Portland Portrait Session with Kate and Her Dog Edward
Sometimes the best sessions are the ones with no agenda. Kate reached out wanting some updated portraits of herself, and of course, her dog Edward had to come too. Anyone who has met Edward would understand. He is too good not to be in the photos.
We spent an afternoon walking around Kate's Portland neighborhood in that cold, cloudy winter light that the Pacific Northwest does so well. Brick storefronts, bare branches, quiet streets. Kate in her rust-colored sweater and a blanket scarf that somehow made the whole thing feel even more like a Portland winter. We stopped whenever we found good light, whenever Edward wanted to sniff something interesting, whenever it felt right. No rush.
Edward, for his part, took the whole thing very seriously. He posed. He looked off into the middle distance like he was contemplating something important. He let Kate kiss the top of his head between frames and did not seem to mind one bit. I love dogs in sessions. They keep everyone honest. You cannot overthink a photo when there is a sixty-pound reminder next to you that we are all just here to have a good time.
This is one of my favorite kinds of work to make. Not a milestone, not a big event, just a person in their neighborhood with the dog they love on a quiet afternoon. These are the photos that will feel even better in ten years than they do right now. The jacket, the street, the way Edward leans against her leg. All of it.
If you have been thinking about doing a session like this, whether it is solo portraits, updated headshots, or just an excuse to document this chapter of your life with your dog or your person or your house or whatever feels important right now, please do it. You will never regret having the photos.
