Lucy & Fifi April 26, 2008

Of course they’re poodles!

Lucy, the apricot colored dame, is 14 years old and still retaining a youthful glow and a hearty appetite. 😉 She loves treats, relaxing and snuggling in her Mom’s arms. Her mom owns a killer hair salon in Metrowest and was kind enough to give the girls a little trim before our shoot.

Lucy therefore displayed a beautiful pair of eyes and some bangs, which I hear are in now. 🙂 She is incredibly sweet, obviously adorable and a perfect partner to watch the sun go down with.

Fifi is the younger adopted sister of Lucy who cares less about relaxing and more about chasing. Namely lizards, frogs and squirrels. However, when all of the above are in safe hiding, Fifi imagines critters up and chases after those as well. I’m not kidding, she seemed to find creatures taunting her in the pool (possibly a poodle monster reflection), on a bare spot of pool deck, in a motionless patch of grass or stone. She was a constant whirlwind of activity, never in the same place for more than a blink.

And just when I thought I might actually have a millisecond to snap a picture, she’d see a bird in her peripheral…30ft in the sky above…and bolt across the yard as it flew parallel and always out of reach. It was hilarious! And although she never actually catches anything, I give her a big “A” for effort, imagination and perseverance . I so wish my dogs could entertain themselves like that for hours. Fifi has a gorgeous little face of wonder and determination and I admire her for it. I had a wonderful time with these girls.

Nellie & Barney April 23, 2008

I really love my job. And dogs like these two just perpetuate that feeling of glee.

Nellie is the SWEETEST and I mean SWEETEST little joy that ever was. She is a lab at 11 years old but has the face of a puppy, a really super cute puppy too. I just melted every time she looked at the camera. She was rescued from a bleak life where she was consistently providing puppies and ’till this day is still looking for that last litter she was separated from.

She is an old soul and I can only imagine what a good mommy she was to her pups. She is wise and gentle and has such a calming and peaceful energy about her.

Her step-brother Barney has a story of his own too. One day Barney decided to take a walk to Orlando…from MIAMI! He ended up on the rainy doorstep of his current and loving owner where he was quickly absorbed into the family. (We know he came from Miami because of his microchip and his former owner confirming that fact.) Barney is an attention getter and a lap sitter and he has to have all of you, all at once. Although he holds Nellie in high regard, he’d much rather be receiving the petting thank you very much.

We snuggled, he and I, but much to his disappointment he discovered it’s a lot easier for me to take his picture when he’s not in my lap. He also insisted that I shell out treats at the pace of a slot machine or else he’d give me a talking to. He is truly an angel, a perfect snuggle buddy and he knows what he wants and goes for it.

I had an absolutely wonderful time with these two and their owners (a mother and daughter who are equally as warm and welcoming as their dogs) 🙂

Zoe March 25, 2008

I met Zoe at the Annual Paws in the Park fundraiser at Lake Eola in February and could tell right away that it was really not her thing. Dogs are so…I don’t know, below her. You see, of course, she’s a human that happens to look like a Weimeraner and the indignity of being strapped to a leash around hundreds of drooling heathens was just ridiculous. “What made you think I’d enjoy this and where can a girl get a cosmopolitan around here?” she seemed to say.

And so it was, we met again- just us girls- on a quiet morning at Lake Eola for her photo shoot. She really enjoys bird watching, and there was no mistaking that she couldn’t care less about any other dogs that strolled by. After all, she’s not a dog so that would make sense.

She has no interest in toys but she’ll do anything for a snack (we have that in common). She loves hanging close to her Mom, must have Starbucks every morning, and is a very sweet and highly sophisticated city girl.

What I really enjoyed was being able to spend a couple hours with her, where she allowed her “vulnerabilities” to show through displaying sweet, comical and almost dog-like qualities. 😉

Fleet People’s Park 2.20.08 February 23, 2008

More fun at Fleet People’s Park this week! Thanks to everyone I met for letting me play with your wonderful dogs. Everyone was so gorgeous, especially all the puppies- my lucky day!

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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. 🙂

Sandy & Dexter October 15, 2007

I got to spend several lovely hours with two brothers who couldn’t be more different while both being totally awesome! Sandy is a yellow lab who LOVES to tear stuffed toys to shreds, play a mean game of tug-o-war and own the pool. He loves belly flopping!

Dexter, the basset hound is of the more low-key variety who prefers lounging on the outdoor chaise, reading the breeze and generally not partaking in such carrying on. If he could talk, we would discover that he is an intellectual who has answers to many of life’s questions.

I did see him do a doggie sprint lap around the yard with his cute little legs but after that it was time to sit and ponder the universe.

These guys were SO cute and SO sweet all I could do was give them kisses squeal over them. 🙂

Sabi September 23, 2007

Sabi is a 7 year old DARLING who embodies the best of both Lab and Greyhound, of which he is a gorgeous mix. A wonderful temperament, a face that makes you want to cry for no reason and a true pleasure to hang out with on an early morning. We played around in the new grass he is happy to have in

his yard and it was there that I discovered he just loves toys….to tear apart. hee hee!

He listens very well and is a perfect gentleman at parties (I’ve known him for a while now and he is always a welcome guest at any neighborhood BBQ or birthday fiesta.)

A wonderful creature with a wonderful soul and the kind of friend that everyone should have. Thank you, Blair (Sabi’s Mom) for rising and shining with us. 🙂

Puppies!!! September 3, 2007

Who doesn’t love puppies, especially when they are labradoodles! I had so much fun with these about-to-go-off-to-loving-homes kids. I photographed the variety pack of scrumptious flavors (Cream, Apricot and Chocolate). They all had such great personalities too. Cream was very independent and certainly had the spunk in between snoozing.

Apricot wants to be part of the group and likes a little more attention.

Chocolate was an adorable little Momma’s boy. Unless he is sitting in your lap, he is screaming as he just wants to be enveloped in love. Mission accomplished. 😉

In a couple weeks I get to go back and photograph Mom & Dad. If you are ever interested in an Australian Labradoodle (and rescue-adopting is not an option) I can attest that these kids and their parents are incredibly well taken care of and start their precious lives off with lots of love and care in a wonderful environment. You can out find more about these guys at http://www.labradoodle-breeder.com.

Cotton August 26, 2007

I had so much fun with Cotton! She’s an English Golden with a gorgeous coat, a wonderfully sweet-as-home-made-pie demeanor and a love for the pool. She amused me with her love of flying

and her laid-back approach to swimming. She likes to recline on the step and soak. And she’ll retrieve a pool toy but there’s no rush- it’s not like it’s going anywhere.

After several hours of land-water-land-water rotations, we dried off…and wore the towel around for a bit.

I put my camera away four times, preparing to leave and each time she topped her cuteness so I was forced- forced, I tell you- to take it out again and again to continue photographing. Thanks for the awesome morning, Cotton!

Chelsea – 2008 SPCA Calendar November July 25, 2007

I had a bright and early shoot (as frequent during this time of year, to avoid afternoon gloom and doom) with Chelsea the other day and it couldn’t have been more peaceful. She is a very sweet, very thoughtful, very soulful golden with a white face that marks the wonderful years she’s graced her family’s life. She enjoys swimming but we didn’t partake in that activity that day. Instead, Chelsea let me watch her think her thoughts and sometimes played with a stuffed heart that I brought along- like she needed any more heart.

Okay, I have to poke fun here…somehow I also happened to catch her doing a REALLY ACCURATE IMITATION OF A SLOTH (see above) ha ha- she should go on Letterman.
Anyhoo, she recently had a bit of surgery so we kept it very low energy and the photographs make me feel relaxed when I look at them.

Thank you kindly, Chelsea. 🙂