miracle maker

last month i had the privilege of working with tucker (miracle maker) and his human, jessica. let's talk about the definition of a gentleman: tucker. what a sweetheart. he was in a strange place (jessica's backyard!), on a windy day, with rustling leaves, big shadows, barking dogs, and humans waving towels, crinkling bags, and acting like complete crazies, and he just stood there. "you want my ears up this way? or would you rather like this?" i could almost hear his voice talking to us, and i would just chitchat back with him, having a one sided conversation that i'm sure everyone chuckled at. really though, what a great guy. what a lucky horse, and what a lucky girl. jessica loves tucker and gave me the classic "i'm going to keep him forever!" story that all horse girls give you about the love of their life, but i know she meant it. he's a special one.

 

 

 

 

anne and bo

i have a soft spot for herding dogs. their intensity fascinates me and the patience and understanding that their owners have for them humbles me. the looks that they give me are some of the most memorable of all my dog pictures and capturing that in photographs is both easy and extremely difficult at the same time. easy because their stares never waver- difficult because to capture the intensity that they're projecting, you need to be in the exact right place, at the exact right time, and click your shutter closed at the exact right second. plus, it's pretty hard when you're not the one they're focused on.
bo and anne have been together for 11 years, since bo was a tiny puppy. he's an australian shepherd and her pride and joy. he is completely and totally devoted to her. his gaze will not waver if she says his name. he is so intense, he shakes while watching her (especially if she happens to have a tasty treat in her hand!) capturing the devotion that anne and bo have for each other was the easiest hard thing i've had to do all season and i am eternally grateful to have been allowed into their world for the short time that i was.

lois and baxter

they say that this business is all about connections- it's about who you know. i make a lot of connections- a lot. friends of friends, family of friends, friends of clients, clients of clients, you get the idea. my friend holli murphy (see my very early morning post from today) works with dr. lois fiander at nova vet clinic in liverpool and helped me make this great connection. lois graciously allowed me to capture the very intimate bond between her and her one and a half year old australian terrier, baxter (bullseye's al of u). you can't help but smile at baxter- his tongue is just a little too long for his mouth, so it's almost always sticking out just a little. he's very, very polite and assures you that he likes you, but the minute lois speaks his name he's entirely focused on her. the admiration is reciprocal, though: when lois is speaking to baxter her voice is low and calm, like she's always telling him a secret. one look from her makes him wag his tail and even the gentlest touch from her makes his squirm like he hasn't been petted all day long. despite making a 'business connection' with lois and baxter, i'm pretty aware of how privileged i am to have peeked in on the connection they have with each other- not something you get to see everyday. i love my job.

 

 

 

holli and mia

holli murphy is one of those people who started out as a client years ago and has become much, much more than that. brought together by our love of horses, photography, and dogs, we became quick friends.

mia (steinplatz hot ticket) is holli's 3 year old rottweiler, bred by ruth hartman of steinplatz rottweilers in new brunswick.  mia and holli always give me such great pictures; their love for one another is apparent (even to non-dog people) and shines through in every photograph i take of them.