Travel Session ~ Daisy Mai & Ollie B in Dwellingup, WA

Golden Retrievers – every one I meet makes me fall in love with the breed even more – and these two were no exception! Meet Daisy Mai and her foster-brother-turned-actual-brother Ollie B.

It’s always super flattering when fellow professional photographers book me for a session with their pets. After making the announcement I was planning a trip to Western Australia, I received an email from Shelly from Smile! Designer Photography to book in a session with her seven year old Golden Retriever Daisy Mai. Of course I immediately went and checked out her work and fell in love with her style – and all the awesome Perth area locations she gets to shoot at!

After many options thrown around and much deliberation, we settled on a sleepy little town about an hour and a half south of Perth called Dwellingup. The main feature of the town is a beautiful historic train station complete with vintage-style platform featuring signage, plus of course, old trains!

Daisy Mai and Shelly are virtually inseparable since she was welcomed into the family many years ago, shortly before they sadly lost their old girl Maddie Dawn. In Shelly’s words:

“I had my eye on a different puppy, but Daisy put her head in my hands and looked into my eyes and chose me.”

“Daisy had big paws to fill and she has done that and more. She is the most beautiful, caring, well behaved, funny, sweet, awesome dog who amazes us constantly.

“Over the years DM and I haven’t spent much time apart, she sits beneath my feet as I work, comes along on errands with, holidays, she surfs/kayaks/explores, she is my almost constant companion.”

“She has welcomed numerous foster dogs in and out of the family, never making a fuss, and a year ago accepted her skin baby brother wholeheartedly (they deeply adore each other).”

These two are truly gorgeous together!

When Shelly asked if she could bring her parent’s dog Ollie B along for some photos as well, I was excited – nothing better than a Golden Retriever – than two Golden Retrievers! Shelly fostered Ollie B as a puppy before her parents adopted him permanently, and he and Daisy Mai are best buddies.

We found so many good spots to shoot in and around the old train station, with a mix of green grass, wildflowers and red earth, there was plenty of opportunity for variety. And as long as I made with the treats, I had two very willing models on my hands!

Being a photographer herself, Shelly knew exactly what to wear (and dress her little boy and the dogs in too) to come up beautifully in the photos. The order of the day was red, blue, checkers and polkadots and it all tied in together perfectly.