Pet Photography to the The Power of Ten
We’re celebrating big time around here my friends. I can’t believe it but… 2024 is a HUGE milestone for this girl!
I’m celebrating the 10th anniversary of Indigo Pet Photography and my journey to become Niagara’s favourite pet photographer. Photographing dogs, and more recently horses, has been the most incredible experience of my life. It’s opened new doors to understanding who I am, and introduced me to amazing new friends. I adore every pet that has honoured me with their presence over the years and am grateful that their humans chose me to capture their spirit.
I am kicking the pawty off with a series of blogs featuring a Top 10 category, 10 years, top 10, get it? Choosing just 10 images is insanely difficult, as every session is so unique and fun, but here we go. Ten of my favourites action images from 2014 to 2024. Buckle up and prepare to be launched into the world of the Aerodynamically Inclined.
2014: Angus, The Great Dane
Such a gorgeous soul he was. So handsome and sweet. He and his mom and I went to Port Dalhousie and had a blast on the beach and the pier on a gorgeous fall evening.
Sadly Angus crossed the rainbow bridge not long after our second photo session, 7 years later, in 2021. I’m so thankful his mom and dad have their Storyboards and prints to keep their gentle giant’s spirit alive.
2015: Lucca , my Texas Mystery Mix
Okay I just had to include my Lucca in this list, I love this photo. He had just come to me as a foster from Texas through Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Ontario, and I caved in in a matter of days and adopted him.
He came with the name Astro, which was cute, but I wanted the happiest dog I ever met to be named after my happy place. (Lucca is a town in Tuscany that I spent 7 years travelling back and forth to. My passion for photography was ignited there.) Once I saw this bouncy scruffy puppy, I knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
I took this photo probably a week after he arrived, you can see that he was loving his new life. I left Indy in the background because it has meaning to me that he be there. He really was flying around that day and this one really captures his aerodynamic qualities best.
2016: Versace the Viszla
Beautiful Versace has really pale colouring for a Viszla, which makes her extra special. This girl comes from Chicago to Canada with her family each year for their holidays. She had a Barrel Room session one year and we had another Signature Session with her 2 little humans in 2022.
This shot of her running across the little bridge over the pond up by the escarpment reminds me how full of personality she is. It might have been a hot summer day, but we had a lot of fun.
From the oodles of images we captured at Cave Spring Vineyard, Her family now have a beautiful Storybook to remember the day by. I love catching up with her antics (mostly snoozing now) on Instagram!
2017: Millie the Basset Hound
We had a fabulous evening for this session with Millie. We were somewhere out near Paris, at the farm where she lived. The skies were dark and menacing to the north but the sun was setting beautifully in the west and the light was truly epic.
The corn had recently been cut down and Millie started to collect stalks and bring them back to us. She was amazing! I loved the images that we got really showing off her sassy personality and sweet demeanour.
2018: Beatrice the Mini Sausage… er Dachshund!
Beatrice and her brother Otis were a last minute booking before Christmas in 2018. This shot of Beatrice hydroplaning through the air makes me smile every single time I look at it. The ears, the flower she wore and those little feets reaching out ahead. She nailed it.
My very first dog (I was 5 when I got her) was a dachshund, so they hold a special place in my heart. I’ll tell you this much though, my little Fritzy never pulled off a move like this one!
2019: Walter the Springer Spaniel
I loved working with Walter in the Blossoms. I got some fabulous photos of him and his humans as well as fun ones, like this where he’s rocketing. He’s got tongue out Tuesday down pat.
Sadly a lot of the peach trees have been cut down now, and it’s challenging to connect with a farmer who’ll agree to let you use their orchard. I’m partial to the pink peach blossom but they are really tough to find! If you know any peach farmers that will let me have sessions in their orchard, I’m all ears!
2020: Sophie and Samson the International Shelties
This one takes me back to Covid. Yikes, what a time that was. Fortunately I was able to have sessions in the great outdoors and use my long lens to keep the required distance that we were told we needed.
This shot is so memorable for me. Tammy and I became friends and would get together for wine and dinner down in Port Dalhousie every so often. But not long after her photo session Tammy up and moved, lock, stock and barrel to Lisbon, Portugal with her two shelties, Samson and Sophie. Talk about ballsie!
I had the opportunity to visit with them in 2022 when I visited Lisbon for a day. More on that later! Alas, Samson passed away last year at 16 years old. He enjoyed the royal treatment being pushed in his stroller through Lisbon and The Algarve to the delight of all who saw them.
I loved capturing the joy Tammy and her pups felt that day in the vineyard and we created some gorgeous wall art memories for her.
2022: Rosie the Rescue Jack Russell Mix
Rosie was one of the pups featured in my Hardcover book called “Bedheads and other irresistible scruffy faces”. This might give you an idea why. She sports the wildest doo and has sassy down to a fine art.
Amazing to think this little rescue almost never made it. She required open heart surgery when she came in to the shelter and thankfully Jack Russell Network Canada sponsored her and covered her surgery. She’s all that and a bag o’ chips.
She and her brother Billy came all the way from Toronto for their photo session in Beamsville, and I’m so glad they did.
2023: Evil (aka Paragon’s Queen of Darkness) the name says it all
I simply could not end this list without this image of Evil in the Tulips at TASC Tulip Farm last year. We were there at sunrise, hoping to capture amazing photos of her amongst the beautiful blooms.
Evil is an extremely well trained girl, but every so often you reach “that” point, when all bets are off, she loses all common sense, and epic zoomies prevail. She’d had one of those prior to this shot and managed to face plant and slide through the dust and dirt on her face and shoulder, she’s a nut haha. We cleaned her off best we could and carried on, as one does!
I won a bronze medal with this photo in the 2023 International Pet Photographer of the Year awards, in the Action Category! Thanks Rob and Evil for another wild and crazy session!
P.S. here’s a link to a page with details about the 2024 Flower Power Tulip Sessions
There you have it, a selection of 10 of my favourite action shots from the last decade.
Like I said before, it was really tough to narrow this down, especially to one per year! But it’s a fun assortment and I hope you enjoyed it. There’s lots more to come including a wacky look at outtakes! Stay tuned, and please sign up for my newsletter if you’d like all the good dirt, the minute it’s dug up 