The Denver Pet Expo is this weekend!
Come visit us at the Denver Pet Expo taking place this weekend (Aug 18-19)! It was a busy day today setting up our space for the event (with our amazing trusty assistant) and we are excited to be displaying some of our new favorite dog portraits at this event. From what we could tell while setting up there are going to be lots of other great vendors with dog related products at this expo including dog food, treats, toys, beds, leashes, and services including dog training, boarding/walking, veterinary clinics and more!
Be sure to stop by the Mark Stevens Photography booth when you visit the pet expo and enter to win our grand prize dog photography session (a $450 value).
Special fundraiser for Inside the Orchestra
We are always on the lookout for local non-profits to support who make a difference in our community. It's no secret that we are passionate about causes who help kids and dogs and we learned about an organization over the winter that we've come to love. The mission of Inside the Orchestra is to bring orchestra music to young children in the greater Denver metropolitan community, cultivating music appreciation and enhancing their education through an engaging first-hand experience with the orchestra. We attended one of their "Tiny Tots" programs a few months ago and were blown away with how much the kids loved it and how the orchestra performance with completely designed with small kids (with even smaller attention spans) in mind. The children were encouraged to get up and move throughout the performance and it was just as fun for the adults as it was for the kids!
Inside the Orchestra is looking to raise enough funds by June 30 to send 1,500 local Denver low income kids to an orchestra event (their fundraising goal is $15,000). There are numerous long-term developmental benefits to exposing kids to music at an early age. "Music is a language, and children are oriented toward learning language. Music evokes movement, and children delight in and require movement for their development and growth. Music's melodic and rhythmic patterns provide exercise for the brain and help develop memory." Music also helps improve academic skills, develop physical skills, cultivates social skills, refines discipline and patience, boots self-esteem, introduces children to other cultures and other benefits! Inside the Orchestra is the only organization of its kind in the Denver Metro area that brings music to at risk and low income children.
How can you help? Now through June 28th, book an indoor studio photography session or an outdoor photo session in the Denver metro area with Mark (reserve a session by 6/28 to use by 9/30) and 100% of your session fee will be donated directly to Inside the Orchestra when you mention this fundraiser. You will also receive a $100 credit towards heirloom wall art from your session. Book your photography session with Mark today and help Denver kids at the same time!
TBT - Dogs in the Snow
We saw our first snow of the season in Denver this week and our 3 dogs were so happy to play in the snow! This picture was captured after a big (surprise) October snow 8 years ago. Taking action shots of dogs is a lot of fun for Mark and it's amazing the expressions and details of the dogs that are captured from that moment in time. I always love seeing our furry mop of a dog in action with all his fur flying!
Get your 2018 MaxFund Calendar!
They are here! After months of work and generous support from sponsor businesses, we have the perfect holiday gift for your animal lover friends. The 2018 MaxFund No-Kill Animal Shelter and Adoption Center calendars have just arrived. Calendars are $15 and 100% of the purchase price goes to help Denver area dogs and cats in need. This year, by popular request, the calendar features both cats and dogs from MaxFund. Some of these animals are still waiting to be adopted, so please contact the shelter if one of them catches your eye. Pick up your calendar at their Puttin' on the Max Gala on Oct 14th or at the shelter after that.
We love BIG art!
It's no secret... we love big art that is scaled appropriately for your home. And this portrait of Giant Schnauzers gives a new meaning to "giant!" This brother & sister pair came up from Castle Pines to visit us and they were so much fun to work with. Among their family's favorites from their session is this picture of the two of them together with their perfect head tilts. They ordered this picture as a 40x40" canvas for their family room and it is going to be stunning once in place!
Calling schnauzer lovers! TBT
We had a family in over the weekend for a photo shoot with their 2 giant schnauzers and they reminded us of this fun trio of mini schnauzers from 4 years ago. They were so fun to work with and to see their different personalities. This picture of them in the red wagon is one of our favorite dog portraits from over the years. Our client also loved this picture so much that they chose this picture as a 60" canvas for their family room. We love when clients want to go BIG with their artwork!
Happy Dog Day!
Happy Dog Day! Whether your fur kid is giant or tiny, they hold an equally special place in your heart. We like to think that every day is Dog Day, but today is a good reminder to give your favorite critter some extra loves. Take an extra walk, play extra fetch, go to the park or dog park. Spend some extra time with them. They don't know that today is any different from any other day, but they will be thrilled for the extra attention.
Our dogs play such an important part in our lives that it's only fitting that they should be photographed professionally so that you have a lasting portrait to remember them by. Many of our clients choose to purchase large portraits of their pets to hang with this family pictures in their home. Cell phone pictures don't do your dogs justice and can't be blown up to look like quality artwork for your home. Book your custom dog photo session today while you're thinking about it! You won't regret it!
Picking up your artwork
We love showing clients the pictures taken from their session at their ordering appointment, but we especially love showing clients the finished artwork when they come to pick up their order! Whether we are delivering finished museum quality canvases, framed prints with museum glass, or archival quality gift prints, our clients are always blown away when they hold their new art in their hands! Today was no exception with our vet client who came to pick up artwork from his cat + dog photo session. While Akitas and house cats might seem like a strange pair, these two are best friends and our client wanted to capture their bond to display in his home (since they are his fur kids, after all!). The cat rules the house while the dog guards the house. They are the perfect pair and enjoy taking naps together (as long as they don't think their human is watching).
Have you been thinking about having professional pet photos taken of your pets? Don't delay and contact Mark Stevens Photography about booking your custom session today! Mark is happy to work with all breeds and obedience levels of dogs and cats (and horses, too!).
2018 MaxFund Calendar is on the way!
Mark enjoys donating his time to causes he loves and this year he's teamed up with MaxFund Animal Shelter to photograph a handful of dogs and cats for their 2018 calendar. Stay tuned for sneak peeks and details on how to order your own calendar!
TBT - Norm & Poppy
5 Years ago we saw a frantic friend from a friend at Life is Better rescue saying that she was on the way to pick up 2 5-week old puppies and needed a foster ASAP. We had no other information, but we volunteered. Little did we know that these two tiny fluffballs would arrive a short time later. And when you're a puppy and this cute, you are guaranteed to have at least one of two puppy photo shoots with Mark. They were the perfect models, although I think both of them peed on the floor at one point during the shoot, and had no trouble getting adopted with these gorgeous puppy portraits.
If you are adopting a new puppy or adult dog, think about booking a doggy photo shoot to capture your new family member!
