Bernie’s Day at Double Bluff | Whidbey Island Pet Photography
Bernie the Bernese Mountain Dog is a giant, fluffy ball of absolute delight. His mom contacted me with an urgent request to capture some happy family portraits before he had to have a serious medical procedure. I’ll skip right to the good news: Bernie is doing great!! His mom reports he’s already back to normal, running around, playing, and generally bringing sunshine to everyone around him.
For this session we went to Whidbey Island’s Double Bluff Dog Beach, an off-leash dog beach just a short ferry ride away from Seattle. The beach has incredible views of Tahoma (Mt. Rainier) as well as the Olympic mountain range if you venture a mile down the beach. This beach is perfect for old dogs and puppies alike, with a soft sand coastline, lots of driftwood to climb on and explore, and of course the chilly waters of Puget Sound perfect for swimming and seal-watching.
Bernie’s mom specifically chose this beach because it is a location that is special to them, but sometimes it’s a little more complicated than just picking a location and showing up! The tides in Washington can be quite extreme, so I always make sure to check the tide charts against our photoshoot timing to ensure we’ll be able to not only access the beach but also have plenty of room to explore without getting stuck against the bluffs. We picked a date and time where we’d have a nice wide beach to play on during sunset so we could capture their family at their favorite place.
Does your dog also love the beach? Here are some of my favorite beaches near Seattle for off-leash dogs:
Double Bluff Dog Beach, Whidbey Island, WA
Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, Shoreline, WA (off-leash November 1 - March 15)
Long Beach, Long Beach, WA (this is on the Washington coast, but it’s a nice drive)
And some great dog beaches near Seattle for our on-leash friends:
Camano Island State Park, Camano Island, WA
Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, WA
Seahurst Park, Burien, WA
“We just looked through the album and I started crying. I love them all SO much. My husband said you "knocked it out of the park" - thank you SO MUCH for capturing these memories for us, we will cherish them forever.”
