Fynn's 1st Birthday!

Last February I had little Fynn the frenchie in for puppy session. Here he is (cute lil gaffer!). Well recently he turned one, so he came back for a first birthday cake smash session!

Big difference, eh? But he’s still adorable, especially with a bow tie.

Here is a shot of the special doggie cake I made for him, complete with greek yogurt icing and sprinkles!

I wasn’t sure how he’d respond to his birthday cake but he was a perfect gentleman! I don’t think he could believe that the cake was actually for him.

Good boy Fynn, and happy birthday!

Does your dog have a special birthday coming up? Maybe you’d like to try a cake smash session. They aren’t just for babies! Contact me if you’d like all the details. (250) 650-7389.

My Tribute to Maggie

It has been 5 months since I lost my little buddy, Maggie. Last night I realized that I had not done a proper tribute to her, so here it goes. I think enough time has passed that I can do this without crying. Pet grief is so strange. On the one hand you realize that they are animals and it's not like losing a human, yet at the same time they are members of the family, and you grieve the hole they leave in your heart.

2005

I went back to the first pictures I could find of her and this is Christmas 2005 (we had just gotten a digital camera!). Look how small those kidlets were! 

Maggie was a rescue, literally. Relatives of one of my co-workers at the time found her wandering the streets and they took her in. Unable to find the owners (the info on her microchip was outdated), we ended up giving her a permanent home.  

2008

To be honest, it took a while for us to get used to each other. Many rescue dogs have quirks and insecurities, and Maggie was no different. She did not like to be picked up or hugged, and loved to wander away if we ever accidentally left the gate open (perhaps the reason she was a stray in the first place). She liked her space, and Dave often remarked that she was more like a cat.

2012

Life went on and we all changed, especially the kids. As I got more and more into photography, Maggie became my #1 model. No complaining from her, as long as I had treats nearby. She was usually happy to do it:

2014

But sometimes she got tired:

2014

In her later years, Maggie warmed up to us more and more. Although she wasn't allowed on the furniture (except "her" chair), I would often pick her up onto my lap for a little cuddle. And, like most dogs, she loved to go for walks in the woods.

And the beach

A week before Thanksgiving 2017, Maggie started refusing her food, so we knew something had to be wrong. We took her to the vet and after the blood tests it was revealed that she had pancreatitis ("treatable, but no guarantees", said the vet). Seeing as she was 15 we prepared ourselves for the worst. 

A pet's death is hard enough, but having to make the decision about euthanasia was excruciating. At a certain point, though, it was pretty clear that Maggie was not going to get better and it was time to end her suffering. It was a pretty quiet Thanksgiving around our house. This is one of my favourite "later years" shots of her, taken a few months before she died.

2017

As spring approaches, I am starting to think about getting another dog, although I'm not rushing it. It's a little lonely walking by myself out at Kye Bay or Seal Bay Park, and I could use another model! :) 

Whatever we decide as a family, I will still have the memories of Maggie and the good times we shared. And, of course, the photographs. Always the photographs.

Lovely Lovebirds - Courtenay Pet Photographer

My friend Virginia recently added 2 lovebirds to her family, so I knew I just had to photograph them. I had never done a bird portrait shoot before so I didn't quite know what to expect, but they did great! 

These little fellas are still quite young, but very well-behaved. I love their beautiful colours.

To get them to fly toward me, I had my assistant hold a branch where I wanted them to go. After a bit of coaxing, they started to fly toward the camera. They totally got into a groove and did it over and over again, as if it were a game. It is incredible how fast a bird can flap it's wings. They went from one branch to another in a split second.

My husband recently pruned our fig tree so we had some branches in the back yard. The birds were curious and started pecking at them!

I love this one below because it just looks like they are two friends hanging out having a friendly conversation. They look totally comfortable with each other.

As a reminder, my last pet mini-session event of the fall is coming up next Saturday, November 25th. Click on the bar above if you'd like to get in on the fun!

Bosley's Halloween Photo Shoot

This past Saturday I did a special Halloween-themed photo shoot at Bosley's Pet Food in Courtenay. Here are some of my favourite photos from the day:

Trudy

Oliver and Tripp

Bain and Mia

Jango

Tucker

Ivy

Watch for a Christmas-themed shoot coming up in the next month! Want to get reminded? Join my mailing list here

Hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween!

Pawsitive Dog Walking - Courtenay Dog Photography

Is there a better name for a dog walking service than "Pawsitive Dog Walking"? Last week I met up with Kelly, who is the pawsitive dog walker herself, and she took me to a few of her favourite not-so-secret walking spots here in the valley. 

The 3 J's, Josie, Jack and Jessie, were along with us. They are Kelly's pets, and you could tell they love getting out in the woods with their human! The trail we took is out by the end of Lake Trail Road, towards Comox Lake. Palm Beach was our final destination but I couldn't help but stop at this old mine shaft for some interesting photos. 

After scanning for profanity (I didn't find any), I had lots of fun roaming around this creepy old site. The Comox Valley used to be home to several coal mines, and I assume this is one of them. Jack's white fur showed up great on the dark background.

Kelly said that Josie is a bit of a squirrel-chaser, so we kept her on the leash for the walk. She sure is cute with those big ears.

I think Jessie was the best poser of the three. She had some great head tilts! Jessie was also good at giving me doggie kisses!

Our final destination was Palm Beach, a beautiful location. I'm sure it's going to get even more scenic as the leaves start to change in the next few weeks. 

A big thank-you to Kelly for showing me around! If you have a dog that needs some exercise during the day, check out Pawsitive's Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/Pawsitivedogwalking101/

And don't forget, fall is a great time for portraits! Get in touch if this is your year for a professional pet portrait session!

Canine Conduct - Courtenay Business Portraits

Recently I had the pleasure of photographing Jane Neve, owner of Canine Conduct (and her furry and feathered counterparts!).  She was in need of some new promotional images for her website and social media. It was a great fit because it allowed me to combine two of my specialties, business portraits and pets!

Jane offers dog training services here in the Comox Valley. I met Jane at her property, which is a lush acreage in the Black Creek area. She even has an agility course set up in her yard. Her dogs obviously love it there.

Ella the Conure also posed sweetly for the camera. She seemed totally unfazed by all the commotion. I think she felt safe on Jane's shoulder. 

For more information on Canine Conduct's services, please check out Jane's website: www.canineconduct.ca.