I love this time of year. I love being surprised again and again how late the sun stays up and how abruptly the weather turns so lovely and how we all tend to smile just a little bit more when the rain and gloom have vanished. I love noticing lilacs and tulips blooming, cherry tree petals sweeping up the street and trees that were dark skeletons, filling with supple bunches of leaves. Ahh Spring in the Northwest!

What I especially love about this season is the outdoor, on-location photo shoots I get to indulge in: boats, beaches and backyards, parks and porches – a million perfect spots with a million juxtapositions of inspiring backdrops and “props.”

Saturday I had the opportunity to photograph the lovely Jamie, her husband and their furry family members: Star and Kitty Mo. Jamie warned me that that feline might be a little aloof (as felines often are) and it would be great if we could somehow get her in a few shots, but that the chances were slim. I had to laugh when I arrived because when I stepped into their oasis of a backyard, Kitty was lounging lazily on a vivid mosaic table, sunning his underbelly and pawing at the air. I giggled out loud as I noticed Star carrying around her gigantic new “baby”, over-sized fuzzy bunny that dragged on the ground as she pranced around with it in her soft retriever mouth. “Oh yeah” I said sarcastically – “these guys are going to be realllly hard to photograph.” ☺

The whole shoot was charmed. The sun sat low in the sky, Star pranced and posed with her baby, occasionally stopping to share some licks with her humans or to give me a beaming golden smile and Kitty Mo was a downright camera hog – walking between my lens and whoever was in front of it just about any chance he got.

There were hug piles in hammocks, “keep away” in the grass, rests on the deck and lots and lots of kisses. All in all, a perfect day, a perfect little family, and a downright perfect shoot. *Swoon*

Thanks to Jamie and her crew for providing such a magical place for photography and thanks to the almighty weather gods for blessing us with the perfect lazy May afternoon.

* * *

Did I mention that Jamie is a wonderful, amazing, talented and delightful artist?  No?  Well now I have!  You MUST check out her gorgeous jewelry designs at: Laughing Raven Design or on Etsy. Be sure to check out her robot, dog and wonder woman themes. SO awesome!!

You can also find her at the Best of the Northwest, the Seattle Kennel Club Show and a variety of other local art events. To find out where you can find her creations check out her “news + events” page.