Jess Bell Photography

River
Border Collie

Here is a small sampling of some of the awesome photos we captured at River (and family's) sunrise/powder photo session last month. River was a pretty young pup here and has likely doubled in size since these photos were taken. It's so nice to have shots like this to look back on since the puppy stage is so fleeting. (Which is often a good thing - puppy teeth and brains!)

Georgette and Oliver
Photo captured during my talk this past weekend at PPOC's Imaging Conference. What a whirlwind! I love that these two gorgeous animals came along for the ride.

Mother and son. 🐩💛💙 Taken with a basic 2-light setup against a gorgeous hand painted Backdrops by Andreas .

Georgette

Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place in museums; others, we take for walks. - Caras

There is little else in this world more statuesque and stately than a Poodle. Georgette was a consummate professional while modelling for me this weekend during my presentation with Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC). This girl was nothing short of perfect and I'm pretty sure she (and her son Oliver) blew everyone who was there away.

Le Papillon

I feel like Gusto the Pap embodies the feeling of a baroque painting. His personality was truly larger than life at our recent sunrise/studio/powder session.

Another in my series of "great things, small packages" series. Check out this absolutely pro-level blep, courtesy of Gusto the Papillon. 🦋🦋🦋

Good things come in threes. 💙💙💙

These three handsome gentlemen were some of the easiest little posers I've ever worked with. Total pros!

Georgia the Mini Aussie speeds through the weave poles like a consummate professional at sunrise on the sand. I love photographing at the beach at sunrise - it's a truly special spot at a truly special part of the day.

Cloudy with a spot of rain
Dalmatians Hazzard, Peril and Random against the oncoming storm

(Also known as when your sunrise beach photo session gets rained out but your friend is awesome and comes anyway and makes something truly special out of the day.)

The Handsome Gentlemen's Club
Featuring Hazzard and Peril and their fancy boutonnieres

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Like just about every pet photographer, I adore working with Dalmatians. I doubly adore working with Dalmatians as handsome and talented as these two guys.

Bedlam
featuring Bedlam Acres Dalmatians & Friends

What's cuter than one Dalmatian puppy? An entire pile of them. Let's just gloss right over the pure chaos that these sweet innocent faces can visit upon everyone...

Dalmatian Family Portrait
Hazzard, Danger and lil' Murder

A classic family portrait of three wonderful dogs. Sire, dam and new wee pup. Welcome to the family, little one.

Artist's note: I'm over here happily nerding out over the drool-worthy triangular composition in this shot! As many animal photographers know, it's often not possible to pose our subjects in such an intricate and aesthetically pleasing manner. These guys made it easy though and totally nailed it.

Ten feet, three souls, one goal.

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This shot was taken just before sunrise this week. The warm, rich glow of the sun before it crested the horizon makes this a photo I won't ever forget.

I wanted to showcase the athleticism and teamwork that exists with agility dogs and their people. I'm simply in love with the speed and synchronicity that is on display each time a team steps to the starting line.

Some of our greatest historical and artistic treasures we place in museums; others, we take for walks. - Roger Caras

Random the Dalmatian and the rest of her crew visited today and I couldn't help but choose this one as the first to edit and share. What a perfect animal, inside and out!

Ripple the Australian Koolie looking stunning on the shores of Lake Ontario with far off lights in the background. I love how magical an unassuming bit of deadwood looks through a camera lens with a gorgeous subject.

Koolies Ripple & Twizzler came out to help me test out my new Z9 last week! All of these photos were taken with the Z9 + 300 f2.8 and FTZ II adapter. I was hoping to have a review of it ready to release this weekend, but life has gotten in the way, so for now I hope you enjoy these photos and my "it's pretty great!" Cole's notes version. 😅

Coloured Powder Masterclass!
I have a few spots left for my upcoming Coloured Powder Masterclass on Sunday, April 3, 2022. This will be my last masterclass for a while as I shift my focus to offering more client shoots over the warm months, so don't delay if you're interested.

I reveal every single step of my process from how I photograph with powder, to organizing, admin, post processing and more. I am an open book. Don't miss this opportunity if you want to step up your coloured powder photography game.

When: Sunday, April 3, 2022. 10AM ET. 4.5 hours, live Zoom presentation and Q&A.

Let me know if you're interested and I'll send the link with registration information.

From a student of a recent class: "Absolutely amazing education, material covered will give you all the tools that you need to do a powder shoot and all the secrets of her editing workflow! Well thought out course with additional material provided to make sure you retain all the knowledge that Jess is so graciously sharing with you. Totally worth it in every regard."

Some faces are worth getting up pre-dawn in the middle of a winter storm in -20C temperatures for. ❄️🌨❄️

Viggo
Leonberger, 9 weeks old

This "little" guy was an absolute angel at our session this week. At 9 weeks old, he was already topping 30 pounds. Time was of the essence to capture these early puppyhood photos because pretty sure this guy is going to be pushing 150+lbs. Get a load of this next-level smooshable face, and stay tuned for more!

I have had ONE spot open up for my February 27, 2022 coloured powder photography masterclass! I also have a handful of spots available for my April 3 masterclass. If you've been curious about my approach to coloured powder photography, this is your chance to learn EVERYTHING.

Shoot me a message to learn more, or check my website.

Can shelter dogs be supermodels? Spoiler alert - yes absolutely. Ponyboy was found on the streets of NYC and look at him now.❤️❤️

Animal Care Centers of NYC on TikTok

Tonight I'm posting a quick little throwback to one of my favourite images I've ever captured. Lottie the BC and Grizzly the GSD mix look so serene in this shot, no?

I've just finished preparing an amazing Welcome Guide for new clients, and this image certainly features prominently in the magazine. I've loved the opportunity to pore over my last few years' worth of work to pick out my favourite images ever. It's an 80-page epic, chock-full of valuable information for people looking to get photos done of their animals. It's allowed me to flex my graphic design brain a bit while I try to put it all together in a way that makes the most sense, and allows me to communicate the passion that I have for the work I do.

Moon | Papillon
Jess Bell Photography

I recently heard someone ponder about whether powder photography is effective with small dogs. It prompted me to dig into my archives to find the smallest dog I've worked with. End result: yes, powder photography is absolutely possible with small dogs. The ground just tends to play a bit bigger role in reading the movement of the dog. In this shot, I opted to leave the line of the ground to create texture and visual interest.

I love how we can see two distinct poofs of the sand in this shot - one for the forelegs and one for the rear. So, so cute.

Want to learn more about the ins and outs of my approach to powder photography? My online masterclass still has a few spots left for February 27 or April 3!

How gorgeous is Ponyboy dressed in all the colours of the rainbow?
Jess Bell Photography

Hey Photographers! Registration is now open for my online Coloured Photography Masterclass!

The next classes are Sunday, February 27 and Sunday, April 3 at 10am ET. Spaces are limited.

Find out more at www.jessbellphotography.com/education

Hey Photographers! Registration is now open for my online Coloured Photography Masterclass!

The next classes are Sunday, February 27 and Sunday, April 3 at 10am ET. Spaces are limited.

Find out more at www.jessbellphotography.com/education

I have this photo printed BIG and hung above my computer. My best furry model is always up for my weird ideas. ❤️❤️❤️

A creatively charming portrait, "Lickety Split" by image maker Jess Bell of Jess Bell Photography was Accepted for exhibition in the Animals class of the 2021 National Image Salon.

The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.
Jess Bell Photography

How stunningly gorgeous is Ruchi in this photo? And Ponyboy looks stalwart and true as he supports her and the rest of the family as they embark in this next adventure in their lives. More than anything, this session was a celebration of Pony and everything he is.

Ponyboy et al. travelled many hours and across the border to work with me, and this session was years in the making. I'm so grateful for being given the opportunity to work with these beautiful beings.

Inside you there are two wolves..... You should probably see a doctor. The recommended amount of wolves inside you is zero.

Lobo and Thora. Dark and light. Sinister and serene. 🐺🐺

Cohen, New Years Day, 2022

As every owner knows, sometimes there's such specialness hidden in images that others may not see. I love her soft expression here, the curve of her body and the willingness to please that is embodied in this photograph.

I love this girl and all that she does for me! This case was turned up on its side, a bit tippy and pretty tall. In her youth, I'd probably have just asked her to jump up on it, but now that she's a dignified (hah!) old lady, she happily tolerated me picking her up and placing her on it.

Here are the winners of the My Photo, Your Edit contest that ended last night.

#1: Sanjay Das
#2: Kristin Wolter
#3: Angelique de Villiers
Honourable mention: Taylor Duguay-Ladouceur

The original raw file was quite lovely, but presented a few technical problems. There was a bright spot of sunlight in the trees behind the dog's back, which drew the eye. Plus it was tricky to manage the subject's gorgeous black & white coat while addressing the colours in the background - it was hard to balance the two while keeping colours believable and grounded. And finally, there was a tricky spot of green in the background that troubled my overly-picky brain! The winners were selected based partly on how they navigated those "traps", as well as how they addressed the image overall.

Congratulations to the winners, and THANK YOU to everyone who took part.

Stay tuned for another My Photo, Your Edit with two different raw files next month.

"Boom" at sunrise
Here's young Boom with an endearing and sweet expression, plus a pull back shot of what we did to get her into position. I love when my clients have a few tricks up their sleeves when it comes to working with their dogs.