Alyssa Lovdahl | Shine Pet Photography

Duluth, Minnesota USA

Shine Pet Photography

DULUTH PET PHOTOGRAPHY

Minnesota is known as the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ and Lake Superior is arguably its most impressive lake. As the world’s largest body of fresh water, Lake Superior often feels more like the ocean than a lake. Situated on its north shore is the port city of Duluth.

In 2023, Alyssa Lovdahl joined professional photographers around the globe to make a difference for pets in need with 'Tails of the World'. This unique collaborative project celebrates dogs with an annual coffee table book and our latest volume has raised over $65,000 for animal rescue!

Alyssa raised US$1500 for Animal Allies Humane Society with ten pet photoshoots at various parks and beaches around Duluth and along the shores of Lake Superior. Canal Park is one of the city's most popular tourist spots, with its unique architecture and access to the Aerial Lift Bridge. This bridge connects Duluth to Park Point, an island separated by a manmade canal in 1871. Park Point has 7 miles of dog friendly sandy beaches with volleyball courts and hiking trails.

Other popular beaches include Brighton Beach (great for agate stone hunting) and Stoney Point, with its rugged cobblestones and ledge rocks. Then there are the historic parks, like the rose-filled Leif Erickson Park (created in 1927), the 1939 Enger Park with its American-Japanese Peace Bell and the 1891 Chester Park, which was later expanded to include a ski jump park.

For the trail-lovers, there are plenty of parks that offer hikes and waterfalls. Alyssa chose to photograph at Lester Park, where you can explore deep into the woods, and Jay Cooke Park, which features an awesome swinging bridge and over 50 miles of trails.

Ayva

A rescued 5 year old Mini Australian Shepard with the sweetest personality & wiggly butt. She is a bundle of sweet, wiggly, loving energy that will absolutely make your day!

Bender

Bender is a classic 5 year old staffy... a rescue & a lover with the type of energy that makes us say "I wish I had even a little bit of that"! If a kangaroo, cheetah & trash panda had a baby, It would be Bender. He's lightning fast, spring loaded & loves to eat. He's also happy about the smallest things in life & if we all saw the world through his perspective, we'd probably have a lot more joy.

Ellie

Ellie is a 5 year old rescued German Shepherd Mix that loves to go on "sniffaris". She's a sweetheart & an explorer!

Izzy Bean

Izzy Bean may be small but she can probably outrun any dog! She's a 3 year old Australian Cattle Dog/Schnauzer/Poodle with an impressive frisbee catch, stamina & ears. She is the heart & unofficial mascot of her human's XC running club & track teams. She is loyal, spunky, smart, independent & usually seen rocking a bandana.

Josie

Josie is a Mix that was rescued at 3 months old through Animal Allies, the rescue that her session fee was donated to. Now she's 6 years old & lives a purposeful life doing therapy work. Josie visits schools, nursing homes & rescue events, bringing joy to everyone around her.

Lily

Lily is a 3 year old mixed Shepherd that has the kindest eyes & energy. She was found a stray in Texas who had the wounds to show she'd been through more than any dog should have to go through, but her heart of gold couldn't be touched. She loves everyone & has a wisdom about her. Lily also has a tortoise best friend she likes to explore with & a 6th sense for bugs, if theres one nearby she knows it first & is sure to let us know with the head tilts.

Norm

Norm is an 11 year old black lab / border collie. He is the definition of a best friend & has been there for his human in the way we all dream about in a dog. Don't let his grey hairs fool you though, he's a puppy at heart & loves swimming, dock jumping, trails, hiking, paddle boarding & carrying around his favorite toys.

Odin

Odin is a 3 year old Husky-boxer mix. He is a little adventurer at heart with a love for swimming & hiking but don't be fooled.. he's a dog that can do both. He has his lazy moments & sometimes all he wants is some snuggles. When he curls up to relax he tucks his front paws in like a cat turning into a loaf & yes he learned that from his cat roommate.

Roscoe

Roscoe is a 7 year old lab mix that has a heart of gold & the way to get to that heart of gold is through snuggles & belly rubs of course. He has a special intuition for when you need some extra love, snuggles & support in your life & his superpower is turning anyone into a dog person. The one thing he doesn't really like? Water & getting dirty. I know, funny for a lab mix but if its raining, he'll wait. Puddle? Theres gotta be another route. Roscoe is a drop of sunshine on a rainy day.

Rudder

Rudder is a classic 11 month old golden retriever! He needs to say hi to everyone & LOVES swimming, fetching, chewing up sticks & is wise beyond his age! He's 100% goofball, spunk & fluffy love.

All images are shared here with the artist’s permission

Alyssa Lovdahl is an official photographer for our fundraising book, Tails of the World: Volume Two. You can follow Alyssa’s pet photography adventures on Instagram, and be sure to check out the Shine Pet Photography Website to learn more.

Purchase your copy of the Tails of the World Book, and enjoy more dog photography and stories from around the globe. 100% of the proceeds of this book go to Second Chance Animal Rescue Inc.

ABOUT ANIMAL ALLIES HUMANE SOCIETY

Animal Allies Humane Society has been rescuing and advocating for animal welfare for over 60 years and their passion and commitment only grows stronger as they help more animals.

VISIT WEBSITE
@animalalliesdlh

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

I’ve always been a dog mom but this chapter of my life has been lovingly stolen by 3 rescue bunnies & now I’m that bunny mom. Ya know, the one taking them exploring, giving them a spoiled free-roam life & letting them fill up my heart & camera roll. Thankfully being a pet photographer means my life is still filled with cute dogs though.
I’ve worked with animals in every chapter of my life. To my core I’ve always been a creative & animal lover so it only made sense and felt right when Shine Pet Photography came to life. I absolutely love helping animal lovers give their pets a moment to shine, freeze time & celebrate the soul pets in their lives, because they’re so much more than pets.

WEBSITE

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Author: Caitlin J. McColl

Caitlin J. McColl is the multi-award winning artist behind Ragamuffin Pet Photography, author of five dog-filled books and founder of the Tails of the World Collective. She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, two boys and a scruffy family of rescued animals. She’s a bit of an introvert, a lot of a dork, and so very passionate about making a difference for pets in need.

RAGAMUFFIN WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK