Meet Stanley.  Stanley is a Pit Bull mix belonging to a client of mine.   He’s a little camera shy, so in this photo his eyes are locked onto his human, Tawny.  Tawny’s a lawyer at a law firm that’s also one of my oldest local clients.  I really like them and think they do an amazing job with their marketing.    So, when they asked me to donate a pet session in the studio to the winner of an internal contest, as part of their bigger marketing efforts, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.

No one would confuse me  with a pet photographer, but despite novice pet-shooting skills I was pretty happy with the results of our session.  After everything was done and prints were ordered, I put together this triptych of Stanley yawning and made a print for Tawny.

I love doing extra things like this for clients.  I don’t do it enough.  Making prints, sharing expertise, doing pro bono work (a set amount per year).  Most of my clients are very cool, interesting people and I like to interact with them more often than during the occasional shoot.  When I give gifts one of my go-tos is a box of chocolates from Black Dinah Chocolatiers, based on Isle au Haut, ME.  ‘Box of chocolates’?! you say.  But you’ve never had chocolates like these, I guarantee it.  My amazing business coach, Mandy, gave me these chocolates once.  Now, I’m just paying it forward.