Jun 9, 2015
If you have been wondering why things have been a little quiet around Posh Pets lately, it is because I have been travelling in Eastern Europe! Bulgaria, to be exact. Now, it might seem a little off the beaten path, but the country is surprising accessible by major airlines. It also boasts membership in the European Union, but has not adopted the Euro, so travel is fairly safe, easy and inexpensive.
Our first stop was in the south, almost at the Greek border. We took a drive up to Kovachevitsa in the Pirin Mountains which was a breathtaking route.
The tiny village of Kovachevitsa is a place where time seems to have stood still. So much so, that I am told that the village is used as a backdrop for movies when they need a authentic balkan experience.
Tons of tiny streets and alleyways to explore…
But, you know my first love are the animals and I had the pleasure of meeting lots! Almost immediately, this sweetheart greeted us.
And not far off was this little one, peeking at me from under a car.
This beautiful boy commanded my attention! He thought I was quite a curiosity with my camera and strange noises. And when he had figured me out, he walked off gracefully…
A friendly little kitty followed us around while we explored the winding paths and ‘streets’ of the village.
However, this beautiful, BIG boy was the most outgoing of them all. He really was quite large – he easily matched me in weight and size. And he was a ‘leaner’ too. If you reached down to pat him, he nearly pushed you over with his big furry self. Just wanted to lovins’.
This is ‘his’ tavern (the translation of the word MEXAHA) and I could believe it when he was willing to pose beside the sign.
Sometimes, though, you have to look down and see the wee ones of the world. This tiny snail actually lifted his head and struck a pose for my camera – I guess he thought this was his moment of fame!
There’s much more to show and tell from our trip! I’ll keep sharing as I manage to process some of the photographs (I’m writing this post from an airport right now), so stay tuned…
May 6, 2015
This post is going to be HUGE. It is the third, and final, instalment of the Pampered Pooches festival and all of us at Posh Pets were thrilled to meet all of you! If you missed them, you can find Part 1 and Part 2 here.
With this many dogs, names are hard to remember. If you would like me to mention your dog’s name, please let me know in the comments below and I will update the post.
So, with without further ado, here are the rest of the cuties we met…
The sun came out in the afternoon and the dogs loved basking in the sun.
So many soulful, sweet faces!
A gorgeous greyhound!
This little girl was eager to please.
This duo were getting lots of attention wherever they went.
Nothing like a little white dog!
And a sweet poodle girl.
A little terrier with bows in her hair.
Everytime I look at this face, I smile. Samson, you are one cute pooch!
A little scruff nut came to visit.
As did a gorgeous malmute.
A happy Boston!
Tongues were out and smiles were big.
What a cutie!
A little more serious pose. I think he was worried that I might not hand the treat over 🙂
Such soft, clean hair. Not easy when you are white!
This little poodle had the most beautiful coloured coat.
Another dachshund…
Then the puppies came along…this frenchie was sooooo cute.
A beagle with soulful eyes…
A happy beagle boy!
Such a mournful look. Don’t worry…there are more treats.
Even in the chaos, you can still get a head tilt.
This little guy was just happy to be here.
Another frenchie puppy with the most awesome colouring…
Busy figuring out what else was coming…
There were lots of Bostons that came out.
Okay lady, take my picture.
I tell really good jokes 🙂
This fluffy GSD puppy named Dino came to visit us. Those little tufts of hair are just wonderful!
A sleepy customer…
Puppy. What more can I say?
And a wrinkled little brow. Just makes you want to cuddle them, doesn’t it?
Someone looks like they just got groomed for the event! One regal looking schnauzer…
A little shih tzu named Oreo who also looks like he had just gone to the salon…
Well, this guy let me know what he thought of everything!
Whew! I think I got everyone! Again, THANK YOU for coming out and helping to make Pampered Pooches a great success!
Apr 22, 2015
As everyone knows, it was a pretty cold winter here in Toronto this year. That kind of snow and wind and cold can certainly dampen the spirits. Thankfully though, I am a pet photographer, and whenever we at Posh Pets feel down, we have a sure-fire way to cure the blues: photographing gorgeous, wiggly puppies!
This project nurtured the creative spirit for two reasons. One, it meant snuggling with puppies. You simply cannot avoid squealing when two little yorkshire terrier puppies come your way. Two, it allowed me to explore some studio photography, something that I have only started dabbling in.
I chose a simple backdrop – grey seamless. I think you will agree that it brings all of the attention on these gorgeous pups. Additionally, a key thing for me to be able to photograph more than one puppy is to find some way to ‘contain’ them and then move fast to catch the right expression. This little basket more than did the trick.
Then some solo portraits of the two babies.
Even at this age, this one could pull of a magnificent head-tilt. No doubt, she has her human family wrapped around her paw.
This is the beautiful Momma, Tess.
Then it came time to get the whole family together! Again, that little basket helped…
I have a few more puppy shoots to share and hope to be able to start offering these to clients soon. Stay tuned for more details!
Apr 4, 2015
A few weeks ago, I quietly entered my first juried show. (Well, it wasn’t completely quiet in Posh Pets land as I had sort of left it to the last minute to get my entry together.) I wasn’t really expecting much – more doing it for the experience and, if I was selected to show my work, that would be kind of fun.
Well, I was so thrilled when I received notification that my photograph, Arctic Tundra Dog 1 had been accepted into the 8th Annual Beaux-Arts Brampton Open Juried Fine Art & Photography Show. As an exhibiting artist, I was invited to attend the Reception and Awards Presentation this past Thursday evening. Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed when it was announced that I had been chosen to receive the 2nd Place Photography award.
The show runs from March 31 until April 18, 2015 and includes both the fine arts and photography mediums. Come and see a beautiful dog portrait on a canvas print as well as the images from all of the other great artists!
Beaux Arts Brampton
70-74 Main Street North
Brampton, Ontario L6V 1N7
Mar 18, 2015
I have to be honest, I let out a little squeal after Moses’ mom booked his Posh Pets session. Not only did it sound like he was a superstar, but his mom was more than happy to get up early (and I mean really early) for our session so as to catch the early morning light. On a Sunday, no less. Sometimes, you just know that a session is going to be epic.
Moses, a gorgeous border collie, makes his home in Whitby along the water. We decided during his pre-session design consultation that we would photograph him in his favourite park and beach. It took some doing, but we figured out where we had to be and at what time to take advantage of the first rays of the sun above the horizon. And when we got there, as I had been promised, Moses knew how to pose like a star.
We then headed down to Moses’ beach. The early morning sun along with the spectacular colours of fall made for a stunning backdrop.
Border collies are a high-energy breed, so Moses just had to show me he knew how to run.
At the end of the beach, these maple trees were putting on a full display. (This hangs as a large art piece on his mom’s wall now.)
Now, this is where I have to tell you an intersting little story…like a lot of pets in the world, Moses has a nickname. His proper name may be Moses, but over time he has acquired the nickname Momo. The thing is, you may have heard of another, more famous, border collie named Momo. Also known as “the hiding border collie”, he is an internet sensation and the muse of photographer Andrew Knapp who runs a blog called Find Momo that is – you guessed it – filled with awesome images of his Momo. The twist is that Momo is “hiding” in the photographs and it is your job to see if you can spot him. I can say from personal experience, it can sometimes take a great deal of time to find him! Well, here I was with a border collie named Momo on a glorious morning…we couldn’t let the opportunity pass. So here is our own tribute to Moses’ more famous namesake. Can you find him? Hope we make the real Momo proud!
Back in his park, Moses posed for another set of portraits showing off his winning smile!
After getting up early for a full morning of running, posing and fun, that afternoon I was sent a picture of a sleeping Moses. Apparently he passed out soon after getting home – I guess modelling is hard work. But, the images were worth it…
You know, I would love to meet your furry face in the wee hours of the morning! If that sounds like your kind of session, contact me here. Of course, if you would rather sleep in and book an afternoon session, that is fine too 🙂
Mar 11, 2015
What is a Posh Pets Heritage Session, you ask? Simply put, it a unique session where we take whatever time is needed to celebrate the life of a special dog. No one likes to think about it too much, but the reality is that we will often outlive our pets. And when the time comes to say good-bye, photographs can often be the way to forever capture the memories we hold dear.
Magic was a good dog. He had been diagnosed with cancer and his people knew that their time with him was short. In fact, when we initially spoke, they were not sure if we had enough time to schedule a Session. I assured them that I would make it happen. A couple of days later, on a bright Sunday morning, we set out to create incredible memories.
I’m always amazed at how animals just know. In these situations, when I first arrive, I want to take the time to see how the pet is feeling. We want to work at their pace, taking into account their limitations. And yet, each time, the pet always rises to the occasion, as if they want to give this last gift to their people. Magic was no different. We spent time creating images both inside and outside their home and then a final last walk in his favourite park.
As our Session came to a close, I hugged Magic, kissed him and said my good-bye, knowing we would not meet again. He was gone some 24 hours later, surrounded by the people he loved so much.
Of course, our Ordering Session was an emotional one. We cried. We hugged. But, in the end, Magic’s family chose two gorgeous Folio Boxes filled with memories of their special boy, and lovely pieces of Wall Art.
POSH PETS HERITAGE™ SESSIONS
Celebrating the life, love and legacy of your pet.™
- High-priority sessions reserved for pets that become ill or are simply elderly. We make every effort to schedule these on short notice.
- An opportunity to take time out of your busy schedule to spend some quality time togehter, celebrate the life you have shared and create images you will treasure forever.
- 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 Heritage™ Sessions can be found here.
Mar 4, 2015
In case you haven’t heard, let me tell you: it has been COLD in Posh Pets land! For most of this year, I have watched heavily-bundled people and lot of bundled up dogs too, go for their daily walk. You can always tell the dogs who would rather be sitting at home, cuddled up on a couch – the slow gait, combined with the frequent stopping and looking up at their human tell me that they are only going for a walk because they think their people need it. However, they are dogs that simply love the snow and cold and cannot wait to get out and have some fun! And, my furry little client, Chubusz (pronounced Chub-oosh), is such a dog.
During our Pre-Session Consultation, Chubusz’ mom shared with me how much he loved the snow and cooler weather. In fact, Summer, with its accompanying heat, rendered Chubusz and almost exclusively indoor dog. So, it made absolute sense that we plan a Winter session.
We started our time together at his gorgeous home where Chubusz showed me all of his favourite ‘spots’. He loves the couch, but where he looks most regal is right here – on the rug in front of the fire place.
After posing like a model (and receiving lots of treats as payment), we all headed outside into the snow! This boy showed me how much he loved to run. And run. And run. Finding a stick to run with, was just the icing on the cake.
We ended up with a snow-covered muzzle and lots of smiles.
Finally, once the humans were cold, we ended up back home where Chubusz settled in for a nice, long sleep…
Chubusz was such a gentleman and an absolute joy to photograph. The weather was perfect, the snow clean and white and the images we created…beautiful! Chubusz’ family now has gorgeous art work to treasure forever.
Are you looking to capture the joy of Winter with your furry face? Contact me here.
Feb 25, 2015
I have a little Posh Pets secret to tell…I love photographing multiple-dog families. There is something about the energy that they bring to a session that is infectious. A dog will always show his or her true self when surrounded by their furry buddies and it is a lovely challenge to capture that for their humans. Family sessions can be high-energy, tiring fun for all involved (I’ve always considered it a successful session when I receive an e-mail or text from the humans indicating that all of the furry faces slept well on the ride back home…), but it creates amazing images!
So, of course, I was thrilled when I found out that I would be meeting Murphy, Parker and Wally. Murphy is a boxer and Parker a boxer puppy. And then there is the awesome Wally, a petit dachshund who, despite the challenges of having much shorter legs, valiantly strives to keep up with his sisters. During our pre-session consultation, we chose a great location full of possibilities and set an early morning date to go have some fun! I am so excited to share some of those images with you today on the Posh Pets blog…
To begin with, here is the image that mom and dad really wanted, but were not sure we could create – all 3 furry faces in a portrait together. It’s safe to say that when they saw the first proofs from their Session, they were so excited to choose this one to enlarge for their wall at home. Once printed BIG, it is truly stunning!
We got some gorgeous single portraits amongst the splendor that is Autumn in Canada. Look at that yummy back-light!
And we played on the beach and in the water, as everyone was up for it. (This is always an option during a Posh Pets Boutique Session. But it is not a requirement. If your dogs don’t enjoy water, we definitely don’t need to go in. It something we discuss during the pre-session consultation.) This results in happy, but dirty doggies!
Finding a stick to share was just a bonus!
And finally, another beautiful family portrait…
In the end, Murphy, Parker and Wally have a beautiful Folio Box full of gorgeous fine art matted prints and stunning wall art to call their own. I have it on good authority, that they are rather pleased. 🙂
Thinking of a session for your furry family? Your first step is to contact me here.
Dec 11, 2014
I’ve been saving this post for some time. It actually took place earlier this year as we were in the depths of last Winter, but as I went through scheduling posts, I wasn’t sure anyone would want to see pictures of snow in the middle of July! Especially given that Summer never really started here in Toronto this year. Washburn was just too special to not have him appropriately introduced to you all.
Washburn is important to me because he shows the results of some of my volunteer work. I first met him when he was a wide-eyed adoptable at Toronto Animal Services and I photographed him in the hopes of him finding a really wonderful family to call his own. I’m so happy to now know that he did! Sarah, his ‘mom’ reached out to me when she found his original adoptable image on this blog and an e-mail conversation ensued. She told me all about how Washburn was now doing and sent me wonderful updated pictures of him. You can only imagine how thrilled I was to learn that I would have the opportunity to meet Washburn again because Sarah booked a Posh Pets Boutique Session! Arrangements were made, a date was set and we got to spend a couple of hours together on a sunny, yet crisp, winter morning in Toronto, capturing Washburn’s lovely personality and happy home with his new family.
We started our session with a majestic pose that showed off his stylish collar and harness – Washburn is a very fashionable gentleman,you know. I love looking at this image and all of that golden morning light behind him.
It was important to get some portraits of Washburn with his new forever family. Washburn’s life is wonderful and he is a far cry from being a little adoptable at the shelter. Truthfully, he has changed his Mom and Dad’s lives as much as they have changed his. And just look at his little raised paw!
No Posh Pets Session would be complete without some running and being silly! That stick was bigger and heavier than Washburn, but he insisted on bringing it with us the entire way. It made navigating narrow spaces a little more difficult, but no less fun.
Of course, if you have snow, you need to dance! Washburn was happy to show off some of his signature ‘moves’…
We finished the morning with some other locations and were able to capture this beautiful portrait of the little man.
Washburn, I wish you so much love and happiness in your new life – you deserve it. Your Mom and Dad love you so much and will take the best care of you. And I know you will keep them laughing and smiling every day. Live life well, my dear boy.
Looking for a winter session of your own for your furry face or as a gift for someone you know? Your first step is here.
Nov 26, 2014
Phew! It has been a rather busy Fall in Posh Pets land – so many cute, wiggly, furry dog faces to meet and photograph. And we had some of the most beautiful scenery to create portraits in with what was a gorgeous Autumn in Toronto. I cannot wait to share all of these sessions with you! (Hopefully, the imagery will keep us positive as we face another winter in Southern Ontario.)
In the midst of all of this, I also had a couple of days to catch my breath and spend some time with the amazing Barbara Breitsameter of Poppyblue Photography. If you are not familiar with Barb’s work, you should definitely go right now and check it out! Barb is a Certified Professional Photographer, a Platinum Photographer of the Year for both 2013 and 2014, and a platform speaker for Imaging USA (National Convention). However, even with all of those accolades, she is an amazing, warm, down-to-earth, humble person who is more than happy to share her knowledge with those willing to learn. I felt so privileged to have the opportunity to mentor with her. Barb, thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart!
So, you are probably wondering what did we do? Well, I have good news! I have finally finished editing some of the images we created together and am ready to share them here on the Posh Pets blog.
First of all, here is one of Barb’s own dogs, Fern. Fern is a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy…gorgeous from head to toe. She had been at the vet for a small procedure just the day before I met her, so I expected a quiet, dopey puppy. Nothing could be further from the truth! Fern wagged her tail and strained to greet me. By the second day, she was my awesome model.
The great thing about a mentoring session is the opportunity to go beyond your comfort level and try new things. In this case, I wanted to master studio photography. Knowing that Barb has won awards for her studio work, I was keen to get inside her brain and learn everything I could. Barb lined up some amazing models for me to photograph and guided me in the lighting. It was a great chance to experiment with so many pieces of equipment. Of course, I spent a good amount of time simply snuggling with the models 🙂
Two of the most perfect, roly-poly, frenchies (french bulldogs) I have ever laid eyes on! I literally squealed with delight when they walked up to the studio!
And then we had four of the most gorgeous basset hounds to photograph! They arrived in their very own, professionally wrapped vehicle…these guys are celebrities on the show circuit!
We also did some outside photography which is definitely my forte. Again, these two snuggle-bums!
And then Summer…she became our model after a rather serendipitous stop at the local veterinarian. Her Dad was so gracious to give us the opportunity to work with a lovely golden retriever puppy!
Last, but not least, I really have to thank Barb a ton for this last image. It seems appropriate that one of the last photographs a pet photographer from Canada could take was a dog holding a maple leaf. Not only did Barb help me by setting this up, she showed me how she would edit it. The result is simply stunning!
Thanks for following along on this little pet photographer’s adventure. I am always so happy to be able to learn new things and then incorporate them into my business and client sessions. If you are thinking of a Winter or Spring session for your furry face, now would be the time to set this up. In fact, given how busy this Fall was, if you really have your heart set on capturing the colours of next year’s Autumn, contact me and we can get you on the books NOW. Your first step is to contact me here. I so look forward to meeting you and your furry family members!
Oct 17, 2014
Fall is always the busiest season at Posh Pets. I love the change of the colours, the crisp autumn air and the lovely furry faces I get to meet (and their humans, of course). But, I still make time for all of the little adoptables at Toronto Animal Services. After all, Fall is also a great time to find a forever home!
So, here is this week’s group of eager boys and girls all waiting to meet you. Contact the North Shelter to get more details and arrange a meeting. And even if you are not currently looking for a new family member, make sure to show these guys some love by sharing their lovely little faces…I am sure that there is a ‘somebody’ out there for each and every one of them!
Oct 1, 2014
Welcome to October! And, if you haven’t heard, October 1st is National Black Dog Day. Why a day celebrating black dogs? Well, it seems that there are those who feel that dark coloured furry faces are not as beautiful or friendly as their light-coloured counterparts. But, we at Posh Pets know nothing could be further from the truth!
It seems appropriate then to share these lovely images of the gorgeous and aptly-named Cinder. She lives in Yellowknife, NWT, so she is an ‘arctic dog’. She also has the head tilt down pat and it does indeed render the humans powerless.
Cinder is a fun-loving girl who wants nothing more to than to run and play with you. She is quite young, so she is still learning all of her manners, but she definitely knows her commands (both verbal and hands) and will win you over with her gorgeous smile.
Throw a stick and Cinder will always bring it back. And look at the beautiful backdrop she has to explore! This is one happy dog!
At the end of it all, Cinder will always be happy to pose for you!
So get out there and enjoy the outdoors with whatever colour your furry face is! And if you know any dark-coloured beauties, give them a hug 🙂
