twilight

Columbus End of Life Dog Photography - Chloe the Sheltie by Holly Hildreth

Woman cries while embracing her dying dog during and End of Life Pet Photography Session

“I lost a treasured friend today

The little dog who used to lay

Her gentle head upon my knee

And shared her silent thoughts with me.

Although my eyes are filled with tears

I thank God for the happy years

He let her spend down here with me

And for her love and loyalty."

Chloe's family recently brought her to me for an End of Life photo session. While Chloe’s health issues limited her mobility, that didn’t stop her from laying in the grass, sniffing the summer breeze, watching storm clouds roll in, and sipping on some dirty lake water (her favorite!) I'm so glad we were able to get Chloe in for her session when we did, as the next day she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. After Chloe’s passing, her mom reached out to let me know how important these photos were to her. They were glad Chloe was able to get out of the house and enjoy one last evening together doing some of her favorite things. They remarked that Chloe seemed happier and more herself than she had in a long time. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but I am honored that I had the opportunity to document some final happy memories together for Chloe’s family to cherish.

Losing a pet is one of the most painful experiences in life. However, End-of-life pet photography can be a beautiful way to capture some last happy memories before your beloved furry family member passes. It can help you cope with your grief, navigate the loss, and remember your pet in a happy light. Owners also report it gives them a sense of closure as the sessions provide a time and a place to celebrate your dog’s life as well as come to terms with what is next. It also provides you an opportunity to give your pup one last evening to do the things they love, whether that’s just laying outside in the sunshine, wading in some water, going for a car ride, receiving pets, eating their favorite foods, or just enjoying some fresh air with you. If you are in need of End of Life Pet Photography services, please use the form on my Contact page to reach out today.

Westerville, Ohio, Pet Photography session - Kaiser & Copper, Doberman by Holly Hildreth

I had the privilege of photographing Copper and Kaiser, the Doberman Pinschers, at Hoover Reservoir in Westerville. We had perfect, unseasonably warm autumn weather for our session. One reason I love photographing at this park is that it offers many different “looks”. We took advantage of the colorful leaves and gorgeous backgrounds, and ended with the pups taking a little dip in the lake for some action shots. These two good boys were a total pleasure to work with, and were eager to try anything, whether that was posing on a rock or splashing through the water.

Westerville, Ohio, Pet Photography Sunset Session - Bernard & Cookie by Holly Hildreth

Bernard’s owner reached out to me to take advantage of my July fundraiser for Stop the Suffering Animal Rescue of Ohio, where a portion of every session fee is donated to help homeless and neglected pets in central Ohio. Bernard had some unfortunate health news, and his owner wanted to get him in for a session while he was still happy and able to get around. Bernard’s sister-from-another-mister, Cookie, came along too for some photos. Their owner let me know that Cookie is shy and can be skittish in new and strange situations, so we made sure to budget extra time into their session to ensure Cookie was comfortable with everything, and worked to make the experience as stress-free as possible for her.

Our shoot day was…INSANELY HOT! But sometimes you just get crazy lucky during a shoot and not only get a stellar sunset, but a brilliant blue twilight complete with a few stars and fireflies! I may have been dripping sweat through Bernard and Cookie's session, but it was so worth it for results like these!