Celebrating Our First Year at Sweetheart Willow Photography!

Hi Everyone! I am celebrating my first full year as Founder of Sweetheart Willow Photography and could not be more grateful for your support! Starting a business while raising a puppy hasn't been the easiest of endeavors, but it's helped me grow in the very best ways!

Almost every day, I took photos of my puppy muse, Maple, who we named in honor of my late soul dog, Willow (tree theme). I learned the art of the best doggy angles, the importance of lighting, posing a wiggly puppy, and helping Maple’s personality shine through. I’m taking as many photos as I can because all of the photos and videos I have of Willow, now that she’s gone, are like treasures to me. Especially priceless are the professional photos we got of her. I look at them every day on my wall and marvel at how lucky I was to have so many experiences with such an amazing best friend! They help me remember her and how special she truly was.

So this summer, I expanded my business by taking photos of other wonderful dogs, because I wanted others to have professional photos forever, like the ones I love so much of Willow!

Above: The lovable, well-mannered Kiro had fun getting photographed in the lilacs at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum in May!

Above: So much fun photographing (and occasionally snuggling) five wiggly, 5-week-old Belgian Malinois Puppies! Just look at that expression: ADORABLE!

So in honor of Willow and all the pups I’ve been lucky to photograph this summer, I’m offering:
DOG FALL MINI PHOTO SESSIONS on Oct 24th @ Arnold Arboretum. The fall leaves will be in peak season and will make for an amazing backdrop. You’ll have photos in time to include them on your Christmas Cards too! ($50 for 5 professional digital photos).

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my birthday! Slots are filling up fast, so email me at sweetheartwillowphotography@gmail.com soon if interested!

Another way in which I grew as a photographer this summer was that I expanded my nature photography to fox kits on the windy shores of Cape Cod, and am drawing attention around how to protect these beauties. They live alongside humans and the actions we take, including minimizing our single use plastics, may very well save their lives.

Above: Fox Kits at Play, on Cape Cod. I could literally watch them play and frolic forever and grew very attached to all 7 of them!

Above: Fox Kit running speedily past me (and my camera)! He was catching up to his siblings.

Soon, I’ll be honoring the foxes (and other wildlife) and spreading awareness through a very special selection of cards, matted prints of various sizes, and framed prints at:

JAMAICA PLAIN OPEN STUDIOS on Sunday September 27th @ Unitarian Universalist First Church (6 Eliot Street, Jamaica Plain) from 11am-6pm.

Maple is going to be with me there for part of the day, and even if you’re not in the market for anything, it’s nice to see friendly faces, so come out and say hi! (You can also bring your own dog into the church as long as they’re leashed and can handle crowds.)

Get a sneak preview of the foxes and their amazing story for survival in my fox portfolio: https://www.sweetheartwillowphotography.com/portfolio/foxesofcapecod

Drink Coasters were a big hit at the Brookline Village Open Studios last May! Available at JP Open Studios Sept 27th, 2026.

I’ve also had a photograph on the WGBH Mass Pike billboard, was mentioned in the Boston Globe, was juried into several art exhibitions, and now have two photos in the Griffin Museum’s “Our Town” exhibition, including my first photo on a banner!

Hummingbird and Beetle made it to the big screen in April 2026! GBH Billboard on the Mass Pike (Hwy 90).

Most importantly this year, I have tried to honor my soul dog, Willow, in everything that I do. I have tried to emulate her joy, her friendliness, her positivity, and her persistence, and I hope I am doing her proud! Her image, which was selected by Elizabeth Avedon for the “Call the Dogs” exhibition at South x Southeast Gallery, continues to inspire others to be persistent in whatever they do!

She wasn’t going to leave that gate until she got those giant sticks through. So take this as your sign today: you aren’t going to abandon your greatest goals and life purposes until you accomplish them either! If she had a brain tumor and could barely walk, then worked on her physical therapy every day until she could jump, run, and dance, you can face down whatever you are going through, one step at a time!

“Perseverance” in the South x Southeast Gallery’s “Call the Dogs” exhibition, judged by Elizabeth Avedon.

From the bottom of Willow’s, Maple’s, and my heart, we wish you lots of happiness and success, and we thank you!