• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Westway Studio | San Diego’s most adventurous & colorful pet portraits and commercial brand photography

Commercial brand pet photography and rustic-luxury family pet portraits with one-of-a-kind experiences

  • Howdy
  • Blog
  • Family Pet Photography
    • Portfolio
    • Session Details & Rates
    • High Regards
  • Commercial Pet Photography
    • Project Portfolio
    • Photo + Video Dream Team
    • Your Brand Story
    • Commercial Rates
    • Top Mistakes to Avoid
  • Education for Photographers
  • Contact

July 18, 2017 by Terran 10 Comments

Winter is Here // Breckenridge Pet Photography Retreat

Back in May, my partner, Nicole Begley of Hair of the Dog, and I co-taught a pet photography retreat in Breckenridge, Colorado. It was everything I dreamed it would be… and more! We rented an 8,700 square foot chalet high atop the town where we stayed along with our students. It had three kitchens, four dishwashers, four fireplaces, radiant heat flooring throughout, and two hot tubs. I screamed with excitement when I saw it for the first time!

Before we left San Diego and Pittsburgh (where Nicole lives), we were keeping a close eye on the forecast. It was calling for rain, then 1-3 inches of snow so we packed wisely and didn’t think much of it. We arrived a few days beforehand to location-scout and it was beautiful. We couldn’t wait for everyone to arrive and see the stunning spring landscape! But… the day before everyone was scheduled to arrive, the forecast changed… to 1-3 feet of snow. Feet! At least it didn’t start until after everyone had arrived!

We went to bed that night with flurries and woke up to a winter wonderland! It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! We had shoots planned for that afternoon but none of our models could make it safely through the weather. Luckily, the management company we rented our house from was a dog-friendly business — and just down the road. We called and asked them if anyone had their dogs with them that day — and they did! A sweet sheepdog (who had already been shaved down for the summer, oh no!) and a white husky (a white husky!!!) were able to come up to the house and model for us.

I cried tears of joy after photographing this dog. I really did! Ask Greg, he’ll tell you!

A few days later, we held a shoot at the Dillon Reservoir in Frisco, just outside Breck. The vast majority of the models we had lined up were coming from Denver and couldn’t make it, so we put out a call and more local dogs saved the day! We were very grateful to the couple of pups who did make it all the way from Denver, too! 

The following morning, we held our final outdoor shoot at Officer’s Gulch between the town of Frisco and Copper Mountain. The sunlight was sparkling and our doggie models were total superstars!

On our final day, we taught the basics of lighting with off-camera flash. While Nicole was the outdoor lighting master, I was the indoor guru and showed everyone how I ran my Limited Edition Studio Sessions. We had some gorgeous dogs model for us that day! 

Fun fact: the background above was the wood stack in the garage. It was also home to a teeny tiny happy little chipmunk! Greg spotted it as a good indoor location and I couldn’t have agreed more!

Jazz hands!

We had an amazing five days of learning, adventure, and puppies and I can’t wait for the next one….. hint: it’s already in the works!!!

Filed Under: all pet portraits, field notes, traditional sessions, travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jasmine says

    July 19, 2017 at 2:42 pm

    This looks like an incredibly inspiring location, and an amazing group of fun people. The resulting images are so gorgeous!

    Reply
  2. Sophie says

    July 19, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    So incredible! I bet those pups were LOVING the snow!

    Reply
  3. Laura Mertz says

    July 20, 2017 at 12:52 am

    These pups look so amazing against this gorgeous background! You are amazing!

    Reply
  4. Melissa V says

    July 20, 2017 at 11:57 am

    This is incredible Terran! So happy it went so well! Beautiful photos!

    Reply
  5. Ashley D says

    July 20, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    Ahhhhhh! These are so great, Terran, you must have had a blast!! :-)

    Reply
  6. Kristen Vincent says

    July 20, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    SO much fun!! I love that you have so much variety and I bet they all took away so much.

    Reply
  7. Maria Diehl says

    July 24, 2017 at 10:59 am

    Chills, not from the cold weather but from the beautiful photography and the joy you brought to this group of people – lucky them!!!

    Reply
  8. Johna Rice & Abbee the Labbee says

    July 24, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    Terran, Nicole and Greg,
    It was such a pleasure meeting you all! I am so glad you enjoyed your stay with us and you picked one of our very best homes to rent. Love your Spring shoot that was titled “Winter”. I think you experiences all 4 seasons in one week! Come back anytime and I can’t wait to see Abbee’s photos!

    Reply
  9. Jen Elrod says

    July 24, 2017 at 2:13 pm

    Congratulations on a successful retreat! The photos are STUNNING!

    Reply
  10. Cat says

    July 24, 2017 at 6:21 pm

    Wonderful! Michael and I had such a great time with you there. SLEDGEING, chipmunks AND puppys, who could ask for more!!! XD

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Home » Winter is Here // Breckenridge Pet Photography Retreat

Follow our wild, wild Westway adventures as we travel the U.S. in our Airstream

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Footer

Contact

Based in San Diego, CA
Traveling the U.S. in 2022
(858) 848-9378
Email Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
Hi there! In the age of social media, we all scrol Hi there! In the age of social media, we all scroll... a lot. Since we've had a bunch of new followers lately, I wanted to take a moment to say hi, introduce myself, and get to know you a little!​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
I'm Terran, the Crazy Dog Mom behind Westway Studio. My hubby, senior pup, and I live in San Diego for six months of the year and travel the US in our Airstream for the other six. We love being on the road, meeting new people, seeing new places, eating new foods, and experiencing this beautiful country we call home.​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
I'd love if you would share a little something about you and your pets with me — like where you're from, your animal companion's favorite vacation destination, a silly story, or anything else! :)
It's your last chance to apply for our upcoming We It's your last chance to apply for our upcoming West Paw photo shoot! The casting call closes this afternoon! Don't miss out - photo shoots are TONS of fun for people and pets! Link in bio or https://www.westpaw.com/pages/model-call
*Knocks on door* Hello! Can your dog come out to p *Knocks on door* Hello! Can your dog come out to play?​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
We're holding an open casting model call for our next playtime-filled shoot with West Paw! Apply at the link in my bio or https://www.westpaw.com/pages/model-call. Let's have some FUN!
Who LOVES treats? 🙋‍♀️ We're holding an o Who LOVES treats? 🙋‍♀️ We're holding an open casting model call for our next shoot with West Paw that'll be all about — you guessed it — TREATS! Apply through the link in my bio or at https://www.westpaw.com/pages/model-call
YahoOOoOooOoo!!! We are planning our next photo sh YahoOOoOooOoo!!! We are planning our next photo shoot with West Paw at the end of January! We're looking for dogs + their people to participate. Dogs should be well-trained and love treat toys! We are looking for pups of all breeds, mixes, and ages. Link in bio to apply or https://www.westpaw.com/pages/model-call​​​​​​​​​
#westwaypets #westwaystudio #opencasting #modelcall #dogmodel @westpawus
Sorry, boss, I'm gonna be late today... or I might Sorry, boss, I'm gonna be late today... or I might not make it in at all... it's National Cuddle Day, which means I can't move 'til my four-legged best friend does. 🤷‍♀️ Does your animal companion love to cuddle or is it more of an exercise in futility?
Hello. It's Wednesday. The holidays are over. Whic Hello. It's Wednesday. The holidays are over. Which way is up? Do you have any treats?
Mid-session puppy kisses always make for the silli Mid-session puppy kisses always make for the silliest and sweetest photos! Do your pups give you kisses, too?
Happy New Year, friends! What are you most looking Happy New Year, friends! What are you most looking forward to this year?​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​
Two things I'm really excited for are (1) getting back out on the open road in the Airstream and (2) teaching at the Shutterhound Conference in September alongside some of the world's greatest pet photographers. Seriously, the speaker lineup is i-n-c-r-e-d-I-b-l-e! Pinch me, I must be dreaming! (Sign up with crazy-special pricing through 11:59pm Eastern time tonight!!!)
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • 3 Images Every Pet Brand Photoshoot Should Include
  • The Positive Impact of Simplicity in Your Imagery
  • Pro Tips: 3 Ways to Cut Costs On Commercial Pet Business Photography (and 3 Areas to Never Skimp On)
  • Getting the hang of things: 3 months of full-time RV Living
  • Why every brand needs product AND lifestyle imagery

All images and written content on this site are Copyright © 2010-2023 Westway Studio.
Nothing on this site may be copied, screenshot, downloaded, or used without the written permission of Westway Studio.

  • Howdy
  • Blog
  • Family Pet Photography
  • Commercial Pet Photography
  • For Photographers
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
GIT ALONG LI'L DOGGIES
Follow my adventures with dogs, travel, and ranch life in the Wild, Wild Westway