Zoe, Basset Hound from Cedar Hill

Zoe and I had great fun together during her dog photography session for the 2018 North Texas Basset Hound Rescue calendar.

Zoe came from a sad situation where she was a neglected pup and kept outside the first year of her life. When her owners decided to move, Zoe was left behind. Thankfully, she was given a new chance at life through the great dog rescue work of NTHBR. And she couldn’t have been any luckier! She hit the jackpot with a fabulous mom who adores her so very much and life is “pawesome!”

When I first met Zoe, there were three things that caught my eye right away– her extra long Basset body, her bright purple nails (which you can see in her selected calendar photo above), and her long ears. There was no doubt I was about to work with a one-of-a-kind Basset Hound. And just as I thought, Zoe had a great personality to match!

She made the trip north from Cedar Hill for her photo session and  Zoe was a wonderful dog in front of the camera and made my job easy for me! We ended up spending extra time exploring areas and backgrounds we could incorporate into her images and even finished the night off with a pink and blue sunset sky in the background. She looked the part of a perfect dog model standing in front of the cotton-candy colored sunset. What a way to end our photography session!

Zoe’s portraits turned out awesome and her mom decided it was too hard to just choose a few– Zoe needed her own album, which turned out to be a great way to show off Zoe’s different doggy poses, countless expressions, adorable Basset Hound features, and even a few slow-motion action shots!

Some of my favorite images Zoe’s mom picked out for her album were close-ups of her eyes, nose, ears, and her purple toenails, a slow-motion series of Zoe trotting in front of a stone wall, a priceless series of the many facial expressions made when Zoe was given treats, and a few snuggling photos of Zoe and her mom. I know Zoe’s album is a treasured keepsake.

Creating albums for my dog photography sessions is especially fulfilling for me as a photographer because the albums really help to tell the story of each dog and the bond they share with their people. You have probably heard the quote, “a picture tells a thousand words” and naturally as a photographer I couldn’t agree more. Yet when a grouping of images is together in an album, it truly multiplies the effect beyond words.

Not to mention the luxurious qualities and eye-catching presentation of holding an album in your own hands. My clients “ooh and ahh” over the samples albums at my office all the time.  The coffee table style albums are handcrafted with high-quality materials including fine art canvas covers and thick felt papers which capture the crisp details and rich colors perfectly. Plus they are perfect for showing off to friends, family, and admirers in a portable way!

Oh, and I have to share a fun fact about Zoe- she inspired me to indulge my dog-centric lifestyle even more!! When Zoe’s mom came in for her viewing and ordering reveal, I asked about sweet Zoe and how she was doing. Her mom said she’s great, do you want to see her? She let me say “hi” to Zoe over the Livestream video of her Furbo camera. We turned the mic on and talked to her and then I gave her some treats from the automatic dispenser. It was adorable and I thought, my goodness I need one of these for my dogs!  So that’s how the Furbo became one of my favorite things!

I visited with Zoe again at the Basset Hound Shuffle event last October. I can’t tell you how excited I was to see my pal Zoe and her Mom! Just as the first day I met her, Zoe stood out as she walked around the event. In addition to her instantly recognizable Basset features, she was also wearing a one-of-a-kind accessory- across her long body- a purple and white sash that said “Miss May” and she rocked it!

Interested in a portrait of your Basset Hound or another furry family member?

You’re in the right place if you have a pet you adore and want to show off in one-of-a-kid pet portraits!  I’m a full-time pet photographer in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and specialize in people and their pets, particularly dogs! I’d love to connect with you to learn about your photography vision and how I can bring that to life. I offer complimentary consultations to “get the ball rolling!”

Read the Other Basset Hound Stories

Follow along for the next Basset in the Calendar series, Honey Doo, Miss June… coming soon!

If you missed any other months, you can also view prior posts on the NTBHR Charity Calendar Series page.

Interested in adopting or fostering a Basset?

I would definitely suggest you check out North Texas Basset Hound Rescue! There are so many wonderful ways you can be involved, even if you’re like me and don’t have your own Basset Hound. They have fundraising events, adoption meetups, and so much more. Oh and an adorable Facebook and Instagram you can follow along with.