A Puppy and her Big Sister

Rosie, the Redbone Coonhound puppy pictured below with her big sister, Scarlett, is the family’s newest addition. (I’ve had the pleasure of photographing all of the fur babies in this family, of which there are many: two Bassett Hounds, two Chihuahuas, two cats, two rats and another Redbone Coonhound.) Her parents adopted Rosie to give Scarlett a way to burn energy without wearing everyone else in the house out. And it worked. They quickly became best friends, chasing each other in the yard and sharing a bed and toys (and we all know that siblings don’t always get along that quickly or that well). But unlike some siblings, Scarlett had a say in the matter: she went with her mom to the rescue group, and she chose Rosie. Really. The day she brought Rosie home, her mom called me to schedule her puppy photos.

For Rosie’s photo shoot, her mom, grandparents and Scarlett came to my outdoor “studio,” as her mom wanted to photograph Rosie in my 1950-something truck cab. And I’m so glad she did because of the photo above that I captured of her. Those eyes. Those ears. And those paws. Sigh. Plus that photo won “Best in Show” at my state print competition in July and won the highest award at International Print Competition through the Professional Photographers of America last week. And her family loves it, too!

Ellen Zangla Photography: Specializing in pets and the people who love them.

Professional Photographers of America: 2015 Silver Medal Photographer of the Year