Lucky Mutt Photography | Minneapolis, St Paul Dog & Pet Photographer | Becky Kalin » Candid, professional dog and pet photography in Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota.

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Lucky Mutt Photography | Minneapolis, St Paul Dog & Pet Photographer | Becky Kalin bio picture
  • My life. My photos. My blog

    Hi there, and welcome to my blog! As a pet photographer I am truly blessed to be able to witness and capture that special bond that people have with the pets in their lives. This blog is my way of giving back a little piece of myself to those who are kind enough to welcome me into their lives and their homes. In these pages I hope to share the everyday moments, photos, and stories, from my own life, that make me tick, as well as a few beautiful images of the wonderful relationships I am asked to capture along the way.

    Please feel free to plop down on the couch with a big, warm blanket before reading...I wouldn't have it any other way. -Becky

Category Archives: Lucky Life

the lucky life: that tongue

The last week has left me holding my own tongue regarding news of multiple loved ones in my life. I’m so excited for each of them, but, at least where the internets are concerned, I’m forced to hide it. (Yes, I can hear you groaning through the computer after reading that sly tribute to the Pointer Sisters.)

And while I’m being super cheesy, I thought I’d use that tie-in as an excuse to show off my favorite tongue ever…Phaneuf’s! Those of you who’ve had the pleasure of meeting Phaneuf are also probably familiar with the profuse apologies that Ryan and I often doll out for the behavior of her tongue. The phrase, “she’s a licker” is almost as common as the comment, “Wow! I thought that was a bear!” Her tongue, which is big, and often full of more slobber than the average dog-loving human is used to dealing with has it’s own separate brain…we’re sure of it. It greets people at the door, “thumps” like a leg when you hit just the right spot during a belly rub, and has been known to leap tall counters with a single bound (especially where anything buttered is concerned). All while the rest of Phaneuf looks at you with a glance that says, “I’m sorry, I can’t make it stop.”

It is in it’s quietest moments that it really gets me though. That little, itty-bitty bit of lolling tongue that sticks out when Phaneuf is at her most relaxed. It reminds me of her gentle soul, and never fails to bring back memories of the night we brought her home. Just a wee-little 23 lb black furball of a newfie pup with a tiny pink tongue passed out cold on the kitchen floor…a moment my heart will hold onto forever.

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melissa oholendt - Fab. I love that tongue too.

Meredith Perdue - Oh, my! That last shot is perfection!

Annmarie Collette - She’s beautiful! Great photos! I wish I could meet her.

the lucky life

My friend Meredith has this crazy-cool feature on her blog called Magazine Mondays, and I tell ya, I’m hooked. It’s a simple blog post every Monday highlighting something she’s come across in one of her favorite magazines and how it applies to, or has become a part of her everyday life. I am definitely a magazine lover, but what I like most about Meredith’s posts is the insight it gives into her life in Portland, Maine with her boyfriend Michael and their fun-loving lab, Orvis. More than once I’ve found myself in that dead zone of a Monday afternoon digging through my google reader looking to see if Magazine Monday has been posted yet. Her stories, along with her beautiful photography are often just the break I need.

For a while now, I’ve been trying to find just the right way to bring a piece of my personal life into the Lucky Mutt blog on a more consistent basis. Over the past months I’ve thrown all kinds of themed ideas around in my head without acting on any, and I realized recently (like with many things in my life), I’ve been making this far more complicated than it needs to be. So, today begins “The Lucky Life”, what I hope will become a weekly feature that will serve as both at journal of sorts for me and (what will hopefully be) an interesting read for you.

And to kick things off, a few photos from my cousin’s beautiful wedding in northern Minnesota last weekend. The weather was wonderful (even the late evening storm seemed to miss it on purpose), the atmosphere was relaxed, and the flower girls got lots of giggles as one (the younger) yanked the other (the older) down the stairs for their grand entrance. It was a wonderful, family-filled evening (see Mom and her 2 sisters below) in one of my favorite parts of our state.

Dan and Shelby, thank you for inviting us to be a part of your day, and best wishes on the journey ahead of you!

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Meredith Perdue - Becky- wow! How did I miss this? Thank you so much for the amazing shout out. I cannot believe it! I have to tell you, I LOVE the idea of the lucky life! Seriously- it’s great from both a branding perspective and a personal perspective. And I have to say, not picking a definitive date (ie Monday) is such a great idea. I cannot tell you how many times Monday rolls around and I have NO idea what to do for Magazine Monday. Yay! I cannot wait to see more!

melissa oholendt - You are living the lucky life! Love that. LOVE YOU TOO!

sarah - LOVE the shot of the little girl’s curls :)

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