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“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.  For me they are the role model for being alive.”  ~ Gilda Radner

As I capture portraits of families, that often includes much-loved family pets; however, recently I have been able to shoot the last days of several pets, and it gives me such joy to create this lasting memory of loved ones. In the Fall of 2010, we included sweet lab Maddie in a family portrait, but it also happened to be one of her last days. So when I got the call that the family’s other golden retriever, Ginger, was not doing well, I rushed over for some portraits. Ginger was named for her stunning color, and had beautiful and soulful brown eyes. I think the shared love and emotions speak for themselves.

Another client called me in December to shoot some portraits of her family’s dog, Mae the german shorthair. A fabulous hunting companion (hence the safety orange collar!), Mae was having trouble with a growth on her eye, but we were able to showcase her “good” side! I went out of town for the Christmas break, and when I got back, learned that Mae had gone on to doggy heaven. In fact, that is the name of a book, “Dog Heaven” by Cynthia Rylant, that my friend gave her kids upon learning the news. It is a lovely book that paints a picture that there are “fields to run in, soft beds (made of clouds turned inside out) and ‘angel children,’ because ‘God knows that dogs love children more than anything else in the world’.” Rest in peace, sweet pets!

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