The Suitcase Studio Blog » teeny-weenie

celebrating the DOG DAYS of summer! {pet portraits at The Wedding Pantry}

Michelle — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 07:20:06 +0000

On Sunday, August 29th, I’ll be holding another round of mini-sessions at The Wedding Pantry. And this time, it’s all about the animals! That’s right… I’ll be offering PET PORTRAITS! Because, let’s face it: your pet is part of your family. Sometimes, even like your own child. So wouldn’t it be nice to have some family photos of your “fur-baby,” too?

mini-session + mini-accordion book = $65

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity… I will be donating $10 from each mini-session to the Animal Assistance League of Orange County, and The Wedding Pantry will be donating 10% of their day’s sales, as well. (So be sure to do a bit of extra shopping while you’re in the store that day.) The Animal Assistance League of Orange County is a non-profit no kill humane society dedicated to aiding lost and homeless pets, helping people with pet related problems, promoting responsible pet-ownership and pet population control, and preventing cruelty to animals through educational programs.

Please note… while the day is being dedicated to our furry friends, you can still take advantage of the mini-sessions for the day even if you don’t bring along your dog. I still welcome any other type of portrait session, as well… family, friends, kids, etc. And $10 from each of those sessions will also be donated to the Animal Assistance League of Orange County. So even if you don’t get pictures with your pet, you can still play a part in helping a good cause.

d e t a i l s :

when: Sunday, August 29th

where: The Wedding Pantry (138 W. Main Street, Tustin, CA 92780)

how to participate: To book a session, contact The Wedding Pantry with your desired session time by calling (714) 505-9927 or sending an email to info@theweddingpantry.com. Walk-ins are welcome, but since space is limited and spots are filling up quickly, it’s definitely recommended that you reserve your session time in advance.

fee: $65. Includes a 15-minute portrait session and mini-accordion book with the best shots from the day. 15 images will be finalized and hosted in an online gallery for 4 weeks; you are able to purchase prints and products directly from this gallery during that time. Specially priced package deals will also be made available for purchase on the day of the mini-sessions; regular prices will be in effect after that time.

to prepare for your session: I will be using (healthy) treats and squeak-toys to hold your pet’s attention. However, you know your pet best. If there is a certain treat or possession that your dog responds to, please feel free to bring it along for use during the session. We will be taking photos in a public area, so I ask that your pet be in your control at all times (either on-leash or held by you).

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I wanted to give you a peek at what you can expect from your mini-session, so I borrowed a couple of friends and their dog, Duke. (Isn’t he adorable?)

And I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to snap a few pictures of my own pup, Jasper…

And now for the mini accordion book…

With its small size (3″x3″), it’s the perfect size to slip into your purse or keep at your desk as a mini family album. The hidden magnet in each cover helps keep the book sealed shut, protecting the enclosed images. (And being magnetic, you can even keep it on the fridge! Go ahead… try it!)

Please visit this site to learn more about my mini-sessions and see what’s in the works: www.minis.theSuitcaseStudio.com

here comes Santa CLAWS…

Michelle — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:09:05 +0000

This is Jasper’s first Christmas, so of COURSE I’m going overboard. While my husband rolls his eyes and looks the other way, I decorate my dog.

Thank goodness my pup is such a wonderful subject for the camera. Seriously. Between his natural demeanor and the training I’ve given him so far, he is WONDERFUL in front of the lens… even when I’m mere inches from his face. Commands went something like this: “on your bed,” “down,” “wait.” Then I use a piece of food to guide him to look where I want to, ask him to wait again, take a picture with one hand, and say “okay” and give him the food. Repeat. Several times. Costume change. Repeat again. Ta-Da! I still didn’t get a chance to create “the shot” I was after… so I’ll have to do this all again when my home is decorated for the holidays. Oh, darn. ; )

in the park

Michelle — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:23:46 +0000

I took Jasper to the park across the street from our house this afternoon; I’m still working on training him on loose leash walking, as well as a handful of other things (yay for puppy training classes!!!). It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, and with the promise of a beautiful weekend ahead, we took our time together… alternating between walking, running and stopping to train along the way. Absolutely fabulous. While there, I managed to snap a couple interesting pictures with my point-and-shoot; here are my favorites of the day:

Introducing my “teeny-weenie”… JASPER!

Michelle — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:53:30 +0000

For the (very) few people left who haven’t heard (or seen) yet, I HAVE A NEW DOG!!! His name is Jasper, and I am soooooo much in love with him. He just turned 3 months old yesterday, and boy is he a handful! I knew that puppies were a lot of work, but the DOING is always different from the knowing, right? It’s like having a toddler on crack. Though, I must admit that as far as his behavior goes, he is VERY well behaved for a puppy.

I have to give credit where credit is due… I am so happy that I got him from where I did: AP Ranch, located in Fallbrook. Pauline is the person who runs the show there, and she is absolutely fabulous! I could go on and on about how well adjusted my pup was by the time I brought him home with me… he’d already been around big dogs and was comfortable with them, was used to being handled by all kinds of different people, was okay with being touched all over (including the paws and belly, which are usually sensitive spots), was a very social pup, and was even started on potty training! (I cannot thank you enough for everything, Pauline!)

Jasper has started his puppy training classes at PetSmart, and is doing very well so far (he is the social butterfly in class, even trying to play with the huge labs.) So far, he’s learned “watch me,” “sit” (with no verbal command to do so), and is learning to walk properly on his leash. Personality-wise… he is such a little mama’s boy! He follows me around the house wherever I go. If I go into a different room and leave him behind, he’ll sit outside the door and wait for me to come back (even if my husband is still in the room with him)!

I just wanted to share my joy at bringing him into our little family, and show him off a bit. I’m sure that you’ll be seeing plenty more photos of him in the future, but here are a few favorites that I was able to catch a few weeks ago.