Award-winning and published pet photographer serving the Charleston SC area.

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Bandit's Legacy | Always With Me

A program designed for terminally ill pets and the people who love them.

Memories and photos. There will come a time when that is all we have left. Memories soften over time, sure, but photos are forever, much like our love for our companions. Thankfully, I have known many dogs' unconditional love. And having lost my Bandit (banner image above) just before his 16th birthday, and our two elderly and so very loved dogs before him, Addie and Tibeaux (at almost 16 and 17), I know the devastating pain of that loss. And, to this day, I remain comforted by my photos of them. My dogs always take over my whole heart.

Bandit was the last of our dogs at the time he left. He was my constant sidekick, my kid. And, with his loss, there was no more jangling of tags, or hearing nails clicking on the floor; no more 8 o'clock hour pill schedules or short, slow strolls; no more car rides just for the sake of giving him an adventure. I was alone with silence and my grief. Then I decided to honor him with a program that focuses on pets who have received a challenging diagnosis, or are identified as terminal, along with their families. Now in its tenth years (launched in 2015), Bandit’s Legacy program has given so many families peace during a time of such tremendous loss and sadness. Having beautiful photos that honor your pet and your relationship with them can be such a comfort - I know this firsthand.

I also know the anxiety a pet’s diagnosis can produce for their humans. I know it can be expensive to manage, whether as treatment to gain more precious time, or even palliative care. But knowing the importance of having photos to cherish too, Bandit’s Legacy offers a unique session opportunity to the family. If you have received a terminal diagnosis for your pet and would like to schedule a session, please contact me. (Note - this is for terminally ill pets, not simply because a pet is elderly.)

Local Charleston SC area sessions within my 40-mile round trip zone average a time investment of five hours including travel, session time, processing/editing and production. As a part of this session opportunity though, clients also receive legacy print output as a gift from me, and will have the option but not an obligation to order anything additionally beyond the gifted prints.

While the session fee itself would be due (see rates here), the estimated print gift value to clients participating in this program is over $200 and this is gifted to the families (2-8x10 and 3-5x7 mounted prints). The standard session fee also includes two high resolution, upsized digitals for your personal use. Clients may then order additional prints, products like albums, or digital outputs, but are never obligated to do so. The most important part is to hold the session while the pet is feeling like themselves, as that is the memory you will want to capture.

I am truly sorry you and your pet are having this experience. It is not anything we are ever fully prepared to manage. It is my privilege to provide these services as I know how important they will be to you in the years to come. This is a service offered to anyone who has a terminal pet so please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions. I always work to give terminals priority scheduling.

From recent clients under this offering:

"Thank you again for being so flexible and accommodating my schedule when we had so little time left. And what's more, coming out on a rainy holiday weekend to do so. It truly means the world to me. Gizi and I spent all day together on Monday getting snacks, going for a walk, and just hanging around, which was always her favorite thing. The vet came Monday late afternoon, and it was beautiful despite being so sad. There is a huge hole everywhere I go in the house where she used to be. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful gift of memories of her and I together."

"The photos look great! I'm so happy with them, but also miss her so much they made me tear up. Thank you so much for fitting us in. At that point, I had no idea what little time I had left. It means so much to me to have these!"

"Thank you so much!!! These are so beautiful already, I have so many happy tears. I am forever grateful for this." 

"Omg they are beautiful!!! I don’t even know where to begin to pick my favorites!! I can’t thank you enough!"

"Thank you again so much for that session, it means everything to me especially nowadays."

"So I just wanted to say: we had to say goodbye to Jolly a little over a month ago now. And these pictures are amazing to me. They bring me nothing but happiness and fond memories. This was not only an amazing gift but a truly fun awesome day where I got to meet you and be amazed at how good you are at your job. You made me and my old man feel like we were just having a walk with a friend. I really can not thank you enough for these. I am so grateful., You’re amazing.”

"I wanted to reach out and tell you thank you so much again for doing these pics for us! We finally had to make the hardest decision ever to put Sigma down yesterday. He lived much longer than anyone expected and did so well. He was my “heart” pet so it’s been hard. Towards the end the cancer spread to his face and destroyed his lips and tongue. I am so thankful we got these pictures done when he was feeling good and before the cancer moved to his face. I’ll treasure them forever and they’ve been a comfort during this tough time. It’s been nice to have them to remember when he was himself before the cancer caused so many issues. I know this is totally random but wanted you to know how thankful and appreciative I am again!" 

"I can not thank you enough for the beautiful images and memories you gave me of my dear Eloise! During such a sad and dark time, you and your camera were a ray of light, giving me images to cherish. These photos will be a constant reminder of Eloise's love and loyalty. She was a loyal and loving companion for eight short years. Thanks again."

"Thank you so much for all that you have done for us and for Willow. It's hard to express to you how important and special the photo shoot with Willow was to us. The photos so perfectly capture Willow's personality and character. He was a one-of-a-kind dog, and you have an amazing gift that captured that in photos. We will cherish these photos for the rest of our lives. You went out of your way to help us, and even just your kind words throughout Willow's illness, and your support after he passed was so appreciated. You have deeply impacted our lives. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!"

Other client comments from legacy as well as regular sessions can be viewed here.

March, 2015 | Bandit's Legacy was launched and featured in the Paws for Charity Magazine's inaugural issue.

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