We were three days away from a photo shoot; we had everything in place, but we needed something more. Something unusual, something unexpected, something… well… awkward. And then it dawned on us – an awkward turtle! I’m sure you’ve all been in situations that can only be described as ‘awkward turtle’ moments. Yeah, you know the ones. But where would we find a camera-happy turtle in three days?!

Craigslist. Surely there would be a reptile aficionado out there who would be willing to join us for a photo shoot. Some of our inquiries were well received, with one owner even offering up ‘smaller and cuter’ turtles for the shoot and another offering us a free turtle for keeps; others were a bit more cautious, questioning what we intended to do with the turtle. Telling them we wanted a turtle to join us for a dinner-themed photo didn’t seem quite right… we weren’t exactly planning on making turtle soup!

Then, a friend of Lakefield put us in touch with Val Lofvendahl, who founded and operates the Reptile Rescue, Adoption, and Education Society in Richmond, B.C. She was enthusiastic about helping us out, and said she had a very special turtle to star in our photo. She arrived on location with Andi, a sweet little turtle with a dented shell who had been rescued and is up for adoption through her non-profit organization, which has been operating on a strictly volunteer basis since 2003. We learned that there are loads of abandoned and unwanted reptiles and amphibians that desperately need loving homes, and we liked Andi so much that we wanted to help spread the word about this important reptile rescue project.

Ways you can help: Adopt or sponsor a reptile, arrange an educational presentation in your community, or make a donation (cash or supplies) to this important project. You can even adopt Andi, the female turtle from our photo (who, thankfully, complied with my begging and pleading not to pee on my pretty dress)!

Thanks to Kathryn Bass at pure (something) clothing co. for providing the dress. Check out her ‘uniquely created bridal fashions’ at her website.

Kate and Andi’s working relationship gets off to a great start.

Andi relaxes in the dressing room before the big photoshoot.

In between laughs, members of Lakefield put on their serious faces.

Andi the turtle and her caretaker Val take a break as members of Lakefield take five.