3 Reasons to give an OH MY DOG! Gift Card to your Valentine.

We think an OH MY DOG Gift Certificate makes a terrific Valentines gift! Here is why.

1. One size fits all. No matter how big or smalll your pet is this is the gift that is a perfect fit for showing how giant your love is.

2. Fat AND Sugar Free. Unlike chocolate, a fun filled session at OH MY DOG! studio is a healthy treat.

3. A lasting gift. Like your love, the gift of a pet portrait has no end. Every time your Valentine sees the wonderful portraits from the memorable session, they will remember just how great you are.

4. Easy to wrap. [Yeah I know I said 3 but I thought of another] Your stylish gift Card come personalized to your sweetie, in a stylish velum wrapper, tied in a white satin bow. The card can include a special message as well. How easy is that?

A gift card for a pet session including a beautiful matted 8x10 costs only $75.00 [and it won't wilt like roses]

Call us to order your card today. 760.479.0553

Put on your Party Hat!

Saturday April 4th 5-8 PM

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Join us for refreshments.

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Enter to win Free a Photo Session.

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Check out the New Studio.

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The new space is at :

816 South Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92024
760.479.0553
www.ohmydogphoto.com

We''ll see you there!

NOTE: Photo of Gus in Hat by Julia Taylor-Brown [Our amazingly talented Daughter!]

The Bostons: Peep and Chelsea

I love the story of why Peeps and Chelsea got their portraits taken. Today, Joe [the bostons uncle] will be marrying the Lovely Anne. Joe's sister will be in the wedding as an attendant.

So, last week Joe snuck these two little charmers in for a portrait to give his sister as a thank you for being in the wedding. Is Joe the sweetest brother/guy ever? Anne, I think you got a good one.

Congratulations Joe and Anne!

I am a sucker for a sweet story AND Chelsea's sweet smile [really adorable!]

Archer aka #J507

This is Archer. She is a Belgian Shepard. Similar to a German Shepard but a bit smaller and sleeker [is that a word?] Archer was originally bred to be a military dog. This is why she has a "Tough Girl" Tattoo J507 in her left ear. She was Adopted by Trainers Rob and Erin Jewell of Sit Means Sit. So in addition to being gorgeous she is stunningly well trained.

Charity Kickball!

the OH MY DOG! Free Agents

BIG NEWS!!!! This year OH MY DOG! Photography will be sponsoring a fund raising coed kickball team. Not just any team either, we will be sponsoring the Encinitas Free Agents.

This will be the team's fourth illustrious season and this time playing for a good cause. Each run will raise money to benefit The Rancho Coastal Humane Society!

When
Monday Nights starting August 25th [Download Complete Schedule]

Monday August 25th 6:15
Monday September 8th 6:15
Monday September 15th 7:15
Monday September 22th 7:15
Monday September 29th 8:15
Monday October 6th 7:15 *
Monday October 13th BYE Week *
Monday October 20th 8:15
Monday October 27th 6:15 [Halloween Costume Game! You won't want to miss this]
{*NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGES!}

November 3rd & 10th Championship TBA

Where
Paul Ecke Sports Park | 278 Saxony Road Encinitas , CA 92024.
Right off the Encinitas Blvd Exit [Map Link]
Pets welcome!

How can you help?

Pledge: We will be accepting pledges for each run the team scores. You can pledge a little as a dollar per run. Last year the team scored about 20 runs. Any amount will help.

Email us with your pledge | info@ohmydogphoto.com

Your donation is tax deductible. You will receive a Donation receipt directly from RCHS. 100% of your pledge amount goes to Rancho Coastal Humane Society.

Please forward this blog to anyone you think might want to donate.
Our goal is $5000, one run at a time!

Call | 760.479.0553
Email | info@ohmydogphoto.com
Mail or Stop by the Studio | 766 South Coast Highway Encinitas, CA 92024 [Map]

Cheer: We love the support. Come out and cheer for the team and the dogs. The beautiful late summer nights at the ball park are wonderful. And it's pet friendly free!

We are so excited about this charity all we can say is....Go FREE AGENTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Benefiting the Rancho Coastal Humane Society

Instant

I love Polaroids.


I was saddened earlier this year to learn that Polaroid will suspend manufacturing of the instant film.

I remember the first time I saw a Polaroid picture. I was at Lake Tahoe as a little girl and a friend of my Mom's had a new camera. This was the type of Polaroid you pulled, peeled and then shook [whether it needed it or not]. I was smitten!

I am sorry that my kids will never really appreciate the magic of an instant picture. They have never known anything but instant pictures, instant everything in fact. They could not conceive a world where you call someone and if they are not home, you must wait and call back later. No text, no cell phones, no answering machines, you must simply wait. This "waiting for things" is what made instant film so exciting.

Now, I am admittedly pretty easily amused. Cellphones, Remote controls and GPS all seem like miracles to me. So it is little wonder that I am still so enamored with spectacle of Polaroid.

Mike and I decided on Polaroid pictures for our wedding. I have pictures of the kids, my childhood friends and crazy teenage parties all recorded in that distinctive, strangely contrasty and off color style. A few years ago I took and then taught a class on different techniques to elevate the Polaroid to an art form. There are some amazing artist doing unbelievably beautiful artwork with Polaroids. For me though, the draw was the instant gratification.

So, yesterday when I excavated an unopened pack of film from the studio while cleaning up, I could not resist a last chance to add our newest family member to our not so instant life.

Faita

Faita a stunningly beautiful dog. We seem to have had a lot of bull breeds and shaggy dogs lately it was fun to have a sleek and streamlined dog. What a beautiful color! She is still quite young and she did such a great job during the shoot. Take a look. She has a wonderful smile!

3 "dog days of summer" vacation ideas

As the dog days of summer drag on and the heat increases, we started looking for some cool getaways. There are many dog friendly locations and accommodations available, here are some ideas.

1. Peace and Natural Beauty - Sea Ranch

Summer is the perfect time to visit the north coast of California. Most of the year this beautiful landscape and rugged coastline can be a bit chilly. Summer days, however drift between the high 60s and low 70s, perfect! Sea Ranch is 30 miles north of Jenner on the Sonoma Coast.

They offer dog beds, homemade dog treats, filtered water and miles of dog friendly beaches and trails. I must admit that the lawn and Adirondack chairs look about perfect for Mike, Gus, Myself and a glass of wine.




2. Luxury Resort - Loews Resort Coronado

Located on beautiful Coronado Island just across the bay from San Diego is the wonderful resort that brings us the Loews Coronado Bay Surf Dog Competition each June. The resort is lovely. It is surrounded by water with sweeping views. They offer loads of pet extras, including pet room service.

My favorite feature is the onsite Coronado Surf Academy that offers Doggie Surfing Lessons. How cool is that?!

3. Casual Adventure - The Russian River

The russian river has long been a summer get away destination. Towns like Monte Rio, Guerneville and Rio Nido offer vacation cabins, many of which are dog friendly.

Canoeing on the river in late summer is a mellow, wonderful way to spend a day. The river is reasonably shallow and slow moving in most spots. Perfect for Fido. Much of the year you will find wild blackberries growing along the shore. A great exuse to make stop on the river edge and have a picnic.

Wine Tasting. Online lists of dog friendly wineries in the Sonoma, Napa, Russian River and Alexander Valleys abound. I recommend calling ahead to see exactly what "pet friendly" means at each winery. Some wineries offer cool, green lawn areas for enjoying cheese platters and sipping wines in the shade. Yes please! [golly, we sound like winos]

Hiking. A leisurely nature walk is more my speed than a real "hike" [Gus agrees with me]. Either way bring a backpack so you can pack some local wine and lunch then head down to the river or up into the redwoods. You can't go wrong. Don't miss the Armstrong Redwoods State Park.

Be sure to let us know if you take any of these trips or have good doggie trippin' ideas of your own.

We love to hear reader reviews!

Happy Campers

Remember those great summer days at camp? Playing in the water, running around with friends and ropes and obstacle courses. Now your dog can enjoy all this at Camp Run a Mutt.

Camp Run a Mutt is a doggie daycamp Located near downtown in San Diego.

We had the opportunity to to take Gus [our Bostontaius Terrier] to the camp to attend a Doggie Birthday Party and he had SO MUCH FUN! He ran and played and played and played. The folks at the Camp were wonderful, really knowledgeable and it was clear they truly love dogs.

Gus isn't much of a water dog, but he did enjoy sitting next to the the lovely waterfall by the dog pond. I'm not joking here. This place is NICE! Very clean with loads of shade, toys, obstacle courses. You don't have to take my word for it, though. Check out their 4 Camp Cams.

And they offer grooming. What camper comes home smelling better than when they left?!

Gus joins us at the office each day but I see us signing him up for a camp day soon.

Fave Five

Or should I say "Phave Phive" phor the Candid Campers?

It is Photo Phinish Phriday Phiesta at Camp Candid Carrie and I am happy to oblige a request for a favorites gallery. It has been great hearing from the folks on the field trip.

I have picked out five photographs that make me smile every time I see them. That is the litmus test for me. When I see a client smiling as they watch the presentation sideshow after a shoot or I find myself smiling as I edit the images, I know I have given my clients what they came for, a lasting bit of the joy.

Slider
I love this picture. It looks like slider is the the first Australian Shepard to win the British Open. It was done for Interior designers Tim and Linda Arbogast who own Jett Modern.
They had this amazing Union Jack Rug and I think the effect is striking.

Nougat
Nougat lives on a ranch with horses. The saddle was brought in with him from the ranch [the dust is real]. The proud and direct way that Nougat approached the shoot speaks volumes. Something in his wonderful eyes.

Ace
Okay, this is one tough cat! At the time of this shoot he was recovering from a run in with a skunk that involved stitches! I am not going to lie, I was scared of this little kitty. I was told by Alicia, his owner, that he is a mean cat and he will attack anything. So I took a deep breath and faced Ace. This is the first picture from the shoot and I think it represents Ace's feeling about the shoot fairly well. The images came out great and I came away with out a scratch. In this cat fight it is photographers 1/cats 0.

Faita
I am a sucker for a smiling dog. This photo has it all for me. A bold composition, lovely fur, great color and a happy dog. Faita looks like she is just about to say something complimentary. "have you lost weight?" or "is that handbag new? I just love it". In fact, feel free to email or comment your captions.


Gus
I had to include a picture of our very own Gus. This photograph may not have all of the technical merit of most of my photography but I shot it on our daily walk to work and it makes me smile. This image captures the joyful prancing that Gus does all the way to the studio each morning.

And like I said, it's about lasting memories and joy.

10 Tips for Better Pet Portraits

Welcome to all the folks visiting from Camp Candid Carrie. Being a bus stop on a virtual field trip is an honor I never anticipated!

My husband and I operate a portrait studio in San Diego. While we do a variety of portraiture, we specialize in pet portraits. I know how much fun it is to take pictures of pets. It's what I do for a living and I LOVE what I do.

I get asked frequently how to take better pet pictures. I am happy to share what I have learned over the years. While I do know some tricks most of these tips are tried and true portrait techniques learned from years as a photographer. Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Patience
Take a deep breath and lower your expectations. Chances are your pet won't sit and stay the way you want, so don't be disappointed or get stressed. Your pet picks up on the stress and no good can come from that. Be patient and have fun! You'll get much better pictures.

2. Get Some Help
I always have an assistant. My assistant [or the pet's owner] should be the only one talking to the pet. I am free to operate the camera setting and focus on composure. This prevents the pet from being overwhelmed with too many commands. My assistant holds treats/toys and directs the pet. Make sure your assistant isn't blocking your light or casting a shadow into your picture.

3. Treats & Toys
Great portraits are not on most pets priority list, so I resort to bribery. Use treats and toys that your dog likes....NOT loves. You want intrigue not insanity. My dog likes kibble and will be interested in getting some. However if I bring out the Pupperoni [we call it puppy crack], he turns into a deranged treat addict and the shoot is over. Use one treat/toy at a time, bringing out a new one as needed to capture your pets attention.

4. Time & Timing
Set aside time for your portraits. Grabbing the camera when your pet does something cute is great, but it rarely yields a masterpiece. Give yourself an hour to play and photograph. Take breaks, take lots of shots and take your time. Timing is also key. A good long walk or run will help your pet be calm for pictures.

5. Your Camera
Every camera has features and limitations. You can get wonderful photographs with ANY camera. The trick is to know what your camera will and won't do. I know you read your camera manual from cover to cover......what...you didn't? Well, no problem. I am going to give you a few features to go and look up. [tip: most camera manuals can be downloaded from the manufacturer, in case yours is as lost as mine is]

Features to look for:

• Exposure Compensation
• White Balance
• Macro
• Fill Flash
• Portrait, Landscape, Action & Night Shot Modes

Don't get overwhelmed, just see if your camera has these features. If it does, spend some time playing with them one at a time. Each feature has a real life application that will greatly improve your pictures.

6. Prepare
Dead batteries and empty media cards love to ruin a cute pose. Have spares on hand.

7. Composition
Composing a portrait means looking at the big picture. As the photographer you must be aware of what is in and out of the frame.
Be sure to look for distracting details in the background. Watch for things that appear to grow out of your pets head, like house plants and floor lamps. At the park, avoid parking lots and trash cans in the background. Simply moving a few feet left or right can often be all that is needed.
Don't be afraid to get up close. Close up shots are often the most meaningful and compelling. Show off your pets lovely eyes, fur or paws with a close-up. Spend some time looking at professional portraits. Notice how the image is composed, the angle of the camera, the lighting. Look for ways to use what you like in your own pet portraits.

8. Experiment
Break the rules. Shoot into the sun, play with camera setting, stand on a ladder, lay on the floor. If it doesn't work out, you can always delete it.

9. Light
The single most important consideration in any photograph is light. In photography school, I was taught that by learning to look at and manage the light on your subject you will get better pictures [my, that sounded serious!]. This just means that it helps to give a bit of attention to the light falling on your pet and not just the cute pose. If the light doesn't look right, here are some things you can do to change it.

Turn off your flash. Natural light is the way to go. At the studio we do use flash, big, fancy studio lights with umbrellas and softboxes. We still prefer natural light and use it any chance we have. The best light is defused sunlight, the kind you get from north facing windows, a slightly overcast day, or a shady area at a sunny park.

Use a reflector [a piece of white poster board or a white pop up car shade work great] to reflect light back to your subject. This will help put a spark in the eyes and fill in shadows.

A tripod will keep your camera steady for longer exposures in lower light situations and works great for cats and sleeping dogs.

Turn on your flash [I know I just said turn it off, here's the exception] Play with your flash outside. Sometimes using your flash in a sunny situation can give you those great popping colors and bright eyes you see in professional portraits. This technique takes some patience and experimentation but the results are well worth it.


10. Wonderful and Unexpected
Now that you are prepared, know your camera, have the time and the patience, it's time to have some fun. Don't get to hung up on a certain poses or tricks. Some of my favorite shots come when a cat yawns or cleans it's face, when dogs hear a car horn and gives me a perfect profile shot as they look for the sound, or when a puppy lays down out of complete boredom with the shoot. By giving your pet a little wiggle room you will get wonderful portraits showing off all of your pets character.

I hope this has given you some tools to improve your portraits and a good excuse to get on the floor and play with your pet. Please feel free to send me specific questions about pet photography and/or request our monthly newsletter to get more tips and techniques.

Happy Camping,
Tee Taylor
OH MY DOG! Photography

info@ohmydogphoto.com
760.479.0553

Miss Avila and Big Dog

We love dogs [they don't have to be real!] and little girls and sun dresses and hats. This little lady has it all.

Betty Birthday Pawty

We attended Betty's Birthday Pawty at Camp-Run-A-Mutt. Betty is the Dog we all know from the logo for Pawyard. You can see all of the pictures from the festivities here. [This would include pictures of our very own Gus making a sloppy frosting pig of himself!]

Betty Looked lovely!

We had cake. It is a safe for pooches from Paw Pleasers Here is the birthday girl herself enjoying cake and sharing it very nicely with her big sis, Princess

The folks at Camp Run a Mutt were amazing. Really friendly and knowledgeable. If you haven't been over there yet, drop by. There is a waterfall in the doggies swimming pool. SWANKY! [or check them out on the pup cams at their website.]

Our Founding Dogs

When Thomas Jefferson crossed the Atlantic in November 1789, he brought to Virginia a small band of foreign emigrants. On board the Clermont with Jefferson, his two daughters, and the slaves James and Sally Hemings, were over sixty European trees and three French dogs.

The day before he left the French port of Le Havre Jefferson had been "roving thro the neighborhood of this place to try to get a pair of shepherd's dogs. We walked 10. miles, clambering the cliffs in quest of the shepherds, during the most furious tempest of wind and rain I was ever in." He had stumbled on a suicide in his ramblings, but found no dogs. The next day, however, the mission was accomplished, for Jefferson recorded in his Memorandum Book the payment of thirty-six livres (the equivalent of six dollars) for "a chienne bergere big with pup."

Bergère, as she was thereafter known, whelped on the transatlantic passage, and she and her two puppies were installed at Monticello early in 1790.

I found this t-shirt online and I love it. I am ordering one today for Gus!

Media Thomas Jefferson Dog T-Shirt

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be. ... When the press is free and every man can read, all is safe." (Thomas Jefferson, 1743 - 1826)

$19.99

How much are memories worth?

At least $75 dollars...right?

Memories are priceless, of course. You want to capture all of the precious people and pets in your life. We have just made your memories more affordable than ever.

Our new studio session fee of $75 includes a matted 8x10 and a private viewing session for your convenience.

You still have your choice of collection and can purchase additional prints at our new, lower enlargement prices.

Contact us to book your session today.

PhotoAqua or Oh My Dog Photography

Gigi and Sparky

I would like to introduce Gigi and Sparky. Gigi is a pitbull femme fatale. So lovely with her up sweep ear-do. Sparky is one of the kindest souls to ever visit our studio. He is a senior member of his family but is aging ever so gracefully.

Both a joy!

Get Well Bandit!

Bandit the Biker Dog, who does so much good for others needs our good wishes this week! He had an accident that cost him an eye. He is expected to recover, thank goodness. We saw Bandit just last Sunday at the Napa Vally Grille Fashion show where he was picking up girls on his bike. {see the Picture!} Not to worry Bandit, an eye patch adds character and chicks dig scars!

Get well soon!