I actually captured these dog photographs about a month ago.  However, I wanted to wait until the intended gift recipient received his completed album before blogging them.  It's been a challenge though; look how cute these doggies are! ;) 

I think Bonnie & Jack had a lot of fun at their dog photography session.  This was just before the first blizzard of 2010 here in Central PA.  It was just flurrying and cold on this day, but the doggies didn't mind.

Dog Files:

Jack (Jackson) = A Greater Swiss Mountain Dog who loves spending time with his humans and snuggling on the couch.  Fears, the camera!  Yep, I was warned that he's not always keen on having his photograph captured.  We made the session mostly about having fun, so he did a great job with the camera!!

Bonnie = A Yellow Lab with boundless amounts of energy.  She loves her ball, hiking, and swimming.  She was trained for The Susquehanna Service Dogs but had just a little too much energy so she was adopted by Sue and Eric. 

Here are a few spreads/pages from their album. . .

Sue called me with a super sweet message yesterday.  She wanted to tell me that her husband said the album of their dogs was one of the best gifts he's ever received.  A great big thank you to Sue who wanted to do this for her husband Eric, not because it was any special day or holiday, but just because.  Yeah, Sue's pretty awesome!

I had a first at this session, a unique challenge I haven't yet faced at a pet photography session. You see, Rocco is not from this country. He's a dog that was trained in the Czech Republic as part of a police dog program. Fortunately for Mike & Michele, Rocco was too friendly to pass all of his tests; so he flew all of the way from the Czech Republic to live with his new family.  My proposed challenge, communicating with a doggie that doesn't speak much English - yet.

I soon discovered though, that Rocco would respond to just the tone of my voice.   As my sessions are mostly unscripted to begin with, I had a ton of fun just watching Rocco interact with his seriously devoted human companions.  This is Michele's first dog, but I do believe she was meant to have a dog in her life! The bond the three of them share after a mere two months is simply amazing.  It's like Rocco has been with them his entire life! 

At the end of the session, Michele, Brian, and I discussed the value and benefits of sharing your life with a canine companion.  In my honest opinion, I'm a healthier and happier person because I share my life with many wonderful animals but especially because of Olive & now Basil too! 

Here's to your health and happiness Michele, Mike, & Rocco; and thanks for a lovely evening!

While I was capturing this photo, Rocco came over to watch his favorite people which then allowed me to create the following photo without any prompting at all!  Love it!!!  See, he's just an awesome, awesome dog!

So happy!

Some updates of our pack. . .

My Family! :)