{Lifestyle Portraiture} Easter and St.Patty's Day all rolled into one | Naperville Pet Photographer

Canine fun for Easter and St.Patty's Day! - All proceeds were donated to A.D.O.P.T

This one broke my heart. She had such a sad story but with the happiest ending. For the first 10 years of her life, she was know as "Dog 22". She was a puppy mill mama who had not know carpeting, stairs or even human contact. Now she lives with her adoptive mom and gets so much love and affection! - She loves running down stairs and gives timid kisses :). Needless to say, we all showered so much attention on her for the brief 10mts she stopped by for pictures with bunny.

{Personal Expressions} Happy Birthday to Ms. B | Naperville Lifestyle Photographer

Happy birthday to the "bestest" girl in the whole wide world!

{Personal Expressions} I heart faces - Furry Faces

Oh boy! - I spent so much time deciding which picture to post but in the end had to go with this one. I fell in love with this one - he was so mesmerizing! His stare is so powerful and so dangerous. Makes me wonder what's going on in his mind!

This is one animal you dont want as a pet! :)

My entry for the "I heart faces - furry faces" challenge.

See all the amazing entries here.

{Lifestyle Portraiture} Giving for the holidays @ the humane society

My latest session fits so well with what I want to focus on this holiday season - Giving Thanks!

Being a volunteer at any organization says a lot about you are as a person. But I find this particularly true for pet shelters and food banks. There is something so very selfless about it. Especially at the pet shelter, where these animals cannot really express their gratitude in words. Instead they do by wagging tails, barks of recognition, belly flips and paw shakes that say "Thank you - I am so glad you are here and haven't forgotten me!"

 I choke up almost everytime I got to West Suburban Humane Society to help them with pictures of adoptable cats and dogs for their website. I always come away with a great appreciation for these guys and the countless volunteers who come there day in and day out to care for these abandoned pets.

I love all the cats and dogs that I meet there but everytime there is that special someone who I want to smuggle back in my camera bag :). Mostly it's one of the dogs but this time I was suprised it was one dog and two cats!!! - I need a really BIG camera bag next time!

Meet an extra special Volda. She has lost one eye and the other is failing her too. She was really scared to come out but once we got the cat toy out, it was as if she got a second wind!

West Suburban is going through a major catery renovation so all the resident kitties were camped out in the office. They were everywhere - in garbage bins made into temporary housing, under filing cabinates, under desk chairs. Zinfindale was not a happy camper with all the guests around him. You see, he was returned back to the shelter recently and he wanted some peace and quiet as well as my full attention and he was not afraid to show it :)

Oh Carol!, sweet Carol! - you stole my heart away!. Carol was really afraid of all the other dogs and the loud noise at the shelter. She was barking and growling at all of us. So we had to go into her cage and take pictures from far. Poor baby! - She is the one I REALLY wanted to get back with me. She was so sweet as long as I did not get too close. But I figured that kids and a bigger dog was probably not the best for Carol right now!

Just look at those eyes and the floppy ear!

As we all go through this holiday season with our "wants" and "needs", let's also remember the shelters that seem to be working overtime around the holidays. Even if they are CLOSED to the public, their job really does not take a day off!. They always have a wishlist of supplies that they really need and remember every little bit helps!!

{Lifestyle Portraiture} West Suburban Humane Society August cuties

I routinely volunteer at the West Suburban Humane Society in Downers Grove - helping out by taking pictures of their adoptable cats and dogs for the website and other pet finder sites. The last time I went, there were so many cuties - my heart melted at the sight of all these beautiful pets just waiting for their "forever" homes.

I wanted to create a collage of these cuties - a way to showcase their beauty and grace. The expression on each of these guys is so adorable and precious!

UPDATE - most of these guys here have already been adopted! - Don't forget to check your local shelter first if you decide to get a pet - you never know which cutie will melt your heart! :)

{Lifestyle Portraiture} For he is jolly good fella! and handsome too

Every so often, I go to West Suburban Humane Society and photograph their cat and dogs for the website and other pet adoption websites that they post pictures on. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside that I am able to give back in a small way. More on that here.

During one of my session, I came across Jake and boy, oh boy what a guy!. He is so adorable, loves giving and getting attention and so handsome. I had to take some pictures of him...just could not resist. I was not at all suprised that he is quite the star at the shelter. He even has his own facebook page! I really hope he finds his forever home soon!

Presenting Jake! - the star, the stud, the sweetheart!

{Personal Expressions} Black and White on Tan - it rocks!

One lazy Saturday afternoon, mama and baby decided to have an impromtu photoshoot. I took the camera out, bribed the model with some treats and made our way to the "sun" room so as to use the most natural light possible and clicked away. As I was loading these on my computer, I decided to do a black and white theme instead...and am really pleased with the results!...what do you think?

Mirror Image....not really...just clicked a left-right head turn really quick :)

When the session was over, we had to rest - and the coolest place in the house was the bathroom :)

{Personal Expressions} Winter Birthdays are extra special and extra fun

For those of us who live in cold climates, winter birthdays are dreaded. Especially for kids. What do we do? How can we celebrate a child's birthday when it is -10deg outside with 12 inches of snow on the ground???.

I feel winter birthday are so much more fun to plan. You have to get creative but there is so much you can do. Have a costume party, have a movie night complete with popcorn and icecream or take the whole gang to the tropics with an indoor pool party!!!. That is exactly what the K family did for a sweet girl who turned 5 and let me tell you, it was a SUPER DOOPER HIT!.

The kids has such a blast swiming and splashing in the warm pool waters while looking at the snow outside from the glass walls. There was something so right, and at the same time, so wrong with that picture :) - but noone complained.

{Lifestyle Portraiture} Memorable Jaunts & West Suburban Humane Society

This past weekend, I spent one hour at West Suburban Humane Society taking pictures of animals for them to use on their website. It was a humbling experience...I am so grateful that Ms.B is in our lives and feel sad for folks who have to give up their pets. It has got to be hard to give up a member of your family cause thats what pets really are...family members!

Check out the mini-photo shoot of some of the little furry friends who captured my heart and made me come back home and give Ms.B a big hug and a treat. In return, I got a big wet smooch :) and a furious tail wag.

{Personal Expressions} Birthday celebrations

How you do celebrate birthdays?

Here at MemorableJaunts its all about what the birthday boy or girl like to do. We learnt the hard way on how not to have a birthday party..."Don't force any expectations and ideas on the birthday child/adult or you could end up having a 1 1/2 hr meltdown session during the party".

Needless to say we carry this theme across our pets as well. So when our pet turned 8, we had a pet party...a lot of running around, romping in the snow and inviting other pets. It was a low key event but we all had a lot of fun...including the birthday girl!...

Thank you for a wonderful day doing what I love - "Hanging out!"

{Personal Expressions} Collage - a wonderful thing indeed!

I recently discovered a love for collages - picture collages to be specific. In just one glance they convey the entire message, tell a story or even portray your finest work. Its a beautiful thing indeed.

I want to create one for every month, one for every trip, one for kids, one for pets, one for......the list goes on and on. I have only two completed :). They are extremely time consuming and at midnight, all the creative juices seem to drain out!! I have a lot of ideas on what to do with these collages - print a calendar, a photobook or even fliers that showcase my work...my oh my, the possibilities seem endless.

Here is a sneak peak at one that I created!