One day in 2006 I headed to the Canberra Dog Show to capture some shots. Having never really been exposed to the intricacies of a dog show before, I certainly had my eyes opened. Some of the long haired breeds seemed to require a full-time hair stylist. I witnessed trims, straightenings, blow waves, ribbons and bows and the application of plenty of hair spray. This little Miniature Collie sure looks impressed with the whole affair.
When I first had the idea that I wanted to photograph dogs on more than a casual basis I asked around for people who would volunteer their time so that I could learn how to take beautiful photographs of dogs. Natalie was the first to put up her hand. When I arrived at her house, I was greeted by this gorgeous Italian Miniature Greyhound called Cybil. Having next to no body fat, she was so cold that she needed to wear a sweater. Natalie was wearing a matching sweater which said “I love Cybil” across the front. From that moment I knew this was going to be a fun shoot. Looking back on these photos, it’s hard to imagine this was my first ever planned pet photography session. And you know what, it’s still one of my favourites.
The other day I happened to be trawling the internet in search of other pet photographers. I get so inspired when I see the great work other photographers are producing. One such photographer who I’ve recently discovered is Grace Chon from LA, California. Check out these awesome photos of an Italian Greyhound she’s recently photographed. Aren’t they just beautiful?
If you know of other great pet photographers, please leave me a comment. I’d love to have more blogs to visit.