Photography with Dogs

Magique playing peek-a-boo

Which figures first: the dogs or the camera? We are getting into some very beautiful weather and both the dogs and the camera are an excuse to be out and about instead of in my studio or cleaning up my kitchen. When they were younger my attention had to be more focused on them but now I can be so absorbed in focusing the view before me that I miss the presence of a dog in the scene like above.

Rainbow Magique
Or sometimes after I get home with a bunch of "cast offs" I fully intend to trash I realize the dog in the foreground made the shot. Certainly gave it scale. The goal that day was to photograph reflections.


Quite accidentally, Magique spooked these geese that added ripples to all my subsequent photos of reflections. That can be one of the biggest problems taking photographs with dogs - getting them to not chase your subjects. Mine are pretty good 90% of the time. But they don't understand not rippling the water. They think that is what the walk is for. And when I have to have them on leads they will allow me to stand on the leash while I take my photos. Wise to take a bunch on fast shutter but sometimes this really works for me.

The still don't quite understand tripod and I am a very nervous cat when I have my digital camera perched on one was they romp about.

Mardi Gras and stump

And sometimes I know they know that I really wanted a picture of them instead of the old rotten stump. And in this case I discovered after I got home I really did. Though after I shooed her away I did get a couple nice ones of the stump too.

In conclusion let me say, that anyone that takes their dogs with them and the camera needs to be well versed not only in digital photography manuals but in all the episodes of The Dog Whisperer.

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