my favorites but I just can't get it out of my head when I say the word Pugapoo. I mean, who doesn't want to sing it and substitute in Pugapoo? Anyway, music aside, I was beyond thrilled to photograph my first Pug-Poodle mix! Cali certainly didn't disappoint! She quickly warmed up to me and the camera and I'm pretty sure we bonded over a couple treats and a fluffy dog toy. I think I have a new best friend for life!

We started her session in her back yard where she showed me some of her best modeling looks. Forget Zoolander's Blue Steel. Cali's "La Dent" (a.k.a. "The Tooth") takes the cake!

Cali was born missing a couple toes on her front paw. It doesn't bother her too much but she likes to keep it off the ground from time to time.Despite her minor handicap, she doesn't hesitate to chase her ball!I couldn't resist posting this one. I'm not sure what to call this look...Cali loves to swim so we took a short trip over to the lake access area in her neighborhood. This is one happy dog!And she's off to retrieve her ball!Who needs a hair dryer when you can hang your head out the window?Cali wanted to be sure we showed off her feline sister, Bella. Bella thinks she's a dog but is one of the prettiest cats I've seen!

Thanks so for such a great session, Cali! I can't wait to hang out with you and Bella again!

Blitz and Miss Priss - Kitty Power!

OMG! I love kitties! Unfortunately, I don't get to photograph them as often as I would like. But, when I do, I love going through the images! These two kitties had me laughing the whole time I was editing. Their excitement for catnip bubbles and frilly feathers was totally contagious! Blitz may be a little bit fluffy but he can move with the best of 'em... It's a bird, it's a plane...no...it's a kitty on catnip!!!Blitz smiling like the Cheshire cat...Well, I guess he's over the bubbles.Miss Priss' turn!!!Her eyes are simply gorgeous...Blitz breaks for some lovin.And then he's back!Miss Priss loves the bubbles and she likes to curiously watch them fall from above.This bubble must have been special!Ahhhh...the cat's life...

Jake, Jackie & Bailey - 3 Amigos

To live on acres and acres of land is probably any dog's dream. Keeping guard over the house, greeting any visitors, overseeing the livestock, and watching for squirrels, turkeys, and snakes would just be part of a day's work. For Jake, Jackie, and Bailey, this dream is 100% a reality. These three pups started this dream as strays that were lucky enough to be taken in by their current family. They immediately assimilated to the country lifestyle and are now wonderful pets and even great working dogs...even more than the Border Collie at the end of the street! We started our session on the wrap-around porch - one of this pack's favorite hang outs. Here is Jake...

Jackie...and camera shy Bailey...and the 4-legged amigos...One of the pack's favorite things to do is to take a walk down the street to their grandfather's house. Just say the word and they are ready to go!It's a pretty long walk but along the way there are gorgeous fields to explore and rest in... At their grandfather's house, they get close and personal with the cows.Jake makes sure none of the livestock are out of line...Bailey was ready to work even though the cows were all set for the night.After such a long walk and tons of exploring, the dogs hopped a ride back home on the trailer.Jackie never misses a beat with those big ears!What a great ending to a fun-filled evening! These dogs are super awesome and they have quite the life. I hope their humans enjoy this sneak peek and I can't wait to see you three again soon!

Boss - The Boss Man

I'm loving all of these surprise sessions I've been having lately but it kills me not to be able to share the images with everyone right away! Fortunately, this client had a hard time keeping Boss' session a secret too. So luckily for me, I get to share these right now! Yay! Boss' session was set up as an anniversary gift for his dad. This little boss man is one of the bright spots of his dad's life and I totally understand why. Besides the fact that Boss looks identical to my pup, Sadie, Boss was so amazingly good during his session. He just followed us around and looked up as if he was just waiting for direction. He was all, "ok, where and what do you want me to do?". He rocked it!

We started off the session in NoDa, the arts district of Charlotte. Boss' mom gave me creative freedom to do some different type of shots and I was more than happy to oblige. With a model like this, we could set up almost anything!

This is probably one of my favorites from Boss' session. It probably doesn't fit most people's tastes, but I love that its so different from my normal work...Of course I didn't want Boss to pose the entire session! We found a nice patch of huge clover and let Boss explore, has a grass snack, and let some energy out...We finished off Boss' session in my new favorite location - an abandoned farm/field near my house. We made it just as the sun hit the horizon and we managed to get in a few shots with my favorite kind of lighting!More grass snacks...I hope Boss' dad enjoys his gift for many years to come! It was a pleasure to work with Boss and I can't wait to see his Coffee Table Album come together!

Carly - Stuck Like Velcro

Velcro isn't easily torn apart - just as Carly isn't easily removed from her mom's side. At 12 years old, Carley has been through a lot with her mom including the inception of her marriage 2 years ago and now, *officially* a pregnancy! Congrats again, by the way! I'm so honored I got to capture their bond and I can't wait to see Carly give kisses to her new baby brother or sister! Carly mid-bark...This is the life!Hehe...Carly's missing tooth is one of the many things her parents love about her.And of course Carly has to thank her dad for making this all possible. I can't wait to see you all again and check on the belly!

Libby - The Chipmunk Hunter

A Wire-Haired Pointing Griffon. Yep, that's what Libby is! Not too common around here, I was more than excited to photograph this bubbly and fun girl! Libby's session was a thoughtful Christmas gift from her mom to her dad. They wanted to wait to have her session when the yard was *just right* as her dad does all of the beautiful landscaping himself. And with Spring making an early appearance, we fortunately didn't have to wait too long! We started Libby's session by exploring her most-liked spots in the yard and even chasing her favorite toys - chipmunks (or chipys, as she like to call them)!!!

"Make sure you get my good side..."After exploring the yard, we hopped in the car and headed to her favorite chipmunk hunting ground...her neighbor's yard.She knows they're in there. She just has to find them first......and she leaps!!! Score!!!!Libby, you were so much fun to photograph and I still laugh when I look at your images. Your smile is contagious! I can't wait to see you again soon! XOXO!!!!