Deluxe Session ~ Heidi & Millie the Miniature Schnauzers on the Gold Coast

I spent a lovely afternoon at the beach with Marjorie and Malcolm and their two Miniature Schnauzers, Heidi and Millie. We nearly postponed the session due to the cloud hanging around but in the end went ahead anyway and were rewarded with a beautiful sunset!

Heidi is the apple of her parent’s eyes. She’s a gorgeous 13 year old Miniature Schnauzer and is the sweetest, happiest old lady you’ll meet. I just love photographing senior dogs as they stop to take things in more than younger dogs, pausing often to gaze around them and soak up their surroundings, appreciating every second.

Millie however, was the action girl of the pair! She loves her oversized ball and as soon as it made an appearance, it was game on.

She happily bounded around, kicking up the sand, chasing her favourite ball with reckless abandon. Nothing like a happy pup having fun at the beach to put you in a good mood!

As exuberant as she is with her ball, Millie is not super confident around other dogs, but bravely posed for me up in the dunes.

Heidi on the other hand is a born model, conveniently standing in patches of sunshine. This whole session was done off-lead, so I was mostly in stalking mode, using my long lens and waiting for photo opportunities to happen naturally.

One shot we did set up was Heidi on this dead tree. So very co-operative, she needed just a little coaxing before she ‘got it’ and stood up there proudly, striking a model pose looking off into the distance!

Of course there was time for some cuddles with mum too.

I always like to include a few ‘puppy dog eyes’ shots in a session, so out came the treats!

Just as the sun was setting, we were blessed with some lovely soft light and a sunset glow on the horizon. I love the way the tones of this image match, tying in the background and Heidi’s soft fur.

Older dogs just look so wise in photos – so much life experience packed into such a relatively short time on this earth – they appear to look right through you with a knowing gaze.

Darker coloured dogs are always easier to create silhouettes of, so Millie stood in for some regal posing against the pretty sunset sky.

Heidi and Millie humoured me for one last posed shot of them together, with the beach and sunset in the background. This shot made it as one of three in a framed triple wall art piece that their mum and dad ordered.

And lastly, the perhaps clichéd ‘walking off into the sunset’ shot – dogs at their side.

Heidi and Millie’s parents ordered a gorgeous Small Storybook Album and a framed triple for the wall – such a beautiful way to remember their two beloved Schnauzer girls together.