Stella

Stella was the second black lab I had the opportunity to shoot in a week and I'm not complaining. I love labs! She is 7 years old (which I would still consider a puppy in lab years) and was as ball and stick obsessed as one might expect. Even though our photo shoot was technically the 3rd time that day she got to burn off energy (and it was only 10am) she outlasted us all. Summer is a great time to photograph but there is just something about fall with the warm brown colors that you gotta love! Thanks Tony for introducing me to Stella. I hope I was able to help her wear off a little more of that lab energy.

RW Wrinkles

RW Wrinkles is a 3.5 year old black lab. We started with some studio shots. Wrinkles is a lab; he likes balls. So getting him to look at anything but the ball (ya, I just said "the word") was nearly impossible. So I miiiiiiiiiight have digitally added the tennis ball into some of the pictures. You do what you gotta do. We managed to get some good studio shots and then headed outdoors to wear off some energy. Thanks Roxane for letting me shoot Wrinkles and, for the record, I think this will be the best Christmas present ever (but I'm biased)! I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Hugo, Adele and Elita

Talk about a perfect evening for photography. For the most part this month has been rainy and cold. However, we caught a break for Hugo, Adele and Elita's shoot. We had blue skies, a comfortable temperature and amazing evening sunlight. Aside from the normal photographic challenges of shooting the two color extremes (white and black dogs) and one high speed squirl chase we got some great shots. Hugo is a 16 year old Standard Poodle known around his home as "The General". Adele (white) and Elita (black) are 3 year old Standard Poodles known as the "Amazing Poodle-ettes". Thanks Christina for contacting me to shoot Hugo, Adele and Elita. I hope you guys enjoy the photos!

Anakin, Clancy and Gus

These guys were a blast to shoot!  Anakin is the yellow lab/pit bull mix affectionately referred to as "Big Head" by his mom. Gus is the beagle/basset hound mix with a great snaggle tooth rivaled only by his brother Clancy. Clancy looks like a 20lb Rottweiler. What's even better is that they were all rescues from the Wisconsin Humane Society. Anakin is the tennis ball connoisseur. Gus chases the all mighty treat. And Clancy... well, Clancy is kind of a momma's boy. Thanks Erin for introducing me to the boys. It was great meeting you and John. Enjoy the photos.

Kuma

Kuma is a Shiba Inu with a TON of personality. He is high energy, ball crazy, very curious and also well behaved. He was pretty much game for whatever we asked him to do. This interesting little dog combined with a couple of great locations made for a fun shoot and a ton of great images. I always have a hard time whittling down photos from shoots but this time was especially hard. Jackie, it was great meeting you and Kuma. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Connor, Jasmine, Meg and Moxie

Well it's been a few weeks since the last posting. September shaped up to be a busy one. I recently got to shoot 3 Golden Retrievers and a Rottweiler Mix with personalities ranging from a little timid to a little crazy and everywhere in between. Multiple dog shoots (especially 4 of them) are a little chaotic. Luckily, with the wide range of personalities in this bunch, I was able to work with each one separately throughout the shoot. Once one got bored with me I'd move on to the next. By the end of the session they had all but forgotten I was there and I managed to get some nice candid shots. Posed shots are great but capturing a dog act as if no one else is around can be priceless. The dogs' parents, Patti and Bob, are actively involved with Wisconsin Adopt a Golden Retriever (WAAGR). All three of their Golden Retrievers are from this organization. In addition, Bob (also know as "The Pet Rescue Realtor") donates a portion of all his proceeds to pet rescue and shelters. I hope you guys enjoy the pictures.

Calendar Contest Votes

Every year the Wisconsin Humane Society has their annual calendar photo contest. One of my photos was chosen as part of the top 13 this year. Voting has begun to determine the calendar's cover picture so we can use all the votes we can get. You can cast your vote for picture #11 here. This picture was from a spring photo shoot I had with a 13 week old puppy named Natalie. She was also a rescue from the Wisconsin Humane Society.

Oh and if you haven't yet voted for All Ears Pet Photography as the #1 pet photographer in the Milwaukee Area WISN's A-List contest is still going on for the next couple of weeks. I'd love your votes. You can vote here. I promise I'll stop asking for votes after this. Unless something else comes up!

End of Summer Photo Sessions

End of Summer PoemThe little songs of summer are all gone today. The little insect instruments are all packed away: The bumblebee's snare drum, the grasshopper's guitar, The katydid's banjo, the cricket's violin, The dragonfly's cello have ceased their merry din. Oh, where is the orchestra? From harpist down to drummer They've all disappeared with the passing of the summer.

~ by Rowena Bennett Poem from A Gypsy Caravan blog

Even though it's not quite the end of summer yet, thankfully, this is a reminder to everyone still interested in booking a summer photo shoot for their pets and/or themselves. I will be booking a very limited number of shoots in October so if you would like to get that portrait session in before fall get's too far underway please contact me. We can arrange a shoot the last week of August or in September. I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer, I know I will!

Simi and Ellie

Recently I had the opportunity to shoot two poodles, Simi and Ellie. It was a windy, hot morning but these pups were ready to go. Simi (left) was a natual in front of the camera. I got quite a few shots of his ears blowing in the wind. Simi's little sister, Ellie, was a little more of a handful to photograph. I did, however, get to see her do her two legged twirl trick. Very impressive! Thanks Melanie and Alan for coming up to Waukesha and letting me photograph your family. Enjoy the pictures.

Manning and Little Man

We got to the Minooka dog park bright and early to capture some of the morning sun. Manning and Little Man were fired up and ready to go. For being 10 years old, Manning (the black/brown/white mix) had some spunk. His brother, Little Man, was one of the fastest, little dogs I've seen in a while. This is especially amazing since, before he was adopted, Little Man had a bad knee and multiple surgeries. We chased some balls, chased a bird and had an all around good time. Manning and Little Man's parents, Donna and Todd, do some great work with fostering for the Wisconsin Humane Society and helping with Greyhound Pets of America (GPA) Wisconsin . GPA Wisconsin is having their annual Greyhound Gala fundraiser on Sept. 26th. More information can be found here. Thanks Donna and Todd for your work with these organizations and for letting me shoot your dogs. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Buttons and Lucifer

I had a great time shooting Buttons and Lucifer. Buttons, the more out going striped Tabby, came out to greet me immediately while Lucifer took a little while longer. It was questionable whether Lucifer would make an appearance but she ended up being out the whole time (as long as I didn't make any sudden moves). I was really glad when Kristina contacted me to shoot her cats. I don't get to shoot nearly as many cats as I'd like to. They are a very different subject than dogs, but equally as great! So if you interested in getting your cat photographed please contact me. Thanks again Kristina for introducing me to Buttons and Lucifer and I hope you enjoy the pictures.

I Need Your Votes!

All Ears Pet Photography is competing in www.wisn.com's A-List contest for best Pet Photography. I can use all the votes I can get! Voting is open now at this link or by clicking on the banner below. Even if I haven't photographed your pets (yet) I'd love your vote.

Tucker

Tucker is a 7 month old Lab. When we first met Tucker was a little unsure of the camera, but he warmed up very quickly. He turned out to be a fun guy that was easily distracted by EVERYTHING. Although Tucker's attention span is short we were able to keep him entertained with a Frisbee and treats. Tucker also discovered sand when the Frisbee was tossed in a nearby volleyball court. After a couple seconds of him trying to pick up the Frisbee he realized that it's actually more fun to just dig. And that's what he did! Thanks Krystal and Mike for letting me photograph Tucker. I hope everything goes as planned with your wedding this weekend. Enjoy the pictures.

Louis

After 2 rained out shoots the weather finally cooperated. The evening was a little cloudy but the sun did make an appearance for a couple nice sunset shots. I've wanted to shoot at the sledding hill in Minooka Park for a while now. Great suggestion Marie! Louis was content to do his own thing with his nose either to the ground or in the air; that is until the treats were brought out. Then I had his undivided attention. The location, the weather and Louis's great brindle color all made for some nice images. I'm glad I got to meet Louis and I hope you enjoy the shots Marie.

Samson

First let me say that I LOVE photographing senior dogs! Samson was no exception. Even though 11 year old Samson is having some health problems, with a smile like he has you'd never know it. Samson definitely made me work for the shots. He sat handsomely in the middle of the yard as if to say "If you want to take pictures of me, you're the one that needs to move around, not me". Thanks Denise and Bill for letting me photograph your family and meet Samson. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

All Ears Pet Photography featured on MacroMutt.com

MacroMutt.com is a site that was created to help connect dog lovers with professional dog photographers in their area. All Ears Pet Photography is the first Milwaukee area pet photographer featured on the site. Their site is great and features some amazing dog photographer talent. MacroMutt is part of Four Legged Media (FLM). FLM is a growing blog network that specializes in dog-centric content designed to strengthen the bond between humans and their canine companions. FLM was founded by Chris Ray in 2008 and includes great sites like Barkability.com, MackenzieSpeaks.com, LickedToys.com, BiblioDog.com and MacroMutt.com. Check them out.

Sommer

We were blessed with a perfect evening to shoot this 5 month old ball of energy. Sommer is a collie-shepherd mix adopted from the Milwaukee Humane Society. With the daily help of her buddy Zach, Sommer's puppy training is really starting to show. She has sit, stay and shake down pat. Thanks guys for letting me shoot Sommer. I can't wait to introduce her to Chloe.

Barks at St. Mark's

I had the opportunity to attend a pet blessing and outdoor service at St. Mark's in South Milwaukee on June, 14th. The weather was amazing and I got to meet some great people (and dogs). I would imagine all the dogs that took part in the blessing are now perfect angels and ALWAYS on their best behavor... right? Thanks to St. Mark's for the invitation. I'm looking forward to next year. All the pictures can be seen and purchased here.

Sasha

Sasha is a mix of... well, we don't really know what she's a mix of. I guess it really doesn't matter, look at those eyes and freckles! I didn't touch the saturation on these photos at all. The morning had nice warm light and her eyes are just naturally that color. Amazing! As you can probably guess, it was not hard making her look good in photos. Thanks Cindy for letting me shoot Sasha. You can also follow All Ears Pet Photography on Facebook.

Lucy

Lucy is a Golden Doodle. Shortly after I started taking pictures she went into what her mom affectionately describes as "doodle mode". From what I could gather this mode consisted of a little natural curiosity, quite a bit of treat motivation and a WHOLE lot of energy. Thanks Peggy for introducing me to Lucy as well as Nashotah Park! I'm sure I'll be back. Enjoy some of the pictures.

You can also follow All Ears Pet Photography on Facebook.