“Lolly and Bubbles are English bulldogs [who] both have goofy personalities, which I can never capture on my phone,” shared their mom Lipi when she first reached out to book their spring session. “They both pretty much run our house and I want our walls to be overrun by their pictures with many pictures of my numpties.”
Now that I can definitely help with!
So Lipi and her husband Brian gathered their beloved bulldogs and headed to Mingo Creek Park in Washington County, a place they frequent often with the pups.
“We always wanted an English bulldog,” shares Lipi who, after a lot of research, found a breeder in the Washington area. “Lolly, now nine-years-old, was the sassiest of the litter, and it was a no-brainer to take her home. Bubbles, who is almost seven, joined our pack two years later. You can’t have enough English bullies!”
“[Lolly’s name] was my husband’s choice,” says Lipi of this sweet girl who she adds is “pretty chill for the most part and very confident indoors and outdoors.”
On the other hand, Bubbles, whose name is inspired by a character from The Powerpuff Girls cartoon show, is a maniac at home, but outdoors can be a bit timid.
One thing she told me that both bullies have in common: they can be undeniably stubborn at times with their own agenda.
I quickly realized what she meant when, while getting myself prepared to take their first portraits of the evening on a small footbridge, I heard a defeated, “Oh nooo, girls!” only to look over my shoulder to see both Lolly and Bubbles almost entirely submerged in the nearby creek like tiny submarines. All right, ladies, I got the order: abort Operation FOOTBRIDGE PORTRAITS.
“Bubbles tends to stick her tongue out and also tilt her head sideways; she looks too cute!” exclaims Lipi who was thrilled to see she did exactly that upon first hearing my Wildly Noisy Wooden Thing (and yes, that’s its official name). Bubbles’ curious reaction, complete with a slight underbite, made it impossible for Lipi not to agree with her idea that starting in the water was the only right decision.
Lipi revealed that Bubbles is highly toy-motivated and loves to play fetch and that she’d love to capture her fetching a favorite ball, so after cooling off in the creek, we moved to a nearby field with the most beautiful golden light filtering through the trees. It was here where Bubbles cranked up the energy, playfully chasing a squeaky baseball with the most hilariously heartwarming expressions.
“With Lolly, my favorite physical trait would be her fat face, especially when she isn’t getting her way. She almost pouts like a teenager,” laughs Lipi. “Personality-wise, she can be very sassy. I would love to capture Lolly throwing her paw in the air.”
Not to be outshined by her sister, Lolly proudly demonstrated her best “paw” and a series of loveable nose licks, a familiar face from this treat-motivated girl. We also took several photos of her alongside Bubbles, one of which ended up being the winner for a spectacular grand-size barnwood framed print for Lipi’s home.
It was surprisingly warm for mid-May, which necessitated another dip (or rather, plunge) into the water by the Ebenezer Covered Bridge. Lipi and I couldn’t stop laughing at Bubbles’ graceful entrance into the creek. Even Bubbles herself looked surprised in a comical portrait that Lipi chose as the outside lid image of her 20-print bamboo heirloom folio box. Quite honestly, I don’t think she could have made a better choice!
The area around the Ebenezer Covered Bridge is among the best in the park for dogs who enjoy swimming. Here, they can easily cool off and swim yet the creek is still shallow enough with minimal currents to ensure no one gets swept away. The natural flat rocks scattered throughout it and along its bank also provide spots to rest and pose for photos.
Lipi, thank you so much for a fun evening with your numpties! Enjoy your beautiful barnwood framed print, heirloom folio box, and acrylic block!
Does your dog like to swim, hike, and play? I’ve got the perfect locations to do all that—and more! Choose your adventure below to begin.
Did you enjoy this post? Great, there’s more coming your way because it’s part of a photography blog circle featuring pet photographers from all over the world! To see more content like this and what the next photographer is sharing for our weekly theme, “Profile a Recent Session,” check out Angela Schneider of Big White Dog Photography in Spokane, WA, bidding farewell to sweet Bamarama. Continue to click the link at the end of each post in the blog circle until you eventually find your way back here.
I have had the biggest smile on my face seeing all the photos of these girls’ goofy mugs!!! Looks like such a fun day at the park, for everyone!!
I’m glad they brought a smile to your face! It was hard not to feel their joy as well photographing them running all throughout Mingo Creek Park. They had the best time!
These photos are so much fun! The dogs obviously had an enjoyable session…
Thanks, Terri, they really did!
Amazing job capturing their personalities. I love how you were able to turn the moms “oh no moment” into a “no worries…I got this moment!” The pictures of going into the water are so great too!
Yes! It wasn’t so much of a worry for their safety, more like she couldn’t believe they dove in right away without a single “clean” portrait having been taken yet! All good though!
Bulldogs that love the water – that’s not something you see everyday! So much joy in these photos
They were like four-legged fish! We couldn’t keep them out of the creeks!
Oh my gosh, these two!!! I love them both, and these images are gorgeous! The location, wow, feeling a little jelly, right now.
Mingo Creek Park is a great pet photography spot; it can get busy on weekends and nice weather days, but it’s also got quieter areas we can always sneak off to for more intimate pet portraits.
What a great session! Those bulldogs don’t look like the most graceful dogs in the world but they sure do look fun!
Fun for sure! They often walk at Mingo Creek Park, so it’s a very familiar location for them where they love to hike and play. They were right at home!
I LOVE them! That session looks like an absolute blast! What a fun location and the pups enjoyed it for sure!
Yes, this is a favorite spot of mine. There’s so much diversity in one area, plus I can often sneak in a few silhouettes nearby this area!
Oh, my goodness! What a great collection of images, but I have to say Bubbles’ face in the creek made me laugh out loud! So dang cute! Beautiful job, Jessica!
That exact shot made the outside lid of her mom’s folio box. I couldn’t think of a more perfect pick for it!
The two are a RIOT! I love how you captured their joyous and quirky spirits! Too much fun!
I couldn’t stop laughing at their hilarious personalities!
Awww I love a bulldog! Such great characters and you’ve captured them beautifully
Oh, they certainly were! They gave me lots of “content.”
Aww, what a wonderful capture of these two dogs just having fun – doing what they love to do. You captured it beautifully!
Thanks, Linda! The best feeling is to capture our pets as we know and love them!
I gotta say, I did not see this one coming – English Bulldogs swimming LOL. I checked at “abort the footbridge portraits” :), these two look like a laugh a minute, the entire session just made me smile, wonderful job of capturing their joie de vivre!
I have to admit, I didn’t see swimming bulldogs on the agenda for the day either, but it was the highlight of my day!