The Fur is My Family Project

I don’t know about you, but my dog is considered my family.  She has her own spot on the couch, will always get a brat from the grill, and snuggles with us in our tent when we go camping.   I have hundreds of photos of my dog, but recently noticed I have none of the three of us (my husband, Zelda- our dog- and I).  This startled me a bit since we not only treat her like family but consider her our furry child.

That’s why I started the Fur is My Family Project- to photograph families whose pets are as important their children.

Here are some like minded people and pets that participated!

 

Kyrstle, Joe and Gordy

The first family I photographed is Krstyle, Joe and Gordy.  Gordy’s a german short hair pointer with a personality.  If you don’t believe me, check out his instagram- @pointerproblems – he has 11k followers and is totally worth following!

Gordy is a huge part of their lives and he is always by Krystle’s side, a total Mama’s boy.  He was so energetic and excited on our shoot, his tail wagging, tongue hanging, what a sweet creature.  I’m so grateful to have connected with the three of them because we all share a bond with our dogs, and remembering them with some real family photos is something incredible!

 

Meagan, Trevor, Otis, and Maya

When Trevor met Meagan, she warned him that she was a dog lover.  She has had Otis for seven years and treats him like family.  Otis is so sweet wit his white curls and so obedient, he followed me the whole time once he knew I had treats.  Trevor loves dogs as well, and with their upcoming wedding and lives officially  joining together, they added Maya, a thirteen week old puppy to the mix.  She has endless energy and is so friendly, she literally wiggles and licks anyone who comes into her path.

Meagan loves dressing her dogs up for special occasions, and for this session, the whole fam got into their Superman shirts (they even had capes).  I’m told the pups will be wearing a tux and tutu come wedding day and I could not be more excited!

 

 

Rachel, Derek, and Zach

Zach’s little dog smile was enough to make my heart melt, especially when Derek picked him up.  It was so cute, all three of us could not stop laughing and smiling.  Zach was little weary of me for about a second because I pulled out the treats, then after each photo, he would come to me and sit patiently waiting for one.

Rachel and Derek had been dating long distance for a while because of Derek’s work, but now are both back in Minneapolis, with Zach of course.  You can tell Zach’s really happy about having his two favorite people back in the same spot!

The Stuber/KG Family

After the birth of their son, Theo, Emily and Nick wanted to get the whole family and their dogs together.  Emily and Theo own Otto, a lively husky like mix who had become almost a big brother to the newest addition, baby Theo.  Emily’s parents, Lauri and Dave, also brought their pup and Emily’s brother.  We took a few group photos, but Emily wanted also to get a few photos of her parents and their dog, Max, which she had grown up with.  Parents, pups, baby, and family, we got it all.

 

Katy and Harper

Katy and Harper love to explore the pockets of nature in the city.  Katy just moved back the the cities for work and is loving it because they let Harper come in with her.  Who wouldn’t love to have Harper at the office?  This pup was gentle, kind, and the perfect travel size.

Kate, Emery and McTuckins

Any dog named McTuckins is obviously pretty cool.  He was friendly but also a little spunky, which I feel is so fitting for that name!

Kate and her daughter Emery love him to bits, and you can tell the feeling is mutual.  His owners are two beautiful blondes, mother and daughter, that love to play and adventure.  These three make one happy family!

Becky, Cookie, Hannah, and Hailey

This story is going to be a lot harder to write.  First, I’ve known Becky and her mom, Cookie, for years.  I grew up down the street from them and met Becky the first day of first grade on the school bus.  She had almost matching Jelly sandals and that was enough of something in common for a friendship.

I also remember when I was at a sleep over at Becky’s house and her poodles had puppies!  That was the first time I’ve ever seen puppies be born, and it was an incredible experience.  With our past, it only made sense to photograph these beautiful ladies and their mother- daughter standard poodles.

A few weeks after our session, Becky messaged me that sadly, Hannah had terminal cancer and they had to put her down, but they were so happy to have had these photos taken at the time they did.  Please send lots of love to this family.  They are incredible people and I know that Hannah’s spirit lives on in her daughter, Hailey, but also in their home.

Brittany, Tim, Pepe, and Fifi

Brittany and Tim have cat twins, Pepe (le pew) and Fifi (le fume) who love roaming their back yard.  These cats are really chill!  They explored the back yard for a bit then when it was time to for their close ups, snuggled into Brittany and Tim’s arms.

They love sardines and feathers, which were our two main motivators to get them to “smile.”  I love that Brittany and Tim wanted photos with their cats!  Fur is family, and they should be photographed just like any member would!

Monica and Liza

Monica found Liza at the humane society.  Monica told me Liza is more like a dog than a cat and I couldn’t agree more.  She was patient, loyal, and when Monica called her, she would listen.  I came to her apartment where Liza would be most comfortable, and she must’ve been because her eyes stared striaght down my lens!

 

Than you to all these wonderful participants!  I hope to keep these project going annuanly becuase something I will never tire of is the love and companionship we share with our animals.

I do a lot of sessions where my clients bring their pet(s).  Here’s a few more if you want to see them!

https://angeladivinephotography.com/portraits-dogs/