Eva & Sadie - A NY State of Mind

A couple weekends ago, we made the long trek to upstate New York to spend some time with my husband's family. We decided to bring along the dogs thinking they would have a blast running around with their 4-legged cousins, checking out the horses (and hopefully not rolling in poop), and running around in the big fields. Unfortunately, the trip didn't start out so great for Eva and Sadie. About 5 minutes after arriving, poor Eva got caught in the electric fence and it scared us to death! That pretty much assured us that she wouldn't be going anywhere near the fenced-in horses (and their oh-so-attractive poop). That same day, Sadie was struck with a bout of nasty diarrhea and had several accidents in the house (including one in my husband's suitcase - gross). The following day, Sadie's diarrhea continued and Eva ran into some concrete landscape edging and scratched up her face. Ugh. The poor dogs!!!

On our last day in New York, we figured they needed to have a vacation from their vacation. We decided to scope out a park with some gorgeous shoreline along Lake Ontario and allow the pups to go swimming. Eva LOVES to swim and she would fetch sticks all day if we let her. Sadie, on the other hand, had never been swimming in a large body of water so this was going to be an experiment (and hopefully not end up like the rest of their trip so far). Well, she didn't think twice about running in! She acted like she has swam all of her life. I'm so happy they got to finally have some "vacation" time! :)

The BFF's...Sadie had so much fun in the lake. The cool water was refreshing and she wouldn't stop running!But I managed to steal a quick pic during a brief moment of rest. Lol! Back at the house, Eva and Sadie got to do more of what they love and play in the gorgeous fields in the backyard. The sun was setting and the grasses just glowed! They had so much fun running around chasing the frisbee...and each other!All this swimming and running around made them super tired for the ride home. I think they slept for 4 days afterward!The end!

Linus - He's coming to get Boo

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..." :)

Charlotte Today with Fez & Lucy

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the awesome people at Charlotte Today about doing a segment on my photography. At first, I honestly thought it was a joke or someone trying to sell me something (I get spam phone calls all the time from "news" websites) but they were for real! I was super excited but totally nervous at the same time. I am NOT one to be in front of the camera - especially talking about myself! Fortunately I got to bring along a couple of my favorite doggy models to work it for the cameraman. You may remember Fez and Lucy from their session here. We had a great time and I'm so happy with the way the clip turned out. (Well, besides my nervous stuttering and fidgeting. Haha!) In fact, I was so nervous, I was just shooting away and not really paying attention to my camera settings. Fortunately, I got a couple cute shots from our afternoon together.

And here is the segment!

A huge thanks goes out to the Charlotte Today crew, Fez & Lucy, and Fez & Lucy's Mom and Dad (who was in a wreck right before he met with us)! You all made my year! :)

Kirby and Lucy - Double Trouble

Kirby and Lucy are BFFs and basically grew up together. Related through their 2-legged parents, this pair spends a ton of time together chasing balls and "ruff"housing in Kirby's backyard. Lucy is an adorable little black and white Havanese and Kirby is a rare, totally white Miniature Schnauzer. Together, they are double trouble! ;) Kirby loves to play fetch and is super fast on his feet!Lucy might not fetch the ball but it doesn't stop her from trying to get it from Kirby. They wipe themselves right out by playing this game!Best buddies...Kirby was such a ham for the camera. I didn't mind one bit!Lucy made sure she had her time in the spotlight too! Kirby found something nice and stinky to roll in...Lucy and Kirby (and their super awesome family) trekked across a field so we could get some pretty shots with the evening sun. I'd say it was worth the journey! Back home, Kirby was exhausted and wasn't afraid to let me know. Lol!Thanks for such a fun session and I can't wait for your family to see the other shots!

Sophie - The Modern Maltese

What's a great and unique wedding present for the fabulous bride with killer style? Well, when she has a super-adorable Maltese named Sophie, it would have to be a doggy photo shoot! This top-secret session was arranged by the bride's good friend and business partner who wanted to give her something modern and unexpected but something that would be meaningful and memorable. We decided to photograph Sophie in the arts district of Charlotte, also known as NoDa. With funky and colorful walls and super-fun doggy graffiti, the vibe of the shoot certainly matches the trendy stylings of Sophie's parents.

Sophie was an absolute dream to work with and, even though she's mostly an indoor pup, she wasn't taken aback by all of the hustle and bustle going on around us on that gorgeous day. She seriously looks like a little stuffed animal in her images! What a cutie!

Sophie had the head tilt down pat by the middle of the session!And what Maltese is complete without some clothes? Sophie insisted on showing off her favorite dress!FIRE!!!!

I hope Sophie's parents enjoy their gift and have an absolutely wonderful marriage with Sophie by their sides!

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! :)

Bark For Life - Charlotte

Wow! Sunday's crowd was HUGE for the first Bark For Life walk held in NoDa! The Dog Bar was kind enough to host the event and even fenced in their parking lot so the dogs could roam off-leash. The crowds literally lined the street to get in to this doggy hotspot and to do what they could to aid in the fight against cancer. Despite the midday sun and the steamy temperatures, the participants rallied and raised almost $22,000! Woohoo! Before the walk, the pups got to hang out, go swimming, visit vendor booths and meet other 4-legged walkers. And, of course, pose for the camera!Any public place is cool in my book if a dog can be found in Superman pose on the floor!The walkers rest-up right before the 1-mile stroll...This year's Bark For Life walk was lead by Natalie, a 5-year-old Great Dane available for adoption from the Great Dane Friends of Ruff Love.And tons of cute pooches followed!Doggy contests followed the walk including the newest addition to the lineup...a pie licking contest!Whose face was licked cleanest?!?After a wonderful day in the sun, there's nothing like soaking your feet in the pool!If your pup isn’t featured here, it’s not because he isn’t photogenic! Find more adorable 4-leggers here: http://mcgrawphotography.zenfolio.com. A portion of the proceeds from sales of prints will go to the American Cancer Society.

Thank you to everyone that came out to support the fight against cancer! I can't wait to see you again next year!

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?!