Some dogs are made for posing!

When you’re a pet photographer, especially when you’re photographing dogs, you really have to know the personality of your subject to make a shoot successful.  I’ve made some mistakes over the years..  trying to shoot a little dog in tall grass, a dog who’s allergic to everything at a park, a dog who chases squirrels in a wooded area. And in this shoot- I got *completely* different shots of both dogs. These two dogs are nothing alike. You’ll see what I mean.

This is Gracie. She is a shepherd mix- probably some chow because she has a bright purple tongue. She was one of the best dog models I have ever photographed. I could have photographed her all day long and never snapped a bad shot. And the scenery was gorgeous- Doe Valley in the fall. Her owners are in the military, in fact, Mom just got back from Afghanistan. So..  they live near Fort Knox and I traveled there and we took a little boat ride to a beach to shoot.  It was one of the prettiest areas of Kentucky I have seen- just about 45 minutes from Louisville. I never get to photograph on the beach so this was a big treat.. even if it was just a lake:)

Now contrast these shots with those of Daisy. This is what happened when I tried to get a nice beach portrait with Daisy. I could show you many shots where the ear was sideways, tongue out, head turned, body moving…  Daisy is not your “sit in a regal pose and look just off camera and please put your paws closer together and maybe a little more intensity in your eyes” kind of gal.

This is more what Daisy wanted to do….. and who could blame her, right?

But that’s what makes having dogs so much fun. They’re all so different and they all add joy, love and laughter to life in their own special way!