Charlotte November 30, 2007

Okay, so Charlotte is like the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Of course I’m partial to pit bulls, especially when they defy all the news reports and show people how wonderful the breed is (yeah, so mine has a few mental hang-ups but I wouldn’t have it any other way). Charlotte is a rescue, 10 months old, who now lives a wonderful life with two wonderful people in Delray Beach: a hop skip and some really bad traffic away from Miami-Dade county, where they have banned the breed altogether. Hmph!

Anyway, Charlotte is a teeny tiny little girl whose bone structure clearly resembles, the RCA mascot of old. If I had a phonograph, I would have included it in her session. What I did have was a wonderfully lit living room with an Indonesian decor that complimented Charlotte very well. And did I mention that she was smart? For example, there is an unblemished couch of white leather that is off-limits to Charlotte, except for the end cushion where her “area” stays comfortable with throws and pillows. She knows this and stays there, enjoying the sunrise.

However, when she’s not participating in a photo shoot, Charlotte prefers to sleep in. Her other hobbies include snacking on dehydrated chicken, tracking tennis balls and dismantling brand new blackberries (the electronic kind, not the fruit kind). She has gorgeous eyes that came with natural mascara and eyeliner on one side. On her right eye she wears no makeup at all so it tends to appear that she’s constantly winking at you. 🙂 I’m so happy to have hung out with her, she was absolutely charming!

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Mattie & Luke November 29, 2007

First of all, Mattie is just gorgeous. She is a lab mix who was found roaming the golf course for several weeks as a puppy. Despite the humble beginnings, it is clear that a wise and distinguished presence shines through, along with such sweetness it’s ridiculous. She gives such kind and wonderful kisses!

She loves lounging on the furniture in the living room and investigating the familiar noises through any window in the house. She is a DARLING and possesses such grace and composure. A natural beauty.

If Mattie had enough serenity to fill an ocean, Luke had enough excitement and goofiness to do the same. A husky mix filled with a wonderful compulsiveness for treats (and where they are at any given moment), he likes to suck on his stuffed toys (it’s so cute), remind you when you’ve waited a second too long to hand over a snack and generally be a loving, laughing gorgeous creature.

He has such incredible brown eyes that stand out against his Alaskan fur and he kept me on my toes the whole time. He likes being a part of everything and even when he wandered away and I told Mattie to “sit”, he would run over to do the same so he could cash in on the reward. hee hee!

These two are a wonderful pair who balance each other out in every way. It was great to work with both personalities and kept things interesting the whole time. Thank you, Debbie & BJ for having me out. The pleasure was all mine 🙂

Mocha November 25, 2007

Like the same drink that I get down the street in the little Italian coffee bar (no fructose syrups, just pure joy) Mocha, the dog, is as equally exquisite. She is a springer spaniel who loves chasing a toy, knows where her boundaries are in the yard and has the most wonderful eyes. They are mesmerizing.

Now all that is great and good but what the most amazing thing was about Mocha was her ability to follow direction. I’m really not kidding, it was unreal. I honestly never expect dogs to listen to what I have to say or do what I tell them to do. Despite the fact that I hold extensive conversations with them, doling out compliments and showering them with treats, I always have to make sure I’m ready to click that shutter during fleeting moments.

Not with Mocha.  We had an understanding and I felt like I was working with an experienced and incredibly professional supermodel. The novelty never wore off, it was awesome. I would ask Mocha to get in a certain part of the yard, I would ask her to stay there while I walked away. I would ask her to adjust her stance, put her head up, down, backwards, whatever and she’s happily oblige and then wait patiently while I adjusted my camera accordingly, making sure I got the shot.  What?!  I know, it’s all true.   But regardless of her superior communication skills she is above all an incredible creature with a wonderful demeanor, a caring soul and a brightener of days. A snuggle butt with a soft coat, a sweet face and a love for the water. I really had a great time with her and am happy to have met her family. Her photo session was the celebration of a great couple. Happy Anniversary Dennis & Shannon!

Mona November 17, 2007

Oh Mona, how my heart melts for you. Mona, an english bulldog, ran around with me yesterday on the coldest morning of the year. And when I say “ran around” I mean it. Her Mom had mentioned that Mona would probably play for about 3.5 seconds and then collapse in a heap. Her Mom lied. ha ha ha!

We played on foot for about 3.5 hours (not seconds) and Mona showed me how things are done in bulldog land. She loves treats and anything that squeaks. She likes to stick her but in the air upon capturing the squeaky prey and of course snort. 🙂

We also discovered that she loves poop. You laugh but it’s true. Mona did her thing, Mom picked it up with a bag and Mona henceforth wanted NOTHING to do with toys. She was all about the poop and wouldn’t leave her poor Mom alone. It was SOOO funny. (See Mona dancing for poop below. ha ha) I started to think I could probably save a lot of money on toys if I hopped on this trend. Convince dogs that poop is more fun than toys…hmmmm…and it’s a form of recycling….and never work in this town again…ha ha!

Mona was so totally awesome, as was her Mom, as was the weather and the nature conservation area we got to stroll around in. I had so much fun and Mona got away from her little brother for some one-on-one love and affection with us. By the way, her little brother Stanley is a heartthrob and I may go back to photograph his snorty little mug in the future. I’ll keep ya’ll posted.

Bogey & Buddy

I had a super-fun, energetic shoot with Bogey and Buddy. Bogey, a lhasa-poo is the sweetest little man I ever did see. So soft and snuggly, like that Snuggle Bear from the fabric softner commercials, except not totally creepy and Bogey didn’t give me nightmares either.

All he wants is to please and without fail, will do his rendition of Swan Lake if he thinks there’s a chance a treat may be delivered during the ovation.

Buddy is a very jack russell who single handedly contributed to my “high-energy” verbage used above to describe our session. He was so cool and so motivated to get stuff done (like shred toys and fetch things and make sure to not share them with his brother 🙂 )

He loves a good game of tug and racing, I mean racing, through the yard to capture stuffed squeakies. I really enjoyed hangin’ out with these guys and their parents. It was a great time.

Gimme a “B”! Three cheers for Bogey, Buddy and a totally bodacious photo session! 😉

Gibson November 14, 2007

Gibson is a 90 pound Golden Doodle who is not yet a year old. Wow. An imposing bark upon arrival quickly gave way to what I know as the biggest goof ball I’ve ever met. Giant, bouncy and clumsy as all get out. It was awesome and I laughed the whole time.

He loves fetching things and puts his all into it, bounding through the yard with his hair goin’ all sorts of crazy. He is a giant fluff ball of love and the snuggliest thing you’d ever want to get stuck in a winter wilderness with. We played for many hours on a chilly morning and it was awesome.

It only took me a few minutes to recall where I had met him before…in my youth…on Sesame Street, playing the character of Barkley. Anyone remember? I always wanted to hang out with that giant orange dog when I was little, completely ignoring the fact that he was a puppet with a person inside. And now I have lived that dream. Thank you, Gibson.

Jessica November 7, 2007

Can you say cutie-patootie?!

Jessica has little puff paws and serious eyes. She is an excellent listener and loves treats. She also loves having long distance conversations with all of the dogs in the neighborhood. Oh my gosh, and she wears pearls. hee hee!! Very presidential. 😉

Our session luckily fell upon a crisp cool day perfect for squeaky toys and and good ol’ poolside lounging. Speaking of squeaky, when Jessica doesn’t get a treat in the amount of time deemed satisfactory she cooes like a pigeon.  It’s pretty funny and it made me deliver that cookie every time.  (I’m trained easily.)  She was most patient with me and liked tearing the stuffing out of the doggie loofa. 😉

A gorgeous coat and cheeks that just beg to be pinched, she was a little joy. Thanks to the St. Laurent family for having me out to do my thaang. Jessica was truly delightful. 🙂