Following the two Rottie Specialties in Miami, I worked on getting the images ready for printing quickly because most of the dog publications are getting ready for their end-of-year editions. In doing the processing quickly, I was able to compare how I shot the Friday show vs how I shot the Saturday show and which angles were most flattering to the greater majority of the dogs.

Clearly, not all dogs look their best shot from one particular angle. Which has always been the driving force behind my style of shooting: hand-held on the floor so that I could move depending on which angle worked best for a particular dog. The Best Of Breed dog on Saturday is a very nice boy with excellent substance and a very nice headpiece but he is very straight both in the front and in the rear. So, while a 7/8ths-to-profile view shows off his excellent topline, it also accentuates how straight his front and rear angulation is. Here is an example.



And here's the shot I used to focus on his excellent front and shoulder structure and minimize attention to the rear.



Technically, there is nothing "wrong" with straighter angulation front and rear -- the Standard calls for moderate angulation. But most of the current big-winning dogs have greater angulation, especially in the rear. For example, this is Burton, the #2 ranked Rottie in America.



My point of this post is that as show photographers we are obligated (IMHO) to emphasize the positive points of the dogs we shoot and minimize the potential negative points. To do that, you have to know the breeds and the Breed Standards intimately. As a Rottie breeder, I certainly should know Rotties as well as anyone. But as an All Breed photographer, I have to know all the breeds and not only what is written in the Standard but what is current accepted style (which might be considerably different than the Standard). So, show photography is more than being a good photographer. You have to know how to present the dog in the most flattering way.

If you look at Julie Poole's images of Whippets, you'll understand what I mean. Julie breeds and shows Whippets. She knows the breed intimately and her images show that clearly. They are spectacular. Because she knows what she wants to convey with her own dogs and therefore what other Whippet owners should want to demonstrate in their dogs.

While that knowledge might not be completely relevant to pet portraiture, it sure helps in terms of how people ideally view their pets. If they own a Golden, then they have an image, probably from a dog publication, of how that Golden should look in the portrait. It's our job to try to create that image while, at the same time, de-emphasizing any faults that we may see. Oh, and by the way, we have to do it with a living being that moves and doesn't always (ever?) pay attention to our beepers and toys.

So, for those of you speculating about pet portraiture or show photography, I have an exercise for you: lay on your belly with a camera in your right hand and a toy in your left hand. Tell an owner/handler to set up the dog a specific way and then toss/roll/slide the toy with your left hand to the exact place you want the dog to look, while simultaneously shooting with only your right hand and not moving the camera. Do that for 3 consecutive shots without either you, the dog or the handler moving. You are now ready to tackle a Dog Show .

Cheers,

Jim

Jim, this is good advice for anyone shooting show animals. Thanks for posting. I'll throw my 2 cents in about shooting cats. You have to know the breed standards and you try to emphasize everything that is great about the animal, and if there are any flaws you try to work around them. With cats, color accuracy is of paramount importance.

For example, a Persian cat should be meticulously groomed, have a short tail, very round eyes, a cobby body, a flat face and muzzle, and small ears...you work the pose and the angle to try to accomplish all of that. This is not easy work.

I was about to ask if you were on the floor with those shots! I really stay in the hound group because I know how people want those dogs shot. I will do danes and cresteds too, as I have a friend who I shoot for with them. She has been really instructive on how to shoot them and what they want to see

Now, the cats, I had no idea about any of that. Which, is why I would never tackle show cats without a real heavy duty consultation!

Julie,
I agree about show cats -- I just don't know enough to even attempt it. Plus, cats are just plain harder to shoot. I really appreciate the work of Preston and Tori who seem to have a real affinity for and with cats. I love them, but I don't really know anything about them conformationally.

As for breeds of dogs, I have difficulty with the rare breeds because I seldom shoot them in a show setting. I really don't know their Standards as well as I should and I don't see images of them as often as AKC breeds so there is little to compare in terms of angles, perspectives, point of view, etc. I've shot Specialties for most of the AKC Breeds and have a pretty good working knowledge of how they should all be set up. But, ultimately, you are at the mercy of the person holding the lead and whether or not they can stack the dog properly. Owner/handlers are the worst (and I am one so I can say that). They feel that if a breed is only to be free-stacked in the ring -- Collies for example -- then that's the way they should be set up for the formal photo. Fact is, every dog should be able to be hand-stacked just so you can position them properly for the show formal. Professional handlers can do both.

The other element in shooting show formals is the time limit. You only have a few minutes to get the image and everybody's in a hurry: the judge wants to get out of there or onto the next breed; the handlers have other rings to make; the dog has just showed and has just shut down from "show mode". I ripped through all the show shots from each Specialty in less than 15 minutes total. And that includes getting my share of puppy kisses . You have to be ready so that when the dog is stacked properly, you are prepared to toss the toy and get the shot.

As I've said, I don't know why people want to do this job. Must have something to do with masochistic tendencies .

Jim

Very interesting read that just enforces my feelings that show photography (at least in a conformance type environment) is to be avoided as are weddings!

That said, I've got at least one of each coming up, so I better get smart quick!

Weddings are very fun. You just have to be selective of who you will do them for. I am not a wedding shooter, so, I can do that. Both I have done I have enjoyed immensely.

I would not do well with prima donna mom/bridezillas

Julie,
they all become BRIDEZILLA!!! Actually, it's easier if you don't know the family well. Then they treat you like a professional rather than a friend.

I have a lot of respect for wedding photographers that work exclusively in that area. Like everything else, you have to really focus on style and delivery of a certain product which is different than commercial, show or portraiture. Marketing is very important and most of it is done via the web. It's a tough gig but it can be very lucrative if -- IF -- you can do it well.

I'm still trying to figure out how to make a living taking photos of land and city scapes, wildlife and the other subject matter I really enjoy shooting. If anyone has any ideas, please share.

Jim

Nature and Wildlife is my first photography passion. Moose Peterson offers a lot of great instruction which includes the business side of things in his Wildlife Photographer's Base Camp. I was fortunate to get to go to one before my day-job went "poof."

It was an intense week, but well worth every minute.