Smile Like a Dog

I got some coverage on the Photopreneur blog this week. They contacted me because of the shots I take for Give a Dog a Bone but then things sort of expanded from there when they found out I’ve done pro bono work for a bunch of different organizations like Aids Legal Referral Panel - I did their big 25th anniversary campaign photography (yes, I actually photograph people occasionally) , San Francisco SPCA, VetSOS and Project Homeless Connect. I was a little wary at first because the gist of the article was about whether you could ultimately make money from pro bono work (not why I do it) but they finessed that part just fine — at least I thought so.

When it comes to expressive faces it’s hard to beat Basset Hounds and Bulldogs — they make a pet photographer’s job fairly easy compared to some breeds. When you have them both in the same household it’s like manna from heaven (apologies for the biblical reference — that’s about as close as you’ll ever see me come to quoting scripture). Well, a couple of weeks ago I visited a customer with 5 bullies and a basset. We could only photograph 2 of the bulldogs (Gracie and Ella Mae) and the basset (Betty) that day but trust me, there were soulful expressions a-plenty.

Scrambling for that last-minute Mothers Day gift? Looking for a something unique to give mom or dad on their big day this year? Sure, mom loves the flowers showing up on Mothers Day and Dad loves getting another Rep tie on Fathers Day but what about trying something different this time. If mom or dad has a dog or cat they adore get them a present they’ll always remember — a gift certificate for a pet photography session.

Photos that capture a pet’s personality and the unique traits that endear them to us make truly memorable presents. I offer certificates for all my different session packages and can also customize one for your particular needs.

One of the best things about being a non-studio pet photographer is that I get to go to all sorts of cool, beautiful locations all over the San Francisco Bay area. Last week I met a new client named Petunia who lives down the coast off Highway 1 near Half Moon Bay. Petunia and her mom have access to some of the most scenic hikes in the area and we happened to hit one trail in particular where the Lupins were out in all their purple spring glory. Petunia came from the San Francisco SPCA a few years back and her mom says she’s a St Francis Wood Terrier. She’s a lot of fun and enjoys hiking, playing with other dogs and napping in sunbeams

I thought it might be fitting to start following the theme of this blog literally. I photograph a lot of dogs (and cats — but reconciling that with this blog title is for another post entirely) and when you actually catch one grinning it can be a real rush. This week’s star is a miniature dalmatian named Junior. I had no idea there was such a breed as a miniature dalmatian until I met Junior but consider me smitten. He’s completely mellow, terribly cute and extremely photogenic

Last weekend the San Francisco SPCA celebrated its 140th anniversary and I was asked to photograph it for them (I tried to get past the irony that they shared their anniversary date with the 1906 earthquake)

It kicked off on Friday with speeches by SFSPCA president Jan McHugh-Smith, Assmemblyman Mark Leno and others along with appearances by the city’s police and fire chiefs and the San Francisco Mounted Police Unit.

Officer and Horse with San Francisco Mounted Police Unit

Better than kissing babies…Assemblyman Mark Leno

Period Horse Ambulance

Saturday and Sunday things moved inside where there were booths and demos for the Hearing Dog program, agility classes and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) program.

Hearing Dog Demo

Odd Couple: Animal Assisted Therapy animals Guido the Car and Stanley the Guinea Pig -

A photographed a friend’s dogs today for a project I’m working on with the San Francisco SPCA (more on this in a few weeks). Her newest pup is a loveable guy named Jalu who came from Big Dog Rescue up in Sonoma. Jalu wasn’t the primary focus of today’s shoot but he’s impossibly cute and virtually impossible to not photograph if you happen to have a camera with you.

Jalu comes from interesting stock to say the least. His mom thinks he has a bit of border collie and borzoi in him. Let me know if you have any other thoughts on his heritage.

I just completed my latest My Mutt assignment with a lovely girl named Angel. Angel’s a two-year old dachshund beagle mix who lives in the South Bay and was adopted by her new mom at Silicon Valley Animal Control.

She loves her toys and is especially fond of a well-worn piece of rawhide (and maybe some of the living room throw pillows, too) She’s very kissy and adores people.

My construction project has ended. I found a decent blog template last night and I’m up and running again. Please let me know if you find anything amiss — links that don’t work, etc.

If you’ve been visiting this space over the last week or two you have no doubt been wondering what on earth is going on and why in the world has he switched to a design with a chartreuse color scheme?Well, I’d hoped this would go a bit more seamlessly but my plans to move my blog over from Moveable Type to Wordpress didn’t go as smoothly as planned.

I finally just couldn’t stand it anymore and was sick and tired of MT’s arcane interface and baffling documentation so I switched. Well, so far I really like it except I am having a few issues finding a template that works for my purposes and dealing with my old permalinks. Please bear with me over the next few days while I experiment with colors and headers and don’t be surprised if you see something different the next time you visit.

My main URL is still the same and should be fine if you’re just linking to me through that. However, if you did point to one of my individual posts prior to this one via permalink it may not work. Please le me know if you see anything amiss and thanks for your patience.