How a brief moment becomes a lasting legacy - a family's heartfelt session

Stella, the beloved Vizsla, was getting on in years. Her parents knew their time with her was growing short, and a recent health diagnosis only marked the importance of not waiting to capture memories together.

This wasn’t the first time they had hired a pet photographer. When Stella, their first "baby" turned one, they wanted to celebrate that milestone with photos. A lot had changed since then—most notably, they were preparing for the arrival of their second "baby," a little human one.

The initial plan was to photograph the family after the baby’s birth, but with Stella’s health issues in mind, we decided to do one session before the baby arrived and plan another with the growing family once baby A was here.

For the first session, I knew just the perfect spot—one of my favorite locations in Venice that would be ideal for the fall weather and colors. We met there for a beautiful sunset session. Stella ran, played, chased tennis balls, and soaked in the attention and treats. She showed more enthusiasm during the session than she had in previous weeks. She quickly became quite fond of my husband, the treat giver and ball thrower. We all know the way to a dog’s heart is through food, right?

When baby A was born, we met for the second session. It was important to the family to capture their two "kids"—their first fur baby and their first human baby—together in photos. While newborn photography isn't my specialty, I had a vision for the shot. The real question was whether we could pull it off.

We met at Shamrock Park for a perfect Florida evening. With a little guidance and some patience, we managed to capture a beautiful moment: Stella gazing down at her new baby sister. This image now hangs above baby A’s crib, a lasting reminder of their brief but special time together.

Sadly, shortly after the session, Stella passed away, her health struggles ultimately taking their toll. While baby A had the chance to meet Stella, she is too young to remember her. But this photograph will forever be a cherished reminder of their time together.

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and I firmly believe that pets are an integral part of that family. If you’d like to create lasting memories with your own pets, I’d love to help! Let’s chat about how we can include your furry family members in your family photos.