Adoptables!

I have to admit that it has been WAY too long since I volunteered last - like around 2 years. At the time, I was just starting out my pet photography business and I had plenty of extra time on my hands. Well, as things grew, that spare time became smaller and smaller and, as my schedule tightened, I had to unfortunately let the volunteering go. Fast forward to now, I'm busier than ever but I knew I needed to get some of my priorities in line. Photographing adoptable dogs has always been something extremely important to me. A good picture goes such a long way in the chances that these pups will get adopted. Hopefully a nice image will catch someone's eye while browsing Facebook or the internet. For example, take a look at the picture from my Sadie's Petfinder listing HERE. If I didn't see her at an adoption event first, I could have easily overlooked her dark and scary picture and I wouldn't have my heart dog.

Anyway, I am so glad to now be volunteering with the Humane Society of Charlotte. They are an awesome group of individuals and I can't wait to help more and more of their dogs get adopted. I hope to make it over there 3 or 4 times a month. Until then, here are some of their wonderful pups that have been there the longest...

Shakira had such an adorable head tilt that I had to include 2 pics...

If any of these pups catch your eye, please contact the Humane Society of Charlotte for more information!

Cliff, Molly & Linus - Basset Besties

Eeeeek! I've been having so much fun editing this session and I'm so excited to share a sneak peek! Cliff, Molly and Linus (shown below from left to right) are your typical Basset clan but with some fun and unique personalities! They had me (and some on-lookers) giggling the entire session and they impressed me with their fabulous modeling!

These three typically spend most days at doggy daycare doing what they love most - lounging around and sniffing hound-style. When they get home in the evening, they are ready for the most important thing...sleep! Haha! The day of our photo shoot was no different. They were pretty tired after daycare which made them very cooperative subjects. How else can you get three dogs to pose for the camera at the same time?

Miss Molly is the youngest of the pack at only 8 months old. She still has her baby puppy-dog face and it just kills me! :)Cliff, who is named after the Cheers character, was probably my favorite (am I allowed to say that?). If he was a person, I could totally see him going into a bar like Cheers, grabbing a beer and telling jokes. He is such a funny boy! Can't you tell?!?Last but not least, there is Linus. He is ALL Basset with his nose to the ground and some huge, floppy, adorable ears! Such a cutie-pie!Don't you just love their little stubby legs and paws?Um, does anyone have a napkin for Cliff?It was such a pleasure watching these guys do what they do as they explored the park. Near the end of the session, the sun popped out over the lake. The pups were more than happy to pose in front of the warm, sparkly light.And Molly was ready for a puppy nap...The end! :)

Disney - Angel Session

I am so in LOVE with this session. Disney's mom contacted me because this sweet little Cocker Spaniel is dealing with an unfortunate case of renal failure. Diagnosed back in January, she has been taking fluids almost daily to keep her energy up and keep her cravings going strong for her special boiled chicken meals. Disney had been having her good and bad days so we scheduled a session as quickly as possible in hopes of catching her feeling a little perky. Not only did we get a "good day", we got a great one!

We got to meet on a gorgeous Saturday morning - a morning that Disney felt especially well. She was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (well, Cockers only have a stub, but you know what I mean) and she totally rocked it for the camera. Our morning was full of laughing, singing ("Little Disney woo wee, special little woo wee, Disney Little woo wee..."), and just enjoying Disney's company. Even with failing health, Disney is surrounded by happiness, positivity, and endless love.

Isn't she a beautiful and happy little pup?!?

Disney had so much energy during her session! I think she saved it up just so her mom could get some great images of her happy baby.The gorgeous girls together...

Again, more energy! Disney was more than willing to chase her beloved ball for some yummy chicken snacks! We even got to fit in a car ride! I actually love that you can see her shaved leg. Despite the IVs and medications, she still has a smile on her face.Other than great parents, Disney also has a wonderful feline companion named Tiger. They are best buds... Tiger has quite the personality. He, too, has a special song and sound effects - Lil' tig tige...Lil tig tige...Happy cat...And I'll finish off the blog post with a couple more images of Disney, the star. I love these images of her cozying up to her parents. :)

This session is a testament to the power of positive energy and the effect laughter and smiles can have. Please send Disney and her family all of the positive thoughts and prayers you can as they continue to comfort Disney in her battle. I am so glad we got to spend this wonderful morning together and I hope Disney's family treasures her images for a lifetime.

Trinity and Tater - Opposites Attract

Trinity is a gorgeous, shiny, blue Great Dane full of grace and style. Tater, on the other hand, is a short, scruffy, little Terrier-mix shaped, well, like a potato. As opposite as they are, they are equally as cute and are best buds! These two love hanging out together in the backyard as well as the boat launch area in their neighborhood. We were lucky enough to dodge the rain and spent an evening together doing what they love most! Don't these two make quite the pair? I'd say they were related. Lol!

I love Tater's scruffy fur and happy little face! :)Trinity is so beautiful and regal. Great Dane's just pull at my heart strings!"So...that black box gives out treats?"Trinity's ears just scream her personality. Love them!Tater ventures onto the rocks while channeling his inner chameleon...Trinity is able to perfect her gallop in the open field.BFFs...

Before & After - Correcting Images

Ok, ok. I know what you are going to say.... EEEEEEEEKKKK! What is THIS picture?!?

Well, honestly, this is what came straight out of my camera - totally naked. I want to show you just what goes into the editing and post-processing of your images. I haven't done a post like this in over a year so I figured I was due for an update.

This not-so-great image is underexposed, contains distractions, is a little too blue and grey for my taste, and lacks any kind of pop. This need serious help...

Correcting all of these things probably took me 10 minutes or so. And that is just for 1 image. And, no, not all cases are this extreme but it can certainly happen on several images within a gallery. This is why it takes time for me to perfect your final product. The edited version reflects my style and has a warm and happy feel to it. What could have easily made it into the "trash" group for being underexposed, is now one of my favorite images from the session. This is all a continuation of my art...And a side-by-side...

I hope you enjoyed this little behind-the-scenes peek at my naked image. Ugh! Sometimes it's hard for me to even look at. But, hey, we all can't be perfect! :)

Jack - Angel Session

Jack's life began in a rough fashion. He was found on a road in Chicago and was very sickly with bugs and parasites. He couldn't gain weight and the vet said he wouldn't grow bigger than 40 pounds. Fortunately, after a couple of years, he bounced out of the illnesses and shot up to 85 pounds. He spent the next few years traveling with his mom and getting all the love in the world. Unfortunately, back in March at only 8 years old, Jack developed a small tumor under his skin. It quickly grew and, despite removal, more and more began to appear and spread throughout his body. It was almost his time to say goodbye to the beautiful life he had lived.

Jack, his mom, and I spent a lovely evening together photographing Jack in his favorite spots around his yard. As Jack hung out, we got to reminisce about his puppyhood, his travels, and his current love for Vienna Sausages. I'm so glad we got to honor Jack with a very special photo shoot before he had to say his final goodbyes two days later. Rest in peace, sweet boy. You will be missed.

I love Jack's eyes. He is so inquisitive and I love how he still showed some puppy-ness in there.It was uncomfortable for Jack to lay down so he spent most of the session standing up. He took advantage of a quick massage to relax his muscles...Jack also got to hang out with his kitty friend!Oh so happy!!!I hope Jack's mom will treasure her images for years to come. May they bring some peace in this difficult time.

Jack's session was booked and shot on the same day. I will do whatever I can to photograph an emergency session as soon as possible. If you are ever in this situation and time is of the essence, you and your dog will be my top priority.

Lucy - The Youngest 12-Year-Old

I want to start this blog post by saying that I want to be adopted by Lucy's human family! Not just her parents, but her entire family tree. This is the third session I've had within their family and each and every one was a complete joy and pleasure. I seriously love these dog lovers!!! :) Another side note...this session really got me thinking about my start in photography. I traveled up to Chapel Hill, NC for the photo shoot and one of the locations we shot at was UNC. Now, why does that matter? Well, way back in 7th grade during my first photography class, my teacher, Mr. Corbin, took some time to educate us on the NCAA basketball tournament (I know, I know, haha!). At the time of this little off-topic conversation, the tournament was already down to the Final Four. Mr. Corbin was a huge Kentucky fan and he was so stoked on their chance of winning the whole thing. To make things interesting, he asked who we were pulling for and wrote it down on the chalkboard - don't worry, there wasn't any gambling involved! I honestly had NO idea about the NCAA so I randomly picked UNC to win. Well, yay, they ended up winning!!!! Totally cool for me! So...ever since then, I have been a big UNC fan. Long story short, it was cool to actually be photographing on the campus of UNC - a place I've been a fan of for so many years only because of my first photography class.

Anyway, now onto the good stuff!

As I mentioned, I traveled up to Chapel Hill for Lucy's session. We got to spend a gorgeous - but hot - evening photographing her at her home and at a field at UNC. This spunky girl had me fooled because she moves like a 2-year-old but is actually 12! I would have never guessed! She can run after squirrels and tennis balls like nobody's business! Here, she is chasing a S...Q...I...

She also does a great job of looking after her 2-legged brother and sister...And they thank her for it! :)Her favorite toy in the whole world!!!Eeeeeekkkkk! I love her!!!Lucy likes to show off her catching moves...

Thanks to Lucy's family for such a wonderful session! I hope you enjoy the sneak peek and there will be more to come (including ones with her brother and sister)! XOXO!

Ruby and Leo - Family Time

During our recent trip to New York, I was lucky enough to spend some quality time with my 4-legged niece, Ruby, and 2-legged nephew, Leo. We had a nice little photo shoot and tried our best to get some images of the two of them together. However, they both seemed to have other plans! Lol! When I was photographing one, the other would be across the field. Most of what I was able to capture were the brief moments they crossed paths or when Leo would give Ruby a treat. I think we still got some cute images and I seriously love these two! I love how Leo is so curious about Ruby. Children at this age always are so interested in what their furry brothers and sisters are doing.Isn't my little nephew adorable?!?Ruby isn't too shabby either! BTW, I loved all the "cotton" that was falling down from the Cottonwood trees...

I can't wait to see how big Leo has gotten next time we go up to New York. Hopefully I can get even more pictures of the two of them together!