Susan Schmitz – Owner/Lead Photographer

I've always had a love for animals and art. It wasn't until I hit my mid-life crisis (Well, maybe it was a 1/3 life crisis... I'm still young... most days) and I moved to Sedona that I was actually moved to explore my artistic side.

I just started taking photos as a reference for my drawings & paintings. Then I started to appreciate the instant gratification of a photo. Once I learned Photoshop, the geeky-techy side of me was completely hooked! I found the perfect blend of personal interests; dogs, photography and technology. And from this merger, A Dog's Life Photography was born... and so was I.

Laura Sand – Photographer/Account Executive

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had three loves in my life… music, animals and photography. The first memory I have of taking pictures was when I was about six years old. I would run around my house and back yard taking pictures of all the things that I loved…my parents, my brother, my cat… well mostly my cat. The first memory I have of listening to music was the same year, although there is photographic evidence of me grooving to tunes through headphones before the age of two.

I’ve learned that life is very short and you only get one shot at it. I’ve followed my dream to a place that I never knew was possible. I met Susan in prison! Ok, let me clarify… it was the greyhound prison program’s graduation day and we were both there for the celebration. We clicked immediately and she began teaching me the ropes from the very first moment. The rest… as they say… is history.

Dog Portrait Paintings

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

A Dog’s Life Photography is partnering with:

To bring you exquisite custom portrait paintings of your canine family members.

Fiona’s passion for animals shines through in her paintings and her attention to every minute detail brings them to life. She uses acrylic on canvas to capture your dog’s personality in a manner that you will cherish for many years to come. Fiona specializes in painting Arabian horses but has also been painting pets for many years.

All great portraits start with a great photo. If you have a photo that was previously done by A Dog’s Life Photo, a digital file will be provided to Fiona at no cost to you. If you have been contemplating scheduling a time for a photo session, now is the time to do it! for a limited time, if you make a deposit on a portrait painting from Fiona, you will receive a 10% discount on your Dog’s Life photo session.

Here’s how it works:

Contact Susan at A Dog’s Life Photo to schedule your photo session appointment or to request a digital copy of a photo that I have already done for you.
Contact Fiona to discuss what type of portrait you want, such as; style, size, color etc. She will also talk to you a little about your animal so she can get a feel for his/her personality.
She will email you a jpeg of a rough pencil sketch of the portrait.
You approve the sketch. If you want changes, you guys discuss, she revises the sketch and emails you another jpeg. This will go on until you are happy.
When you give the go-ahead, you send Fiona a 50% down payment to get going.
Fiona paints a work of fine art featuring your beautiful animal.
She emails you a jpeg of the final painting.
You approve, send her the balance of the payment and shipping costs.
She sends you the portrait.
You open the package, gasp with delight, and with a big smile on your face, you hang the portrait in a prominent spot, where it gives you joy every time you see it.

It’s that easy! But wait, it gets better!

If you purchase a 16″x 20″ portrait or larger she will include, at no extra charge, your choice of one of the following:

10 – 5”x 7” prints of the portrait -or-

30 – 5 1/2” x 7 3/8” note cards printed with the portrait (and with envelopes of course!)

This is a $ 100 value – Free!

If you are considering giving a portrait as a holiday gift, you must do it now!! Click here to visit Fiona’s website to check out her amazing work and to find out more details about her services and prices.