shine pet photos | modern pet photography

What is it about Boxers that makes them so darn silly and loveable? I swear I have yet to meet a Boxer I didn’t like, and Higgins is definitely up there as one of my favorites.

God bless the clients who want 8AM photo sessions — getting up that early is totally worth the gorgeous morning light! And Manhattan Beach is so beautiful. There was a perfect backdrop for a photo everywhere you turned. It was my first time shooting in the South Bay and I had such a great time. And thanks to my client’s enthusiastic recommendations to many of his neighbors during our shoot, hopefully it won’t be my last.

By the way — isn’t Higgins such a cool name for a dog?

(Click on small photos to enlarge)

Before I begin this blog entry, I just have something to say - Happy 5 year anniversary to my amazing boyfriend Vin! Vin is my best friend, my cheerleader, my rock. He supports me and encourages me and most importantly, believes in me. I can’t thank him enough for standing by me as I’ve pursued this crazy pet photography dream and I know it hasn’t been easy. Especially because I’m already working at a pretty demanding day job that requires so much time and energy out of me to begin with. Having a girlfriend that is CONSTANTLY WORKING can’t be much fun, but I’m thankful for him riding through this transition with me. Doesn’t he sound like the best?! Well, I think he is!

Oh, a very busy weekend lies ahead of me — celebrating our anniversary, shooting a boxer and a very special dog party, and my sister and her husband will be in town. Don’t know if I’ll get a chance to update again until next week. So I leave you with this strange but wonderful blog entry…

Nagi Noda is a Japanese pop artist. In April of 2008, she created these amazing hair hats and photographed them in NYC with photographer Kenneth Cappello. And 4 of the 15 hats she created were dog themed. I think they are Poodle, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Afghan Hound, and Yorkie. Not so sure about the second one though.  To check out the rest of the collection visit Nagi’s website.

(Originally found on Pupstyle)

In the fall of 2006, long before I had ever heard of Paw’d Squad or dog photography or before I had adopted my dog Maeby, I did a ton of research online for dogs to adopt in Los Angeles. I came across this blog about a sweet dog named Mavis — the woman who rescued her had been trying to find a home for her for an entire year! Unfortunately for Mavis, nobody wanted to adopt her because it seemed she might have some health issues. And poor Mavis was stuck living in a kennel, while the other dogs around her found homes. While I didn’t feel equipped to adopt a dog like Mavis, I did follow her blog to keep up to date with her story. But then I adopted Maeby in January 2007, and the blog posts stopped in February. Life went on and Mavis exited my mind.

Fast forward to present day…

Helen, a volunteer from Paw’d Squad, had been fostering a female dog but she just didn’t get along with her existing dogs. So Helen begged her dad to temporarily take care of her. While her father adamantly refused to adopt the dog, the little lovebug quickly won him over and “temporary” became permanent. Helen asked me to take photos of this dog as a birthday gift to her father — and guess who she ended up being?

Yup. Mavis!!

Guess what else? The woman who started Mavis’ blog and rescued her from the South LA shelter is none other than Tina, the wonderful woman who also pulled LaLa from the North Central animal shelter.

Were you able to keep up with this crazy story? And isn’t it so funny the way life works out? I’ve wondered about Mavis a few times over the last year, hoping she found a good home. And not only did she find a GREAT home, I got to do a photo session with her too.

Man I have the best job ever.

(Click small photos to enlarge)

I recently discovered that Zoey’s become a compulsive paw-licker. Her front paws have been licked so much that her fur is starting to come off, and I think she’s beginning to start on her back paws now. I know this is probably a summer allergy thing, but I don’t want to take her to the vet. I’d really prefer not to put her on any anti-steroidal/anti-inflammatory drugs unless it’s the last resort.

Have any of you had any experience with compulsive paw-licking? What did you do? Have you found any natural/home remedy solutions that have helped? Did you buy spray? Booties? Tea bags? Apple cider vinegar? I’m trying to do work here but keep popping out of my seat every 5 minutes to spy on Zoey and see if she’s licking (which she always is). I make her stop and give her a bone to chew on, but she’s back at it the minute I sit down again. I’m going to make a run to the pet store today to see if I can buy something to help her but would love to hear any of your thoughts.

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Is it just me or did this week completely fly by?! I can’t believe it’s already Friday, but thaaaaank God it is. I’ve been working like a madwoman the last few weeks, both at my day job and as a pet photographer. I’m looking forward to a weekend of much needed relaxation and vegging.

So remember Delana, the adorable Lhasa Apso? Her owner actually has 2 cats too. I’m returning in August to photograph the kitties but couldn’t resist taking a photo of Kara the day I was there. She’s one of the most unique cats I’ve seen. I love her little button nose and those yellow eyes.

Hope everyone has a safe, happy, and wonderfully relaxing weekend. Oh and if you’re in the area, stop by the Paw’d Squad bake sale and photo event if you get a minute!