So just to be clear, when I tell you we are having a blast at these backyard photo sessions this summer, I am NOT LYING. This one was among my very favorite — I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

This is Oscar! Isn’t he adorable?!

Oscar is a rescue dog (who has a very loving home) and they aren’t sure how old he his because they don’t know his background. Because of this, and the knowledge of his age when they adopted him, the age range given is EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY ONE years old. That is OLD. For a dog.

And he walks around just fine and can still hear a little and gazes so sweetly at the camera. I had so much fun with this old guy last night! What a trooper!

Yesterday I ran out to the garden to pick some tomatoes for dinner (holy cow I love this time of year!) and I found these two friends taking a rest on my plants. So I bolted back inside for my camera. The dragonfly, in particular, takes my breath away.

I have done very few “front porch sessions” this summer, mainly because I prefer my normal sessions spaced out over more time so I can really get the kids to relax. But in some instances (like those in my neighborhood where I already know the kids), I relented.

These images are from one of those sessions. I will always prefer photos of kids playing and being comforted by parents to those of posing (unless kids pick their nose while posing — those are PRICELESS). So here are a few!

Oh, how I adore photographing this family! I mean, I’m not gonna lie, some of my favorite evenings are when I get together with some parents that I photographed getting married a few years ago, and then all of a sudden I get to follow their kids around while they all play together.

Watching families grow like this is such a highlight of my job. And because I only see the kids once or twice (sometimes three times if I’m lucky!) a year, they always seem to grow SO DANG FAST!

This little nugget loved the bubbles I brought, and it was so fun to watch her figure them out and play. One good thing about this pandemic is that I’m seeing how fun it is just to work with families in their front yards, where they are at such ease. It really has been magical.

This is Koda! He is Apollo’s sweet brother and holy moly do the parents of these dogs have a patience for dog hair that I do not! But the boys are so hilarious and fun, that I cannot blame the parents at all for bringing these two cuties home.

Koda here is the younger and more hilarious of the duo — always pawing at me and just melting my heart along the way. What a cutie!

I was so, so happy to get some dogs back in the studio this week! Meet Apollo. Isn’t he handsome? And FIERCE? Oh how I adore this boy.

Dog shoots are pretty safe for me right now because the client sits about 10 feet away from me and the pup while we shoot. I can also have clients wait outside in the car if they prefer while I photograph the dog and then bring it out when I’m done!

So if you’ve been pondering a dog shoot but weren’t sure how they were working these days, get at me! I’d love to get you some fun photos!

This week, I’ve been working in the studio on product shots and the like. While it is sorta exciting to, you know, LEAVE THE HOUSE, it’s also been so weird each morning as these blustery storms roll in out of nowhere and then disappear 30 minutes later. Today I turned around to snap the drips on the window panes, and I liked the effect and the blurred trees, so I’m sharing it.

Tomorrow? Something more fun, I promise. Come back and check it out when you need a smile.