Certainly three of my favorite images from the year. Bree is a gorgeous bride and Bunny makes a stunning Dog-of-Honor. Or was it Best Dog? I’m not quite sure.

In less than 8 years, nearly 14,000 homeless animals have found their forever homes because the Roanoke Valley SPCA was there to help them. It is once again my pleasure to photograph some of the SuperStars of the RVSPA’s Puppy Love Ball. Each of the dogs below has been adopted through the RVSPCA and as you can tell from this gorgeous pack of pups, the RVSPCA has all you’ll need when looking for your next pet.

So, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 28, 2012 at The Hotel Roanoke. Or, if you are unable to attend the event, donations to the RVSPCA can be made here.

As always, a great big THANK YOU to all the volunteers and contributors who help the RVSPCA find all those forever homes!

I don’t photograph many cats but the fact of the matter is that a cat was my first paying portrait customer when I was 14 and first starting out. There were actually two cats, Burmese twins, skinny little critters who managed to scatter under everything in what was my bedroom/studio back then. Herding cats, that was indeed my very first job.

So, when Calvin came along he probably knew that I was a very experienced cat handler so, he cooperated….. kinda. Needless to say, he stood still long enough to get some “relaxed cat portraits”. He’s a beautiful specimen and a good boy. I like Calvin. Jack liked sniffing where Calvin had been. Which was almost everywhere.

Update: I just found out that Duke is only being fostered. So if you’re in the market for a truly fantastic dog….this is your chance. $ 100 and he’s yours and he comes with a free portrait!

Oh man, I have a grandpuppy and he’s so cute I can’t hardly stand it! My daughter Ashley got him from the pound and he is living proof that pound pups are awesome doggies.

Ok, one more cause I can’t help myself..

Here’s Daisy who did everything she was told as long as it only required standing there. She loved having her picture made so much that she didn’t want to leave.

Never a sweeter little critter have I ever photographed. When I think about dogs like Gracie sitting over there are the RVSPCA, I just want to go over there and scoop ’em all up. What a cutie!

Oh, look at this cutie. Found and taken to the RVSPCA as a matted little ball of fur, Matilda is now in the process of being happily owned.

It’s time for the RVSPCA’s annual Puppy Love Ball and this year’s theme is Diamond in the Ruff. Here’s one of those jewels who came from the RVSPCA. His name is Forrest and he’s one of the sweetest, most beautiful animals I’ve ever seen. The RVSPCA has saved thousands of dogs by matching them with people and families that love them dearly. I know because I meet them all the time. It’s a great feeling to know that you’ve helped an animal by making a great home for it. So, the next time you go looking for that doggie in the window, stop by one of your local shelters first. No question, you’ll find your Diamond in the Ruff.

Here’s Forrest and there’s a few more to come later this week.

Well, today I was asked to judge the doggie costume contest at the RVSPCA Howl-O-Ween festival in Elmwood Park and of course there was more irresistible furry goodness than a person can possibly stand in one place. Here’s just a few. I would have had a few more, including some of the winners, but I had important judging duties that were of course a priority. I left the park quickly after the winners were announced as some of the contestants were very feisty. I just didn’t want any trouble :D

James, Jack and I ventured out on a three day backpacking trip in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area last week. It was kind of the Four Seasons trip, starting out on Wednesday with temps in near 80 and ending up on Friday morning a bit below freezing. It was an awesome trip. I’ve mountain biked a lot on the northeastern side but I had never been to Mount Rogers on the southwestern exposure. I was truly amazed at the beauty, especially this time of the year before much had leafed out. It really doesn’t seem like Virginia at all. An added bonus were the ponies which seemed to be several places as we progressed through the trip.

It was Jack’s first time backpacking and he got a new pack just for the occasion. They say a large dog and carry 30% of their weight in a pack. We didn’t load him up that heavy, but it was pretty clear he had no problem with a mostly full pack. He plotted along a few feet ahead of us for most of the trip, turning around every twenty yards or so to make sure we were still coming. It’s pretty nice having a dog that you don’t have to worry about running off or getting lost. There is no way Jack would ever let us out of his sight long enough for that to happen. He is a joy, especially outdoors.

Here’s just a few pics from the trip. I don’t take any of my professional equipment on backpacking trips because of the weight, so these were shot with my little pocket Olympus that I hate so much. I guess I will get around to replacing it this summer. I kind of would like to get another Canon G series. I had a G1 about 10 years ago that I really liked. Now they are up to the G11. It’s a little big, but still portable, and much more adapted to manual shooting which is what I prefer. I think this trip convinced my I need a better knock around camera.