art

I was shooting these flowers and Elsa had to know what I was doing.  Beautiful.

I'm around a lot of dogs and when I don't have my camera on me I can get a bit antsy.  Why?  Because I see beautiful images all the time.  It can be an instant, a fraction of a moment in time but a powerful image.  Seeing images doesn't come naturally to everyone.  Having been a long time dog trainer, I was already watching, watching their every move and reading their body language.

Sometimes I walk into a canine situation and see it immediately.  Not all dogs have expressive faces but they all have heart and heart is what I try to shoot.  If you are a long time reader of my blog then you have read before that I am not a posing type photographer.  You know, the smile for the camera type.  I see these photos often, even with a dog and their owner and they leave me feeling empty.  Nothing shared, no connection, just nothing.  They actually give me anxiety as well because I know what could have been with just a different approach.

A connection image is amazing, it can be two dogs, a dog and a cat, a dog and a human but the commonality is the connection.

Often the best, most powerful images are just a slice of life.  Lifestyle photography is one of my favorite forms, there is art is so much around that we miss on a daily basis.  We need to stop and smell the roses more often, look around and see.

Sparky written all over this ball of energy

Much said in a simple connection

This is one of my all time favorite images, it says so much.

Powerful even when asleep

I will often kick myself for not having my camera when I see a face, a face that I really want to photograph.  Like people, some dogs just have a great face.  Very expressive, soulful eyes, a scruffy beard or just a look.  Some dogs never have to do anything but stand their, they art already.  Art is a very personal thing.  I have been asked before in a sort of unbelievable tone "really?  just dogs?"  Of course my answer is yes, dogs; they are amazing.  I work with just dogs, sometimes an owner sneaks in which I love but as far as my work, it's just and their connection.

I do love to photograph other things around me as well.  Pretty much anything that catches my eye, I never stop seeing images.  But my eye is always more apt to see a dog image.  You also know that my dogs are shot a lot.  Even now I am mad at myself for not having my camera.  Elsa is curled up around Luke with the most angelic face.  If I get up at this point the image will be gone.

Seeing an image simply needs a watchful eye and experience.  Knowing what can create a moving image and what does not.  The more you watch, the more you will see.  But like all art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  What I think is an amazingly beautiful photo may not be what you would consider a good shot at all.  It is very, very personal.  Sometimes a beautiful piece of canine art is represented by beautiful scenery with a dog in the far distant.  Still and amazing piece of work but not filled with a dog.  Other beautiful canine images can be just that, a dog.  A whole frame filled with just one very close up dog.  It is all different, we are all different and obviously my passion is dogs.  Capturing is a luxury that I have been given and which fuels my passion even further.