Pet photography for Salem, Portland and the Willamette Valley, Oregon

A selfie with your pet

February 11, 2020

little girl and her dog — Terri and Muffin, ca. 1973

There aren’t many pictures of me and I remember when my mom took this one. It must have been before an orchestra concert. This was probably the only picture I had with a pet, and for that I am so thankful to have it. I had four pets growing up. Duffy was a siamese, Dutch was a schnauzer, Mittens was an orange tiger stripe kitty, and Muffin the poodle. I have this one and one other one of Muffin. I don’t have any photos of my other pets.

I’ve been doing portraits of Christine and her greyhounds for several years. I look forward to this portrait session every year. I really believe that lucky are the people that can look back year-after-year at their pictures with their pets.

I only wish I had started taking pictures with our pets a long time ago and not focus on how bad I looked. That is the only thing I regret, the one thing I wish I had done.

I love watching the connections between the two. The bond between the human and the pet is incredible and you can see it in everything.

Make 2020 the year you look forward to with a Selfie with your pet and for every year forward.

And if you want to know if I followed my own advice? I can honestly say yes. A few years ago I went up to Portland Pin-ups for an incredibly fun afternoon and photo session for myself. The big red dawg made a cameo appearance. I wished I could have been thinner, my hair longer and I knew how to play in front of the camera better, but I am so glad I had this experience and I’m even happier I have the photos.

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Clara the pocket wiemie

February 10, 2020

Portrait of a gray ghost Weimaraner — Clara, available for adoption through Oregon Weimaraner Rescue

It’s her eyes. Clara has the sweetest, softest blue green eyes I have ever seen. She didn’t know me from anyone. She was ever so shy and watched every move I made while still keeping a close eye on her foster family. Looking into her eyes, I see how longing she is for a family to call her own. Someone kind and gentle. Someone to love her as much as she promises to love them.

Meet Clara, she is approximately one year old and available for adoption through Oregon Weimaraner Rescue.

Portrait of a female Weimaraner — Tiny Clara, a pocket Weimaraner

Clara was picked up as a stray and found herself quite unhappy at the shelter. Her foster parents quickly retrieved her and it has been smooth sailing for Clara ever since.

She’s currently bunking up with another pair of weimies and is learning all about house life. Her new friends are teaching her to go outdoors to take care of business and most importantly, they are teaching her all about the joy of toys and the importance of couch snuggling.

She’s a tiny girl weighing in at 40 lbs.

Weimaraner in front of a barn quilt. — On the path to finding a forever home.

While my first inclination was to scoop this sweet girl up and give her a million smooches, she was shy and I was sure to respect her wishes. It won’t take her long to warm up to her new family though. She had already warmed up and was learning to trust her new foster family. She listened well and watched their every move. Fortunately for her, they never got very far away.

Portrait of a Weimaraner in front of a barn — Are you ready to share your coffee?

Clara was more than happy to do what I asked of her. I put her through a few gentle paces to get perfect adoption photos and she performed as if she belonged in front of the camera.

Clara is going to make someone an awesome family member. If you are thinking about adopting a Weimaraner, may I suggest Clara through Oregon Weimaraner Rescue

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ISO someone to cuddle with

January 26, 2020

One of my greatest pleasures with the pet photography is volunteering my time for pets in need of an adoption photo. I have been honored to do many kitty photos in the Salem area for Meow Village.

I love cats, sadly, not all of our dogs do and we have been kittyless for a couple of years now. Some day the moons will align and we will have kitties and doggies living in harmony under our roof. Until then, I will continue to enjoy the few stolen moments here and there taking their photos.

I’ve always had a thing for calico cats. For as long as I can remember, my mother always told me that three colored cats bring good luck. Soooo, I’m guessing the family that adopts Juno is in for all kinds of good luck.

Juno is probably one of the snuggliest kitties I have ever photographed. As soon as Kluane put her down, Juno would scramble back to her lap. Her preferred place to snuggle was underneath Kluane’s jacket. I can work with a lot, but shooting through material isn’t one of them. None-the-less, we worked every angle we could to show off this gorgeous approximately one year old kitten.

Sweet, snuggly and beautiful. Could the combination be more perfect?

This kitty is extremely sweet. She’s a bit on the shy side, but in my mind that makes her even a better candidate for adoption. Once she bonds with her human, it will be a forever bond. She will be loyal for life to her family.

Love, love, love the reverse skunk stripe under her chin.

I always marvel at the unique markings on animals and calico kitties seem to corner the market. Since little Miss Juno really didn’t want to play model this morning, I was beyond thrilled when she lifted her head and gave me a vantage point to photograph her reverse skunk stripe.

If you are in the market for someone to cuddle with, catch an afternoon of Netflix binging and a beautiful arm charm, may I suggest Juno. She’ll soon be listed with Meow Village for adoption.

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Bros. from another mother still looking for a home together

January 22, 2020

In the early ’80s, I adopted my first dog as an adult. I remember wanting a dog so badly, every weekend we would visit the local shelters in Denver looking for just the right dog. Finally, at a small county shelter, we met our girl. She was an owner surrender and she so desperately wanted to find her family. They named her Precious, but we called her Casper. She was a whirlwind those first few months, but she was a good dog. We’ve adopted many a dog since then.

Bruno and Remi came over for their adoption photos in late December. A perfect pair, best buds, two peas in a pod. They are really hoping to adopt the two together, and they are still available. Together, they are stunning to photograph. Their gentle personalities filter right through the lens of the camera.

More importantly, although they love each other, I have no doubt that they will both bond with their human companions just as much.

Bruno is a 5 y/o blue Weimaraner who weighs about 80 lbs. A tiny bit shy, but this guy will be someone’s heart dog. His love will be strong and straight to the heart.

Remi is a 5 y/o presumed to be mix of Doberman, Rottweiler and Hound who weighs about 70 lbs. [Insert here 70 lbs of snuggle and love.]

Both boys are quite playful and do well with their foster brother. They are eager to please and have excellent house manners. They love children and weren’t really phased by a kitty. Car rides are a bonus round, they love to travel. They really are a perfect pair.

Unlike Casper, who spent weeks in search of her family, these two are ready to settle in and have a family to call their own together.

They are available for adoption through Oregon Weimaraner Rescue. Here’s their page. Bruno and Remi.

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The bridge of hounds

January 16, 2020

Release the hounds

In a flash, all four dogs darted off in different directions. Sushi was the one little dog we knew we could catch. The safely fenced acre was their playground for the moment. They loved racing back and forth and the smells of a 1000 smells enchanted them.

Sporting a burgundy snowflake sweater is Tandoori. She’s the new kid on the block, adopted just months ago. She was shy and when she watched me, I felt like she was sizing me up, getting to know me and see if I was worthy of her trust. Tandoori has that soulful look, the one that allows you too look straight into their hearts as they gaze into ours.

The beautiful black lady is Arya. She’s a true lover, I think Affection is her middle name. This girl knows how to walk the catwalk. She preferred to strut down the aisle in a soft pink, tan, and white striped collar, a martingale, designed specifically for sighthounds.

Vichy, that sweet little Italian greyhound. She is sporting her reindeer ears along with Nordic warmth of a green and blue diamond and star sweater. The dark blue against her fawn and white coat was smashing.

I think everyone knows that I am the proud grandparent to a total of four Italian greyhounds. Sadie and Caleb are no longer with us and Jericho and Cooper live in Chicago. I don’t get to see them very much but I adore them just the same.

I’ve always loved little dachshunds. They come with the most magnificent personalities. Sushi was a sweetheart, but it’s her name—Sushi— that name will forever be burned into my memory.

Of course, my favorite will always be when dogs all insist that they want the whole family in a family portrait.

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A selfie with your pet

Clara the pocket wiemie

ISO someone to cuddle with

Bros. from another mother still looking for a home together

The bridge of hounds

Release the hounds

Let’s be friends