Who Doesn't Love Dogs In Cars?

When I first moved to Vashon Island, I wanted to get to know my community. So I put an ad on our local Facebook page, offering to photograph people's dogs. . . in their cars! And then, I started thinking up captions for the images I took. I mean, doesn't it make you happy to see a dog in a car, no matter where it is? They are our love ambassadors, and everywhere you go, you can find them making the world a better place. They're funny, they're sweet, they tug at our hearts--and when you get two in a car together, or maybe three, there's a story to be told. I was delighted that people loved what I was doing and before I knew it, I had created a greeting card company I called Lightmark Press. That was in 2012, and even though those dogs are now all in dog heaven, they are also still traveling all over the US--and have even gone as far as Australia.

Last year, I sold my business to a family member, although I still do prints. I have known the names of every dog I photographed--and their personal stories as well, which I put on the back of every card. Creating and sharing this work has been one of the most joyful experiences of my life!

More info: lightmarkpress.com

I once sold a poster of this image to a woman who said she was going to hang it in her front hall, because her dog had a "greeting disorder!"

It's one of my earliest images, taken when I pulled up in my car to a local horse farm, and Mackie, the resident Golden retriever noticed me and hurried over to say hello. I grabbed my camera and got the shot, just before he gave me a kiss!