Meet pit bull Nitro. Last month at just 6 years old, Nitro received a sudden and surprising diagnosis: end stage dilated cardiomyopathy. His devoted person Sharon was devastated when her vet and a specialist told her he didn't have much time.
Sharon's dog friend Jessica, who's a valued client of mine, swung into action and created a GoFundMe to help with the mounting vet bills and accept donations towards a professional dog photo session with me. Many awesome people stepped up, gave generously, and made it happen!
The first step was a phone call with Sharon about her ideal location for the shoot: I’m familiar with several lovely parks on Staten Island where Sharon lives and as soon as I mentioned the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, she said, “That’s it! It’s a favorite spot where I’ve taken Nitro many times.”
Blessed with perfect weather, Sharon, Nitro, and I wandered together creating glamour shots of Nitro and capturing the bond they share. Nitro’s buddy Adam as well as Jessica with Nitro’s girlfriend Dahbe joined in and the sadness melted away for a time. We laughed a lot — both during the session and while looking at the images together on the laptop immediately afterwards to make image selections.
I’m deeply saddened to share that Nitro passed away yesterday, about one month after his diagnosis. I hope and trust that the light and love embodied in these images will give Sharon comfort at this painful time and over the years to come.
If you have a dog with an illness, reach out to me via the Contact link and I will prioritize your shoot. If you’re lucky, you’ll reach out sooner: Just because you want to capture lasting memories with your beloved, no milestone needed.