on the heels of three blog entries cluttered with puppies, i have to share the sad news of the passing of a scruffy client. sweet, man Buster …
this lovely old man had his Honour Session™ in June …
if you want to see more from Buster’s Honour Session™, you can see it here.
goodbye, Buster, you sweet man. i know you are dearly missed here on earth.
alas, i’m very behind on sneak peeks. here’s a sneak of Barkley’s summer session from a couple of weeks ago.
for you devout scruffy dog blog followers, you’ll remember Barkley from his winter session. now it was time for his summer session, and what a sweet boy he is to work with.
and he loves, loves, loves his teddy bear …
stay tuned for Barkley’s fuller blog entry soon.
happy September 1st, everyone!!
here’s a belated sneak peek of a lovely old girl i met a week ago for her scruffy dog session. this is Gill …
we had a lovely, albeit hot, shoot … and i’ll be sharing more from her session soon on the blog, so stay tuned!
meet Bailey … one of the sweetest old men i’ve had the pleasure of shooting in a very long time …
yeah, he looks like a ham, but our shoot started out like this …
“what is that big clacky thing?” this boy wasn’t immediately trusting the whole situation with the cameras and me in his face, so i had to warm him up. normally, with even the slightest shyness, i take to the outdoors, but mom Lisa wanted some photos of Bailey indoors, and i wanted to grab them while we still had the best light coming inside. so, with Mr. B relaxing on the bed, i worked my charms … well, and the treats, which in Bailey’s case were bits of carrot and cucumbers greedily snapped from your fingers.
as i do with every shoot, on my way to Bailey’s house i kept my eyes open for any possible locations … and a couple of blocks before arriving i spotted this field of Queen Annes Lace. we simply had to make a quick stop!
we’d postponed Bailey’s shoot already once due to the weather … his original shoot having been slated for that hottest day in July on record. and this back-up date, was quite gray and dreary, so i’ve done my best to work some wonders in the post-production …
at Bailey’s favorite park, the foot- and dog-traffic was pretty constant, so we had to work around it …
…not always easy with an old man who has places to go, things to sniff, and pee-mail to post! patience is not this senior’s middle name…
… but we did get a few still, albeit brief, moments …
Bailey was adopted from the Guelph shelter at only 4 months. he is suspected to be a pointer-greyhound cross, and today, at the age of 14, i can only imagine the tailwind this boy used to leave in his wake during his younger years …
in his fourteen years, this boy has definitely been loved … i’m betting one white hair for ever kiss he’s ever received on his gorgeous head.
and his reciprocated devotion is clear to see …
from his favorite park, i suggested to Lisa that we head out to a couple of the wheat fields outside of town … one had just been cut and made for a lovely backdrop …
but i really wanted to capture Bailey with some standing wheat … so off we headed again … until we found the right field …
the ears might not work so well anymore, but yup, that sniffer still works!
and those charming eyes …
on the way back to the house, i spotted some tall yellow flowers as well as these black-eyed susans, so yup, another quick stop …
and finally home …
thank you, Lisa, for trusting me to capture these precious memories of your amazing boy. and thank you, Bailey, for being such an amazing spirit and companion to your family. you are one in a million.
it is with a heavy but settled heart that i bring you the sad news of the passing of yet another member of the scruffy dog family. and for those who aren’t entirely familiar with how we run around here, all of our clients become scruffy family members, as the hours spent during our photo shoots develop a bond and an understanding that can be seen in no other light than: “family“. you can see Riley’s original blog post here.
it’s always sad when one of my clients loses their beloved 4-legger … but at the same time, i often feel settled in the fact that these dogs have lived fabulous, loved lives, regardless of their beginnings — whether purchased puppies, shelter dogs, or puppymill. and Riley was certainly and deeply loved in his 17 years of life with artist Shelley and her now-grown sons.
as Shelley writes: “… we said goodbye to our beloved Riley. He had a great life and a gentle death.” what more could a little scruffy ask for?
i’ll never forget our afternoon stroll in the park that pleasant fall day … Riley soaking up all the sights and smells, Shelley deeply connecting with her boy, and poor Daniel lugging my equipment. this little dog had an undeniable connection with all of his humans.
i know that a number of the scruffy dog followers will always remember Riley as the little scruffy dog with the ears.
this boy certainly had a way with his ears.
i think he could tell entire stories with those ears.
to Shelley and Daniel and Josh, you know my heart is with you during this empty time, but have faith that Riley’s spirit and energy still surrounds you. i look forward to seeing you soon.
