glorious september colour | burlington pet photographer

September is my favourite month. Not just for photography, but for a host of reasons — the temperatures are cooler but still no jackets are required, the light is softer and more golden, the leaves are just starting to change ... it's a glorious month.

Here's a glimpse at a location I shot at this past weekend — it is just stunning right now. I had three sessions, in three different locations, but this little gem of a spot is still my all-time favourite. I can keep going back again and again and capture something different.

Enjoy the rest of the month!

Wags,
Stacey

sweet cockapoo in uptown waterloo | waterloo pet photographer

Meet sweet cockapoo Beatrice. She loves sleeping under the covers, cuddling and after learning this summer, swimming! She is only three years old, but has the quiet, soulful demeanor of an older dog, which is a great combination.

With a full-time job and a growing pet photography business, I'm trying to find ways to balance my workload and I'm always looking for ways to shoot as many sessions as possible, because I love it! I realized I could take Kitchener-Waterloo sessions through the week in the spring, summer and fall, which is where my 9-5 job is located.

I decided to start Beatrice's session at the Seagram Lofts, a recognizable historic landmark in Uptown Waterloo. The grounds are beautiful and all those happy blue shutters are unmistakable! I just love Beatrice's little mug.

I'm pretty sure that if the wind is blowing in just the right direction that Beatrice could achieve lift-off with those ears!

This greenary is located on the same property. I always try to pick locations that have variety.

We then moved on to King Street where we found this great little alley with lots of colour!

Thank you Beatrice for being such a great little model - it was lovely to meet you!

Wags,
Stacey

Dog tag art winner! | ontario pet photographer

My first giveaway has come to a close and it's time to announce a winner! I randomly chose a name the old fashioned way — from a hat. Why over-complicate things, right?

So, drum roll please, the winner of a pet identification tag from Dog Tag Art is ....

Cheryl Baase!

I hope "The Beast" enjoys his custom new tag! Please get in touch with me (stacey@happytailspetphotography.ca) to claim your prize! And I would love to see a photo of your tag when it's complete, so feel free to post an image over on the Happy Tails Facebook page!

Wags,
Stacey

Dog tag art giveaway | ontario pet photographer

Dog tags ... there are so many options out there. There are some seriously stylish tags available for your pet, but it's important to do your homework because some might not stand the test of time. Most importantly, have you reviewed the information on your dog's tag recently? Is it up to date with your current address, phone number and other information? First and foremost, your dog's tag is a valuable piece of identification in the event he or she gets lost, so it's important the information on it is correct and visible.

When the folks at Dog Tag Art contacted me about checking out their products, it was great timing. Kitty's curiousity is getting the better of her and she's been making her way outside — first it was just a nose out the door, then a paw. Now she likes to sit on the threshold if we're in the yard. So, a tag was in her future.

And it never hurts to have lots of tags for Chloe — with swimming, ball chasing, hiking, rolling in every smell possible, etc., she tends to lose one every now and then.

The great thing about Dog Tag Art is that you can totally personalize your pet's tag with a photo, graphics, text — the only limit is your imagination! Your tag will be completely unique, to go with your one-of-a-kind pet. There are also hundreds of fantastic premade designs to choose from if you would rather go that route.

The tags are made from a recycled steel core that's 1 mm thick (no flimsy plastic here) and is coated with a special polymer that ensures your information and image stays put .... forever. These tags are guaranteed: if they ever become unreadable, Dog Tag Art will replace them for free. They also come with a sturdy key ring for attachment to your pet's collar and a plastic outer band to reduce the jingle-jangling against your pet's collar.

Of course I had to design my own tags. Once I created my design, I uploaded a jpg file on the Dog Tag Art website, entered the text I wanted on the back and placed my order. About a week later we got mail! Chloe always seems to know when something is for her.

It was so fun thinking of my pets' personalities and designing custom tags just for them. Can you guess which tag belongs to which pet? It's pretty obvious! For Kitty's, I decided to keep it simple by stating the obvious. She is a HUGE bossypants. I made it black and white to match her tuxedo. Can you tell what Chloe's tag is? It's my artistic version of a tennis ball! Pink of course.

Here's the back. You can enter four lines of text. My tags do have my home phone number on them, but I removed it for posting online.

My inspiration for Chloe's tag is pretty clear. She looks like this, with a drool-covered tennis ball in her mouth, most of the time.

I am still trying to convince Kitty to let me photograph her with her little tag, never mind getting her to actually wear it. Apparently she doesn't like to be labelled.

Dog Tag Art is giving away a tag for FREE to one lucky Happy Tails follower!

THE GIVEAWAY

To enter, leave a comment on this blog post telling me what you would design for your pet's tag (a design you would create or browse through the pre-made options at dogtagart.com). Then head over to the Happy Tails Pet Photography Facebook page and 'Like' it if you haven't already. That's it!

The deadline for entering is Sept 18 at midnight. I will randomly draw a winner's name on Sept. 19th and post the results here on my blog.

The winner will receive a code for a free tag of any size. Please note that you must pay shipping ($1.99 within the U.S. and $3.98 for international orders — cheap!).

Good luck everyone, and have fun!

Wags,
Stacey

client photo book | burlington pet photographer

I just love photo books. They tell a complete story of our session — an experience I hope all my clients enjoy and hold close to their hearts. And they are a great choice for clients who can't narrow down their images to one or two. I think it's a great compliment when a client orders a photo book because it means they love all their images!

Like all my books, this one was custom made for two of my favourite monkeys, April and Laci. They are sisters and total girls, so I went with a feminine pink damask on the back cover and the font was specially picked just for them: it's called Love Ya Like A Sister.

April and Laci's family has since moved to Ottawa, so this photo book is a great reminder of their time in southwestern Ontario. Head over to my website for more information on my products!

Wags,
Stacey