Man(and women's) Best Friend- Goodbye to Java

There are many great things about my job, but one of my favorite things is meeting my clients' pets. I have so many inquiries concerning pets. Am I afraid of dogs? Am I comfortable with animals? Can their animals be included in a few shots. For so many people, their pet is their first "baby". My parents had 5 dogs and a cat at one time. All rescued from bad situations, so I am very comfortable with animals, and especially the ones that are nervous with new people or little unique! 

I always try to get a few shots of the dogs or cats while my client is changing clothes. I love to give them the spotlight for a minute or two! Some are hams, some are nervous. My big lens seems to weird them out sometimes. Well, I usually get a few good shots of their fur covered friends and surprise the parents with them in the online proofing. It is always so fun to get the feedback that they love the photo of their "baby"! And usually they have no idea I photographed their animal alone.

Well, I know my clients love and appreciate having a few photos with their pets, but I got an email recently that really meant a lot to me. One of my clients told me that her beloved dog, Java had recently passed away. He had been a part of their family for 14 years. When I was taking Marti's maternity photos, she had no idea Java was sick. I got some great shots of her and Java, as well as a solo shot of Java. She bought the solo shot of Java and framed it and placed it on the mantle, just the day before they found out Java was sick. She wanted to let me know how much it meant to them to have Java included in their maternity photos. She said that she loved the shot of him on his own, that it captured him so perfectly. It touched my heart so much. It meant so much to me that the photo of Java turned out to have so much meaning to it for, their family. It is always so hard to lose a pet, as they are such a big part of our families.It is always a pleasure to photograph our furry friends. Don't ever feel silly wanting your animal to be in photographs with you, as they are family too! Love to Java on the other side...