Yay new blog!
I finally did it. I have my business blog up and running! I haven't quite decided whether I want to copy-paste entries here or not...I really enjoy the friends I've made on Livejournal and while I read the flist everyday, I don't want to loose anybody by going exclusively wordpress. If you have a blog following app, you should follow me over at:
www.thegallopinglane.wordpress.com
The link is also connected on my website (thegallopinglane.com). And I'm very active on Facebook, either my photography page or personal, as well as instagram (both thegallopinglane and jumpermegs).
So yeah...I figured I'd share today's entry from the blog here, and I'll just see where this takes me!
Photographing a Deaf Dog
There are always unique challenges with every animal that I photograph. I’ve found my way around most; there’s usually a noise (I credit Finding Nemo with my excellent skills at speaking whale. Most dogs love whale speak!), or a toy, or a treat that will get the successful shot. Sometimes, especially with cats, horses, and small critters, silence and waiting is the special of the day.
Then there’s dogs like Bailey. This little girl has the unfortunate genetic code that has plagued certain breeds of dogs; she’s deaf. Most likely an Australian cattle dog/bull terrier mix, she’s a petite little girl with lots of herding instincts but also the real desire to be a cuddly lap dog.
With her, I found myself inadvertently trying my conventions with noises and toys and just resorted to mildly flailing around the yard instead. It was fortunate that this little pup is extremely social and wants to be in your pocket. At least until she discovers the wealth of toys lying at your feet that you could be throwing for her instead, of course.
I always bring an arsenal of toys with me when I’m photographing dogs, and it’s good that I did even with Bailey! I had a variety of different balls for her to chase, and her favorite by far was the one that squeaked. Whether or not it was because it made vibration in her mouth or she just enjoyed the fact that the squeaky one had more give to chew on is unknown. The biggest dud of the day was anything that didn’t make noise. It never hurts to have a little bit of everything, even when you don’t expect it to be the magic key.
The biggest thing on my mind when I’m taking photos of shelter animals is what can I do to make them stand out. There are thousands of dogs available every day in each state, plenty with no medical concerns, many that would be much less of a challenge than a deaf, smart, herding dog. That gives me motivation to make the tougher cases that much better. Help boost them that much further ahead of the pack (no pun intended!).
I did a lot of waiting, watching how she moved around and what got her attention. There were times where I would get her to focus on the ball or treat in my hand while I watch to see her reactions. She almost always had an eye on me as she ran around the yard. I tried a few attention tricks like throwing a ball up in the air when she was across the yard to get her to run at me. That worked until I did that an it landed on my lens and she may or may not have tackled me instead. The photo below is from that run…
My best day is when I take away something from a shoot that I hadn’t from the last. I came to find out that Bailey knew a variety of hand signals (my fumbling around discovered a few surprises like ‘sit’ and ‘wait’). She came in with no history as a transfer; no one knows where she was before her shelter life or what here experiences have been. What I discovered was a smart, charismatic dog who is unflappable. She doesn’t spook even when you forget about her hearing loss and come up behind her. She’s unfazed by flailing or other dogs or all the things that usually will add to the stress of a shelter dog. Bailey just loves to play, and she loves to connect. She will sit and wait for treats if she finds out there are some in your back pocket. She will dog-pile you for a hug if you invite her. She is an amazing girl, unafraid of her future, ready for anything.
There’s a lot to be learned photographing animals that filter in and out of the shelter. The ones with their own personal challenges will always be my favorite. They are an inspiration and I have the most rewarding of days working with them.
Bailey is currently available for adoption.
www.thegallopinglane.wordpress.com
The link is also connected on my website (thegallopinglane.com). And I'm very active on Facebook, either my photography page or personal, as well as instagram (both thegallopinglane and jumpermegs).
So yeah...I figured I'd share today's entry from the blog here, and I'll just see where this takes me!
Photographing a Deaf Dog
There are always unique challenges with every animal that I photograph. I’ve found my way around most; there’s usually a noise (I credit Finding Nemo with my excellent skills at speaking whale. Most dogs love whale speak!), or a toy, or a treat that will get the successful shot. Sometimes, especially with cats, horses, and small critters, silence and waiting is the special of the day.
Then there’s dogs like Bailey. This little girl has the unfortunate genetic code that has plagued certain breeds of dogs; she’s deaf. Most likely an Australian cattle dog/bull terrier mix, she’s a petite little girl with lots of herding instincts but also the real desire to be a cuddly lap dog.
With her, I found myself inadvertently trying my conventions with noises and toys and just resorted to mildly flailing around the yard instead. It was fortunate that this little pup is extremely social and wants to be in your pocket. At least until she discovers the wealth of toys lying at your feet that you could be throwing for her instead, of course.
I always bring an arsenal of toys with me when I’m photographing dogs, and it’s good that I did even with Bailey! I had a variety of different balls for her to chase, and her favorite by far was the one that squeaked. Whether or not it was because it made vibration in her mouth or she just enjoyed the fact that the squeaky one had more give to chew on is unknown. The biggest dud of the day was anything that didn’t make noise. It never hurts to have a little bit of everything, even when you don’t expect it to be the magic key.
The biggest thing on my mind when I’m taking photos of shelter animals is what can I do to make them stand out. There are thousands of dogs available every day in each state, plenty with no medical concerns, many that would be much less of a challenge than a deaf, smart, herding dog. That gives me motivation to make the tougher cases that much better. Help boost them that much further ahead of the pack (no pun intended!).
I did a lot of waiting, watching how she moved around and what got her attention. There were times where I would get her to focus on the ball or treat in my hand while I watch to see her reactions. She almost always had an eye on me as she ran around the yard. I tried a few attention tricks like throwing a ball up in the air when she was across the yard to get her to run at me. That worked until I did that an it landed on my lens and she may or may not have tackled me instead. The photo below is from that run…
My best day is when I take away something from a shoot that I hadn’t from the last. I came to find out that Bailey knew a variety of hand signals (my fumbling around discovered a few surprises like ‘sit’ and ‘wait’). She came in with no history as a transfer; no one knows where she was before her shelter life or what here experiences have been. What I discovered was a smart, charismatic dog who is unflappable. She doesn’t spook even when you forget about her hearing loss and come up behind her. She’s unfazed by flailing or other dogs or all the things that usually will add to the stress of a shelter dog. Bailey just loves to play, and she loves to connect. She will sit and wait for treats if she finds out there are some in your back pocket. She will dog-pile you for a hug if you invite her. She is an amazing girl, unafraid of her future, ready for anything.
There’s a lot to be learned photographing animals that filter in and out of the shelter. The ones with their own personal challenges will always be my favorite. They are an inspiration and I have the most rewarding of days working with them.
Bailey is currently available for adoption.
