My name is Courtney Blatch, and that weirdo in the photo with me is my best bud Scamp!
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What can I say about me? Well, I am a pet photographer in Calgary and... I love Dogs. I am a fan of anything fuzzy that walks on four legs, but of those fuzzy things - dogs are my absolute favourite. For as long as I can remember, I've been crazy about dogs. They are possibly the greatest thing on this planet. (Unless a cat person is reading this.... then cats are the greatest thing!)
If you've ever loved a dog, you know that their love is unconditional. A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, if you're popular - or a total weirdo. They don't care if you're a supermodel or look like you might live under a bridge. If you are kind to them, they will love you more than anything else in the world.
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Hello!
Photographing pets brings me joy like nothing else on this planet ever has. I am overwhelmed with excitement each and every time that I first lay eyes on my fuzzy model for the day. Dogs have that perfect ability to live in the moment - they are never not happy! And I love that about them. I love that every dog I meet has its own unique personality and funny little quirks. I could spend hours surrounded by wagging tails and wet noses!
I've grown up with animals my entire life. My first dogs were Oreo, a little black and white Shitzu - and Muffy - a very tiny white Maltese who lived to be 22! They were my first models when I started snapping photos with disposable cameras around age 8. I even have a photo of them that I posed to make it look like they were playing poker with dog bones as chips. So, basically, I've loved dog photography for a very long time!
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But enough about me! I want to hear about your furry friend!
Why choose me as your photographer you ask? Well, there are plenty of amazing photographers in this city, and even a few incredible pet photographers! I've met a few of them and they are truly lovely people. No hard feelings if you decide to go with them- BUT, I promise you, if you choose me, I will go above and beyond to get the best photos of your pet you could ever dream of! You will love your photos and they will capture your pets true, quirky, sweet, unique personality. I guarantee it! I want to help you make memories with your pet and give you beautiful artwork that you will cherish for the rest of your life.
As an added bonus, I also donate 10% of every session to local animal rescues. You can choose the charity or I have a list of rescues that I rotate every month.
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When I'm not photographing people's pets, I volunteer my photography services to local shelters in an effort to change the lives of homeless and abandoned animals. A great photograph of a lonely dog can be more powerful in changing their life than you could ever imagine. My goal is to help as many dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, lizards, mice, horses, snakes, elephants, ect find loving homes, because every animal deserves to be loved.
One thing you should know about me is that I grew up with terrible anxiety. I was shy and spent more time with animals than with people. My dogs were my best friends. So if you're not great at talking to strangers, and talk to your pet more than other people, I can relate!
However, I became a lot better at talking to strangers after getting a degree in Journalism (majoring in Photojournalism) at SAIT! Turns out interviews are WAY more awkward if you don't talk!
After graduating and doing a few different photography related jobs. I went on to be a photographer for Cirque Du Soleil's show "Kurious" for a year - and, after having a lot of fun, but deciding not to run away with the circus, I realized I wanted to work with animals more than anything else. So I followed my true passion and started doing pet photography! And I haven't looked back since.
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At the moment I am lucky enough to have one very strange, fluffy, devoted best friend - Finnegan, my incredibly smart and hilarious Cairn/Yorkie mutt. He is one of the best friends I’ve ever had, not a day goes by that I don’t feel incredibly lucky to have him and all of the love and happiness he brings to my life.
