"Sniffing it out at the dog park" Grand opening for Dog Boy's new dog park!

Pure joy. That's all I witnessed at Dog Boy's Dog Ranch during the grand opening of their stunning new dog park. I saw nothing but smiling dogs (really!) as they galloped through the green pastures, leaped with reckless abandon into the refreshing pond and latched onto the nearest stick calling out their name. You'd better be sure that they slept soundly that night. I doubt I could ever get tired of witnessing animals at play and photographing them is truly exciting. These dogs were in heaven–Dog Boy's style. I've included a few of my favorite images from the short time I visited the dog park. I thoroughly enjoyed the documentary-style perspective I chose to take during this afternoon of play and exploration. I found it best to hunker down and capture the fun as it whirled and splashed by me.

Norah Levine is an Austin based children portrait photographer and pet photographer. She photographs in homes and on location. She also travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico frequently for sessions. Please view her website for more details www.norahlevinephotography.com Images rights must be obtained in writing for any use.

Happy Holidays from Norah Levine and her family {Pet photographer, Children Photographer, Austin, Texas and Santa Fe, New Mexico}

My husband and I live in Austin, Texas, along with our little family comprised of 2 dogs and 3 cats. These animals are our family and we love them unconditionally. Our pets give wholeheartedly and ask very little in return. Let me introduce Ruckus (upper left), our boxer-mix who sports a snazzy underbite and runs the IT department; Fuego (upper right) our fiery little guy who definitely has a special swag and also acts as my PR director; Mika (middle right), our precious princess lab/pit mix who diligently serves as office assistant and accountant; RC (bottom left), our squishy calico in charge of catering (and eating); and Pepe aka Pino, our Abyssinian and Bengal mix in charge of marketing and social media.

Along with lots of hair, these cats and dogs bring me joy. I hope that whomever you have chosen to include in your family that you appreciate them as much as I appreciate my family and loved ones. I am extremely appreciative for all my clients who have chosen to invite me into their lives to photograph their most beloved.

Happy Holidays and Warm Wishes.

Norah

Why am I a photographer? {Children and Pet Photographer, Austin, TX and Santa Fe, NM}

Being a photographer isn't much of a choice for me. Photography picked ME. (Kind of like all of my adopted dogs and cats did). I fell in love with photography for the magic of it–for the many possibilities to create and connect through my view finder. While the format of photography has changed dramatically from my days of rolling film onto reels, the magic hasn't changed a bit. Sure, owning a business has its challenges, but I can't really imagine not creating photographs. As a result of my profession I get to play and interact with incredible children and animals and meet amazing people–even make some new friends. Through that process I have the opportunity to create images that allow my clients to linger in the present moment just a little bit longer–as their new baby coos and drools, as they hold on extra tightly to one another and while their pets gaze longingly into their eyes... this is the magic. Time certainly doesn't stand still, but artful photographs can certainly help it pause just a little; help us to spend a moment or two reminiscing and feel warm and fuzzy. (For the record, I'm not ashamed of being a warm and fuzzy photographer.) As I work hard to photograph and produce the final artwork for all of my unique clients this holiday season I am most definitley thankful to be part of this magical art form. The photographs I am sharing today are from a recent portrait session with a dear family in Santa Fe. I loved spending time with them at a park nearby their home as well as capturing images of their beloved pets at their home.

Norah Levine is an Austin based children portrait photographer and pet photographer. She photographs in homes and on location. She also travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico frequently for sessions. Please view her website for more details www.norahlevinephotography.com

Austin Dog Family Portraits

Can you think of anything more fun than photographing a fantastic couple and four dogs with a couch outdoors on a lovely day in Austin? Jill and Mike asked me if I could photograph them and their four dogs (they refer to them as the Quatros Perros). Jill had a maroon colored couch she planned on giving away and asked if we could take it somewhere near her house and use it during our session together. I think it ended up working out really well and I certainly enjoyed the collaboration aspect of this session.

This portrait session gave me the opportunity to capture the essence of four incredible pups–a sweet and elderly greyhound, "Dolly"; a jack russell mix, "Daisy"; a terrier-chihuahua mix, "Lulu" and an Italian greyhound named Tex. Needless to say each dog had his or her distinct characteristics and photographing each of them took a unique approach. I utilized the available light and diffused it with a large diffusion panel (special thanks to my assistant!) to help with the "dappled" light effect.  All in all, it was an adventurous morning in Austin with lots of play!

Norah Levine is an Austin based children portrait photographer and pet photographer. She photographs in homes and on location. She also travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico frequently for sessions. Please view her website for more details www.norahlevinephotography.com

Outdoor Dog Portrait Session... fall in love with these pups!

Happy Fall, everyone! I hope it has started out perfectly. Since it's going to be 100 degrees AGAIN here in Austin, Texas it doesn't quite feel like fall yet 'round these parts! So for this post I'm channeling a perfect fall day in the crisp mountain air I spent photographing and frolicking with two dogs I completely adore. As a photographer who LOVES color imagery I can't get enough of the fall colors: golds, reds, oranges. I loved the contrasting colors of the leaves and the clear blue sky in these photographs. I also enjoy the way the dogs' coloring and texture really adds to the warmth of the scene. I usually photograph pets in their home environment, but if my clients have a special request for me to create art of their pets or children in another location I am more than happy to oblige. One of the challenges of photographing dogs in an open space is that there can be many distractions– like fun noises, other pets and people walking by just asking to be chased and oh-so-many smells that have not yet been sampled! During my pre-consultation and planning meeting with my clients I discuss the benefits of each location in order to ensure that I can create images and artwork that is perfect for them. These particular dogs are exceptionally well trained and can go off-leash, which certainly helped for me to create more pleasing imagery of them in a safe way. I did a lot of following, playing and observing in order to capture their exciting outing in the breathtaking fall scenery of the Santa Fe mountains.

So get out and enjoy this time of year with your pets! Soak in all the colors and welcome the change of the season with your loved ones.

Norah Levine is an Austin children portrait photographer and pet photographer. She photographs in homes and on location. She also travels to Santa Fe, New Mexico frequently for sessions. Please view her website for more details www.norahlevinephotography.com

My Family Photos in Austin Texas

This week I'd like to share images of just a few of my family members here in Austin! I recently purchased a new lens and I decided to play around with it using my favorite subjects- my animals! They are usually willing and always there for me. (Sometimes my calico gives me the "hairy eyeball", but she usually gives in!) While I don't have images of all five of our pets to share today, this will offer a glimpse of a few of our furry family members. I love them dearly, in spite of the hair they leave on my clothes and floors each and every day. In these images you'll see Fuego, our little orange tabby, Ruckus, our special boxer labrador mix, and RC, our calico cat. If she looks slightly snooty, it's because she is. When love her anyway. I'm teaching a pet portrait photography workshop this week in Santa Fe and I am so excited. I can't wait to share as much as I can with my students about creatively photographing pets. I look forward to sharing the experience with you next week!