Sunset puppy threesome // Pet photography Cincinnati, Ohio

Meet: Cocoa + Bear + Alphie

When Jessica contacted me about a pet photography session for three dogs, I won’t lie I was a bit nervous. Trying to get one dog to hold still long enough for a portrait is no easy task. I have photographed two and it was a challenge. Three would be a whole other adventure, but it was an adventure I was for sure willing to take.

Jessica recently added Alphie, a 12-week-old basset hound puppy, to her pack of sweet dogs Cocoa, a 9-year-old chocolate Labrador mix, and Bear, a 5-year-old German shepherd mix. Side note: Jessica also has three children, two cats, and a bunny-- talk about a busy woman! She wanted to commemorate this special milestone by having it beautiful documented and add a few gallery-wraps to her walls. I, of course, am always thrilled to hear this as dogs are such special members of our families with never enough time. Unfortunately, many people do not realize how important it is to have your pets photographed until it’s too late.

I met Jessica at one of my favorite hidden gem parks. It was the perfect backdrop with plenty of space to let the dog pack run free. While walking, baby Alphie was struggling; and his with little legs, he couldn’t keep up with his big brother and sister. This little basset hound kept stepping on his ears, and although it was not cute for him, it was adorable for me! I gave the pup a hand and carried him part of the way.

Even with Jessica taking the dogs to the dog park before the photo session, all the dogs were the perfect amount of fun energy. I loved capturing all their personalities on camera. Sweet little Alphie would tug on his brother and sisters’ ears to play. Wise Cocoa would reprimand him, but in a loving gentle way, the way mothers do. In the meantime, Bear would go along with the play like a protective big brother. Capturing these pure moments and different personalities in our pets is one of the many reasons I love being a photographer.

Towards the end of our session, as the sun was setting, everyone began to calm down so I could snap a few pictures of all three dogs lying together enjoying a treat. It was a beautiful sunset spent with the lovely Jessica and her adorable dog pack of three. It was just the adventure I was hoping for.