I realize it has been a full two years since my last blog entry. With the latest of scruffy dog always posted on Facebook and Instagram, I often wonder whether people even drop in on blogs any more. Today, however, I definitely need to post, and I can only hope that the right people find this.
First off, I hope you, your family and your scruffies are having a beautiful summer. It has been a busy year so far at this end … sessions, of course, continue, and – even after 17 years of running scruffy dog photography – I never tire of seeing new and familiar faces alike in the roster of sessions each season. Along with sessions, I’ve made some moves on the home front … the most significant of these was downsizing the former 400- square-foot area of scruffy dog headquarters into a space one third the size.
The scruffies and I are loving the new space, as are clients who come for their pre-session consults, with the office overlooking the catio and the gardens, the sounds of windchimes, waterfountains, and the birds. I do hope that this space will see many more scruffy clients in the days and years to come … OR maybe not.
Yes, as per the title of this blog entry, this could be a bit of a now-or never posting. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter you will not have heard my latest news, so here it is…
Not many are aware of the traumatic accident that took out my ankle 21 years ago, shattering bone and completely dislocating my foot from my leg. I’ve struggled for many years with the limitations and pain from this injury, and have now reached a point where continuing with that struggle is no longer an option. The surgeon has recommended a total ankle replacement.
However … because of my commitment to my clients, I am delaying the surgery until closer to the end of this year … after the summer and fall sessions have wrapped. What this means, however – with an expected recovery time of anywhere from 6 to 12 months – is that it is highly unlikely I will be able to start shooting again until much later into 2025 or maybe even 2026.
And then, of course, there is always the chance that I am not able to ever shoot sessions again. Face it, life doesn’t offer guarantees, and neither does this surgery. While I will certainly be doing everything in my power to come back stronger than ever, total ankle replacements don’t exactly boast the kind of success rates that knees and hips do.
So … why am I telling you all of this? Because I hate letting people down; I hate not being able to be there for my clients who want some one-of-a-kind artwork for their walls, who have brought home a puppy and want those once-in-a-lifetime shots or – more importantly – require a last minute session after a devastating diagnosis.
And … because I cannot guarantee anything past the end of this fall season, this really could be your very last opportunity to have a scruffy dog session.
So … this is me begging you:
… if you have EVER wanted a scruffy session,
PLEASE think hard about doing something RIGHT NOW
…inquire about booking a session for this summer or this fall.
I will work to fit as many sessions as possible into the schedule.
If your dog is older, please don’t wait until you’ve gotten bad news. Do it now, while they’re still feeling good.
If finances are an issue (as they are for most of us), please know that I have always offered payment plans.
If you’ve had a session years before and want some updated images that reflect the years and bond you have shared with your dog … Please. Don’t. Wait.
I do very much look forward to hearing from you and sending you more information about the scruffy dog sessions.
As always, please take a look under the menu tabs above for session details, information, tons of photos, testimonials, and much more. And if I don’t hear from you, I hope you have a truly spectacular summer and fall season!