Bijou & Yoshi – Among the Cherry Blossoms | Toronto High Park Dog Photography

Bijou & Yoshi – Among the Cherry Blossoms | Toronto High Park Dog Photography

Posh Pets clients are truly dedicated to getting beautiful images. I think Afarin’s first words to me were, “I’d really like to have a photography session amongst the cherry blossoms in High Park.” At least those were the first words I completely processed and, with them, two things crossed my mind: One, the trees were already in full bloom which meant we had a total of about 48 hours to still catch them at their peak. And, two, the park is completely crawling with people that time of year because they too, want to see the blooms at peak. So, getting images without hordes of people in the background can be a formidable challenge.

I took a deep breath and asked her if she was serious. Yes. Yes, she was.

So, we went into super-hero mode and planned the entire session right at that moment (a 7-month old Chow puppy and a 7-year old toy Pomeranian), ensured that we could both move a few prior commitments around and agreed to meet at 6:45 a.m. the following morning. Starting a session at that time of the morning sounds a bit crazy, but it meant that there were less people (although surprisingly, there were quite a few). And, the light was gorgeous.

That morning I met Bijou and Yoshi and fell in love instantly. Don’t let the size of a toy pomeranian fool you – Bijou is quite firmly the ‘girl boss’ of this duo. Yoshi may be 10 times her size and full of drooling, puppy silliness, but Bijou was always waiting patiently for him to realize that photography sessions are serious business. She came dressed in pearls and there was no way she was going home without beautiful images. I’m very happy to say that that is exactly what Bijou got. Here’s a sampling of the some of the images we created that morning…

chow and pomeranian dogs in cherry trees

We got a family portrait (or two or three)…

two dogs in high park

No trip to High Park is complete without photograph by the Magnolia tree. With the little princess herself, of course.

toy pomeranian with magnolia tree

High Park has tons of locations to explore, but this was special to Afarin. That amazing golden morning light is only available to those who wake up early.

high park dog photography

A couple of formal portraits of the babies themselves.

toronto toy pomeranian dog photography

toronto chose dog photography

And together:

dogs laying in the grass

We were literally stopped everywhere we went because of this good-looking brother and sister pair…

two dogs on lake ontario boardwalk

And finally, we ended up in front of one of the most iconic skylines in the world.

CN Tower from Lake Ontario

I loved this session and how it came together! And Afarin was thrilled (you can read her review here).

A custom-designed session is what Posh Pets is all about. Taking the time to plan means creating images that are meaningful to you and truly capture the memories of you and your pets. If you are interested in having your own session, I’d love to hear from you.

POSH PETS BOUTIQUE™ SESSIONS

Where it all begins

  • Pre-session Design Consult that ensures we create images you will be thrilled with.
  • The result is gorgeous custom artwork showcasing the life your pet shares with your family.
  • A personal Ordering Consultation to ensure you select the right images from the gallery.
  • Please note: The Creative Fee covers time and talent to photograph a maximum of four (4) subjects, which can be any combination of people and up to two (2) pets who live within the same household. Additional subjects may be photographed for a small additional fee.
  • Examples of portraits from Posh Pets Boutique™ Sessions can be found here.
High Park Sakura | Toronto Dog Photographer

High Park Sakura | Toronto Dog Photographer

Being a pet photographer means that naturally my blog is full of the dogs and cats of Southern Ontario. However, this week, I got to photograph something a little different…

For a few days each year, Toronto blooms with colour as the Sakura (cherry blossom) trees make their appearance in various parts of the city. By far, one of the most famous and therefore busiest locations is High Park. This year was no different. On a beautiful May afternoon, many were out enjoying the beautiful weather and of course, photographing the trees.

high park toronto crowds enjoy cherry blossoms

The blossoms are beautiful and I just love the colour pallet they create. Here are just some of the images I was able to create in about the hour I was able to visit.

cherry blossoms at High Park, TorontoToronto's best pet photographerCherry blossoms in High Park May 2015Sakura trees in High Park, Toronto, OntarioSakura Trees in Canadacherry blossoms at high park toronto

Not to be missed is the magnificent Magnolia tree in the main area with the Cherry Blossom trees.

Magnolia tree in High Park, Toronto in May 2015magnolia tree at high parkMagnolia tree in Canada (Toronto)

By now, they say the peak is over. But, there is always next year! Given that the trees are at their peak for only a few days, it’s good to plan ahead. You can anticipate their progress in High Park each year by following this page. And then, plan to get up early, take public transit and bring your camera!

Project 52 – In the Garden (Park) | Toronto Animal Photography

Project 52 – In the Garden (Park) | Toronto Animal Photography

Welcome back to another week of Project 52!  This week’s image was to illustrate the theme, “in the garden”.  At first glance, that might seem quite easy.  And, it is true that there is much room for inspiration in a garden.  However, it is much more difficult if one does not actually have a garden.  But we, at Posh Pets are resourceful and headed off to a park.  Afterall, I reasoned, a park is nothing more than a very large garden that is shared by a lot of people.

So, off we went to High Park in Toronto once again.  What a difference a week makes!  The Sakura Cherry Blossom trees are now fully open and receiving visitors!  And it definitely made a difference that we set off early in the  morning to arrive at the park by 7:30 a.m. and see the sun bathe the trees in the lovely morning light.

Our first greeter was this little guy.  We found him running around, busy doing what squirrels do in the early morning hours.  But then he stopped…and posed for us!  Here is his portrait.

Next up, was a beautiful robin.  We also found him busy hunting around for worms and such.  But he lifted his head to check us out and that was enough time to have his photo taken.

And, finally, this post would not be complete without a glimpse of the real reason we got up early this week – the lovely Sakura Cherry Blossom trees!

 

Please take a look at the next blog in our circle.  This time it is Stephanie Madeline of Chase & Snap Photography.  Cannot wait to see who she met in the garden.