Holiday Couple Shoot w/ an American Doberman
Khadeejah’s email to me was energetic and almost frantic. She asked “do you work with pets?” She explained she was looking last minute for a photographer who could do a “really cute Christmas theme” photoshoot with her boyfriend and their dog Alpha. Of course my answer to the pet question was Yes, I’m obsessed and for a holiday shoot, I knew just the spot for an indoor/outdoor holiday shoot. I met them two days later in the back of Whitehall Mill @whitehallmillbaltimore, a new and glorious gem in the Clipper Mill and Hampden neighborhood. We chatted for a bit in The Penguin Room @penguinroom.events at the back of the venue. Furnished with a crushed velvet pink couch, sun soaked wooden tables, potted ferns and monstera plants, it is seriousl ideal for cozy + luxury shots. Deej and Michael matched each other and Alpha in red and black flannel looking super casual and warm, which set the mood for the shoot. (I felt like I was shooting an ad for pjs when they were out by the rocks…lol) I’m including this shoot as #5 in my favorite shoots of 2022 because I adored this couple and their affection for their dog. And because the shoot taught me to balance diverse needs: to make a shoot come together in two days; to portray the closeness of a couple and their pup; and to do a holiday shoot without making it too holiday-ish and tacky. I started by going to get a coffee with Deej and Michael at Ceremony @ceremonycoffeebalt in the main hall. Once they had their beverages and were ready. I wanted to see them hanging out with each other, cuddling Alpha and laughing at his droopy and then perky antics. I love how midway through the session the shoot suddenly swerved to put Alpha front and center. I said, “Ok I’m getting lots of pictures of Alpha…I don’t want him to steal the show…” and Deej said, “No, that’s ok. We’d like him to steal the show.” I didn’t totally give in because I wanted to show the sweet, kind and genuinely thoughtful bond between the couple. So here they are on December 22, 2022. Pictures of their relationship both frozen and thawing in time.
