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CAPTURING THE SPIRIT, Part
I [ © Dennis Glennon ]
The Two Considerations
Whenever I’m
going to photograph a breed I haven’t worked with before, I read as much as I can
about its heritage. I find out what the dogs were bred for, what their desired
characteristics are and what people most appreciate about them. What is the appeal of that
particular breed?
I also talk with breeders and owners
about the more specific qualities of their dogs. My goal is to create an image that does
the breed, and the individual dog, justice. I want to show off the best qualities of each
breed I work with, AND convey the individual dog’s spirit in my image. So, research,
which includes observation, is an essential part of the process and it should be done
before ever picking up your camera.
I grew up with Labradors, Spaniels
and Hounds, so I understand the behavior and motivations of hunting dogs particularly,
having an interest and involvement with them. We now raise Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. They
have a very strong personality and a great, soulful expression. Owning Chesapeakes gives
me an advantage when photographing them. I already understand their energy and their
traits so, with the ‘breed basics’ behind me, I simply study the body language
and the eyes of an individual dog. It is very important to do this.
Knowing a breed is half the
information required for capturing the spirit of the working dog in photographs. Getting a
bit familiar with a particular dog’s personality is the other half, and you should
never leave out this step. Little nuances in an individual dog’s behavior can
really enhance a certain shot and, many times, the dog can help you decide where to take
that shot in the first place!
My "signature
photo" -- ‘Buddy’s Window’ -- is of an adorable Golden Retriever puppy
named, you guessed it, Buddy. It’s posted
on the main page of my DogsAsArt.com website, and
is also the image used on my business cards. Countless people identify me with "Buddy’s Window" and many
have come to my art shows after having heard about the image just to see it for
themselves. |
Click for large image
of Buddy's Window
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What makes this image so successful is the
combination of breed exemplification and individual dog concentration. Buddy was a
VERY relaxed Golden Retriever puppy. If he had been a human, he would have been one of
those old men sitting in a rocking chair playing checkers on a country porch. I wanted to
show off the gentleness of his breed, and also emphasize his particular laid-back nature.
The image I wound up with did both, and when you look at it, you really don’t know
what it is about the photograph that strikes you… Is it the cute Golden Retriever
puppy with the soft, sweet face, or is it his spirit that grabs your heart?
I have to say
it’s his spirit. I have hundreds of cute Golden Retriever puppy shots, but not many
like "Buddy’s Window." I took the time to get to know the dog himself, and
by doing so, I was able to show off his uniqueness on film and therefore set him apart in
photographs, just as his personality did for him in person. Have a look at this image by
clicking here for Buddy's
Window.
I also urge you to get to know a dog
before photographing him in order for you to be able to fade into the background during
the photo session itself. As you get more in tune with the dog, he becomes more
comfortable with you, trusts you to either touch him or simply observe him, and the
session goes MUCH more smoothly. Even playful, friendly pups need to get used to you, or
they will be more caught up in who you are, and in investigating your photo gear, than in
doing what it is you want them to do, which is showing you what makes them so special.
Puppy
Stuff
You might think puppies, too young
yet to be formally trained to do what they were bred for, might be a challenge when trying
to capture spirit on film. It’s a very common, and understandable assumption. Sure,
you can get great puppy-shots: cute images of pups smiling with their mouths and
eyes open wide, but how does one get a pup thinking, concentrating, without playing, and
actually showing a feature of it’s breed?
The most important thing to keep in
mind is that you must not get caught up in the myth that puppies are hard to photograph.
Yes, they move around all over the place, want to sniff your camera, lick your lens, climb
into your photo pack and climb all over you. Yes, they run all over the place, will NOT
sit still, and will turn their head or open their eyes JUST as you snap the shutter, and
yes, you will throw away more images than you will keep. However, if you do it right, you
will have some incredible keepers!
"Working dog" pups still
have the drive and desire to work, even if they don’t yet know HOW to work. It’s
in their blood. Literally. Certain traits are preferred in certain breeds, and therefore,
those traits are bred for, and they show up instinctually as the dog goes about its
business, undistracted by you, the photographer. You don’t have to make an effort to
illicit instinctual reactions, and the pup doesn’t have to be encouraged to
demonstrate them.
What you do have to do is WAIT. Patience is
a virtue with puppies, as anyone who has raised one will tell you. The same applies when
photographing them. You must always have your camera ready. You must accept the inevitable
fact that when you pull it out, your inquisitive pup is going to stop whatever he is doing
and wander over to see what YOU are doing. You must expect to be EXTREMELY frustrated. Get
past that, and you will wind up with some incredible puppy images.
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