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.
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 28, 2014
Pet photography is alive and well in Toronto these past few weeks! With all of the trees showing their best fall colours, we at Posh Pets have been busy as little beavers meeting lots of furry faces for their sessions. Even with the flurry of activity, we cannot forget about all of the lovely animals waiting for forever homes at Toronto Animal Services. It is such a pleasure each week to hand out treats and nice cuddles and belly rubs to the new dogs and cats I meet.
A lot of the animals in the following images are not quite ready for adoption. There are still some health-checks to be done and sometimes they have to be scheduled for their spay or neuter. But, if you are looking for a new family member, keep a close eye on the TAS website where their photo will be posted as soon as they become available. Rest assured, they are all lovely and would love to meet you just as soon as they can!
One other thing…if you adopted your pet from TAS – North, we would love to hear about it. Head over to the Posh Pets’ Facebook page and send us an update and/or a photo or two. Happy endings are just awesome!
Aug 16, 2014
The Posh Pets‘ week always starts right by a visit to Toronto Animal Services to photograph the adoptable furry faces available for adoption. But, let’s start your weekend right and have a look at some the lovelies we met!
Monday was probably the nicest day we had this past week (in terms of weather). The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the dogs were enjoying their time outside playing and learning from a whole new group of campers who are currently learning to care for dogs at TAS. I love meeting the kids who are eager to show me how they can get a dog to ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ on command…although we do sometimes have some laughs when things don’t go exactly as planned. But, not to fear – there is always a camp counsellor or TAS staff member nearby to lend a hand!
So, there you have it! Enjoy this week’s of adorable, adoptable faces! (And feel free to share them around too!)
Jul 20, 2014
This week Posh Pets got some new ‘assistants’! Toronto Animal Services is now hosting a kids camp for the next few weeks which mean the dogs get lots of socialization, interactive play, exercise and oodles of cuddles. And the kids are more than happy to help me get awesome adoption images of the dogs. The different campers have spent time with their canine friends, so they know all about them and more importantly, know how to handle them and help me get their attention to the camera. Plus seeing as there are lots of treats involved, the dogs are more than happy to play along. So, it truly is win-win-win!
So, here you have the fruits of our labour. Lots of cute furry faces, all looking for forever homes. They are currently at Toronto Animal Services – North, so contact them directly if you want to meet any of these guys and girls personally.
Apr 16, 2014
Given the crazy weather we have had in Toronto this year, the Posh Pets family was happy to travel for a few days in January and enjoy the sun of the Dominican Republic. I am always up for travelling, especially if it means I get to photograph dogs! Although our primary reason for being down there was to attend a family wedding, I got to squeeze in a couple of photo sessions with furry faces too. Considering we got another snow fall in Toronto yesterday, todays post will be a nice reprieve to look at some beautiful, sunny imagery. If you missed the first Posh Pets photo session, featuring 3 dogs, you can find that here.
So…please meet Titef, a gorgeous soul who lives the good life! On an island…sun all year round, beaches to run on and lots of people and dogs to see and meet, Titef is one happy doggie! He is also a stunner and doesn’t worry about the snow or cold taking away all of that gorgeous greenery that surrounds him.
The islands have that laid-back vibe which keeps us coming back for more. Requests of any sort are usually graciously accommodated, and the great people of Hotel Alisei in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic let us have run of the place for Titef’s photoshoot. Here he is looking over his “domain”, which includes a gorgeous pool area.
Featuring incredible outdoor patios and terraces, complete with sun rays…what more could a dog (or his humans) want?
Then we headed to the beach (the Samana Peninsula has so many!) and finished up with some beach shots. Nothing like running and feeling nothing but sand between your paws!
Chilling and relaxing…island style.
Looking very dapper and well-travelled, Titef struck a pose as the sun set over the island…
Thanks so much Titef – we hope to come back and see you soon!
Mar 26, 2014
Being a pet photographer is something I absolutely love, especially when I can donate my talents to those who need it the most. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting four, little doxie girls who have not had the best start in life. They are part of the QC15 – fifteen dogs who were rescued by Canadian Dachshund Rescue from a Quebec puppy mill. These four little ones were part of that group and they came to the Posh Pets Photography studio for their glamour shots.
As you can expect, they have a few health problems and each of them are receiving extended treatment. Of particular concern is their mange, which has resulted in them being almost completely hairless (and will probably remain so for the rest of their lives). But, a lack of hair does not stop them from being curious, friendly, sweet and downright cute.
So, without further ado, please meet Josephine, Aimee, Isabelle and Pearl…
If you would like updates and their progress and to help support their treatment, please consider a donation to the Canadian Dachshund Rescue. You can do so by following the link here.
Feb 26, 2014
As a pet photographer who loves to photograph dogs outside, I have asked myself (along with the many who make their home in Toronto) many times in the last few weeks, “Will this cold weather never end?” And again on Monday, this was the basis of my conversation with each of these furry faces during the brief moments that we could stand being out in the elements. I promised them that the nicer weather (and a forever home!) were just around the corner if they just held on a little longer. To ensure that my promises were not in vain, please share their images far and wide so that they have as good an opportunity as possible to be seen by the special person looking to bring them home. I, and each of them, thank you!
I’ve never photographed as many puppies in one week as I did during my time on Monday. Kaya and Duncan are both only about 15 weeks old, and Morty is still a young boy at 9 months old. On the other end of the spectrum is Clarence who is a lovely 9 year old guy. Along with their feline friends Thor, Amos, Luchio, Ameira and shy-girl Veronica, they have lots of love to give.
Each of their images will be posted on the Toronto Animal Services website as well as be featured on the Posh Pets Photography Facebook page during the week. Questions about anyone in particular? Please contact TAS directly who can give you the latest updates on their statuses.
Thanks for stopping by and we’ll see you all back here next week!
Jan 10, 2014
This week’s Project 52 theme was Joy. And, we at Posh Pets believe that there is probably nothing more joyous than a dog enjoying the wind in his hair, running around with his beloved ball! Plus, this image shows green grass and beautiful sun – given the past few weeks we have endured in Toronto, it brings me great joy to just see something other than ice, snow and cold! I hope it brings you some joy too!
As you may already know, this is a blog circle where each pet photographer interprets the given theme in their own way. Next in the blog circle is Emily Fuss Photography in Sarasota, Florida. Please click through to see what joy she found this week!
