Heidi Adler Photography (2026)

22/06/2026

Week 25/52Frames theme: Just Breathe
My take on the theme this week: every dog in these frames is finally breathing a sigh of relief. No longer on the street, no longer in a shelter — each one carrying their own heartbreaking past, now starting their happily ever after as Dogwood dogs.
A shelter is no place to raise a litter of puppies. Sheila and her four pups were sitting in a crowded shelter in the Central Valley, in desperate need, until Transport Angels made the long drive to bring this sweet little cattle dog mama and her babies safely to Dogwood.
There were so many dogs needing pictures this week that instead of having them come to me, I went to Dogwood so we could get as many photographed as possible. We started with Sheila and all of her puppies, then moved out to the field for more pups, including Raven, Belinda, and Twila, three of four gorgeous girls found as strays, most likely abandoned, before our shelter friends got them off the streets and delivered them safely to Dogwood. They appear to be border collie/herding breed mixes, and they are every bit as sweet and social as they are beautiful. I also photographed a sweet Aussie named Rheta who could not be more stunning and sweet. I had a hard time narrowing down which image to use for the challenge, but I kept coming back to the one of Sheila with Flynn and Spot. I've photographed a lot of litters, but Sheila stood out as one of the sweetest moms I've met — she kept wandering over to give me kisses, then trotting back to check on her pups (and looking for treats I was throwing so she would get far enough away from me so I could take her picture). They clearly adored her right back, staying close by, but they were also confident enough to wander off and play on their own and with each other.
Sheila, along with her whole litter — Pebble, Freckles, Flynn, and Spot — and Raven, Belinda, Twila, and Rheta, are all still looking for their forever families and I really hope they find them soon. You can not go wrong with any of these sweet, beautiful dogs.

13/06/2026

Week 24/52Frames | Theme: Blue Hour
I had a whole plan for this week. Eight kittens and their mama. A studio setup. Blue gels on my lights — something I'd never attempted before. Blue Hour isn't exactly the first theme that comes to mind when you're photographing a family of kittens, but they needed adoption photos and it's a very busy kitten season, so I was determined to make it work.
Then ringworm happened, and the kitten shoot had to be postponed.
So instead, I found myself outside during that brief stretch between day and night when the sky hasn't quite decided what color it wants to be.
Meanwhile, Jack and Oscar had their own concerns.
A treat had been sitting on that stump approximately three seconds earlier. The way they stared at the empty spot, you'd think they were trying to will it to magically reappear. For a few quiet moments, they seemed completely convinced that was a reasonable strategy. Don't worry — they were well compensated for their efforts and their modeling. The treat situation was fully resolved.
Blue hour is fleeting. So are those little moments you don't plan for — the ones that show up when the original idea falls apart and you're forced to see what's right in front of you.
Next week we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming — stay tuned for some very special faces from . 🐾💙

07/06/2026

Week 23/52Frames Theme: Triangular Composition.
Meet Jelly. 💙
Jelly is one of five — the Opalites, a foster litter at Dogwood born to Mama Opal, who arrived at Stanislaus Shelter as a stray and gave birth the very next day. A volunteer spotted a photo of her curled around her newborns and knew exactly who to call. A few days later, the whole family made their way to Dogwood.
When the foster carefully unloaded the carrier, she counted four kittens. The fifth — Jelly’s tiny brother Matrix — had disappeared into a fold of a towel. She is so glad she double-checked.
The Opalites, each named for a type of opal: ✨ Honey (F) · Crystal (F) · Harlequin (F) 💙 Jelly (M) · Matrix (M)
Jelly will be eight weeks old on Wednesday — which means this little guy will be ready to find his people very soon.
And don’t forget Mama Opal. She did all of this — survived on her own, gave birth in a shelter, and raised five perfect babies — and she deserves a soft landing too. Mama and babies are all available for adoption through . 🐾

31/05/2026

52Frames | Week 22 | On the Ground
This week's On the Ground challenge put me right where I love to be when I'm photographing dogs, and this time I had a fabulous view of two adorable subjects. While a curious two-year-old searched for treasure in the rocks, Levi was right there with him — gentle, patient, completely enchanted by the whole operation as one of those treasures just might turn out to be a treat, right?
Six years ago, Levi left Dogwood with his family. He spent those years as a much-loved indoor companion, even making the move to Idaho. Life brought some significant changes, and Levi found his way back. And here's the thing about Dogwood — when they say they're there for their dogs, they mean it. They hired transport and paid to bring him safely all the way home from Idaho. The driver raved about him the whole way. So did the volunteers who met him in Nevada City.
Some dogs just have that effect on people.
Levi is a seven year old, 80 pound bundle of sweet, curious, ready-for-whatever energy — and he's looking for a family who will help him get back to his ideal 70 pounds with lots of adventures along the way. He's great with kids, does well with cats, loves a good adventure, and will happily melt into the couch at the end of the day. He hops in the car like he's been waiting all day for you to ask. Food motivated, eager to please, and just wants to be with his people. (Puppuccino stops are apparently non-negotiable.)
He's ready for his next chapter. I really hope it finds him soon!

10m

24/05/2026

See Me Fly | 52Frames Week 21 | Water

Two weeks ago I featured Candy in this series and she has since been adopted. Woot woot!

Meet Hershey. Candy's sister who is still waiting and I can't understand why.

Swipe through and you'll see everything she is. The water shots come first — an off-leash beach day with the Dogwood Aunties and her dog friends where Hershey was in the middle of every adventure, fearless and joyful. She'd only been to the ocean once before, and she had the time of her life being back. Then there's the backyard sessions — flying straight at me over and over, zagging away at the last possible second like it was the funniest game she'd ever played. It was. Swipe to the end and you'll find her in a flower crown, because that's also Hershey — all that wild joy, and then this. Soft. Sweet. Ready to follow you from room to room for the rest of her life.

She's seven months old, amazing with other dogs, had incredible recall at the beach for a puppy, and just wants to be close to her people. She came to from the same litter as Candy — same situation, same sweet temperament, same enormous heart.

Candy found her home. Now it's Hershey's turn.

Hershey is waiting at Dogwood Animal Rescue Project. 🐾

17/05/2026

52Frames Week 20 | Meaningful Location 🏠
If I never had to leave this place, I'd be perfectly okay with that.
I photograph Dogwood dogs and cats here as often as I can — my backyard and outdoor studio is home base for so much of it. This week the schedules just wouldn't line up for a new adoption session, so I did the next best thing: an adoption update, right here where it all happens, with my neighbor's girl Mellie.
Mellie — short for Melody — came home to our neighbors after being returned to Dogwood not once, but twice. And that is what I love so much about Dogwood — they never give up until they find the very best home for their dogs and cats. Some things are just meant to be, and she ended up with the best family who absolutely adores her. I had actually photographed two of her brothers for their Dogwood adoption photos, but somehow never got to meet her — so when I invited her over it felt long overdue. She brought her brother Wooley along for the fun, and between the two of them there was no shortage of personality.
This space is my whole heart. The big cork oak that anchors the yard. The shade garden. The open field where the See Me Fly magic happens. And my outdoor studio — designed from the ground up for exactly this — rocks, tree stumps, beautiful blooms, and light that makes dogs look like the royalty they are.
Every dog and cat who steps into this space brings something with them. Sometimes joy, sometimes curiosity, sometimes a little uncertainty — but always magic. And the ones who live here — my Blonde Brigade, my orange tabbies — they fill it with the kind of love that makes a place feel like home in the deepest sense.
Home. Family. Dogs who find their way to exactly where they belong. There's nothing more meaningful than that. 🐾🌿

17/05/2026

⏰ TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO VOTE! ⏰
I'm beyond honored to be a finalist in the Press Democrat's Best of Sonoma County Readers' Choice 2026 — and I'd love your vote! 🐾📷

While you're there, please also vote for Dogwood Animal Rescue for Best Nonprofit and Best Animal Rescue. They do incredible work for dogs and cats in our community, and every vote counts. 💚

Already voted? Good news — you can vote again! Every vote counts.

Go to: https://bestofsoco.pressdemocrat.com and look for me in the "Real Life" category 🎉

10/05/2026

See Me Fly | 52Frames Week 19 | Slow Shutter
Candy was in front of my lens again this week — partly because she's still waiting for her forever home, and partly because, well, have you seen her?
Swipe through and you'll see two sides of the same sweet girl. The slow shutter shots let her blur through the frame the way she moves through every space: fully, enthusiastically, impossible to contain — including one shot where she convinced her foster friend to join the chaos. Then there's the See Me Fly shot — both paws reaching, ears locked like satellite dishes, eyes locked on mine — coming straight for you with absolutely zero hesitation. And yes, she found the purple dinosaur. Some things are simply meant to be together. Swipe to the end and you'll also find her sitting quietly, posing like she's done this a hundred times. She's six months old. We're all a little in awe.
That's Candy. Long-legged, freshly healed from surgery to correct entropion (a painful condition where her lashes were turning inward), and overflowing with puppy energy that she is learning — slowly — to channel. She knows her name, comes when called, has learned to sit, sleeps quietly in her crate, loves every dog and human she meets, and is ready to launch herself into someone's life permanently.
Candy came to from a situation of unchecked breeding in Clearlake. Dogwood arranged spay for mama and all six intact females on the property. She and her sisters are about six months old and expected to reach 40–50 lbs at maturity. She is vaccinated, wormed, flea treated, and microchipped.
She is still looking for her forever home. Every week I photograph her is another week I'm rooting for her to find it.

03/05/2026

Week 18/52Frames Theme: Fast Shutter Speed
Meet Widget. 💜💦
I was at shooting adoption photos and all of the Aunties were there, supervising and joining in the fun. The Dogwood Aunties are resident dogs who live at Dogwood full-time, nurturing orphaned puppies and kittens, teaching them how to be brave, how to be loved, and how to trust. Widget is one of the senior Aunties, and one of her favorite things in the whole world is playing with her purple ball in the water, and oh what a splash all of that excitement makes!
Once an abandoned shelter dog who sat unclaimed for six weeks, Widget was taken home by one of Dogwood's founders to foster. She never left.
From unwanted to irreplaceable.
Fast shutter speed froze what my eyes almost couldn't track — water suspended mid-air, one very determined girl and a ball almost as big as she is in the middle of it all.
This is what a happy life looks like. 💜
And a little love to the whole crew — senior Aunties Widget and Dolly, and Aunties-in-training Grace the Great Dane and Nina the sighthound. What a team. 🐾

26/04/2026

52FRAMES — Week 17: Inspired by a Photographer
I need to tell you about Luke. 🖤
Luke is a 13-month-old Great Dane — tall, lean, goofy, and magnificent. He arrived at Dogwood with the kind of backstory that will break your heart and then put it back together again.
Luke's person died in a car accident. His daughter — herself unhoused — loved Luke fiercely and did everything she could to keep him safe. When she had to leave him temporarily in someone else's care, he was tied outside, became terribly tangled, and nearly lost his leg. She spent every dollar she had on vet care to save it. Then she made the hardest decision a person can make for someone they love: she surrendered him, because she wanted more for him than she could give.
That's not abandonment. That's devotion.
Luke needed some exposure, and this week's photography challenge called for a shoot inspired by a photographer. When I spotted him on the Dogwood website I knew immediately — a Great Dane is about as Elliott Erwitt as it gets. I called a friend — someone I met through Dogwood, who happens to be fostering our girl Franny — and asked if she'd bring her Chihuahua. She said yes. Then the morning of the session she texted that childcare had fallen through and she might not make it.
Enter the Dogwood angels. 🙌
A handful of amazing humans stepped up to watch the baby so she could bring Chiquita — a Dogwood alumni herself — down to the session. What started as a photo shoot turned into a full-on party: a giant dog, a tiny dog, a baby, and a bunch of wonderful people all showing up for Luke.
He was adopted this week.
From a vehicle on the street to a home of his own — this is exactly why we do this work. Go live your big beautiful life, Luke. 🖤

Heidi Adler Photography

22/06/2026

13/06/2026

07/06/2026

31/05/2026

24/05/2026

17/05/2026

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10/05/2026

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26/04/2026

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