Hazel | State College pet photography session
One of the questions I always ask my clients is why do they want photos of their fur kids? And what made them decide to call me now? I love hearing how much these special best friends mean to their pet parents. And what makes their relationship so unique. In Hazel's case, her mom told me she had been diagnosed with a heart condition recently. She was afraid Hazel was on borrowed time and wanted to make sure she got some photos before it was too late.
When I met Hazel and her mom to plan our session, I learned that Hazel had been a breeding dog for many years. Four years ago her breeder placed Hazel in the home where she currently lives. Hazel's mom is no stranger to miniature schnauzers, having owned others before. But this one was different. At 12, Hazel has never barked. Nor did she know how to play with toys. When Hazel's mom took her to the vet, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, worms and had to have several of her teeth pulled.
Hazel's mom wanted her to live a life of a dog doing what most dogs do - play, go for walks, and make friends with other dogs. She spent most of her life in a kennel either pregnant, nursing or waiting to be impregnated again. In spite of her lack of socialization, she gets along well with other dogs, and has several dog friends she's met at a local park where she walks daily.
While not a lively dog, she is very calm, sweet yet a little timid. Hazel's mom told me she is scared of squeaky toys, whistles and loud cars. She thought Hazel would be hard to photograph and didn't expect a whole lot from the session. Although she was a little nervous at times, Hazel was a terrific model. In order to not scare her, I didn't use my sounds like I usually do, instead just watching her, clicking the shutter when something caught her attention and she was looking in the direction I wanted her to. In spite of all the concerns, we were able to capture a variety of images. Even though I kept the session short, she clearly became comfortable the more we worked together.
When I was finished and put my camera down for the final time, Hazel came over to me and curled up in my lap. It was as though she understood her job as well as mine was done and now it was time to really connect. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her. And I can't say how happy it makes me that Hazel has the family she does now. She really hit the jackpot with a loving, patient and understanding mom. One who truly will give her a life so she deserves after all these years of breeding.
