Tennis, Dogs, Love

A little play on the title of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love—the three things that really light me up are tennis, dogs, and love! So of course I brought Duke with me to the 93rd National Bank Stanley Park Open tennis tournament in Vancouver and put my journalist hat this past July! Although I didn’t photograph the event, I basically got to play Trent Crimm:

“Week 1 — NBSPO Recap (July 4-12)”
“Week 2 — NBSPO Recap (July 13-18)”
“Final Weekend — NBSPO Recap (July 19-20)”

In other news, this summer has really been special, and I have lots to share with you here, including new engagement photos, writing, and other images. So stay tuned!

Pom Mom & Dad Meetup

Pomeranian dog parents meet at Confederation Dog Park in Burnaby, BC on May 4, 2025. Meetup hosted by Jenn Lin Photography

My first ever Pom Mom & Dad Meetup this past Sunday May 4 was a big success! 27 Pomeranians gathered at Confederation Dog Park in Burnaby, BC. Thank you to all the attendees and everyone who helped share the event! More photos of this event coming soon.

Want to hear about the next meetup and group photoshoot opportunity? Follow @dogswillteachyoulove on IG for future dog meetup announcements.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Cherry blossoms raining down on a street in Burnaby, April 10, 2025. © Jenn Lin

No matter where you go in Vancouver during the Spring, there’s beauty everywhere you look. Maybe it’s a random patch of tulips along the side of the road, or the look of lush cherry blossom trees in full bloom. Within a week, the first wave of blossoms are blown away by the wind and brought down by rain, but by mid-to-late April there’s a second wave of even pinker blossoms that will burst onto the scene. The days are longer and the sun shines warmer. After 3 months of dark winter weather, the change couldn’t be more appreciated.

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For the Love of Tennis

I bought my first racquet and started my tennis journey in 2021. At first, all I did was hit the ball against a wall. Something about how simple it was to just focus on hitting the ball back and forth helped me relax after a stressful day at work. Eventually, other people would show up for the practice wall, and we’d start rallying with each other. So for me, tennis was a great way to get some fresh air and start being social again after all the isolation and burnout brought on by the pandemic.

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Happy Chinese New Year

Two pugs, Aiko and Tofu, are dressed in traditional Asian outfits. One pug is wearing a geisha costume; the other is wearing a traditional red Chinese vest for the lunar new year. The symbol for Double Happiness hangs above them.

This year, the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival begins January 29 and so I thought, what better way to usher in the new year than with some adorable photos of dogs in costumes?

When I first launched my “Double Happiness” dog portrait promotion1 in 2023, I went with a photo booth concept. With some light and furniture upgrades, I’m really happy with how it’s evolved. At the heart of it, Double Happiness is a celebration of dogs, happiness, and what happens when you bring two dogs together—double the joy (or double the trouble, depending on how you look at it)!

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Lavenderland Engagement Photos

  • 1 of 7 - Part of Tiffany and Tyler's Engagement Shoot at Richmond Lavenderland - They sit in a carriage framed by roses and other foliage. The scene is romantic as Tyler's hand is resting on Tiffany's neck as they gaze longingly into each other's eyes.

After spending most of the day with Tiffany & Tyler shooting their engagement as well as family photos (see Dogs Will Teach You Love), I felt privileged to witness their love and to help create memories they’ll cherish for years to come. Like most people who consider themselves introverts, Tiffany & Tyler relied on me to make them feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. We worked together to choose a location/theme that suited them as a couple, and we discussed their outfits and the kind of shots/poses they wanted in advance. The rest was up to me and my vision, for which they had total trust. I honestly couldn’t have had better clients!

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Duke the Pomeranian

Duke the Pomeranian sits and looks toward the camera with confidence, vulnerability, and poise. A collage of three images from Jenn Lin's photoshoot this past May weekend. All images captured by dog portrait photographer Jenn Lin in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
“Duke, 28 months” © 2024 Jenn Lin. Shot with Canon 5D Mark IV + Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens @ 50mm, 1/400th sec, f/6.3, ISO 400

I did a quick at-home shoot with Duke this past Saturday and here are the results! Duke doesn’t love to sit still so I had to work fast and compensate him with plenty of treats. At first, he was hesitant to come near the softbox and black foam boards I had set up, but he eventually grew more comfortable as time went on. I love these images because they capture the fullness of his coat at his age, his natural confidence and poise, and even the little grey hairs now growing under his chin. He’s in the prime of his life, and now I have these images of him to commemorate it. Total shoot duration: 7 minutes.

A behind-the-scenes video of our little micro shoot will be posted shortly on my Instagram page. In the meantime, get in touch to book your pet portrait session with me today!

“She Wanted a Cat” Storybook [Video]

My year is off to a great start and I hope yours is going well too! I don’t post as much here as I’m often either busy posting on Instagram/Facebook or working on my newest story project, Dogs Will Teach You Love.

Recently, two of my project participants decided to order a couple of books after they shared their stories and saw the photos I had captured. We decided on two 8×11 glossy hardcover books with 20 standard pages and premium colour ink (30 images included). Since we had already shot the images and prepared a story, it was a seamless and logical next step to create a book! On average, it takes about 5 hours to lay out and design a book like this from start to finish.

Click play and hit the gear to watch the video in HD! Leave me your thoughts in the comments or contact me to take part in my story project, Dogs Will Teach You Love.

“Smartist” App Review

Artwork: “Step Into the Light” with Matilda the Saint Bernard © 2022 Jenn Lin Photography

One thing you learn in real estate is that a well-staged home will help you sell it faster and for more money. It’s the same for art. Hang a work of art in the wrong place and it just looks odd. Stage the art—surround it with colours, frames and textures that complement the art—and all of a sudden it looks amazing and like it belongs. But what if you don’t have access to the right space or the resources to help you achieve this? In comes the “Smartist” app.

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