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December 11, 2018 by Terran 4 Comments

Emmert Commercial Photography // Livestock, Dogs, Cats, & Horses

It had been months in the making but the big day had arrived. The truck was packed with every piece of camera gear I owned plus more that was rented. I had backups to my backups because nothing was going to stop me from creating these images. 

Let me back up a moment. Earlier this year, I connected with one of the members of Emmert, a family-run business from the midwest that has been around since 1881 and provides supplements for livestock and pet food. We chatted about our shared loved of animals and family business, ranching, and belief that we should put our hearts and souls into everything we do.

A few weeks after our conversation, the same person shared with me that Emmert was going through a major rebrand because they really wanted to separate themselves from others in the competing market. And guess what? They wanted to hire me to create colorful, authentic images to tell their brand’s story!

So, Greg and I hopped in the truck and drove north, almost to Yosemite. We had a week of photo shoots planned throughout Southern California with cattle, swine, cats, dogs, horses, a sheep, and a goat. To say this was a dream shoot was an understatement. Cows! Pigs! Dogs! Cats! Horses! A sheep! A goat! Come on, could this country girl ever ask for anything better?


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We started our shoot with the cattle, arriving at the farm before sunrise. It had been very cloudy and rainy the whole week due to a rare early-autumn storm. We weren’t sure what the weather was going to give us but we ended up with the most incredible sunrise, full of ooey-gooey golden light! Our goal for this portion of the shoot was to show off the cattle and farmers. Plus, we also captured one of the working farm dogs in the ranch truck! I was in heaven working with all the cows. And OMG, I even got go hug one!

As an added bonus, if you look closely at the images above, you might recognize the scruffy profile of my favorite cowboy. ;)
 

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After the cattle, we went to the swine farm and photographed all the little piggies. They were so sweet and adorable; I really wanted to bring them all home. But then I saw how big they grew and realized a 700-pound pig in my backyard would never be approved by my HOA.
 

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Early the next day, we drove back to San Diego, stopping for a photo shoot with some incredibly adorable cats! The kitties’ human mom is a member of the Emmert family, so it was really fun way to integrate more family and authenticity into the photos. One of the cats was a little shy and the other was an absolute ham, fully enjoying the spotlight.
 

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After the cats’ photoshoot, we met some dogs at one of my favorite ranch locations. Our Doberman model and his human dad came down from Orange County. His dad has been feeding Edge to all of his dogs for many, many years and shared with us what a huge difference it makes in his dogs’ health.

We also had a few of my past clients who have been feeding Whisk & Wag treats come to the shoot! Lucy is a red Australian Shepherd who is one of the smartest dogs I know. She can learn anything at the snap of a finger — well, as long as cookies are involved. She and her mom have such a solid relationship and Lucy trusts her implicitly.

We also wanted to show a strong family bond between dogs and kiddos, so Molly helped us out with that! She is such an easy-going dog and was so happy to be loved on. Molly’s mom is one of San Diego’s premier newborn photographers and I have been so honored to work with her over the years. I’m so happy she was able to be part of this shoot!
 

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Our final day was spent at a beautiful equestrian center in east county San Diego where the horses, goat, and sheep have been eating ShowBloom, one of Emmert’s supplements. The owner of the center shared with us how great her animals are doing with ShowBloom and how quickly she saw an improvement in their hooves, skin, and fur when she started feeding it. So awesome! She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and it was an absolutely perfect day spent capturing the love she shares with her animals!


I absolutely loved every bit of this photoshoot and working with the Emmert family to tell their brand story. It was a week-long photoshoot adventure filled with fun, adorable animals, and lots of laughs. It was an absolute honor to be a part of this all!


OOH! And check out the newly released video that was created by my favorite filmmaker, the ever-talented Jeremy!


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Filed Under: all pet portraits, commercial pets, travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jasmine says

    December 12, 2018 at 6:32 pm

    All of these images are so rich and full of life and wonderful energy. Beautiful work in not just capturing who this company is, but allowing it to inspire others. Bravo!

    Reply
  2. Gabrielle says

    December 13, 2018 at 12:22 pm

    Wow, your love for animals really shines through in these images! You were a great choice to represent their brand. And sounds like a fun road trip!

    Reply
  3. Andrea M says

    December 13, 2018 at 3:50 pm

    I love all of these, I am totally obsessed with the two pink piggies , great work! Thank you for sharing !

    Reply
  4. ASHLEY D says

    December 13, 2018 at 6:05 pm

    Wow, they must love these! The light, the focus, the storytelling. So beautifully done.

    Reply

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Sometimes a photograph is so much more than just a Sometimes a photograph is so much more than just a picture. Sometimes it holds a deeper meaning to the photographer than the average viewer might expect. This is one of those photographs...
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Meet Greg's aunt Charlotte, who lives full-time at the ranch, caring for all the animals and the property. She is an incredible horsewoman and a strong-willed, independent human being. She barrel raced competitively into her mid/late-70s, only recently making the decision to stop riding.
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Charlotte has never been one to want her photo taken but when she asked me if I would create some special portraits of her with her horse, Brawley, I was honored. Her main goal was one nice photograph to hang on the wall of family portraits to celebrate her time as the ranch's caretaker.
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If you've ever spent more than a few hours at the ranch, you've certainly seen Charlotte out riding around the property, either checking the gates or practicing running barrels in the arena.
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While Charlotte wanted her portraits to be more traditional to match the feel of the other family photographs hers would be hanging alongside (which we did), I knew in between locations that I also wanted to capture a moment that we, her family, have all seen time and time again... her, on Brawley, simply walking down the road.
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As soon as I saw the light on the road and how the dust hung in the air, I knew this was the image I had envisioned. I held back an extra few seconds as Charlotte, Brawley, and her trusty ranch dog, Sage, continued up the road. This was it. This was the moment I had waited for. It was the slightly more artistic and creative portrait that I knew not everyone else would fall in love with but I knew I would... and sometimes in between creating art for others, we have to remember to create art that means something to us, too. 
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#westwaypets #skyevalleyranch #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegohorsephotographer #sandiegohorsephotography
*wink wink* Betty clearly has a secret that she th *wink wink* Betty clearly has a secret that she thinks I know (but I haven't a clue). What do you think it is? 🤣
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography
I've been getting a fair number of end-of-life ses I've been getting a fair number of end-of-life session inquiries lately. They are so hard emotionally for everyone. I do my best to keep things light and joyful, though, which you can see here in little Licorice's portrait.
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For Lic’s portrait session, we ventured down to the beach where he and his mom loved to walk every night. Their session was filled with mama and puppy snuggles, kisses, and, yes, even some laughter.
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I've often gotten very lucky with these types of sessions. I get the sense that our animal companions know what's happening and this is their moment to shine. I frequently hear "he's doing really well today!" before the start of our photo shoot. Our dogs and cats have taken care of us their entire lives so it's not surprising they'd want to leave us with happy lasting memories, too. Animals are INCREDIBLE.
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography
For dog mom and dads, this day can be filled with For dog mom and dads, this day can be filled with dread instead of joy. How do we keep our dogs stress-free with fireworks? Will someone set off firecrackers when we're not prepared? Will we be hearing rogue fireworks and firecrackers late into the night?
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Last year, I found a trick that worked really well with Roxy. My home office has an attached bathroom with a very loud fan. Roxy and I made ourselves comfy in the office, turned on the fan, pulled the blinds, closed the blackout curtains, and watched loud movies with the volume higher than normal. I could hear the fireworks but she couldn't distinguish between them and The Avengers, especially with the white noise of the fan.
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Anytime we're traveling, though, and there are loud, scary noises, I am prepared with nature sounds on my phone that act as white noise. I have used them in the past and within a few minutes, Roxy will settle down and go to sleep (and so will I).
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Also remember that it's a good idea to keep a collar on your dog with your current address and phone numbers. If they're microchipped, make sure the information on your account is up-to-date and that it still scans at the vet's office.
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I hope these tips help and that you and your furry companions have a happy and safe July 4th! 
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#westwaypets #westwaywisdom
All dogs can be lap dogs! This sweet buddy is Harl All dogs can be lap dogs! This sweet buddy is Harley. I found out that he passed away recently. This was one of my favorite images from their photo shoot a few years ago. Harley was a big love and so, so special to his family.
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When animals come into our lives, they change everything for the better. It's hard to remember the times before they were with us. We all know it's inevitable, though, that someday we'll have to say goodbye. When that time comes, I believe our companions take a little piece of our souls with them but leave a little piece of theirs in exchange so we will always be together no matter where we are. 💗
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography
Few things in life are cuter than a fluffy Pomeran Few things in life are cuter than a fluffy Pomeranian booty — and Rocco knows it.
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography
Sundays are for relaxing in the grass with your be Sundays are for relaxing in the grass with your best friend, don't you agree? .
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It has come to my attention that I am not the only It has come to my attention that I am not the only one who says "OH, BIG STRETCH!" every time Roxy does a... well... big stretch. What is it about this magical act of stretching that has pet parents across the globe reacting in the exact same way? Tell me your theories!
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#westwaypets #westwaywisdom
“Let’s play, mom!!!” . Who out there has a d “Let’s play, mom!!!”
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Who out there has a doggo who loves fetch as much as Kiyah does???
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This sweet, wonderful girl is one-of-a-kind. She is a flyball champ, always happy, and is ready to run and have fun at a moment’s notice. Kiyah is always watching her mom and is as loyal as they come. I absolutely adore this sweet puparoo!
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#westwaypets #sandiegophotography #sandiegopetphotographer #sandiegopetphotography #sandiegodogphotographer #sandiegodogphotography #commercialpetphotography #commercialpetphotographer #commercialdogphotographer #commercialdogphotography
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