I'd been watching the weather app for weeks like I could somehow will it to change.
Denver had been sitting in the 90s, day after day, and I had a full marathon of sessions ahead of me with very little room to reschedule. I was bracing myself for a lot of heat, a lot of water breaks, and a whole lot of hoping the dogs would forgive me.
Instead, the clouds showed up.
Not just a few clouds, either. Big, beautiful, dramatic clouds that turned what could have been a brutally hot afternoon into something soft and almost a little magical.
And that was the day I met Belle.
Her session came out of something bigger than a photo shoot. Belle was one of the dogs featured in the Colorado Pet Pantry Real House Pets 2027 calendar, a fundraising project I was proud to be part of. Her moms, Kate and Mo, brought her to her favorite park in Denver, and it didn't take long to see why.
Belle knew this place.
She knew where she wanted to go, what she wanted to sniff, and apparently had no intention of wasting a perfectly good park by standing still.
And I was completely on board with that.
There was running. There was laughing. There was chasing and being chased. Kate and Mo were right there in it with her, and somewhere along the way, the camera just became a very quiet observer to three beings who already knew how to have a good time together.
Those are some of my favorite photographs to make.
Not the ones where everyone is perfectly posed, but the ones where nobody is performing at all. Just a dog being a dog, and the people who love her being completely themselves with her.
There was one more little detail I was hoping we'd find.
Wildflowers.
Kate had mentioned them before the session, and I'd been quietly worrying about it ever since. It had been a drought year, and my usual spots were looking pretty sad.
But Denver came through.
The city had planted native wildflowers in the medians around the park, creating little pockets of habitat for local bees and birds. And there, tucked into one of those little patches, was just enough wildflower to give us what we were looking for.
Sometimes you don't need a whole field.
Sometimes you just need a little patch in exactly the right place.
We had a quick conversation about safety, found our spot, and settled in.
And then we found the dandelions.
The big, fluffy, make-a-wish kind.
Belle gave one a very serious sniff, as if she had something important to consider. I have no idea what she wished for, but I'm choosing to believe it involved more treats, more adventures, and many more afternoons at her favorite park.
Honestly, I'd wish for the same.
Belle's spot in the Real House Pets 2027 calendar will help support the Colorado Pet Pantry's work providing food for pets whose families are struggling. So this wasn't just a beautiful afternoon with a beautiful dog. It was a small piece of something that will help other pets stay where they belong: at home with the people who love them.
That's a pretty wonderful thing to come away with.
Kate and Mo, thank you for sharing Belle with me.
And Belle, I hope your wish comes true.
If you're interested in pet photography, reach out. I'd love to hear from you.
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