Dakota sat by him, just in arms reach. The walls and shelves that surround us in neighboring rooms were decorated with World War Two era photos of a family members that served in the military. His own history intermingled with the past, weaving a tapestry of years of service.  

I was sitting at that dining room table because he’d called me the day before with a special request. 

Now I was following bread crumbs of his journey to the monument of a story within his heart. This, so that I could see that monument as he saw it, through the eyes of his heart. Only then could I pick up my camera and come do what was asked of me.  

Following the bread crumbs, I asked about a time that Dakota was there for him, really showed up for him in a profound way.

He recounted the time following his military tour overseas. He’d seen war abroad. Now, he was faced with a war within. He was diagnosed with cancer. He was not alone because there was Dakota. Eric remembered the grueling treatments and with gratefulness he could see himself walking through the door of his home following another round of radiation. Always, Dakota was there to greet him. Giving every ounce of love she had in her. 

I asked him to return to that moment of exhaustion, walking through the door and seeing her face in that moment, if there was a word to describe that emotion, what would it be?

“Compassion”, he said with levity. As tears streamed down his face, he stroked Dakota’s soft fur and with his free hand reached for the box of tissues across the table, he had placed there preemptively.  I’d found the monument.  It was tremendous.  

Dakota is Eric’s snow white german shepherd. Compassion is her gift in the 13 years she’s walked alongside him.

Now, he is faced with the difficult decision to make that those of us who have loved a pet for their lifetime experience. It too is a choice of compassion. It is the compassionate decision to say good-bye. Before he let go of her he wanted to immortalized her legacy. This is the tremendous monument, a thank you. He took the day to spend with her and capture their final hours together – hours of joy and peace.  Now he carries a piece of her with him always in gratitude for her years of service.  

Kristen Kidd Photography is an individual & family portrait photography studio in the North Wales suburb of Philadelphia, Pa. We specializes in helping individuals and two-legged & four-legged families stop and reconnect with the love in their lives through fun and unique photo experiences and custom designed wall art collections.

The post Hatboro Pet Photo Session appeared first on Lux Summit Studio.

I invited her to come by the studio for a cup of tea before her North Wales yoga session so I could hear more about her business, her goals and hopes. She needed to share with her potential clients (her avatar) who she is and what she offers. It was important to understand how Sarah sees herself and her business to help her tell her story. I could, then, help capture and share the part of herself she wanted to convey to the world.

Sarah is captivated by the “amazing universe within”.

This, she so eloquently expressed to me as we were deep diving into her journey to now. Sarah’s appreciation and need for yoga and meditation in her life strengthened as she fully immersed into adulthood and motherhood. Her decision to welcome an abundance of goodness and responsibility into her world burgeoned a drive to establish a practice of mindfulness. The desire to help others access the same joy and peace she discovers each time she is brought deeper insider herself led her to start teaching.

During her initial consult Sarah regaled me with tales about her daughter Francis. She described a precocious little girl that inspires Sarah to greater confidence through her carefree spirit. It became clear that featuring Francis in her session (with Francis’ permission) would be an important part of telling Sarah’s story.

When asked, “Does she enjoy doing yoga with you?”. Sarah quickly replied, “Oh. She ‘teaches me yoga’!”. This, I could not wait to see. I was not disappointed by what followed.

As Francis stepped in front of the camera I asked her to guide mommy in her favorite yoga poses. She erupted into a series of paleontologically inspired poses. A posture flow epic in proportion to its prehistoric nature. See captions to add these poses to your posture flow.

If you’d like to hear more about Paleontological Yoga (The new craze that’s sure to sweep the nation), you can talk to Francis. However, I might recommend starting with a more timeless and nuanced path to the inward self. In which case, I recommend connecting with Sarah York at sarahyorkyoga@gmail.com

For details on your own branding session that goes way beyond headshots, click the button below, scroll down and contact me.

The post A North Wales Yoga Session To Melt Your Heart appeared first on Lux Summit Studio.

Our community events in our North Wales studio has us so excited this fall!

Each event is free of cost and will feature ways to make your world a better place.

You’ll find creative ways to get involved in your greater community. You may simply connect with neighbors over some bubbly. Leave a donation for your local nonprofit at the door. Or take home a new member of your family by giving a pup their forever home. Our events feature a cornucopia of your favorite local businesses working together. We’re excited to feature the talent of Lansdale businesses such as Boutique Tres Bien, North Penn Cleaning Solutions and Rosita Brennan Feng Shui. Most importantly, we’re coming together to benefit local organizations. These nonprofits are the backbone of doing good in our community and abroad. We’re proud to be friends with organizations like Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester, Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue in Perkasie. Also, Manna on Main in Lansdale and Healthy Ninos in Pennsburg. We know you are too. So take a moment to stop and reconnect with your community.

The post Community Events In Our North Wales Studio appeared first on Lux Summit Studio.

Do we ever savor a rainy day like this as adults? Next time you’re dodging drops think of this guy and enjoy the moment.

No holding back for Sammy.

Sammy found the best puddle in his North Wales yard to make the biggest splash.

A gentle smile and her best green snippers in hand. Covered by her trusty umbrella and pink slicker. She’s ready to make the best display, just like the one she made with her mother at the bouquet design class they took together.

Lena curates her perfect bouquet during her rainy day family photo session.

Lena gently pats each bloom in her pockets. All’s safe and secure in her pink slicker pockets.

She searched her entire backyard in her Montgomery County home to find the very best flowers for her bouquet.

Lena shows off the biggest bloom in the bunch.

Pausing in a puddle in between picking flowers for her bouquet.

This Montgomery County rainy day family photo session reminds us that sometimes the best family days are a washout.

It was a warm summer day at Greta’s North Wales home. She took the day off to reconnect and reclaim time with her family. It was also pouring rain. I marveled when I arrived, camera in hand, as their lively world unfolded before me. For the first few minutes they raced around the home showing me favorite toys, dance moves, games and general gymnastics that all kids love to perform when they’re so excited they don’t know what do with themselves.

It wasn’t long before they were running towards their rain coats, goulashes and umbrellas. This is the point at which any mom would be tempted to say no. Muddy, drenched children does not sound like the best photo op. Yet, Greta wanted to celebrate everything she loves most about her kids through her unique family photo session. Their charismatic spirit and blissful joy through everyday life is a powerful inspiration and reminder of what really matters. That life perspective is a beautiful place to be transported to every day as they see these moments displayed in their home through their powerful wall art. What greets Greta as she walks through her home is the truth that some days we need to stop and pay tribute the beauty and gifts in the chaos and in the imperfections.

It’s in-between our well laid plans that the real living happens – the perfect goodness. And, yes, sometimes that means grabbing the rain coat and goulashes and making the most of a rainy day.

Lena wanted to pick flowers for an bouquet she planned to design with her mother. She shared with me that her favorite thing was the flower arrangement class that she and her mother took together recently. Lena found her best green snippers and delicately went about clipping the very best flowers from the backyard. Then from the side yard and front yard. No flower bed was left untouched. Later she arranged her flowers in a pint size mason jar and proudly thrust it towards me. She declared that she made it just for me. That’s when I asked for a towel to wipe up the puddle my heart had become on the floor.

Sammy was poised to show me his very best and biggest puddle hops. He found the widest and deepest puddle. Then, he took a running start and SPLASH! Over and over again he gave thanks for the rain by simply enjoying it. I can’t think of the last time I enjoyed the rain as much Sammy.

It reminded me to think of his beaming face every time I’m hurriedly dodging drops or when I’ve lost my connection to the goodness the earth is giving me.

We can be tempted to shutdown our plans when they’re not running according to our original vision. Often when we lean into the changes that we did not plan and can’t control, we can find a goodness we didn’t expect. We find new gratitude and perspective for what we have. Enjoy leaning into the challenges this week brings you and listening to what the world is offering you.

The post Montgomery County-Rainy Day Photo Session appeared first on Lux Summit Studio.

Beth, of Pennridge Animal Hospital, enjoys a playful moment with son, Connor and pup, Harley.

Harley sits patiently at Beth’s feet.

Harley sits with pride as his family shares a moment together.

Harley: The inspiration for Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue

North Wales based Pet Photographer Kristen Kidd recently sat down with Beth Mehaffey, Veterinarian and founder of Perkasie’s Pennridge Animal Hospital and Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue.

What inspired you to become a veterinarian and what inspired you to start Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue?

My dog Harley is the answer to both of these questions… I have wanted to be a vet since I was 5 years old. I was that kid, but in college I really started doubting if it was the right choice for me. That was when he came into my life. He busted into my life as a scared little soul who needed someone to love him, and love him I did. He reaffirmed for me that being a veterinarian was what I was meant to do, and totally changed my life and my stars. I moved to keep him, and so many other changes spiraled from having him, that ultimately made me who I am today. He is also the driving force behind starting our rescue, Harley’s Haven, and saving him inspired me to lead a team that has saved over 1000 dogs in his name, and we will continue to save dogs in his name!

As a veterinarian, what are three things that you want every pet owner to know?

Three things I want every pet owner to know:

1. Yearly exams are important – even when your pet is healthy, there is value in having them examined annually to catch illness earlier, so we can intervene and keep them around and healthy for as long as possible!
2. Veterinary medicine is not one size fits all – I think a lot of people have a negative connotation with going to the vet, and just see dollar signs. My job is not to dictate to people what they should do with their pet – my job is to work with each pet owner as a team, to decide what is best for their pet. Sometimes this means giving a rabies vaccines and doing an exam, and sometimes this means performing testing and ultrasounds, and consults with specialists to get to the bottom of a problem. Though money plays a factor in what we do for each pet, it should not be the deciding factor. I feel very strongly, that no pet owner should ever feel bad, or inadequate for not being able to perform some testing, or choosing not to – there are always choices, and our job is to work with you to choose the right care for your pets!
3. Veterinarians are here to help. I feel like some people are also afraid to call the vet when they have a question or a concern, but you should be calling! I would much rather a client call me with a simple question, than turn to the internet and get wrong advice, or just worry without knowing the answer. Our goal is to help you be good pet parents. So always feel free to reach out.

As a dog rescuer, what are three things you’d like every aspiring dog adopter to know?

1. Be realistic in your expectations for a new dog. Most of the dogs or puppies who are returned to our rescue are returned because the new adopter didn’t have the right expectations. If you are bringing home a puppy, they are a lot of work! They will need lots of time and training, just like a baby. Expect a lot of accidents. Expect some chewed up stuff and furniture. Expect some sharp puppy teeth. With adults, they need a decompression period – 2-3 weeks of quiet time to settle in. So I know you want to parade them around to new friends and family and meet other dogs, but this can set them up to fail. They need to settle in and destress FIRST before they can appropriately meet new friends. The vast majority of adult dogs who are returned is because the new family failed them, and didn’t give them the time they needed to settle in and decompress. Having these appropriate expectations is SO important to making sure that you keep your new furry and it is a positive experience.
2. Not every home is the right fit for every dog, and that’s ok – just because you wouldn’t be a good home for a high energy border collie mix, doesn’t mean you aren’t a good home! Choosing the right dog is the most important part of dog rescue. This is why we do the 2 week foster-to-adopt period, because there are many times where people realize they can’t commit to a puppy right now, or they need a dog with a different energy level, etc. Knowing what dog and energy level works for you, is super important to a successful adoption!
3. Adopting a dog is a commitment. Dogs are family. So, when you commit, once they are adopted and they are the right fit, that should be it. When the going gets tough, the tough don’t quit. They work through it. Not every dog is perfect, whether a puppy or an adult. All dogs have the potential to develop issues or need training, but just because they do, doesn’t mean you should bail on them! You should talk to your vet, a trainer, or the rescue and work through it. These pups rely on us to have their backs, and that is hard to do if you give up on them!

What is it in your day to day work that brings you the most joy?

This would have to be helping pets. I know it is a general answer, but I really do get joy from educating people and helping them to be the best pet parents they can be. Whether it is discussing the importance of spay/neuter and changing someone’s mind who wasn’t going to do it, or figuring out a chronic allergy so that a dog who was in discomfort is now free from itching – I love knowing that I make a difference, and seeing my patients be happy and healthy. (Especially the adorable puppy patients.)

If you’d like to read more of Beth’s insights on pet care and fur family lifestyle, you can catch her articles the first Tuesday of every month on the facebook group The Greater Philadelphia Pet Parade VIP Group where she is regular contributor for Pro Tip Tuesday.

The post North Wales Pet Photographer Interviews Veterinarian appeared first on Lux Summit Studio.

The post appeared first on Lux Summit Studio.