Ah… to be a puppy.

Posey, 8 months old

She's cute, right? I think so, too. But as the world responds to her cuteness and says, "Puppies are not easy!" I tend to agree in heavy sighs. Her sweet face captures some amazing portraits, but really it's rather difficult to get her to sit still long enough to take a picture. I'm sure you would agree with me.

My trick? Well, hold on to your hats because it's a doozy. I use puppy treats. Not the Scooby-Doo kind (we're not solving mysteries here), the kind that get her attention and get her to do whatever I need her to do. The focus is the treat and she will obey. For Posey I usually have a dog treat that has a pinch of peanut butter (she gets crazy eyes when she gets a whiff) or I use a frozen cube of chicken broth. Then I have her "sit" and I hold the treat close to my camera and take a picture. This ensures she's looking at me or nearby and then BAM. She gets her treat, I get my portrait. Everyone is happy.

What kind of tricks do you use to get your pets attention? I imagine (and I'm very hopeful) that one day she'll be calmer and more mature… perhaps I won't need a treat to get her to sit still. Until then, we've made a fantastic investment on dog treats. :)

If I were to make a calendar of images…

Some of you may know that I am a portrait photographer. I have been taking portraits for about 3-4 years now and I have yet to find a reason to stop. I would love to share with you the images which I have captured over the years and what I would use to make a calendar. Some people think that portraits are only needed for special occasions, like the holidays or anniversaries. For me personally, memories are created spontaneously and to capture them you have to be prepared! I do my best with my smartphone, but I love my images when I have my Nikon D80 handy with me. Enjoy and please feel free to share my work with your friends and family.

You can see more images like these by visiting my photography page: www.facebook.com/nicolettejeanphotography