1/1/2013 - Model Call: Berger Picard and more!

Model Call: reminder ... BREEDZ WANTED for January 2013

If you have one of the following breeds and would like a complimentary session before January 10, 2013, please do contact me. Your dog might appear in a national magazine, on a greeting card or in a calendar! I'm currently looking for the following breeds:

Pomeranian

American English Coonhound

Belgian Sheepdog

Berger Picard

Puppies, adults and seniors - I need them all! They must conform to breed standards, but they don't have to be show dogs; purebred-looking pets and rescues are available for this offer as well.

Contact me to arrange your free private photo sitting. Shoot participants that are chosen for a national magazine will receive a copy of the issue they are published in. All participants will receive 20% off any prints they wish to order from the free session.

Studio sessions will be held at my Santee studio and location candids are available at San Diego County area parks or beaches. If you are in the SD, CA area and have a great house/yard to photograph in, then I may be able to come to you for the shoot. I would also love to do "lifestyle" shots and include the owner, if you are up to it (playing, walking, everyday life with your dog). Does your dog do a job, sport or fun activity? That is a possible shoot, as well. I look forward to hearing from you!

top photo: Atticus the Pomeranian puppy

bottom photo: Pomeranian #41: CH Cliffrose Call Of The Dove (call name Woody). San Fernando Kennel Club. May 27, 2011 in Pomona, California. Owned by Krystal Morris and Ron & Merilyn Smith. Bred by Krystal Morris and Lana Price.

DogBreedz Weekend Roundup - 6/25/2012

Sunny Southern California - just meant for location Pet Photography!

What a great week I've had - nothing like beautiful weather to make my time with your pets even MORE enjoyable! It may be challenging trying to make a living working for myself in California, but after growing up in the snow it sure is worth the extra effort it takes to call Southern California HOME.

On most Wednesdays I offer free mini-shoots for clients of Su-Et's Kennel (free with a groom, bath or nail trim, scheduled in advance). I get to see so many wonderful dogs throughout the year at this location! So here's a question for you ... what do you get when you cross a Chihuahua with a Scottish Terrier? No, not some exotic designer dog - but you do get 100% grade-A Stinkin' Cuteness! Take a look at Daisy as she strikes a patriotic pose and tell me if you don't agree!

Bennett has been refreshing his basic training by joining his Cocker Spaniel friend Flirt for weekly sessions, training with a CGC test in mind. I enjoy spending time with Flirt's parents and a morning in the park (in spite of the fact that we are working) is a great way to start the day. Flirt just received her "Therapy Dog In Training" vest and a photo session with her modeling it was in order.


I was visited on-set by two darling young Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. I originally met these two at a fundraiser shoot earlier in the month so I knew what to expect. They were perfect models for their less distracting private shoot at my studio in Santee. Here is a sneak peek of Harry, the younger of the two:



On Sunday I trekked up to Long Beach and enjoyed a day with my roommate where we were surrounded by Terriers of all kinds at Great Western. My main clients this day were Border Terriers and Scottish Terriers, but I had some time to visit the American Staffordshire Terriers in the ring as well. Pictured here is Best of Breed - American Staffordshire Terrier #25: GCH Alpine's Highwayman (call name Jelly). Great Western Terrier Association of Southern California Terrier Group Show 2012. June 24, 2012 in Long Beach, California. Owned by Zane Smith, Ed & Karen Thompson, CI Lefloch, J Branch and S Janga. Bred by Ed & Karen Thompson, Dan Nechemias and Lois Claus.

I'm also re-working some organizational tricks to help me stay on more on-track with phone calls and projects. I'll be getting back to sending out my newsletter on a monthly basis and am wondering: what would YOU like to see in a regular newsletter? You can let me know on this page: http://dogbreedz.net/NewsletterInfo.htm (and thank you in advance for taking the time to let me know your thoughts).

What did you do this last week with your pet? I'd love to know, feel free to leave a comment! I have a full plate of at-the-computer editing to do, so I had better wrap this post up and get to it ...

Bring on the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels!

I think this is going to be a FUN weekend! I've been asked by my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel friends to set up at their summer celebration party and take some portraits of the cute Cavaliers ... and boy do I *l*o*v*e this breed! Proceeds from the shoot will go to Cavalier Rescue to help with their work. I've also partnered with them to photograph their intake Rescues from this area - professional photos really help the dog to stand out on the adoptable pages of the web site. There are a couple of things that make the fundraising shoots a little different from the similar mini-shoots here at the studio, besides the donation to a Rescue organization. The three most popular sizes (4x6, 5x7 and 8x10) of prints purchased from fundraiser shoots are priced lower than my regular scale and the pet parents get one free 8x10 for each purchased session. And the timing couldn't be better, as the Cavalier is on my "Breedz Wanted" list for this month (you can read about that by clicking HERE)!

Enjoy YOUR weekend - and I'll "see" you online on Monday!

Valentine's Pet Photo Shoot

The Holidays are past, the New Year has been rung in - it's time to think about Valentine's Day! Next weekend, January 14, is the big V-Day package shoot here at DogBreedz in Santee, CA. 30 minutes of studio time, two different Valentine themed sets with props, an 8x10 of your favorite image, 6 mini-valentines, and a custom designed ornament are a part of your package. All this for only $99.00! Book now, sessions are limited for one-day shoots.

Visit the DogBreedz Valentine Ornament Store at Zazzle.com!

Valentine's at DogBreedz.net

Last Saturday was a fun Valentine's celebration here at the DogBreedz.net studio in Santee, CA. I had three much-loved family pets come to sit for me and we all had so much fun on set! Brandy is a senior Poodle. She lives with her adopted momma in a local senior facility - I just love it when our family members can stay together like this! Then Sarah Jane and Jesse James were treated to a session, gifted to them by their groomer (thank you Aunt Jeri!). She figured that so many of their extended family have been in front of my camera, they deserved a turn too. From Su-Et's breeding, they are retired from the show ring and now rule the living room in their home. This Wednesday February 9th I'll be set up at Camp Bow Wow El Cajon from 2 pm - 6 pm. Come on by for the final Valentine's shoot of 2011! The Santee Studio will be set up Friday and Saturday, February 11 & 12 from 10 am - 4 pm for $30 mini-sessions (and free sessions for local Foster pets). I'm working on some new designs for St. Patrick's Day - I hope to start offering them soon. Stay tuned!

Another great week of Valentine's portraits

I've had the pleasure of more great dogs on set this last week, and a handsome kitty too. Pepe is one of the resident kennel cats, and even tho the strobe lights still scare him (I can reliably get one shot off before he changes his mind out the whole idea) HE is the one who comes asking to have me take his photo. He is trying so hard to be a brave kitty! Here he is, with his rugged good looks: Spencer and Tara come to the kennel like clockwork for their baths and grooms - their mom takes great care of them and it shows. Tara (the black) is a retired show Cocker (thank you Eileen, for breeding such a looker - I remember the day/night she was born!) and Spencer (the chocolate) was adopted thru the local Rescue - he's worked his way thru the paces and is now a certified therapy dog. Tucker is certified too - a certified goofball. This loveable lug kept us all on our toes during his session, all in good fun of course. Tucker's Tongue is quite lengendary ... his shelter photo had a similar pose to this one: But he was ready to show his sweet handsome side too, once we explained to him that this was a Valentine shoot. Tucker is a "sprocker" - Springer/Cocker mix. And he knows how to work those Spaniel eyes! I had my first chance to spend time on set with Wire Fox Terriers. What a kick this breed is! No matter what they are doing, they do it with a single-minded vengence. Stunning looks too, as you can see in these three champions. Jay-Jay (CH Whimsicals Whodunit) Lovey (CH Belwood for Love of the Game) Bella (CH Libwyres Belles and Whistles) This week the studio will be open on Wednesday Jan 19 and Fri Jan 21 from 10 - 4, by appointment. Call 858/997-7135 to reserve your 15-minute session (leave a message if no answer). If there is enough demand, I'll have it open on Sunday Jan 23, as well - just let me know! I'm still working on transfering my main web site to a new server, I'll definitely be happy when that is accomplished and behind me. Until then, you can go straight to my photo site at http://dogbreedz.smugmug.com . BLOG SPECIAL OF THE WEEK: PHOTO PUZZLES - reg price $56.45 ... SALE PRICE $46.99 until 1/31/11 Create your own one-of-a-kind jigsaw puzzle from your favorite photo! This large, 252-piece puzzle measures 14 inches by 10 inches and has a glossy finish. It comes in a black box with a 5 x 7 print of the image on top of the box (box measures 5.625" x 7.625" x 1.2"). Makes a great gift for Valentine's Day, too. Safe ordering on-line thru SmugMug for quick delivery. To order, find your favorite photo and above the larger preview on the right side of the screen, click on BUY. Choose PHOTO PACKAGE from the drop down menu and scroll down to Photo Puzzle Special.

Monday Blog Update

It's been a great week - lots of beautiful animals all around! The Valentine's set this year has turned out beautifully. Indie took a moment to show off for me and test out one of the props. What do you think of her final image? The Valentine's set will be featured throughout the month of January in the mobile studio set up at Su-Et's Kennel in Santee, CA. Plain backdrops are available too, if you are looking for a simpler glamour shot. This is Goldie the Yorkie-poo showing an alternate background. What a sweetie! See my previous blog post for details of the January mini-sessions. This week the studio will be open on Friday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, by appointment. You can even call the kennel and have your dog bathed and/or groomed prior to their photo shoot - drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon, we'll handle it all (kennel phone 619/448-8760 for grooming appointments). Bennett was ready to show off on set too - as much as he complains about being brushed out, he asks for a good combing when he wants to be photographed. This boy strikes a pose and makes me fall in love with him all over again! Here he is, modeling our newest Valentine Card design: On Saturday my friends at the West Coast Cocker Spaniel Club held their popular agility trial at City of Industry. This venue is on dirt and under cover. However with no electrical lighting, it's a lousy trial for photographing in a traditional way. I like to go, not only to see old friends and to make new ones, but it also gives me a chance to practice my timing for taking the photos. This is Abby, a Beagle who just loved taking the obstacles - she teamed up with her mom Elise Smith. Abby q'd on this run and came in second in her height class. My web host is still MIA, so the main URL of dogbreedz.net is currently not loading - you can go straight to my photo site by clicking on http://dogbreedz.smugmug.com - or you can find me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/DogBreedz. My mini-valentine's are proving to be popular - I've already had a reorder from a dog with lots of friends! Details in my previous blog post. See you next week - hug a dog for me!