Close Up of Comet

My favorite dog to photograph is our beagle Comet. Not only because he is our dog, but because he is such a natural when it comes to posing for the camera. While other dogs would look away, Comet would simply strike a pose as if he knows what the camera is for. Recently, I got a new camera lens that is very good for taking close up photos. And you guessed it, I tested the lens on him. Here are some close up photos of Comet and you'll understand why he's such a "pro."

Santa Paws Photos

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing pets with Santa Paws. It was a great experience for me as I have never took so many photos of dogs in one day. There were about 50 dogs and one cat who met Santa Paws, had pictures with him, and whispered their Christmas wishes. It was exhausting, but totally fun and worth it. The Santa Paws photo event is a yearly fundraiser activity for the Chesapeake Humane Society to benefit its Care Clinic and the homeless animals. Kudos to all the volunteers who helped out that day and most of all, to Santa Paws who was very good at making the pets sit, stay and smile for the camera!

Girlie, the 2011 Bark in the Park Spokesdog

It’s not every day that I get to meet a spokesdog. So when I was asked by the Chesapeake Humane Society to take photos of their 2011 Bark in the Park Spokesdog, I immediately said yes to this opportunity. For readers who may not know, the Chesapeake Humane Society awards the Bark in the Park Spokesdog title to the pet that had the highest amount of funds raised for their dog walk. The funds raised will benefit a lot of homeless pets and the Chesapeake Humane Care Clinic. For 2011, the Spokesdog title went to Carolina Girl, a.k.a. Girlie, an 8-year-old Yorkshire terrier. Girlie and her human mom, June, collected a total of $1,300 for the Chesapeake Humane Society.

I met Girlie and June at the Chesapeake City Dog Park on a beautiful Monday afternoon. The weather was perfect that day. Girlie, with her cute red bow, gave me a good tail wag. I knew then that this photo shoot will not be difficult at all. And as it turned out, the photo shoot did not even take that long. Girlie was a pro! She was very good on camera. Here are some photos of her:

Get to know more about Girlie by visiting my other blog, Out of the Shelter, where I posted my brief "tete-a-tete" with her.

Petsmart Adopt-a-thon Event

Offsite pet adoption events are a great way to increase the chance of an orphaned pet to be adopted. That is why my husband and I are always happy to help out with the Chesapeake Humane Society whenever they hold an offsite adoption event at Petsmart. It was during one of these events where we met our beagle Comet and decided to adopt him.

In the last Petsmart adoption event, I had the privilege of taking photos of adoptable pets and the tireless volunteers who worked hard to find homes for these furry creatures. Here are some of the photos. Check out also my blog Out of the Shelter for other Petsmart adoption event photos.

Adoption event sign

Bo, a hound and golden retriever mix. He was one of the lucky ones who found a forever home that day.

Rocky, the chiwienie (chihuahua and dachshund mix)

A former shelter dog stops by to say hi

Kittens nap as they wait for a family to bring them home.

Bring in the Bullies!

The English bulldogs are one of the most popular canine breeds. They have also been widely featured in movies, TV commercials and novels. The most famous English bulldog that I could think of is Gladstone, the pet of the dynamic duo Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

English Bulldogs have always fascinated me. Behind the wrinkled, "I'm the boss" expression and a tough appearance, English bulldogs are actually sweethearts. They can be funny, clumsy and playful. Meet Sampson and Eve for instance - two adorable English bull dogs who are a father and daughter tandem. Whenever they arrive at the Chesapeake City Dog Park, they surely light up the place. Eve will come running happily towards you with her purple ball in tow and will insist that you grab her ball and play. Sampson will just calmly sit by your side, but is always on the lookout for any four-legged friend who would want to get the ball away from his daughter. It's always fun to watch them. In their recent visit to the dog park, I was fortunate to take photos of them as Eve continuously presses her purple ball on me and urging me to play "tug-of-war" with her.