Like many high-drive dogs, Berraca needed a minute to figure out what on earth we were doing — especially when the lighting setup came out.

Totally fair, kiddo.

But this is where patience (and a very calm assistant — shoutout to Stefan) makes all the difference.

“Berraca was a little nervous of the lighting prop at first. Kim was so patient with her and Stefan was so calm around her. She got used to it quickly…” 

And once she settled in?

Game. On.

We had her posing on logs, working the rocks, and showing off that beautiful Malinois focus and drive.

Now — every session has that one moment where things shift from “nice portraits” to hold onto your camera, Kim.

For this session?

Water. Full speed. Malinois.

At the end of the shoot, we let Berraca absolutely rip through the water — full athletic glory on display.

Her human said it best:

“We had her running full blast through the water — I was worried Berraca was going to take Kim out! Haha.” 

(For the record… I survived. Barely. 😆)

But wow — was it worth it.

When the final gallery landed, the reaction made my photographer heart very happy:

“I love how vivid they are, the contrast and lighting in some of the shots is stunning… it’s something you don’t see very often.” 

And if one image had to live on the wall forever?

No surprise here — the full-speed water shot took the top spot because it shows off Berraca’s beauty and athleticism perfectly. (Though the playful log shot was a very close second.)

Right at the end, her human shared something that honestly… is why I do this work.

“I really wish I did something like this with my old dog. These memories will keep forever.” 

And there it is.

Because it’s never just about the photos.

It’s about freezing this version of them — the wild, the playful, the unstoppable — before time quietly moves things forward (as it always does).