Heart and Soul

At just 6-months old, this gorgeous and unique-looking Labradoodle, Tate, was all heart and soul. Love him!

Christmas Shoots Have Begun!

It may only be November, but the holiday shoots have begun! I do a variety of different photos for the holidays from a classic family photo with the dog to the goofy dog with a Santa hat. Here's one I thought was a bit funny from a recent shoot.

Who's naughty and who's nice!?!

Italian Sights & Pets

For the first time in years I traveled with my professional camera. Usually, I take a point-n-shoot variety to make things simple. But it was Italy and it was my honeymoon! Here's a few photos of Italy and the pets who live there. 

Venetian Pug!

A relaxed Venetian kitty.

This is cat in Tuscany we called Merlot. He was more than happy to eat my left-over pasta!

Me and Steve. :)

www.fourleggedphoto.com

Spring in Portland...Boots 'n Paws

This morning I shot at the Waterfront here in Portland. The trees were in full bloom and I couldn't have asked for cuter models!  Grab your dog and go frolick by the Steel Bridge while it still looks gorgeous!

New Lucky 7 Valentine's Spotlight: Wicker at OHS

This is Wicker, a dog from the Oregon Humane Society that is looking for the right home, maybe yours? Today, Wicker is ready to find his Valentine! I just photographed him and 6 other animals at OHS as part of the Lucky 7 project. Read more about it on my website in the "Lucky 7" portfolio: www.fourleggedphoto.com

Here's a note from Wicker: I am at Lexi Dog on 6100 SW Macadam Ave. Portland, OR (            503-245-4363      ). Come meet me there! Hi there! My days are usually spent playing fetch in the back yard, taking long naps and spending time with my loved ones. I also walk nicely on leash. My favorite toys are tennis balls and I love to carry them around, retrieving and I even know to "drop" them for the next toss. I am very affectionate and love to receive all the attention I can get. I am used to a quiet home with adults and would prefer to keep it that way. The best part about me is that I have good house manners! I'm looking for a place where I can be spoiled and loved. 

To find him online through OHS: http://www.oregonhumane.org/adopt/detail.asp?animalID=101718

Make my day!

I just got back from the Oregon Humane Society where hundreds of gorgeous animals are excited to find a new home.  I regularly photograph their animals that need a little extra exposure. My prints of these animals are displayed as a fine art exhibit at a dozen local businesses. Let's help these animals find their forever homes!

This time I focused on an aspect of each animal that I found unique. Here's the latest and greatest:

Scarlet: smart and affectionate


Sasha: loves dogs


Puppies: find one at OHS or your local shelter first


Kita: heart of gold


Catsper: Mr. Dapper with a great personality


Freckles: super friendly and still hopeful


To read more about them, check out the "Lucky 7" portfolio on my website: www.fourleggedphoto.com or go to www.oregonhumane.org

The Lucky 7 in Black and White

For those of you who don't know, The Lucky 7 is an art show that I display around town and on the web to help the long-term residents at the Oregon Humane Society find homes. I photograph seven animals every other month who are having trouble being placed in the right home. There are museum-style displays of the photographs at about a dozen different businesses who are very supportive of animal rescue: Intel, Cupcake Jones, The Dog House, Mt. Hood Medical, Cafe Destino, Lexi Dog (multiple locations), PetUtopia & The Burrito Bar. Every two months, the photos are replaced by volunteers with the current batch of seven animals. 

It's amazing to me how this project has grown over the past year and a half. New businesses regularly contact me wanting to display the photos, wanting to help educate about the number of amazing animals just waiting for homes. 

Here's the new batch of photos, all taken in black/white with an eye for photojournalism. Most of these pets are just being themselves, not looking at the camera. My favorite photo is Presley just being a hound dog. Please enjoy the photos here or at the businesses and consider adopting an animal that really needs and deserves a forever home with you.

Presley

Freckles

Tulip

Rayleigh

Autumn

Pepper (bonded with Autumn)

Getz

To view the pets at OHS, click here: http://www.oregonhumane.org/

Cedar Mill Veterinarians & DOGS!

I am in the process of photographing the Cedar Mill Veterinarians with their dogs. In a couple of weeks, they will have new big photos on their walls of their dogs. We are also going to be photographing/framing/spotlighting one client's dog at a time who has a great survival story. And there are some amazing stories to tell! I will do my best to keep you posted about each of those special dogs.

It was so fun to watch these 3 dogs play in a field near the vet hospital. The first dog is Finn and his person is Dr. White. He is the "incredible flying dog!" Finn can't seem to get enough of the frisbee or that mud. As I write this, my pants are still wet and muddy from the shoot!! To me, that's a sign of a great photo shoot.



These dogs are Dr. Bailey's: Zuzu and Saucy. There's nothing like a good romp in a muddy field!

Cedar Mill Vet has been in business for over 20 years, just did an extensive remodel and has boarding areas for both dogs and cats. They are very friendly and always a joy to visit! For more information about this clinic, check out their website.
http://www.cedarmillvet.com/
12790 Northwest Barnes Road
Portland, OR 97229-6018
(503) 644-3101

The Hippest Hound (Spring)

Did you know that each season, The Hip Hound just off of NW 23rd St, picks one of my client's dogs to be "The Hippest Hound?" An 11x14 framed photo of the dog is displayed prominently in the store. The owner receives a $25 gift certificate to the store and the 11x14 photo (when the next dog is selected). To qualify, you just have to bring your dog in for a shoot!



This Spring, the lucky winner is Loki. You can read all about him on the The Hip Hound website. He has quite a good story about how he helped his young human recover from a liver condition at a young age.



Now, this boy makes organic dog treats for his dog and other dogs too. He sells them at LeoandCompany.etsy.com.

Oregon Humane Society Shoots

The Oregon Humane Society has so many great animals up for adoption, it's always my pleasure to take photos to help promote their cause.

These little pups went out as the cover photo in a recent mailing. And in case you were wondering, they were adopted immediately!



This is Cookie and she finally found her forever home on her third adoption. This photo is going to be the cover of the next OHS quarterly publication.

It's a tough job!

I have been working with North Portland Veterinary Hospital to redo all their wall photos. With over 40 staff, it's a pretty big place! I did custom photo shoots and included about 8 staff members and their pets. The pictures are now hanging and depict dogs, cats and even a couple of chickens. We had one dog who couldn't make it to our photo shoot day, so he came for a make-up photo shoot. And wouldn't you know it...he was dressed as a PIG! I adore pigs (and of course dogs too!) and had a great time with this little dog. And if you are in need of an excellent vet in Portland, check out North Portland Veterinary Hospital. Their staff (and their pets) are wonderful!

Grizzelda enjoys her golden years

I first photographed Grizzelda, her two humans and the cat, J.C., a year ago in my studio. Now, she is enjoying her last few weeks of life. I have had the privilege to photograph many dogs who were about to pass. It's a bittersweet time. Grizzelda is one of those wonderful dogs whose health is starting to fail, but she remains happy and fully engaged in life. Dogs never cease to amaze me. Her owner told me that she will go out of this world with her tail wagging. That's beautiful.

60th Birthday Surprise

Tuff's owner was surprised on her 60th birthday with a huge (24"x36"!) print of him in the forest. I met her husband and best friend for the photo shoot at their stables when she was out of town. Tuff is the love her life, so it was my job to capture his calm spirit and handsome presence. I love being around horses and can't wait for the next horse photo shoot!

Who's in the Doghouse?

I just photographed three sweet dogs for the opening of "The Dog House," a new doggie daycare in Portland's South Waterfront neighborhood. These are the owner's dogs who get to go to daycare every day!http://www.thedoghouseportland.com/ghouseportland.com/


The dogs did great and will be displayed behind the store's counter for everyone to see!



The Dog House is also displaying a full set of my
"Lucky 7" photographs. These are the photos of long-term resident dogs from the Oregon Humane Society who are looking for homes. Best of luck to The Dog House for their opening this Friday!

The Dog Show: Photos!

Thanks to everyone who came out to "The Dog Show" opening on Thursday night. There were about 200 people and dozens of dogs. The show runs through September 19th, so you still have time to go see it. Here's some photos of my exhibit "Finding Home," complete with the big frames made from an old/well-loved dog house.

(photos by Andie Petkus Photography)

School Photos for my Pets

So, I just photographed and printed some big prints of my 3 pets for the walls. I wanted them to look somewhat like school portraits. Beaumont, my spotty cow-cat, is young and I think this looks like his 1st grade portrait. He is a spaz in real life, but he put on a good face for his first portrait session (at least for about 2 seconds!). Maya, my Aussie-mix, is going through a phase. She is exploring her individuality and mentioned something about punk. This is her 8th grade photo & am sure it will pass by high school. And Roscoe P. Coltrane is posing for his 5th grade portrait. He's looking older and a little bigger, but is feeling a bit awkward. He hopes the girls like his wild collar and won't make fun of him. I think he will grow into quite the charmer!