Autumn Dog Photoshoot in Woodland | Chichester in West Sussex
As an outdoor dog photographer there’s nothing nicer than enjoying an early morning autumn photo shoot in local (West Sussex) woodland. The air is crisp and clear, aside from a little low-lying mist on the South Downs, a few miles from Chichester. The leaves are turning gold, there is dew on the grass, and the sun is just low enough to add warmth and direction. Exercise and good company adds to the enjoyment.
This particular photo shoot took place just before we went into England’s second lockdown. Having lost the spring and summer it was fantastic to feel almost normal again, albeit for a short time. The loss of client contact across the first lockdown (and the company, banter, and laughter it brings) made me look forward to each post-lockdown photo session all the more.
My companions for the morning were four lovely girls (three of which have four legs). It’s so nice when I meet mature dogs like this, whose personalities are well developed and whose relationships with their owner and other pets have been firmly established. Much as I love photographing very young dogs, those shoots can be a challenge usually requiring much more flexibility and a more open set of expectations. For this particular pet photoshoot my furry subjects comprised a border collie, a springer spaniel cross labrador, and a black labrador cross. These are working breeds which look fantastic in an arboreal setting.
As any pet photographer will tell you (and as any multiple-pet owner will know very well) getting an all-important ‘group shot’ takes a bit of manoeuvring and a patient approach to the task. These obedient girls have the most fantastic relationship with their mum, and were able to sit still and focus on her with ease. There are of course times in a photo shoot when as a photographer I’ll need the dogs to focus on me as well. There are various tools and tricks I can employ to make that happen. My camera bag is home to a couple of different squeakers and if these don’t work I have an extremely loud and normally very effective quacker (the kind often employed when training gundogs). The quacker is loud enough to get anybody’s attention, even at a distance – or so I had thought up until now. It had absolutely no effect on my new friends, which was a first, and something my client and I have laughed about ever since. The only similar experience I’ve had was a few years ago with a chocolate Labrador (who would only respond if I rattled a crisp packet). There may be many times when you might struggle to gain the attention of your furry subjects, and more extreme measures will need to be taken during the retouching phase!
A photo shoot can really bring out our pets’ quirks – in fact that’s what we aim to do. As a photographer it’s lovely for me to see all the little traits and habits which make up a much loved pet’s personality. This can include favourite toys (which often accompany them everywhere), the way they stand, or the way they interact with their friends. I get to appreciate this right through the editing and production phase and I feel as though I’ve really got to know everyone by the time I show my client the pictures.
today’s tip
When the sun is still low in the sky, get down low and angle your lens towards the light. Introducing a bit of lens flare can add warmth and atmosphere to a morning or early evening portrait
We can never tell our clients how many photographs will make the final cut. This depends on the type of location we have, the obedience levels of our subjects, the weather, and the kind of concepts we might attempt. But overall the aim is to come away with photographs suitable for wall presentations, and a collection of more relaxed photographs suitable for a storybook album. My client chose wall pieces from our fine art canvas range. Our fine art canvases are precision made with sharp tailored edges and a deep modern profile. One of the benefits of working with a professional photographer is access to beautifully made products which are not available to the general public. The substrate we use on our canvasses is quite textured and lends itself very well to natural outdoor photography, particularly animals. Canvases are a little more relaxed than mounted and framed photographs and are perfect for a kitchen, office, hallway, playroom, or den. Or, we can combine both styles in the form of a framed canvas.