… and that’s one of my new favorite clients Macy on the cover.  her mom enjoyed her calendar session so much earlier this summer that she booked a Standard which we shot just this past weekend … so stay tuned for more of this tough-girl sweetheart!

just as with last year, scruffy dog photography designed and shot the entire calendar.  sessions were won by contestants who submitted photos of their pets earlier in the year.  it should go on record that SDP has no say as to who makes the cut from the submitted photos.  it is my understanding that these are narrowed down through voting by KWHS staff.  photos are then posted on the KWHS site and put to the public for voting.

sadly, one of the winning entries — Jack, owned by Julie Owens — passed away from lymphoma and was not able to be photographed for the calendar.  Julie now shares her home with newly adopted Molly, and as part of my upcoming 2011 shelter dogs program, i am extending Julie a discount on a scruffy dog photo session, should she choose to have Molly photographed.

in the meantime, the 2011 calendar is ready.  calendars sell for $15, and all profit goes to the animals at the shelter … so, as always, feel free to throw in a little extra!  there are a couple of ways you can get yours …

- you can pick up your calendar in person at the KWHS at 250 Riverbend Drive in Kitchener … BUT before you head over there, please take a moment and check out the KWHS Wish List — items needed by the orphaned animals.  this includes everything from cleaners to office supplies, kitty litter and collars.  maybe you’ve got some of this stuff lying around the house and can haul it over there when you go to pick up your calendar!

- you can go to their website right now and order online using their easy “Buy Now” button, and pay with PayPal.  ($3 for shipping.)

- and for scruffy dog clients … if you’d like to pick up at the studio, or add a calendar (or several!) to your order, just drop me a line.

here’s a peak at what’s inside your 2011 calendar …

now … let’s help out those orphaned animals!

he’s certainly got some giddy-up …

and an attitude.

Darby is a JRT/papillion cross and you can totally see it … the coat and ears of a papillion but the bone structure and snout of a jack …

and the classic underbite of unfortunate breeding from puppymills.

yes, Darby, too — like our newest little scruffy Merrick — is a puppymill survivor.  but he’s living the good life now with mom and dad, Jennifer and Bruce …

just chillin’ on the beach … how pretty is this boy?

of course, boys can be pretty too!  … even though i joked upon first meeting Darby, sitting in the lap of his ruggedly-handsome dad Bruce behind the wheel of their big diesel pick-em-up truck: “You look like a girl!” I couldn’t resist.

don’t misunderstand though, this boy is all boy …

… and i truly enjoyed his spirit and energy, even when he wasn’t up for posing.  just look at that adorable bottom lip though!

always on the move …

and of course, my favorite stand of trees …

and yes, as you can see in the photo above, i always travel with model-fans just to get that windblown look.  

i was surprised that Darby actually got into the water … then again, with the “You look like a girl!” insult still ringing in his ears, no doubt, he was determined to squash any and all potential comparisons to the opposite gender, including a reluctance to actually get those delicate twinkle toes wet.

“Hey, did you catch that, crazy lady photographer?  Hrrmph.”

thanks for being such a sport, Darby.  you were a most wonderful model and some of these images are absolute favorites of mine.

and thanks, Jennifer and Bruce, for introducing me to your amazing little boy.  i hope you enjoy your gallery of images.

and you’re going to be seeing more of this charming little man very soon on the blog.  his shoot was a little over a week ago but with twelve doggie clients being shot since his session, poor Darby’s sneak peek kinda got lost in the shuffle!

hope you enjoy this little taste, Jennifer and Bruce.  stay tuned for this handsome little dude’s fuller blog entry earlier next week!

of course, he’s not so “little” any more.  they grow up so quickly.

Sal belongs to Becky of Grooming with Finesse and is big brother to the three girls: Cee Cee, Viva, and Sofie. you met them from their earlier shoot.  and since their shoot incorporated the red caboose down at Waterloo Park we decided to take young Sal down there as well.

ah, so regal and proud, posing by the lake …

… or not.

Sal sure loves his big pink stuffie … racing around the park with it …

and posing with mom.

and then to the caboose for poses.  and no, we don’t beat the dogs first.     i think Sal heard a sound on the platform behind him when i released the shutter and i liked his expression here.

more sounds …

thanks, Becky, for introducing me to your wonderful boy … he’s such a charmer.  i can’t wait to shoot the big lug as an adult.

meet Mack … and yeah, this is what she looked like when the shoot started.  and trust me, we were shocked and amazed she even stayed put on the couch!

Mack doesn’t like people.  in fact, i’m told she’s not even overly-affectionate with owners Lisa and Ryan.  cats, right?   and when family or friends come to visit, apparently the only thing you’ll see of Mack are the hairs she leaves behind as she beats her hasty exit to go into hiding for their entire visit.

now, granted, knowing a pet isn’t overly affectionate, I won’t even try to pet them, although i did get in a few strokes of her lovely creamy coat.   i basically let Mack be … but when she eventually gave me those soft cat eyes and held my stare for long silent moments, blinking softly, i gave ‘em right back to her and told her over and over again what an amazing girl she was.

but with every shattering clack of my huge camera’s shutter, Mack flinched backwards.  so … out came the toy.

it didn’t take long … some well-placed bobs, good teases … and the trick is to always, always, always leave ‘em wanting more …

clearly i shoot more dogs than cats, and i’ll be the first to say that — as a general rule — dogs are easier.  because — as a general rule — dogs are dorks.  and you know i say that with utter love for my favorite creature on the planet.  they can be so easily manipulated and cajoled, tempted and directed … a squeaky toy or a smokey-scented treat, a squealing Cuz or even my embarrassingly giddy voice or duck call when i have to pull it out as a last resort.

but cats … well … you gotta know what you’re doing with cats.  you’ve gotta know how to move around the room when you’re with them, how to approach them, which lens to use in order to buy yourself whatever space you might need to make them comfortable … especially the anti-social ones.  i’ve found that sometimes the owners don’t even quite know how to deal with their cats when it comes to a photo shoot, and often it’s best that they just sit back and leave Fluffy to me.

and i should note … you see that vase of flowers on the table behind the couch?   normally i would have asked the owner to move those as they are something of a distraction, particularly in the play-shot two up.  i wanted to ask, but given the energy i was reading from Mack, i knew that if owner Lisa did anything at that point, even something as simple as cross the room and move these flowers, Mack would exit the photo shoot.

Mack was a super-star.  i could sense she was ready to bolt several times, so it was a good 15 minutes or more before i even picked up a camera in spite of this being a short session.  after all, i can’t shoot a cat that isn’t there.  and in the end, i got more shots of Ms. Mack than her sister Mika …

short, little, round Mika …

… like a little tabby ball on legs … with the cutest little, chirping  ‘meow’ you’ve ever heard.

the true challenge, of course, was getting both of these girls in one shot.  Lisa and Ryan had absolutely no doubt that it was an utterly, absolutely impossible task, never to be accomplished.  no way.  no how.  did i happen to mention i’m a bit of a cat whisperer?  give me those beautiful soft eyes, Mack.  thanks, girl.

now your turn, Mika …

thanks, Lisa and Ryan, Mika and most of all shy Mack for a lovely morning … and for reminding me that i’m doing exactly what i should be doing.  i hope you all enjoy your client gallery.

these two little sweethearts were definitely after my own heart from the moment i walked through the door and set my bags down.

and they were pretty easy to fall in love with during the shoot, even though they weren’t necessarily the easiest models.  typical terriers and being low to the ground, they were busy, busy, busy … following every scent … certainly no time for modeling!  although my boy McT certainly did his best to indulge me …

but Sadie couldn’t even bring herself to look at me, no matter how much cajoling or sweet talk, treats or squeakers i pulled out of my pockets …

much like my girl Matea, Sadie had huntin’ on her mind …

McT was as little more laid back … checking on us during our moving-shoot …

… but there were still times when he was just a blur going by.

we went to one of my favorite places to shoot and took in all the variety of backdrops … again, McT indulging me with his modeling abilities …

while Sadie … not so much …

because these two terrierists can’t be entirely trust off-leash in such a lush area, rife with scents and wild animals, i introduced owners Nan and Gerhard to the long-lines and how to work them.  it was Sadie’s and McTavish’s first experience on lines and i think the freedom was a definite hit all around.

and although Sadie might have only turned away from her hunting if i’d pulled a live squirrel from my pocket, McTavish was easily enamored with the Cuz ball i brought for him.

the cut wheat fields are less appealing than they were a few weeks ago, with the weeds already growing in around the dried, golden stubble, but Sadie didn’t care.

and almost as fun as the hiking — as with most dogs — is the car ride!

McT  l-0-v-e-s  his car rides …

thanks, Sadie and McTavish for a fun afternoon and evening.  i hope you enjoy your gallery of images, Nan and Gerhard.  hope to see you soon at your studio consult.

he’s a big, fun-loving goofball.

you’ll probably be seeing a lot more of Chai’s big gallery later on, once his images are done.  hope you enjoy the sneak peek, Andrea and Jason.

here are another two clients who enjoyed the effect of the tunnel recently … not an easy pair in this difficult lighting – being so close to the ground with every smell in the woods beckoning them onward, and their light-sucking black coats adding to the task … but i love how — in this shot — McTavish and Sadie end up looking akin to the Pushmi-pullyu from Dr. Doolittle.

you’ll be seeing more of McT and Sadie as i finish up their images from their big shoot.

in the meantime, this tunnel of trees and the great variety of other fabulous backdrops that surround it is just one of the locations that i use for my “Starter Sessions”.  details about the different scruffy dog sessions available are listed on the main website under the prices page.  if you have more questions, drop us a line.

Sal — the blue/brindle cane corso pup and latest addition to the Grooming with Finesse pack — was a riot yesterday afternoon for our add-on session.  i can’t wait to work on his photos but just had to share a couple with you as we head into the weekend.

and compared to his wee sisters at the same location, i think people are bound to take Sal a little more seriously with this sinage …

looking forward to sharing Sal’s gallery with you, Becky.  i love your boy!

meet Ziggy …

Ziggy was not at all pleased about our shoot.  in fact, i think he would have rather eaten dog poo than face the cameras.  but for those who know me, you know i never give up on any animal …

so even though Ziggs wasn’t in the mood and was mostly focused on getting back into the house, i stuck with it … giving him loads of space and using my zoom lens so he could settle.

which he gradually did …

… but not before giving me a few funny faces.  this shot below is my favorite of the shoot.

thanks, Ziggy for being as brave as you could, and for showing me those lovely green eyes of yours in spite of your fear.  i hope you enjoy your gallery, Nikki.