Sunrise shoots are always a bit unhinged. You are awake too early, the coffee has not kicked in, and everyone is gambling on good light and decent moods.
Darryl and Ivy showed up looking fresh. Obi, their border collie, showed up ready to eat the park.
Not metaphorically either. This dog loooove licking dirt. Full commitment. Face in the ground. Tongue out. No shame. Darryl gave me the kind of look that said, yeah, he does this, and no, we do not know why.
Which, honestly, was perfect.
Because the best thing about bringing your dog to a shoot is that any chance of pretending disappears immediately. There is no room for stiffness when your border collie is acting like soil is a snack. Darryl and Ivy just laughed, rolled with it, and that gave the whole session its shape.
West Coast Park did its part too. Soft light, quiet paths, barely anyone around, and just enough breeze to make the whole morning feel easy. The three of them settled in fast, and the photos ended up feeling like exactly what they were: relaxed, funny, a little chaotic, and very them.
That is always the goal really. Not perfect. Just true.
The best frames from this session were never the polished ones anyway. It was Ivy dealing with Obi after yet another dirt incident, Darryl trying to get him to sit still for half a second, and both of them giving up and laughing because this is clearly who he is.
People sometimes ask if bringing a dog to a couples shoot is a bad idea. Short answer: no. Longer answer: absolutely not, especially if your dog is a bit feral in a lovable way.
Dogs kill awkwardness fast. Nobody has time to overthink what their hands are doing when the family pet is off to the side making deeply questionable life choices. Obi, in his own very dirt-covered way, made the whole thing feel exactly like Darryl and Ivy — easy, funny, affectionate, and impossible to confuse with anyone else.
We wrapped before 8am. The light was beautiful, Darryl and Ivy looked like they had accidentally had the best start to their day, and Obi had licked enough dirt to qualify as part landscaping equipment.
Perfect morning, really.
If your dog is a bit odd, even better. Bring them.
See more furry chaos in the Paws gallery or browse the full portfolio.