If you’ve got a puppy, a young dog, an energetic or hyper dog, you may be thinking investing in a pet photography session would not be a good idea. But you’re wrong! Here’s why. Sure, everyone always thinks of that perfect pose with the head tilted just the right angle, eyes open, big smiles (yes, dogs do smile) and looking straight at the camera. I won’t disagree that these make beautiful images. But action shots elicit some of the best emotional reactions from my clients. The ears flying in the wind. The silly facial expressions our dogs make when taking off on a run. How our dogs look lik ..read more

It’s all Charlie’s fault. After all he is now 16. Time is flying. And his family needed to make it stop. Just for a moment. Well, maybe a little longer. And that’s just what they did. Charlie’s mom reached out to me with an request to do a photo session with the entire family. So much had happened in the last few years in her life. Covid. A wedding. A new family member. It had been her intention for a long time to get photos. But time, a friend or enemy depending on how you see it, was slipping by. Much too quickly. Sixteen. Such a sweet number. For dogs, it’s more than that. In some breeds ..read more

The relationship we share with our pups is a special one. For many of us, they are not just dogs, but members of the family. Even best friends. It's no surprise really given how much they give to us. They are the constant in an ever changing life. The one who greets us at the door every time we return home. Who listens to our secrets. And shares in all the ups and downs we experience. Did you know? Dog mom day has been celebrated officially since 2018. Of course, I celebrate being a dog mom everyday!   This is a great excuse to spend some quality time with your favorite furry friends. H ..read more

I wouldn’t be a photographer if it wasn’t for my husband. Not because he gave me the ‘bug’. But because he is the one who encouraged me to follow my passion.  Our wedding day! I got the photography bug for the first time when I was 13. It was long before the digital era and we only had film cameras. I learned to develop film first. This piqued my interest, so I wanted to learn to take photos so I could develop more film. Naturally, I then wanted to learn how to print my images. Over time, I accumulated all the equipment necessary to set up a darkroom in the bathroom I shared with my brot ..read more

As a photographer, I am always looking for the beauty on our planet. Not just for spectacular backdrops for my pet photography, but also landscapes, floral and the wildlife. I’ve been fortunate to see several National Parks around our country and to travel to some incredible places outside the United States.  Earth day is a reminder to get outside, open our eyes and see the beauty right where we live. Whether that’s the rainforests of Washington, the waterfalls of New York or the Everglades of Florida, there is beauty to be seen everywhere on this planet.  One of my goals as a smal ..read more

When it comes to wall art, most people I work with are afraid to go big. So to be safe, they opt to choose a smaller size art piece to hang on their wall. In their mind, 20x16” sounds large. But in reality, it’s really quite small. So how do you know what size wall art you should get for your space? If you think you know the answer, I challenge you to think even larger. Then go larger again. Now, you’re probably closer to where you should be. Since many people have a hard time visualizing what an 8x10 looks like on their wall, I suggest taking a sheet of regular paper (8 ½ x11”) and taping it ..read more

Last fall I flew up to Pennsylvania and my hometown of State College. It was a whirlwind weekend. Since it was homecoming at Penn State, I marched the streets of downtown representing the Gulf Coast Florida chapter of alumni (one of 3 people from the sunshine state!), attended a rainy football game on Saturday and visited with family members. In between, I also photographed a family of 5 dogs and their people. Like typical weather in Happy Valley, we were welcomed with cool temps and overcast skies. Boy, I don’t miss that at all! It did rain too (no surprise), but I did get the photo session i ..read more

I had to look it up, but can you believe this is the 5th year that I’ve attended the Southeast Guidedogs walkathon as a vendor?? For me, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday morning than with dogs who give me all the feels! Southeast Guidedogs provides service, guide and skilled companion dogs at no cost for those in need. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make this happen. But simply put - it’s a life changer for so many individuals. I met so many wonderful pups walking for such a great cause! I even met a bearded dragon who walked this year! Never a dull moment at these ..read more

Last month, Three Dog Bakery in Osprey held their grand opening. It was a fun day for both pups and their people. They had raffles, free cake and treats for everyone, adoptable dogs from Humane Society of Sarasota County and Satchel’s Last Resort, an animal communicator and more! I brought my studio equipment and set it up to photograph headshots of dogs. It was a spontaneous decision to do this, but I’m so glad we did. In the three hours I was there, I photographed 19 dogs including some adoptable dogs and met lots of pups and their owners. If you haven’t checked this pet store out, you nee ..read more

I’ve been a member of Professional Photographers of America for several years, but have never attended their annual convention, Imaging USA, until this year. Held in Louisville, Kentucky, it did not disappoint! I left feeling inspired, energized, motivated and even overwhelmed. I’ve “met” so many photographers in online Facebook groups, but never in person. With a huge gathering of so many professional photographers in one place, it finally nice to meet some of these faces in person. I saw old friends I haven’t seen in years and met so many other wonderful people who are involved in the photo ..read more