When I first heard from Renee, her note was filled with anxiety, nervousness and heart-break. Her little pup of 12 years, Oreo was just diagnosed with an enlarged heart. Unsure of how much time they have left together, she wanted to capture Oreo’s personality and their daily routines as quickly as possible. I grinned ear to ear when reading her email as she described the special every day moments she, Oreo and her husband Charles shared together. She prefaced each one with “I know it may sound silly…” Come on! I’m a dog lover. I spoon with my pups, buy them special treats and in no way did anything in their routine sound silly.
I’m a natural-light shooter. I enjoy capturing dogs at home or outside at a local park where they can showcase their personality. This was one of my first extensive indoor shoots and I was very excited. I was also excited to do some “documentary” style shooting where they were able to go through some of their normal activities and I was able to just be an observer. Oreo and I became fast friends. He sat in “his” chair with his toy duck that he’s had since he was adopted! He sat at the top of the stairs as he does each day waiting for mom and dad to come home. Mom also carried him as she does each night when it’s time to get ready for bed. The best part was watching dad take Oreo for a walk. No leash needed. Oreo walks the white line along the side of this country road. Renee says if Oreo steps off the line, dad says “uh oh!” and Oreo hops right back on! Don’t you just love this little pup and his infectious smile?
These shoots can often seem overwhelming. You want to capture every precious moment, but keep things light-hearted and fun. I think we accomplished that. I didn’t want to leave! Dogs are such a huge part of our lives and I was happy to share if only for a few hours this beautiful family’s time together.
Look how Oreo looks up to make sure she’s following Charles step by step!
