Anthologies: How to turn your dog photos into a story of your adventure

The story’s the thing.

I make no apologies to my old pal Billy Shakespeare, whose Hamlet told Claudius, “The play’s the thing.”

Sidebar: I studied English literature in university and wrote my senior thesis on dream analysis in Shakespearean plays. #highkeyflex

The play’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king

Act II, Scene II

Literary pundits over the centuries say Shakespeare intended that he as a playwright had a social responsibility to call out in his writings the issues of the day.

So yeah, I’ve known for a long time that a story can change the world.

Every story matters

What I didn’t know for a long time is that my story matters.

I went into a career of sports journalism to tell other people’s stories and to hide my own story behind them.

Then I met Shep.

My Bubba gave me the power and the confidence to find my path and start my journey.

Dog mama.

Photographer.

Storyteller.

Along the way, I learned how to become a better storyteller, inspired by dogs and the landscapes that surround me.

I yearn to tell your stories and make them important to the world.

Make them change the world.

Because our dogs change us and our worlds in so many amazing ways.

And we can tell our stories through the world we experience with our dogs.

That’s what I do.

Turn your adventure into something special

An anthology is a collection of writings by various authors, or a collection of writings by the same author. I’ve bastardized it to describe the two very special items in my product line that tell your story.

I love the idea of making that one epic portrait and turning it into a big badass piece of home decor.

I want that for my clients — one or two Statement pieces that stop your friends and family in their tracks when they visit.

One epic shot can tell the story of your adventure.

However …

Even when I know I’ve gotten that one epic image, I keep shooting. The story of you and your dog builds from the second you get out of your car to the second you get back in it at the end of our session.

The Storybook

We take those images and create a gorgeous heirloom-quality photo album, produced at one of the best professional photographic labs in the United States.

Open the cover to find pages and pages of images from your session, documenting the incredible bond you’ve found with your furbaby.

The Storyblock

Then there’s this piece.

When I got my sample version filled with images of Bella, my husband tore it out of my hands and gave it a place of honor in his home office.

The Storyblock comes with 10 mounted 8×10 prints and a beautiful wood display block. It has been my most popular item with clients.

An anthology on steroids

And then there’s the Journey book.

The Journey book brings together my three big passions: photography, writing and the love we have for our dogs.

It’s a Storybook on steroids with incredible images of your adventure with written stories of how your dog has changed your life. When you sign up for a Journey session, you receive a notebook with some writing prompts to get you started on telling your story.

And you’re interviewed by a professional journalist (me!) to dig deep into the bond you share with your best fur friend.

Talk about an heirloom! The Journey book is an item you’ll want to pass down so future generations in your family have a touchpoint of who you were and what mattered to you … your dog.

The story’s a thing.

At least it’s my thing.

Whether it’s the story told in the one epic shot, the Storybook or the Journey book, I tell your story in a way no other photographer can.

With the eye of a photographer, the pen of an ink-stained wretch and the heart of a dog.

All set? Get started by telling me a little about you and your furkid.

All around the circle

Our pet photographers blog circle highlighted favorite products they sell to their clients.

We’re all focused (pun intended) on making sure you print your photos and have something tangible, something physical, something to hold or look at to celebrate your best fur friend and everything she brings to your life.

Let’s jump into the circle and see everyone else’s favorite print products. Start with my Pittsburgh friend Jessica Wasik with Bark & Gold Photography, sharing what goes into creating your pet’s fine art album.

When you get to the bottom of Jessica’s post, click the next link in the circle and then keep going to magical places like Milan, Italy, and St. Cloud, Minnesota, until you find yourself back here to your storytelling adventures.

That’s when you know you’re home.

Right where you belong.