Nikki and Sully

Nikki contacted me a while back to ask if I would photograph her with her dog while she was in town from school.  I assumed she was an undergrad with a tiny dog.  Imagine my surprise when she shows up at the park with her giant (to my preconceived at the time mind) Italian Mastiff, named Sully, and I learn that she is a vet school student. 

The little boy I was photographing previously, who hadn't smiled for our entire session, was running circles around Sully giggling, so we were off to a good start! Not being a pet owner myself, I asked Nikki why she wanted portraits with hers.  She explained that when her previous dog passed away, she realized she didn't have any pictures with it, and that she wanted to get pictures with Sully every year!  That explanation really helped me connect with the task of this particular shoot, and capture these moments.