Many of my clients want to include their pet in their family portrait. It’s a treat for me because of my love for animals. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to photograph a pet as it matures over the years and that was the case with Boomer.

I met Boomer in 1998. My clients brought him to the beach as a very young pup to be included in their yearly family portraits. That first year, he sat looking at me very inquisitively and then proceeded to lick one of the children’s faces.

In some respect, through the years, he remained the most patient with the whole process of creating a beautiful family portrait for the family’s home and holiday card. The three boys would wiggle and squirm, make the occasional face, and push one another. Boomer was content to remain in their midst, often napping contentedly.

As the boys got older, and spent more time in and on the water at the East Hampton ocean beaches, Boomer enjoyed the surf and happily stuck close by.

With one son in college, another on his way, a third nearing the end of high school years, the photo shoot this year was probably going to be Boomer’s last. His gait had slowed; he needed a lot of help being moved into position. Each of the boys had individual portraits made with their trusty lifelong companion.

September, Boomer passed away peacefully in his sleep September 4, 2012.

I feel privileged to have photographed Boomer over the span of his lifetime.