Often the impetus for people to reach out to plan portraits is that their family is expanding. In fact, I’ve had the pleasure of making portraits with the Dibbles with that in mind. Sadly, this story happened for the opposite reason. With their beloved family dog Gunner diagnosed with a terminal illness, they knew time was limited. They wanted to document his place in the family and have those memories in a tangible way, forever.
Gunner was having good days and bad days, and there was no way of knowing how many he had left. It felt like there was no time to waste. So we shoehorned a session into the schedule to give our goal the best chance of success. On the afternoon of our winter session, the temps were in the 40’s, but each family member was delightful, as they always are. Especially Gunner. He snuggled his family, walked with ease, and smiled. This family are a bunch of loveys and Gunner wisely didn’t want to leave their sides, preferring to stay close to his adoring family.
Even knowing his time was limited, it was heartbreaking when Kim and Nathan told me recently that he had passed. I hope his well-lived life and these portraits will be a comfort.
Flagstaff Family Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Maternity Pregnancy Photographer • Flagstaff Newborn Photographer • Flagstaff Child Photographer • Flagstaff Senior Portrait Photographer • Flagstaff Couples Photography
Kristen Dacey Iwai of KDI Photography is a full-time professional portrait photographer based in Flagstaff, Arizona with decades of experience. Making portraits of families, pregnancy, newborns, babies, children, and high school seniors in her downtown studio and on location, she serves clients from Flagstaff, Sedona, Tuba City, Winslow, Payson, Page, Williams, Prescott, Mesa, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona
