KENDRA LUCK is a former photojournalist who left that profession eight years ago with the idea that "I want to do what makes me happy every day, and that's black-and-white photography and dogs."

The Albany resident and former San Francisco Chronicle photographer is now self-employed and has two enterprises that allow her to indulge those passions. Luck runs SitStaySleep in Albany, offering "home-away-from-home dog boarding."

And rather than "photojournalist," she describes herself as a "dogumentarian" these days, specializing in "professional portraits of dogs and their people" through her www.dogumentarian.com Web site.

That background earned her an assignment to provide images for the new book "Dog Lover's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Living a Rich Life with Your Dog."

"I was hired to do dog lifestyle images," she said. "Nothing posed, just real dogs being dogs. It was good fun because they let me do what I wanted to do."

The book has about 125 color images from Luck, one-third from her photo archive and two-thirds new photos.

The publication of the guide by Quarry Books will be celebrated at a book party from 4 to 7 p.m. next Sunday at Uptown Body & Fender, 401 26th St. in Oakland. The dog-friendly gathering is open to the public, and Luck will be there along with author Wendy Nan Rees.

The book

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contains information Rees has compiled during 25 years in the pet industry, including acting as host for an animal talk show. The work is formatted to offer advice in specific areas for each day of the week, taking readers through a year.

"It's really user-friendly," Luck said. "It has lots of useful information and great photography."

WEST COUNTY NOTES: One of the locations where Luck took photos for "Dog Lover's Daily Companion," naturally, is Point Isabel Regional Shoreline in Richmond. The shoreline recreation area at the foot of Central Avenue again has been ranked as the best dog park in the U.S., this time by the Web site petside.com.

"Owners can also enjoy the amazing views, and activities like biking and bird watching," states petside. And Point Isabel does not charge any fees, unlike many of its counterparts around the country. None of this is news to local dog families, as Point Isabel gets more than 500,000 visits a year.

  • Youth Enrichment Strategies (www.yesfamilies.org), a Richmond-based nonprofit, received a $3,000 education grant for its Family Camps in the Redwoods program from the Save the Redwoods League. The program allows Richmond children and their families to attend two-day camps and participate in redwood education and habitat activities.

  • Thanks to Jon Kawamoto of Albany for letting us know that the Oct. 21 appearance of Jeff Kinney, author of the bestselling "Wimpy Kid" children's book series, attracted 3,000 people to the Barnes & Noble store at El Cerrito Plaza. Quite a turnout considering that the store gave out wrist bands for the appearance and signing, and only after customers had purchased a copy of one of Kinney's works.

    ACADEMIA: Yolanda Roberts of San Pablo has been inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society at American International College in Springfield, Mass. Roberts is a junior majoring in international business.

    Reach Chris Treadway at 510-262-2784 or ctreadway@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/christreadway.