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Heart Dog Blog bio picture

Welcome to the Heart Dog Blog!

Welcome to the photography blog for Heart Dog Studios! I'm Tamandra, and my right-hand dog is Borias, The heart dog. Borias is such a blessing to me, I named my business after him. He's not only a great partner and friend, he's an awesome model!

A few years ago, I purchased a digital SLR camera to take reference photos for my paintings, and fell head over wheels in love. I photograph dogs, cats, horses, and the occasional two legged creatures. But my primary focus is dogs. Dogs have a very special place in my heart, and I have always felt a special connection with them. I have a huge passion for training and behavior, and am a dog sport enthusiast.

This blog will give a glimpse into my world, what captures my attention and heart. My style is candid natural light photography, that shows the subject's personality and soul. Those of us who share the love of an animal know they are a part of our hearts.

I would love to capture your heart...

March Special-”Old Friends” | San Diego Pet Photography

I was thinking up a special to promote for this month, and the idea struck me to honor our old friends, dogs of age. I love the images I’ve taken of older dogs, they have so much character! I’d love to do more sessions with them, as it really fills my heart to be able to give quality images to their humans, that they can treasure forever. So, I’m offering a special.

Half off a session fee, plus, a complimentary mini-storyboard with easel display! This can be a few images that tell a story from your session, or your favorites, and can include a quote, or the dog’s name, if desired. These will be mounted and ready to display. Plus, if anyone booking a session has adopted their dog in their later years, I will apply your session fee to prints and products, which makes your session absolutely free!

So if you’ve been putting off getting custom fine art photography of your beloved companion, now’s the time!

Johanna, Sage & Darien | San Diego Dog Photography

Boy, I tell ya, these three live the dog’s life out in the country of Jamul, on an awesome Palm tree farm. Tons of acreage and a view to the Coronado Bridge and beyond. This was such a fun session! I am in love with all three dogs, so full of personality. It’s pretty funny to interact with a dog who’s taller than me! He could sniff the top of my head!

Darien, the Great Dane, is the baby of the four legged family at 5, then there’s the white lab Sage, who’s 12, and Johanna, an All-American chocolate lab mix who’s an incredible 16-and looks amazing. She was incredibly mobile for her years, too. Probably due to the miracles the Animal Healing Center performs with their many clients.

I’m so honored to have gotten to take tons of images of these three. Johanna has been with her dad her whole life, as he saw her being born. That’s just so cool. I love my job!

Holiday Pet Parade

Wow, Christmas has come and gone. Whoosh! I have been absent from posting for quite some time, sorry to say. I had a personal catastrophe with my home being burglarized just a couple days before Thanksgiving. They took my computers, my brand new camera and favorite lens, and a hard drive with 15,000 images on it-probably the most heartbreaking. However, by sheer luck, or a Christmas miracle if you will, I got that back! I left signs up around the neighborhood, and weeks later, some property manager called me and had it. Amazing. It’s a mystery as to how he got it, as he wouldn’t say, but I’m grateful nonetheless.

But, I have been cameraless since then, which has been really difficult. I had clients calling me, and didn’t even have a computer to process photos. That’s when a good samaritan added to my holiday miracle, and bought me a brand new MacBook Pro. I plan on doing a session with his German shepherd, and giving him just about anything he wants! Bless his soul!

I couldn’t miss this annual event, so I borrowed a camera, and took one of the lenses thieves didn’t get, and went downtown. Nothing like seeing dogs all dressed up for the holidays to cheer one up! I’m glad to be posting again, and doing some work. Hopefully I’ll get a new camera soon, and be back to doing client sessions.

This is Elvis |San Diego Pet Photography

Elvis is a beautiful, charming rock star of a dog. He’s my first session for FACE for Pets, a charity that helps out people who can’t afford a catastrophic vet emergency situation. They help fund expensive surgeries and such, so the pet’s owners don’t have to put them to sleep. It’s a great thing, and I’ve been there myself. 

So I was excited to have a session with Elvis, and it’s fitting that he’s a German Shepherd mix. He’s Belgian Shepherd and German Shepherd, and almost the same age as my boy. He stole my heart! So cool how he made many of the same faces, and that head tilt! Though I had to work hard for that. He’s around horses, since his mom is a groom, so all my noises didn’t phase him one bit. Until I whined like a puppy hee hee!

Elvis had his femur shattered when he was kicked by a horse. FACE helped contribute to his surgery, and he’s doing extremely well, and obviously in great spirits. He’s a sweetheart!

Woman’s best friend. 

Tigger |San Diego Pet Photography

The wonderful thing about Tiggers, is that Tiggers are wonderful things! When I went to meet this cool cat for the first time, I expected a tabby, given his name is Tigger. So I was surprised to see a black and white kitty! He got his name because when he was younger, he sprang from furniture to furniture, then up to a window up super high at the top of a vaulted ceiling! Wow.

This guy is fourteen years old, and has just recently undergone chemotherapy for a thyroid disorder. He’s doing great, eating well, and is getting nice and chubby, I’m happy to report. 

Kitty sessions are very different than dog ones, as it takes cats a bit of time to get used to your presence sometimes. Tigger was wary of me, or maybe it was just my wheelchair. Top that with a big camera and lens, and he was one suspicious guy! I made some funny noises, and he just stared at me like I was a lunatic. And being that he’s a bit older, being goofy and playing with toys is just a little beneath him at this point ha ha. 

His human sprinkled a little catnip on some toys, and for about 4 seconds, he did succumb, forgetting himself for a moment before he realized we were looking at him. I love some of the shots that came out of those few seconds, though! I also had the request to photograph him on this beautiful quilt, made by the grandmother of the client. Those are definitely among my favorite shots. 

Tigger has the coolest yellow-green eyes, which are very expressive. And he grumbled and meowed when picked up. And if he’s really annoyed, he growls, which I found very entertaining and endearing!   Meet Tigger….

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