How our portrait sessions work

I've  always been a dog lover. From Charlie the Lhasa Apso my family had when  I was a child or Chewy the golden I unsuccessfully tried to raise in my  college dorm, dogs have always held something special for me. I don't  think I fully appreciated this however, until 2001 when my husband and I  adopted a greyhound from a local rescue in Connecticut. His name was  Jersey and he was a gentle soul who willingly put up with all of our  crazy photo shoots. He was a best friend and my muse. For a  photographer, having access to such a beautiful creature was a godsend  and gave rise to many impromptu sessions featuring Jersey: dog  supermodel. It was from those early experiences in the studio that I  realized the power of an image to illustrate the true soul of a dog - to  show it not as a pet, or a possession, but with all the depth and  clarity that comes from living together with a dog in a shared world. A  great portrait is the image the owners hold in their minds when they  think of their dog.  An image can be a powerful thing, even after all  these years since Jersey passed away - it only takes seeing his face in a  portrait and that soul connection comes back. That's the face of my  friend, who I love and miss. I thank God that I have those images. It  doesn't replace him but it does remind me of the sweetness of life with a  dog. And I love bringing the same emotion to my clients.

Dogs and  humans are meant to be together. We've evolved together over the past  millennia and, in my opinion, are never as good apart as we can be  together. When we adopted Jersey, I became aware of the needs of shelter  dogs. I never knew so many greyhounds never made it past their last  race on the track. Or so many great pets were stuck in shelters. I  realized that every dollar raised helps find a pet a home and every pet  that finds a family helps to change the world. If you know me, you know  I'm a bit of a Do-er! So I did what I always do: I got involved. I  volunteered at meet and greets, educated everyone I met about the gentle  greyhound and the large number of pets of all breeds needing good  homes. I started donating my time taking portraits of adoptable dogs to  help them find forever homes. I joined with several rescues to raise funds through pet calendars. I was creating pet portraits but also being a  Jack-of-All-Trades Photographer: seniors, families, weddings, pets,  engagements. I did it all and had a good time! I've taken photos of  everything from a Christmas ham to publicity shots for politicians. It  wasn't until I moved to Minnesota in 2011, however, that I decided to  focus my energy on pet portraits. There's something about starting over  in every aspect of my life that I think gave me the freedom to take a risk and specialize with pets.

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Tangerine  House of Design produces custom fine-art portraits.  We believe that  portraiture is an art form created through the careful application of  light, setting and subject. We provide quality portrait services for  your 4-legged (and 2-legged) family members.  We look forward to  creating a great portrait for you.