What is more fun than photographing a puppy?  Photographing a puppy three times over their first year and getting to see them as they grow and change! That is what the “Watch me Grow” program is all about and I was so excited that Stephan’s mom Deidre decided to take advantage of this special program designed for the tiniest of family members.

We first photographed Stephan when he was three months old. He was very much a little puppy with soft features. I think one of the cutest things about him at that age was that he had not quite grown into his skin, so he had adorable little rolls and wrinkles.

He was very calm for a puppy. You could tell that Deidre was doing a great job of training him at such an early age. He already had his “Sit, Stay” down pat.

One of my favorite shots was captured as he was getting tired and laid his head down on the posing table.

We did Stephan’s second session at about 5 months old. He had definitely grown significantly, but still had many puppy qualities in his features. In addition to some photos on the same grey bench, we took some fall themed photos to mark the season.

By one year, Stephan had grown into quite the “little man” as his mom put it. While just as adorable as always, his features had become more fully developed and the red in his brindle color had deepened.  

We decided to celebrate his one-year birthday with a doggy cake smash! I was able to get the most adorable little birthday cake made just for dogs from Okra and Molly. I was a little concerned about having a cake shipped, but it arrived in perfect condition! Stephen loved his cake and his mom and I had the best time watching and photographing him as he dug right in to it!

Happy Birthday Stephan and thank you Deidre for allowing me to capture Stephen’s little puppy memories!