Senior Dogs Photography

While November is the official Adopt a Senior Dog Month, there is no reason to wait until then if you are looking to adopt a new family member. There are many reasons people enjoy adopting older dogs including the fact that the dog has grown out of the puppy energy, they are house trained, and there will not be any puppy chewing to deal with. These older dogs make wonderful companions and really deserve to have a loving home of their own for their final years. If you are considering adopting a new dog, then please consider an adult or senior dog. If you decide on a puppy, then please adopt - don't shop! There are many beautiful older dogs like Olivia, below, looking for homes.

If you've had your dog their entire life, it is also nice to get a professional portrait taken of them to remember them by. We hear frequently from clients that they wish that they had booked a photography session for their last dog before it passed away. We work with many families who have dogs who have recently been diagnosed with diseases/illnesses and they want to have a portrait created while they are still able. Book your appointment today!

Meet Ursula

Ursula came in for her 12 week puppy portrait recently and isn't she the cutest? We love having the chance to document your newest family member's first weeks with you and then watch the dog grow with your family. Many people choose to come back to update their family portrait after they have added a new dog to the family. Schedule your portrait session today!

Meet puppy Ursula

Max the Bulldog

Max the English Bulldog is another dog Mark photographed recently at Maxfund who is also looking for his forever home. Max is around 7 years old and while laid back, he also loves to play! If you know of anyone looking to add a bulldog to their family, then please pass this along.

Many people are surprised to find purebred dogs in shelters, but it sadly happens all the time. The next time you're looking to add a new 4 legged family member, whether a dog or cat, please look to your local animal shelters and rescue groups instead of buying a puppy. 

Max the English Bulldog beauty shots

Meet Tofu

Mark spent some time at Maxfund this week photographing some of the new adoptable dogs. Tofu is a beautiful and very sweet 6 year old German Shepherd mix girl who would love to find an active home to call her very own. She would also love to find a foster home while she waits for her forever family to find her. Are you able to help? If so, then please contact Maxfund for more info on their fostering program (they need fosters for several dogs right now!).

Tofu the German Shepherd mix

4th Annual Maxfund Photo Fundraiser

Join us April 4-6 and 12-13 for our 4th Annual photo fundraiser benefiting Maxfund no-kill animal shelter. We're closing the studio to other business and are taking reservations for anyone who would like to have a custom photo session to create unique art with their family while helping the animals served by MaxFund. Your donation of $75, $150 or $200 earns you a session. We are happy to work with your whole family, with just your kids, or with your dog or dogs (alone, with your family or with the kids).  100% of all donations go directly to MaxFund.

Call 303-562-5536 to reserve your spot today.

Boots for Boots

Mark recently had the privilege of photographing Boots, a kitty with an incredible story for her young age. Boots was rescued from euthanasia at barely 2 weeks old when she was dropped of at a municipal shelter with both of her rear feet cut off. The municipal shelter wasn't able to care for her, so Life is Better Rescue stepped in. She was bottle fed until she was able to eat on her own and that was just the beginning of this little girl's long road to recovery. She has since learned to walk with "house slippers" and will eventually need surgery to clean up the ends of her legs to help with the permanent fitting of prosthetics.

Boots posing with her "house slippers"

Could you help us get Boots for Boots? Even just by sharing this campaign, you can make the difference for a single cat, and any number of other animals in need. Visit the Life is Better Rescue website for more information or to donate. Also, this week only, Boots is being featured on the FLOAT website where you can purchase a Boots for Boots t-shirt and $8 from each sale will go towards her recovery.

Photographing your child's milestones

We are frequently asked when are the best times to have professional portraits taken of babies. We know that kids grow very quickly and it's important to document the key milestones of their development. Here are the three most common times to come in for a portrait with our studio:

Newborns. To get a true newborn portrait, it is best to have your session during the baby's first 10 days. We will work with your schedule to make sure that we can see you during this time and give you suggestions for the day of your shoot to make the session go as smoothly as possible for everyone involved. Many families choose to have a new family portrait taken to include the newest member of the family at this time. We are happy to create portraits of all the siblings, of mom and baby, the new parents with the baby, or even your fur kids with the new baby.

6 Months. We find that we capture some really fun moments around the time your baby is able to sit up by themselves. The timing of this varies by baby, but it is usually around the 5-6 month mark.  This is the time where they are very expressive and their personality really starts to show in the pictures.

1 Year. Many people like having their baby's 1 year birthday portrait done. This is perhaps the most common time to come in for a portrait after the newborn session. A lot of changes happen in the first 12 months and it's fun to see the little person they've grown to be. We have a lot of fun with the 1 year baby pictures and are happy to work with you on your specific ideas for this session. Some people choose to bring in a birthday cake for the baby to smash, their favorite toy, or families want one last chance for a naked baby picture. This is also a great time to update your whole family portrait!

Update Your Family Portraits

Have you recently added a new 2 legged or 4 legged family member to your family? If so, then this is a great time to update your family portrait! Whether you've recently had a new baby or adopted a new fur friend, we would love to create a new work of art for your home that captures your entire family.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We'd like to wish you and your furry friends a very happy Valentine's Day from Mark Stevens Photography (and Duncan, pictured)!

Charity Fundraisers

We love working with local non-profits and doing our part to give back to the community. We are looking to add 1-2 new charity partners in 2014. If your organization is a 501c(3) or 501c(6) and you are interested in trying a new fundraiser this year, then we'd love to speak with you to see if we would be a good fit. We especially love working with groups who help kids, pets and local families in need.