Here’s a behind-the-scenes story for you that needs its own blooper reel. I have been wanting to photograph various dogs wrapped in scarves for some time now… perhaps the odd toque or hat as well. In a tasteful and sophisticated way, of course. And Hurley was the first dog I thought of when I pictured it in my head. There’s just something about him…his soft colours and his striking eyes. I thought he would be perfect for my Christmas mini pet session promotion. And I already had the perfect scarf. I just needed to get Hurley down to the beach and see if he would pose for me. Well… it was an adventure. Actually, it was chaos! Hurley is a nervous dog to begin with. You wouldn’t know it looking at his seemingly calm and thoughtful expression in this photo. My good friend was gracious enough to come down to the beach with us to lend a helping hand… in other words, to tempt Hurley with various yummy treats while simultaneously wrapping a scarf around his neck, getting him to stand still, not chew on the scarf, not eat the seaweed strewn along the shoreline, stay out of the water… oh, and if she could just get him to look into the camera, that would be fantastic. Perhaps that was a bit of a tall order? The first thing Hurley did was pee all over my friend’s beautiful new boots (I’m so sorry, Alison! I owe you BIG TIME) and then he flung the scarf off, and scarfed down a big mouthful of seaweed. His focus, for the most part, was intensely on the treats in her hand and occasionally, one split second at a time, he would look at me. All I needed was one good shot, and I do love how this one turned out. His owners tell me he loves to pose for the camera, wearing human clothing. I will be photographing this guy again in the near future… I’ve got a great hat I want to try. But next time I will bring along his favourite human who knows just how to get him to stand there and look calm and cute. He is pretty cute.. isn’t he? He has such an expressive face. If you would like more information on my mini pet sessions, please visit me here!