Rosie & Thyme: An in-home backyard dog photoshoot - Richmond, Virginia
“Obviously, we’re the best thing to ever happen to our parents. Anywhere they go around the house, we’ll be on the nearest dog bed, keeping them company.”.
– Rosie & Thyme
It was such a joy to photograph Greyhounds Rosie & Thyme and their parents at their home in Richmond. These pup-siblings are both retired racers with a lot of love to give. But I’ll let them tell you their story in their own words.
Hi, I’m Thyme,
and I’m 9. I grew up on a racetrack in Florida, and at 3 years old, I retired and was shipped off to Wisconsin along with other racers. I stayed at a kennel for a few months as everyone else found their forever homes until I picked my humans. Since then, I’ve been enjoying my retirement, sniffing around my yard, and sleeping 20 hours a day on any dog bed I can find.
But only if that bed is out in the open. I don’t like being in a crate and made sure mom and dad knew that by shredding the bed that one time they left me in there. They forgave me when they came home and found me comfortably laying in a cloud of fluff.
Mom and dad tell me I’m the sweetest pup, like all the time. I think I’m pretty loving; I like to go with the flow and I'll go over to anyone who wants to say hi and give me some pets. And treats!
And I’m Rosie,
Like my brother, I was raised to be a racing dog, but uhhh, the racetrack was too much for me, so I retired early.
I tried out a few homes before mom and dad picked me for my model good looks. To be honest, It took a few weeks for all of us to adjust and feel comfortable living together, but now I rule the house, gazing intently at my parents when I want something and carrying my toys wherever I go. I do get a bit nervous when I have to go to places with lots of other humans or animals, though. I would much prefer to just sprint around in the yard and steal Thyme’s toys, before taking along nap on said toys. (They make great pillows!)
Mom & Dad say:
They give us such unconditional love. On a difficult day, they’re always happy to snuggle and remind us it’s not so bad.
We wanted to do professional portraits because every day, our pups are getting older and we see it when we look at photos from years back.
Last October, we were traveling to Croatia for two weeks. Rosie & Thyme were staying with a sitter, and Thyme became very, very sick. The vet told us they didn’t think he would make it, so we flew home right away, terrified we would lose him before we got back. After 30 hours of travel, we got to see Thyme and transferred him to a vet hospital where they were able to find meds that worked to save our pup.
Almost losing him was so difficult, and reminded us that unfortunately, we won’t have them forever. We want to honor our pups while they’re with us and have something great to remember them by when they’re gone (far too soon).
Dearest Herb Hounds,
Thank you for being your perfect selves. We love you both - Thyme, our sweet sweet boy who is friends with everyone you meet, and Rosie, our spunky, beautiful baby girl who is our shadow to make sure we’re never alone.
Thank you for loving us, even when we don’t wake up at 6am to feed you.
Love,
Mom and Dad
We chose a backyard session for these pups as they LOVE to run, and they run FAST. Even with leashes and long lines, we agreed the safest place for these pup would be in the comfort of their own home and fenced in backyard.
Sometimes this familiar place can provide the most meaningful background for portraits.
Pro tips for a backyard session:
Do not cut your grass. While a well-manicured lawn may be the envy of your neighbors, a slightly overgrown yard provides great textures in photographs.
Do clean up the poo.
Do hide unsightly yard-stuff. You know, like trash cans, grills, and the other random assortment of things that you’d not like in the background.
Do not stress. Your yard doesn’t have to be perfect for me to capture great images.
