I got a text from a friend who was soon to be client, that Shasta was not doing very well, and fading fast.  Shasta is her daughter, Amanda's dog/best friend/kid.  You know we all call our loved pets our babies.  My cats are still kittens in my eyes.  

I called Amanda quickly and set a date for the coming up weekend because they did not know how much longer she would be okay to photograph.  Whenever I had visited their house, Shasta was one of the first to greet you, then came Panda and Domino. They are true animal lovers and have an alpaca farm with horses too. Shasta is a sweet loving golden retriever and the the largest of the family dogs.  Sadly, she now has some form of Lymphoma cancer and is very sick.  Amanda and the family wanted to capture her essense and make a photo book of images with her her so they can always look back with fond memories.  

Tho this is difficult emotionally for the family and could be sad, I love that I can create these special moments and lasting memories for folks.  I do my best to make it a great experience all around.  This was going to be my very first "dedicated to a pet" session.  I brought my backdrops and lighting setup so we could shoot in the comfort of their home.  I wanted to capture a few posed type images and a few more lifestyle of Amanda and Shasta together. 

Shasta was an angel and I had a talk with her.  I whispered into her ear "don't be scared" and gave her as much love as I could.  We had a talk, her and I.  Amanda did a great job with her.  The other dogs, Panda and Domino were curious enough to jump in on a picture or two as well.  At the end of the shoot, Shasta was ready for a nap.  Much love for sweet Shasta.

Here are a few from the shoot.

Shasta was pooped by ....The end.....