“This dog is the whole reason I became a dog trainer. He went to high school with me. He was my college project dog. He went to work with me. He was my show dog. Now I want a way to remember him forever, even after he’s gone. I’m looking for a photo that can capture the bond I have with my boy. We have been through so much together.”
These were the words shared by Ripley’s mom when she reached out and inquired about doing a Memory Session for her beautiful “senior” boy.
Ripley’s mom was flexible with locations for our photo session. She reached out at a good time with Ripley being able to hike and enjoy the outdoors. She has had Ripley since 8 weeks old, and he is now almost 14.
When me met up for our planning session via zoom, I learned that mom was interested in a location with trails. When we talked about the types of images she was looking to have captured, her bond was most important, along with some candids.
Mom and Ripley were up for a new adventure, so I decided to mention a location that looked amazing to me: The Stone Arch Bridge in Westford, MA. There were hiking trails that were a short walk to a bridge. It looked like a great variety of backdrops for us.
Ripley was a trooper! He loved exploring the new location, enjoyed the smells and even made a new dog friend along the way.
When I looked into info on this location prior to the session, there were some negative reviews about the graffiti. I do feel bad if people destroy property, but I found some of the areas very artistic and loved the bold, bright colors.
Where there is a bridge, there is water! Ripley was up for exploring. We had him off leash in the little area…. and he went straight for the muddy water.
Golden hour hit as we were walking back on the path toward the parking lot. We stopped at the little wood footbridge to wrap up our adventure. The sweetest pair!
Within 3-10 days after a photo session, I catch up with clients for an order session. This is mostly done “in person”, but if there is quite a distance between us to travel, zoom is always an option. I met up with Ripley’s mom via zoom, she chose 25 favorite images and I am putting together a story box of memories to display for her.
As I write this post, Ripley is doing well! I’m so glad we did this photo session when we did. Please don’t wait to schedule a photo session with your pet. Our pets aren’t with us forever. I love when they are able to enjoy the experience. You will be glad you did this!
I’d like to share this with you: This week I am honored to be featured in “Go Solo” from my recent interview, sharing what it is like to be a small business owner. Check out more here:
This week’s blog post is part a pet photographer’s blog circle. Click on the link at the end of each post and follow along. Next up Fiona Lovett from Happy Tales Photography shows off her favourite easily-accessible location in all of Andorra, the stunning mountain valley of Els Cortals d’Encamp. I’m looking forward to checking this out! Enjoy!
This location looks great and I love the bond between Ripley and his mom.
Beautiful pictures that this lovely lady will cherish forever. What a gift it is to have tangible artwork that captures the bond you share with your beloved dog.
What a sweet heart Ripley is and a gorgeous location.
I’m dying here. THOSE BOOTS. I mean, great spot and beautiful dog but THOSE BOOTS.
Love that you used the introduction by Ripley’s mom. Love all the shots especially the Stone Arch Bridge Graffiti as a backdrop!!
Awww, so good that he’s still doing well! Not waiting too long is key to images that are happy and full of the energy we know and love about our dogs.
Wow!!! What a beautiful collection of images! Ripley’s mom must be thrilled with these.
What a great location and good for you for making the most of everything it had to offer. The love between Ripley and his mom shines through in all the images and such a beautiful image box, I might be tapping you to find out where to source that!