Austin Pet Portrait Session with Elvis! {Pet and Children Photographer, Austin, TX and Santa Fe, NM}

On a recent portrait session in Austin I photographed Iliana, Bill and Elvis- an spritely border terrier with a faux hawk like no other dog in town. What a fun session! Iliana and Bill are a delightful, newly married couple and their dog Elvis has more character that you could imagine. I love his scruffy hair and eyebrows and the way Iliana and Bill stare admiringly into his chocolate brown eyes. We started our session outdoors at the dog park adjacent to their neighborhood. It was a fenced in area and proved to be a delightful spot for images. Iliana and Bill take their dog to this park often and he was obviously in his element there. When I spoke with Iliana about her goals for her session she said that she really wanted the images to portray her life with Bill and Elvis as it is right at this moment... she knows life will change (perhaps a few members will be added) and that Elvis is like a child to them. We moved the session indoors and photographed the three of them on their living room couch inside their apartment. Since the space was fairly dark and the day was cloudy, I set up my lighting equipment. I love to photograph with natural light, but I also fancy the clean look and versatility of a soft, studio generated light source. After I had my lighting set, I focused my attention on the connection and love being shared.

Thank you for choosing me to photograph your amazing family here in Austin, Iliana and Bill!

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

This dog's got wheels! A photo session with George, my spunky dachshund friend in Austin, Texas.

I recently photographed George, a very special dachshund here in Austin Texas. George injured his back, leaving him paralyzed and ultimately requiring the support of a wheelchair.  This incredible dog has been in his wheelchair for four and a half years and it didn't appear to me that these wheels are holding him back in any way. George's owners, Judy and Vernon, inherited George from Vernon's mother who wasn't able to provide the care the injured dog needed. It is obvious to me that George resides in a loving home and is getting the royal treatment he most certainly deserves. I met Judy and Vernon through the Animal Trustees of Austin, a extremely vital animal welfare organization here in Austin.  When I arrived at their home  I was greeted by George and several of Judy and Vernon's cats. (A sight to which I am accustomed!) Vernon was excited to show me at least 20 different outfits that make up George's wardrobe that really add flair to his style. George's favorite outfit is his Texas Longhorns shirt. I think orange is his color.

This dog couldn't have cared less about the silly noises I made to get his attention and the tricks in my bag didn't even raise a whisker. George's vice is bacon! Every animal has SOMETHING that grabs their attention; I just need to figure out what it is! Usually, if make a fool out of myself long enough I can discover the proper technique. It was a remarkable portrait session. I loved getting to know this special dog and incorporating his wheelchair and personality into the images.

Texas sunshine equine portraits

It was a toasty Texas afternoon in a town nearby Austin, Texas, where I had the opportunity to photograph two horses- Rolex and Ezra with their owner, Elise. I have a tremendous respect and admiration for horses. They have an exquisite beauty and elegance different from any other animal and are of course, incredibly powerful. These horses were no exception. While I am not a rider or horse owner myself, I enjoy spending time with horses and absolutely appreciate their beauty and strength. I have a strong admiration for the connection between horse and rider and I love to create images that show this bond. As with dogs, cats and other pets, I am most interested in creating imagery of animals as pets, companions and friends, rather than focusing on the proper alignment and body positioning as is necessary when photographing show animals. I appreciate eventing imagery and show quality animals, but my interest is photographing animals as pets and family members...Show animals or otherwise.

The location for this session was gorgeous. I hauled my camera bag to an open field nearby the stables where the horses were boarding. The simplicity of the tall grasses, the story that the live oak trees seem to whisper, and the pastel blue sky above make for a perfect backdrop for these portraits.

I photographed Elise with both of her horses separately. I noticed the playful connection between Ezra and Elise and true bond between the two. Rolex seemed more regal and proud and I think this shows in the images. Both relationships were tender and genuine and I was glad to capture the uniqueness of both partnerships.

I photographed Elise and Rolex as silhouettes as the sun faded and marked the end of a very special afternoon.